It had never happened before in the history of Nigeria, but it just happened, or was it a dream? The Electoral process this year was impossible to toy with, the nation was almost unanimous in it’s vote for a true leader. The voice of Nigerians was not muffled, it was loud and clear! The time for change had come, and even the weather bore witness with it’s stillness and calmness. A rainbow stained the skies, it was as if the divine supported us with a message of not forgetting. With the unity characteristic of Nigerians only in the support of our national team, Nigerians were united and with a landslide victory declared the end to the rule of recycled furniture (sorry I meant leadership) and substandard officers. The wind of change blowing all over the world, had made it’s way to Nigeria! The results had just been announced, and the people had been rewarded with a leader they could call theirs.
The government has not started to operate, it hasn’t been sworn in, but already the hope in the air is so thick it can be felt. The people are celebrating and excited! They say beginning is half done, it feels like it truly is. All our unsubstantiated proclamation of a New Nigeria now seem real, all our cries to be the most desirable seem no longer a pie in the sky. Our differences seem buried in a new vision to be a part of the new, and dissociate from the old. We score more airtime on foreign stations than even our own, the world is awed. The world seems as confident in our future as we are. It all seems amazing and like a dream. I cast my mind back and asked my self,”How did this happen, how did we do it, what did we do?” I remembered the faces, some names, some voices, one by one it all came back to me, I remembered the people that brought about this great change, and my heart was gladdened. It had taken us a few years, but alas! Here is how it all started.
Sometime in the last quarter of 2008, some kind of awakening started in the heart of Nigerians under 40. There was this drive to be responsible, and not just leave the fate and fortune of the nation Nigeria in the hands of people who wouldn’t live long enough for the future to matter to them. This awakening started in a few minds and hearts, and somehow some connections started to happen. Someone even wrote about what we now call the present in those days in present tense. Some of these young men and women, also had just learnt a vital lesson from the story of America, that impossible was nothing, and that if they were really willing, there was a lot possible. It started with a few small talks, a few emails, a few midnight conversations, a few talks, and gradually, it was muscled up into a group.
People started coming together, the agenda seemed the same, to wrestle the nation from the hands of those who had no purpose for it, and to deliver leadership that had the capacity to see the future and create it. Somehow, a vital team of people from the New Nigeria Club were already accustomed to the responsibility thinking, and formed the crop of founding members for this subtle, yet politically active group. It all started small and like a joke, we kidded ourselves that at least, we’ll gain a few things. We’ll gain the network of each other, we’ll gain excellent communication skills, and importantly we’ll gain the comfort in knowing that we tried. The kidding however did not last for long.
As if our activities were ordered by the hand of fate, we found ourselves asking ourselves for what the challenge to our success could be. We identified funding, mass mobilization of the youth and grassroot, a secured unriggable election, an intimidating media and a will to go on inspite of all possible odds. We discovered quickly that the fundamental resource was money, and that money answers a lot of challenges. We remembered that the the American president at the time, raised $640million for his campaign, out of which over $550million was from individuals. We decided to set up an auditable system, task ourselves and enlist the support of the public and believers in a New Nigeria to raise funds.
We did not know how far we would get, but the response from individuals and corporates was alarming. As our numbers grew, we developed the structures to support out growth and our mutual existence as well. We were up and about, youths, grassroot, women, minorities, we won their friendship and loyalty. We started getting wooed by different political parties, somehow we had established ourselves as a force to reckon with. What made us more formidable was that in the present dispensation we were not interested in being king, but in making kings.
The momentum built, and Nigeria was taken by storm!
As I ruminate over the events of today, and I place them on the backdrop of yesterday’s struggles, I feel fulfilled. We took responsibility, and now the responsibility of having a say in who gets the responsibility is ours!
The future is sure, but the actors are not. Now is the time for action, and whosoever wills may come. Are you interested in being a part of history? Then let’s enroll today… and gradually stirr along and grow into a force that will be reckoned with. standing outside the feild and running commentary would not affect the game, let’s get our jessys dirty, lets take responsibility today! Are you game?
37 thoughts on “The Miracle of Nigeria”
Am I game? Are you kidding!?
