I have tried to set a reputation as a trend-blogger, i.e. I don’t
like writing about the current event in the news, because everyone is already talking
about it.
However, something has been hurting me for some time, and I know
that I might be exploding in future, maybe in the next few years because I know
myself. One day is one day, I won’t be able to stomach it anymore. For now, I will
just pretend to be a gentle lady.
I scheduled a post yesterday about the arrival of my books
in Nigeria and a particular give-away. After the post, the plane crash
happened. I had to give myself brain and revert the post to draft. And for a
whole day,
I wondered what I say on this blog
What exactly will Atilola say about this, considering the
fact that my social profile has grown stronger in the last one year? Well, this
is what I have to say, please pardon the format of the post.
I do not like it when I hear the several ‘it is well’s
I do not like it when I read ‘Lord, have mercy on us’
I do not like it when I read ‘Nigerians and its leadership
have sinned, and that is why there are so many disasters’
I do not like it when I read ‘The end times are near, that
is why there is so much destruction.’
I do not like it when I read ‘The only thing we can do is
pray’
I do not like it when Nigerians in diaspora say ‘I wonder
why I was born a Nigerian’
I have mentioned something on this blog before and I will
mention it again. The problem here is that most Nigerians are reactive, instead
of proactive. Things happen, we react and we cool down. Then react and cool down…
react and cool down… react and cool down…
Time is a Thief of memories and I can assure you, come next week, we will all forget about this disaster and stop talking, and move on, just like we did in the past. We will stop talking until the next big disaster in Nigeria happens. Then we will react again. MESSED-UP CYCLE!
The question is what are you going to do? There’s a reason I
don’t like talking about events. I am of the opinion that talk is cheap. Talk has
never gotten anything done. Only the
doers get things done.
Are we going to sit down and let people who have nothing but
the love of money in their heads, continue to rule kill us? Where when
young people try to protest, they unleash police on us, forgetting that this is
democracy? Are we all just going to sit in UK and US complaining about Nigeria and
its leaders.
Are we going to keep going to prayer vigils and say ‘it is
well’? See let us not deceive ourselves, it is not well. The sad news is that…
it will never be well with Nigeria… not until we stand up for what is right.
What if the world does not end in the next 20 years? Will we keep suffering and saying 'the end time is near'? Will we just allow these people to keep getting away with all these, while waiting for Jesus to come. Suffering is not a pot of soup o, and I refuse to keep eating out of it.
Evil prevails, because good people do nothing.
As for my friends, please, don't be angry, pardon me for talking. I normally keep quiet when stuff like
this happens because I am a very passionate person and have been working on
cooling down for some years. Its just that I don’t think I be quiet anymore because
if we don’t talk, one day, they will come to our houses to come and sit on our
heads. I know many Nigerians are not ready for serious business yet but…
Come 2015, REMEMBER…
Remember not to vote people who don’t have your interest at
heart. Remember not to vote for people who do not care about human lives. Do not
vote based on sentiments, religious or otherwise. If you know people who really
have something to offer this country, encourage them to stand up and come out. We
need Joshuas in this country. It’s time for us to get up and reclaim our
country from people who want to kill us, people who lack empathy, people who
use greed and corruption to oppress us, as if they brought the money from their
father’s house.
We need people who will take the problem of corruption
seriously, people who will punish criminals for their offence, not just ‘set up
a committee’, people who will care for human lives, people who will take
poverty alleviation seriously, people who are there to serve, not to rule.
If you know people like these, tell them to come out, stand
out, and run for office in 2015 and 2019.
I am telling you the truth, if we don’t do this, then those
people currently in government will smoke us dry and it will never be well with
Nigeria.
@ilola, you have my backing. I lost friends, families, friend of friends in the crash. The pain is beyond comprehension. It is not well with allowing things go the way it used to be, its about that time we stop waiting for the worst to happen before doing the right thing. Tired of all these committee, different panel set up as avenues for them to continue looting billions of naira. Who do we hold accountable for these losses? Another probe panel chairman? Who? Committee report that is awaiting the President's reading and approval? I am grieving and my heart bleeds.
ReplyDeleteAww, sorry for your loss. Time for us to rise and change the status quo.
DeleteWell said
ReplyDeleteThanks Prism
DeleteI read your piece with an expectation & guess what, you did not disappoint. Yes, Nigerians do not tend to be proactive on national issues and that was because there were more issues closer to home, literally, that they need to attend to. That's why we have leaders to do that with the hope we achieve our personal goals. Like it or not, a successful capitalist society like ours is run on personal interest. Yes a plane crashed yesterday, but I need to put food on my table today. What else do you expect a Nigerian to do except talk because that was the cheapest/easiest thing to do.
