Election time (Revolution!)

Fellow Nigerians

Let us re-strategize

We surely can’t continue

To listen to their lies

They promise us the world

Before they get elected

But after all is said and done

It’s we who are rejected

For greed and lack of vision

We waste our potential

They feast on our resources

They have no good intentions

The common man and woman

Must rise up from the dust

Vote with your conscience

Revolution is a must

A new Nigerian nation

Sunshine after the rain

We all must play our parts

Victory is ours to gain

Don’t leave it all to chance

Insist on what is right

Oppose corrupt officials

Resist with all our might

Shawn Asala © 2011

A new Naija S.P.I.R.I.T.

I have been doing a lot of reading recently, specifically doing case studies of nations that through certain ideologies, strategies and efforts, have transformed themselves from third world countries to powerful nations that are the pride of their respective geographical regions.

To put it briefly, I have come to see that what Nigerians need is a new S.P.I.R.I.T: We need inculcate the values of Service, Passion, Integrity, Respect. Innovation and Teamwork!

I believe (and so can you) that if youths of this country can imbibe these qualities and apply them in all nation and society building endeavors, we will begin to see the dawn of a new era of development.

Don't just read this but take some time to actually think it through...Service. Passion. Integrity. Respect. Innovation. Teamwork....In our businesses, (selling pure water, garri or real estate), careers, everyday interactions, politics...political aspirations and negotiations, leadership positions...If we begin to integrate this S.P.I.R.I.T into all we do...well,...enough said for now.  

Stay tuned to this.... OK let me call it channel. In the coming days (or even hours because e get as the tin dey do me), I will be sharing more of my thoughts on this new S.P.I.R.I.T. Of course as usual, your thoughts and comments (on facebook and/or this blog) are most welcome

A New Nigeria

Nigeria’s fortunes are my meditation

The future of her population

Endangered by deep corruption

By widespread moral pollution

Do we need a revolution?

Like the Egyptian Insurrection?

For our collective liberation

And comprehensive emancipation

For our leaders lack direction

Their lack of vision our oppression

Their political altercations

Only deepens our repression

In my earnest estimation

We need a cure for this infection

A new moral calibration

A rejuvenated constitution

We need fresh illumination

A new vision of a our nation

An end to this suppression

A new Nigerian expression

Prosperity for our population

Societal revitalization

A warranty of restoration

Hope for our generation

Shawn Asala ©  Jan 2011

NATIONALISM

Nationalism. Patriotism. What do these words mean to the average brother on the street? I can picture myself getting on the road with a microphone and camera operator and pestering an area boy with these questions:

“Young man, are you a patriot? What does nationalism mean to you?”

Firstly, he will look nonplussed and suspicious, thinking to himself, “Is this guy trying to embarrass me?” That is because unfortunately, the average guy on the street may not be educated enough to understand the import of such words. Next, he will probably get exasperated.

“My guy, you dey talk patriotism. Wetin this country don do for me? Ehn? Abeg leave story for monkey jo. See me dey hustle for the past how many days now, still pepper neva enter pocket. Abi you wan supply? Ehn? Wetin you carry? Cooperate oh...”

At that stage, I’d have to jam my tail between my legs and bolt. In the course of the week of writing this piece, I spoke to a few friends:

“I’d like to ask you a question. What do you think of Nigeria generally?” I’m talking to a fresh graduate who has been actively job-hunting for the past five months.

“What do you mean? Can you be more specific?”

“Okay I mean is there a problem in this country from your own point of view?”

“Oh well I’d say there is a problem of course, but first I’d like to say that I believe in this country. In fact, I get into a lot of arguments with my friends over this Nigeria issue, because whenever I talk this way they wonder if I’m sick or something!”

“Why?” I ask.

“They don’t believe anything good can come out of this country. They don’t agree that any progress is being made. Yes, I concede that things could definitely be better because we are a country blessed with a lot of underutilized potential. However, the problem I have with many Nigerians is that we are so negative. The average Nigerian has nothing good to say about this country...”