ReplyDeleteYou said Nigerians are reactive, i'll tell you one more thing they were guilty of [including you]. Nigerians are lovers of normative statements. Your last few statements were filled with it.
For example " we need...people who will punish criminals for their offence" is a normative statement because it expresses a judgement about what ought to be. Notice that there is no way of testing the veracity of the statement; even if you disagree with it, you have no sure way of proving to someone who believes the statement that he or she is wrong
by mere appeal to facts. Normative statements are characterised by the modal verbs "should", "would" or "could".
The down part of such statements was it doesn't include how to solve such problem. You said "we need Joshuas in this country" my question is Where are they?
I know you meant well and I respect that but until you have a blueprint we could work with, don't criticise.
How come on the image above an emoticon was smiling while the other was praying?
This comment has been removed by the author.
Delete@ Didi: why did you delete your comment? Niways, I have it my email, and it can be used against you later. *wicked grin*
Delete@adebsrk: c'mon, you had an expectation? that's setting me up for downfall.
In your last set of paragraphs, are you sating I should start giving you the blueprint and the strategy? This is not a consulting post o. Besides, there are Joshuas around us, we all know that. If only people would allow them do the job. This is not a criticism post, this is a realistic post o.
As for the image, I guess the message behind it is glaring
@ade too much grammar and explanation.. i didnt deduce the point you aiming to make. so what should she have said?? Point I got from the article: we complain and do nothing... i think its clear enough from where am reading..
Delete@ Daughter of he king: Thanks for helping me clarify.
Delete*Sigh*. Too sad! It starts with us all and not just the government alone. After all, it's the same people who were ordinary citizens yesterday that are in government today.
ReplyDeleteWho is governments? We are the government. Yes, u r right
DeleteDont know what to say about Nigeria anymore.. May the souls of the victims rest in peace..
ReplyDelete@ilola timely piece...d 1st and most reliable way out of dis mess is investment in knowlegde and it begins with us i.e we ensure that young men and women around get knowledge this weapon i can bet u is KEY..thanx @ilola
ReplyDeleteYes, we need to spread the knowledge and start changing warped mentalities. Thanks for dropping by
DeleteThis is exactly how I have been feeling but didn't know how to put it. Voting for the right people in 2015 will not be as easy because it's all about who has the money in politics, as you know (I am sorry to be a pessimist, just that I've personally known people genuinely interested in changing Nigeria become frustrated and give up because those who had more money bribed the forgetful populace at the end of the day. What else can I do?? I am not sure yet but like you said, talk is very cheap.
ReplyDeleteyup...i had this feeling and i was so vexed in my spirit that whats all this!!!..is this how we will continue to look at things and just talk...and all?...i was so grieved but like northern girl, ppl who have been interested in changing naija end up being fustrated!!!....and it annoys me more
Deleteit is then i can sigh and say that..It is God who will deliver us from this Evil MEN!!!!
men who have no conscience or rather see it fit to ruin our country with evil deeds and cruelty
but i know God will make a way, even when there seems to be no way
@ Northern Girl: Yes I know it won't be easy, but it is the first step we must make an attempt to take. We just have to push for it, or else, we will be hopeless.
Delete@ Sugarspring: We have to try hard to take our country form the grip of these 'Evil Men', or else, we are gonna be set for doom
I completely agree with everything that was said on here. But not to play devil's advocate or anything, I think the tide is starting to turn. The last elections were an example. Yes, a lot people voted out of sentiments but there was more awareness, there was a need and a desire to protect the votes. People are starting to become wise to the fact that our leadership as it currently stands has no plans for Nigeria. When people were blaming Jonathan for everything, I said to them how can you blame a man whose only strategy in life is to be strategically placed where evil is about to befall another person? His strategy is to be 'lucky'. Such a person has no concrete plans for the future, he just hopes that things fall into place. Come 2015, I think we will find the 'Joshuas' required because people have had enough and those that still decide to have short attention spans will be shouted down. I am optimistic for the future of this nation because...frankly, I have no other choice. May the souls of the departed rest in peace (sorry for the epistle)
ReplyDeleteVery well said. We got carried away with "good luck" and that shouldn't be the basis for good leadership. I'm not anti-GEJ but i feel come 2015 we should get our acts right and stop been sentimental when casting our votes.
Delete@ Cherrywine: I love your point of view. We have no choice but to keep on hoping.
Delete@ Atary: I hope we all get our acts right
I do not like when Goodluck is blamed for plane crash.