We talked and talked. I was pleased to find someone who believes in a greater Nigeria. A patriot. There are quite a few of us out there you know? However, I admit, it’s rather hard keeping your eyes to the hills in a country like this; where one and one is not equal to two; where sh#t happens, and on a very regular basis for that matter. Nevertheless, we must ask ourselves some pertinent questions: Is Nigeria an accident? Is the entire mineral and oil deposits in this land some freak of nature? The potentials we have in both human and material resources, are they a mistake? Are you and I Nigerians only because we got rejected in some other land where the grass appears to be greener?

I believe that we are inhabitants of this great nation for some good reason. I believe citizens of the ‘land where the grass is greener’ don’t have two heads. I believe that in spite of the malfunctioning system of operation in this country, we do have what it takes to raise the standard of living and make Naija a mo’ better place for all of us. Do y’all agree with me or am I alone? I think not.

So where do we start from? How do I, with my tiny slingshot, take this giant Goliath down? I asked another friend this same question:

“Well ah, that’s a very nice question. I’ll start by saying there’s a positive solution and a negative one. I’ll begin with the negative.” (I wonder why)

He continued, “the negative solution is to stage a revolution. Let’s rout up the thieving bastards and burn them alive at the stakes. Though not before making sure they return all the loot they’ve stolen over the years. It worked in Russia abi?”

True or false, I was suddenly eager to hear about the second solution.

“Well the second is to educate the minds of the people; help them to understand their rights and potentials.”

Now that’s more like it.
Surely, it is an understatement to say that taking this nation to the status of maximized potential is a gargantuan task. Nevertheless, the popular cliché is still true: “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. I think it is the Chinese that have a proverb that goes, “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a step”. The issue at stake here is persistence in doing and believing in what is right. Are we willing to believe in a greater Nigeria? God gave this country to us. Are we willing to take responsibility for what is ours and do our best to utilize our assets maximally and positively? Are we willing to forget the past and be more mindful of what we can achieve if we set our minds to it?

Picture a NEPA that really works, giving us uninterrupted power supply. Who is to benefit from that? Of course, everyone. Including you. Imagine clean wide roads, reasonably priced utilities, absence of university strikes and availability of quality health care at costs affordable to the common man. Visualize a respectable and efficient police force and more employment opportunities for fresh graduates. Admit it, who will benefit from all of this were it to come true right now? Everyone including you. These seemingly lofty things are attainable, though not without a struggle. We do not lose anything by believing that it is possible to get there. It’s simply a choice: faith or pessimism.

Each time I go to our nation’s capital, I feel like I’m in a heaven of sorts. The wide roads and relatively smooth traffic; beautiful sights, operational traffic lights, exotic cars and pretty faces. Ahh. Imagine if every part of the motherland was like this. Fantasy! I hear you say. Most definitely. Because when I get to places like Oja Oba in Ilorin, Kwara state, I’m brutally brought back to reality. This is Nigeria in the raw, the uncut version. Here kids less than two years of age eat cuts of sugar cane for breakfast and crawl on the filthy floor with goats and dogs. Here pot-bellied policemen stand blocking the flow of traffic and causing a hold-up as they extort bus drivers for their ‘take-home pay’. A place so crowded, there is no difference between human and automobile traffic. Whenever I find myself in such places, the thought that comes to mind is this: “Mr. President, there’s still so much work to be done. We haven’t started yet.”

Nonetheless, we must realize that the task ahead is not for the government alone. It starts with the individual Nigerian: you and I. If every Nigerian can summon up the courage to believe in a greater Nigeria and work towards the ideal by doing their best, not just for themselves but for their fellow citizens as well, then there is hope. Thankfully, we are all beginning to see now that the economic change we desperately need lies just as much in the hand of the private sector as it does in the hands of the government. That is tantamount to saying that “think not of what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”.

I’ll end this piece with a quote from a man who, through personal sacrifice, persistence and unflinching faith, helped bring fulfillment to the dreams of his people: 

"There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires."

Nelson Mandela 

No easy walk to freedom…Nigerians! We must do what it takes to take this country to greater heights!