ReplyDeleteSweetheart, this is Africa..presidents are blamed for everything.even running stomach.. :)
Deletemy sentiments too. When the same people who were supposed to have taken care and monitored the maintenance of the plane are ordinary citizens like you and me
Delete@ gretel: No one is blaming him for the plane crash. We are blaming the ineffectiveness of the regulatory processes the government has currently put in place. Corruption makes them turn the blind eye to a lot of things in that sector, and we need to get rid of these corrupt practices, or else, we are going nowhere.
Delete@ Didi: Loool. If I have running stomach because I bought fake drugs, then I will ask which specific government agency was responsible for allowing fake drugs into the country, lol.
@ stelzz: Its all a regulation issue. The system is corrupt and this shapes the mentality of the people in it.
May the souls of the departed continue to rest in perfect peace.
ReplyDeleteour leaders (African leaders) for that matter are power drunk, they only think of themselves and how to make their children and families have the best of everything, they come with all sort of promises but get corrupted with power once they are given the nod.
word @ "Evil prevails, because good people do nothing".
They steal our national cake and use it to better the lives of their own children, by giving them the whole world. God dey
DeleteUntil we have our own 'Jerry Rawlings' or 'Thomas Sankara'....we are not going to see progress.
ReplyDeleteTo many from the old guard are benefiting from the status quo
These old guards need to take a back seat joo.
DeleteThe souls of the departed rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteAnd GOD give the bereaved the strength to bear their loss.
Some entrenched interests certainly want things as they are, but you're right, it is only when that status quo changes that we can expect real change.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. Some selfish people have decided that the problems of these country should never be solved, because they benefit financially from it.
DeleteYou have said it all. I am so sad, angry frustrated!!!
ReplyDeleteMy 2 cents is this: Just to add another angle to your musings : Nigerians place too much emphasis on money and wealth. We are only causing an uproar because 153 people died mostly those who are rich and known. What about the dead residents in the area the crash happened? If it was a bomb blast somewhere in one remote village in the North, we would not have this kind of noise been made or if it was five luxurious buses that was involved in a fatal accident, we would just move on to the next news.The ladies that were raped during an armed attack on buses, we dont care. But because this hits closer home as a lot of the noise makers are frequent fliers they are now crying out, do you know how many Nigerians die in road accidents every day? Every life is important!!!! WE SHOULD TAKE A STAND
The day of the wedding and honey moon is a beautiful thing its the activities prior and after that raises issues ----> http://efemenaoreoluwa.blogspot.com/2012/06/lifes-choice-3-and-4.html
Thumbs up for your comment. We are all important. And we should value all human lives.
DeleteYou've said it. Sigh
ReplyDeleteSigh!
DeleteExactly the way I feel about this. It's the same reason I hardly ever comment on issues. The problem is we know how to talk...a whole lot. And I hear those cliches over and over again. I for one am tired!
ReplyDeleteTalk is cheap! The doers are the ones we need now.
DeleteHmmm! This I̶̲̥̅̊S̶̲̥̅ indeed true talk, ☀̤̣̈̇f only Nigeria people both home and away can be proactive as U̶̲̥̅̊ said earlier, then there will be A̶̲̥̅ real change I̶̲̥̅̊S̶̲̥̅ important areas with need.
ReplyDeleteYes o, we need to be proactive, really proactive!
DeleteHmmm! This I̶̲̥̅̊S̶̲̥̅ indeed true talk, ☀̤̣̈̇f only Nigeria people both home and away can be proactive as U̶̲̥̅̊ said earlier, then there will be A̶̲̥̅ real change I̶̲̥̅̊S̶̲̥̅ important areas with need.
ReplyDeleteHmmm! This I̶̲̥̅̊S̶̲̥̅ indeed true talk, ☀̤̣̈̇f only Nigeria people both home and away can be proactive as U̶̲̥̅̊ said earlier, then there will be A̶̲̥̅ real change I̶̲̥̅̊S̶̲̥̅ important areas with need.
ReplyDeleteHmmm! This I̶̲̥̅̊S̶̲̥̅ indeed true talk, ☀̤̣̈̇f only Nigeria people both home and away can be proactive as U̶̲̥̅̊ said earlier, then there will be A̶̲̥̅ real change I̶̲̥̅̊S̶̲̥̅ important areas with need.
ReplyDeleteHmmm! This I̶̲̥̅̊S̶̲̥̅ indeed true talk, ☀̤̣̈̇f only Nigeria people both home and away can be proactive as U̶̲̥̅̊ said earlier, then there will be A̶̲̥̅ real change I̶̲̥̅̊S̶̲̥̅ important areas with need.