Thanks for dropping by.

INNOVATION in NIGERIA

‘Innovation’ is a difficult term to pin down. Taken literally, it can include almost any new development.

Generally we can describe innovation as ‘the successful exploitation of ideas’. Two key words stand out in that definition: Ideas. Exploitation.

An idea is:
1. Something, such as a thought or conception, that potentially or actually exists in the mind as a product of mental activity.
2. An opinion, conviction, or principle:

To exploit means:
To utilize; to make available; to get the value or usefulness out of; as, to exploit a mine or agricultural lands; to exploit public opinion

Put all together we can say that to innovate means to successfully get the value or usefulness out of an idea. Innovating for problem solving therefore requires that we first of all generate ideas on various ways to tackle a problem, then make great endeavors to fully and efficiently exploit that idea for successful outcomes, the end point being of course to put an end to the problem.
In todays Nigeria we are surrounded by problems and challenges that call on us to exercise our creativity, innovate, explore and exploit ideas that can bring about lasting solutions and improve the quality of life of the average Nigerian.

I would like to state, using real estate terminology, that the greatest and the largest room you will find anywhere in Nigeria is the room for improvement! In every sphere of life in todays' society, we are operating way below our potential.

Take power supply for instance. Generators are supposed to be temporary innovations used as back ups in the event of sudden power failure. However in many parts of the country, generators are the stable source of power. They have become our way of life. But the real tragedy is that all ideas generated to solve this lingering and malevolent problem are not being fully or successfully exploited! Therefore we can say that there has been no innovation in the power sector in Nigeria (remember the definition of innovation we adopted at the beginning of this article?)

This scenario applies to so many other facets of our daily existence. Transportation, education, law and order, etctera. It is as if the creative engines of our people have knocked! Over the past few years, the only really successful innovation has been the introduction and widespread use of mobile gsm communications/data services, which in itself is not a new innovation at all. (Only delayed in Nigerias case)

I see a serious vacuum in our development as a nation. It is a vacuum caused by a severe lack of successful innovations. I am aware that among our people, ideas exist and abound, but these are stifled by plagues of corruption and government irresponsibility. However, the situation calls for more determination to see that great ideas overcome the current state of things and eventually rule for ultimate progress and development.

We could start by coming up with innovative ideas on how to tackle the corruption that holds us bound. Ideas and innovations come from research and constructive meditation. We need to study how other people have done it, meditate and come up with adapted versions and even never-before-seen ways of bringing down this giant.

At this point, let us take some time out to reflect on all that has been stated, and brainstorm ideas that can help to cure the cancer of corruption that rots our system.


That is a good place to start.

(source: www.sparkmaginnovate.blogspot.com)

Man In The Mirror!

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, asking myself this question…How do we go about changing Nigeria? How do we grasshoppers bring down the great giants of evil in our society? How do you slay a dragon that has so many heads? The dragon is Nigeria as we know her today. The many heads are the many facets of corruption and societal ills that plague her citizens daily.
Any ideas anyone?
You know we really have to think about this because most of the talk about Nigeria is always about the problem, hardly about the solutions. So let’s get solution-oriented right about now and task our grey matter till it starts to steam.
…….well here is what I’ve come up with for now.
First step to changing our society is that we must first set about changing ourselves. I know we’ve heard that before probably a number of times. But the truth can never be overstated.
We must create within us, the change we want to see on the outside. Lemme break it down a bit. Do we want to see more discipline in our society? Then we must first instill discipline into our individual lives.
Do we want to see development? Then we must make efforts to develop ourselves. Are we hungry to see increased literacy rates among our people? Let’s not wait for government to make necessary changes in our educational policy. Rather we can start by taking the time to read and study hard ourselves. We must create in our lives the changes we want to see in the society. We must develop our individual potentials.
Obama would never have been seen as the man who can change America, if he hadn’t taken the time to train himself to become someone people can put their hope and confidence in. I’m sure it must have taken him long hours of practice and countless days of diligent study to become as eloquent and composed as he is, when addressing crowds, inspiring hope and confidence in his listeners.
I guess what I’m trying to say is it starts with you and I. Michael Jackson said it all:

“I’m startin with the man in the mirror…
I’m askin him to change his ways….
And no message coulda been any clearer…
If you wanna make the world a better place,
Take a look at yourself, and then make the change….”

Remember the song? Man in the Mirror?
Yeah we talk about corruption, the lack of integrity among our leaders. If I must see a change in that area, then I guess I have to ensure that I am a man of integrity first. Then maybe that will rub off on others and they too may choose integrity over corruption.

And all this for what you might ask? I mean who cares? Let’s all just take things as they are and live like we’ve been living all these decades. Well that should be ok for those of y’all who don’t see the great potential that lies in this country. But for people like me who get so frustrated when I’m watching Chelsea thrash it out with Liverpool and suddenly the lights go off, or when I’m trying to make an urgent call and the network is so f’’’d up, or when 3 weeks into a new month my salary hasn’t been paid yet, or when I see sick people who need urgent medical care and they can’t afford it, or when the state government fails to employ enough doctors or give them good pay and patients end up seeing quack nurses in general hospitals…..yeah for people like me, solution-seeking is the way forward.

Well, na so. Nuff said.



Selah

ENFORCING CHANGE Part 1

Alan Cohen:

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.

Andy Warhol:

They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.

Barack Obama:

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

Felix Adler:

We cannot adopt the way of living that was satisfactory a hundred years ago. The world in which we live has changed, and we must change with it.


These are just a few quotes that help me to think about the change we need in our world today as citizens of this country. What stares me in the face as I read about change is the fact that change is not a function of time but rather a function of individual and collective responsibility.

I read somewhere a few days ago that responsibility is simply 'response-ability'. That is the ability to respond. We all have the responsibility to effect a positive change.

When we are confronted with unwanted realities, our response-ability is to respond positively by being pro-active about what we can and should do to remedy the situation. Most of us are just reactive rather than proactive.


We don't have to do things the same old way. Kudos to governors like Fashola of Lagos state and Namadi of Kaduna who have decided that out with the old style of governance and in with the new! Who says successive governments have to keep battling with the unfinished projects of their predecessors? Who says traffic in Lagos can't be improved, and old rusty railway tracks in Kaduna can't once again function the way they were originally designed to. Now people can get from one part of Kaduna state to another cheaply and easily. Kini big deal (what's the big deal) about that you might ask? Well you might not get it if traveling by train is taken for granted where you reside. For me it's a big trip cos I get high on progress. Years back I used to travel by train to boarding school. It was so easy and stress-free. But like a lot of other things in this country, the whole system just collapsed. I just hope the progress can be sustained. One day, like a slowly growing forest fire, the whole country will be lighted up with a fully functioning and well connected railway system. Then people will remember it started with just one state.

Whether it comes slowly or at lightning speed, one thing is sure- change is inevitable. However it must be the kind of change we want- positive change. And that my friends depends on our ability to respond (remember? - responsibility?)

One Step at a time...

"The audacity of hope!


In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation; the belief in things not seen; the belief that there are better days ahead." President Obama

Keeping hope alive. I guess that's what remains for someone who has longed to see change. Like a desert traveller, climbing sand dune after sand dune, hoping for an oasis. As he stumbles in the dust, he passes carcasses of animals and men who have succumbed to the thirst and harsh elements. He looks as far as his eyes can see. More carcasses lay strewn ahead. He lifts his eyes up to the blinding sky. Vultures patiently await his demise.
He looks around. Bad roads, broken down power stations. To the right, ethnic and religious crises. To the left, corrupt police and customs officials. He turns behind him. Little children, exposed to harsh society, dying of malnutrition and poverty, roaming the streets and abandoning school. Finally he turns to what is in front of him. He tries to ignore the flashy cars and opulent lifestyles of the bastards responsible for this chaos. He tries to focus on hope; that things can improve even if it takes one brave individual at a time.

One step at a time he moves on through the desert. One breathe at a time he keeps himself alive.

One brave individual at a time...Change will come.

It starts with you!