ReplyDeleteElections in 2015 alone will not save Nigeria. Our problems run very deeper than any election will be able to solve. Come 2015 we will be presented with the same choices of people who have no plans of what they will do with power - they want to rule by making things up as they go along.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree talk is cheap but we need more talk to galvanise more people into a movement for change. I don't think we do enough talking about the issues that affect our country because we're all too busy with our other interests.
I believe most people in Nigeria want change but no one wants to lead or be part of the revolution that will bring about it and there lies the problem.
Elections in 2015 will not save us, but it can be the beginning of the solution if only we get the right people in. The reason for this post is to rouse the interests of the good people, so we won't be presented with the same choices.
DeleteAll the talking we have been doing has not caused any change, things even seem to be getting worse, because the so-called government know that 'all they will do is talk'.
Without revolution, kai... I don't even want to think of how this country will end.
This is the kind of truth we must constantly tell ourselves... Blessings Atilola
ReplyDelete- LDP
Thanks LDP. How you dey?
DeleteI have said it before,and i'd say it again.Our major problem is that our minds are infected.The average Nigerian is adaptive and would conform to an unfavorable environment rather that fight to get the environment favorable.Maybe it's because the average Nigerian is corrupt and so we lack the zeal to act against ills.You've made very strong points @ilola.
ReplyDeleteYes, we get used to rubbish, such that the abnormal now becomes normal, and when one tries to make a difference, he attracts condemnation.
DeleteSo true. Unfortunately, no matter how long we say this, so many people out there somehow refuse to get the message and the same mistakes are made all over again. I know it sounds callous but I believe the 'Jerry Rawlings' way might be what's best for the Nigerian leaders.
ReplyDeleteYea, some people will refuse to get the message, there's nothing we can do about that. So we would concentrate on the people that will accept the message of change.
DeleteHmm, food for thought...thanks for hitting the nail on the head. We all have a part to play
ReplyDeleteYes, we all do. Thanks
DeleteWell said dear, well said!
ReplyDeleteIf only every Nigerian were as smart as this
Abi oo, life in Nigeria would be better
DeleteThe problem of this country starts with the lawmakers. They sit around making no laws and earning fat pay check. It has become a play house for most of them, the earlier their wages n salaries are reduced the better, then we will have serious minded people with business as usual attitude to go for the post rather than fat greedy individuals going there for the money. There must be a serious change in tide with the way this government is run and it begins with you and I. If only we can occupy till things change, till the masses get their demands then for sure a new wave of change will begin. Lawmakers are the ones ruining this country.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping my.
DeleteThe saying goes that freedom is not freely given, it must be demanded for. Until we rise and demand for what is ours, no one will hand it to us on a platter of gold.
@ilola... am not gonna lie to you and I know both know you spoke well.
ReplyDeleteI have a passion for NIGERIA for the world esp for NIGERIA and I have a strategy too. I have a desire to be a leader and to provide direction for the country. FORGET FAME, MONEY OR ETC. I feel like enough is enough but I need a backing of zealous generations. I really cant do it myself and in life there is a process and I have to wait for a period of pruning cos I know I am not ready for the journey in place.
Its a desire I have had since when I was sixteen like I want to be a visionary but I soon realised, people that have tried to do good in niaj have lost their lives. So I have been praying this prayer using this "If God is with us, who can be against us".
Basically, I am going through a process of work and when I know its time. I BETTER KNOW THAT WHAT AM DOING IS A ULTIMATE SACRIFICE COS I DONT WANT MY death to be meaningless i.e. working so hard for Nigeria and end up dying...
In a nutshell, its not as easy as it is. We need a generation of DAVID, FEARLESS, PASSIONATE AND STRATEGIC TO GET INVOLVED AND SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER.
I know this is a side of me I SHOULD be sharing on my own blog but yeah. That me, I PRAY GOD gives me the grace and many others that share this passion to fulfill purpose and create a better future.
I am reading my comment back and I sound totally weird but ITS TRUE SHA... LOL.
DeleteThe fact that your are passionate about doing something for Nigeria is a good thing o, please, do not let it die.
DeleteTo be honest, I don't think Nigeria is worth dying for, because we do not respect human lives in this country. It is best to know that you are in God's will. That way, He will protect you and help you achieve what He has called you to achieve.
And I don't think you sound weird sha,
You made excellent points about the importance of the elections. That is probably our only chance of bringing change peacefully other than going the Jerry Rawlings style.
ReplyDeletebut like Naija4life said, its also an attitudinal change. Now that one, i am helpless at what to do.
God bless.
Yes, we really need that change. I guess some people are still comfortable in this mess and haven't been pushed to the wall yet.
DeleteWhen there is real fire on the mountain, everybody will run, you will see.