The same picture that we’ve seen, that keeps us going…
The same reality that we are willing to take resposiblity for…
The future that we are ready to sacrifice for…
The change we believe in… coming to our land…
We are nearer now than before…
God bless Nigeria.
This is indeed the time to begin the race for change.
Count me in spirit,soul and Body.We must take this nation to a place of glory and an enviable position among committee of nations.Endeavor to fill us in as things are going together we will make it happen.
I guess this is a picture of the future. This is an invitation for action (what action seems unclear Mr. Chairman).
‘Deolu,
God bless you, you spoke my heart, we will not make it happen, we will pray until it happens! for all it will take , i’m game.
Hmm…..CM,
what can I say? I’m as ready as ever. I was born for such a time like this.
SET US ON FIRE LORD, SO THE WORLD CAN COME AND WATCH US BURN!!!
THIS COUNTRY IS MOVING FORWARD BY FIRE BY FORCE,I M SO READY 2 TAKE RESPONSIBILITY IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY I CAN..I BELIEVE NIGERIA WILL GET TO A PLACE CALLED …THERE. D PLACE WHERE WE VE ALWAYS WANTED 2 B.I BELIEVE WE’RE GETTING THERE.THANKS 4 CHARGING ME UP
@Bidemi,
The call for action today is a simple action – to indicate interest in being a part of the history for the future we desire.
Eventually, the meetings will happen, the plans will evolve, and the commitments will be made. We will eventually get to a point, were retreat or surrender are not options. It all starts with the first action of interest.
The fire already burns in our hearts, but our medium of expression must now be forged.
@Yemi,
If all we do is pray, nothing will happen. Nigeria has more prayers going to heaven than all the countries in the world, yet we are so far behind.
If you hired someone to tend your garden, and he comes to you asking you to help you tend it, I bet you would help and train him, but if he does this everyday would you not fire him? God put us here to take charge and occupy till he comes. We must pray, but most importantly, we must be the answer to prayers. The kingdom of God, is within us! His will on earth, is our responsibility!
Just discussing something of this nature with a fellow soldier last Saturday.
I guess this should bring so manny pockets of action here and there together.
Count me in.
im in for action,to hold unto what belong to us,i mean our future that is in the hands of strangers.let set the ball rolling,its action time.
on the march again…
yes i believe in a new Nigeria
together as youths of this country we can make a change
this is the kind of message we need now to keep the fire burning…enough of recycled leadership!!!
Deolu, lets get cracking man, it sulks to see these bunch leading us nowhere, I am not only in, i am willing to commit financically and everythinglly to it
just like Joshua the son of nun, I am
Hmm… The wind of change sunny okosun sang about. If you recycle white paper you best get brown paper or tissue. Original is priceless, lets take the lead
I believe u absolutely.we need to begin to put new wine in new wine skins.enough of cracy reshuffling of tired and worn out old men.count me in
i see a change coming anyway and i feel it so strong…the wind is gradually blowing from the States to naija..lets turn grim white green to green white green..lets get it started!m so proud to be naija..
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D truth is 9ja is d people not the land mass neither is it the location. God works with people & not location. All Hes asking now is ” My people
what are you waiting for?”
I am in, i mde for this too. Pls i am as close to Nigeria than ever, let me know my own part in this scheme. It takes team work with every team playing specifically and collectively too. We all have different ideas to push our beloveth country, i think its time to select a leader who will pull out and harness these ideas and create the atmosphere that will enhance the change we all dream about. But i am must confess, this particular post is filled with a lot of suspense and i had to read it twice.
thanks
We will choose uncommon life. It is our right to be uncommon if we can. Yes we can! We will seek opportunities rather than security. We will play the game with all our mind and strength. We will take the calculated risk to dream and build, fail and succeed. We will not trade our freedom and integrity for anything! With God that rules in the affairs of men our side, we will face the world boldly and say, this with His help we have done. It is done!
I live in Abuja. Is NNC limited to Lagos alone? Uncle Deolu?
This is a sneak preview of what is about to happen. There are 3 categories of people who will be part of this story – people who READ history,people who WATCH history and people who MAKE history. I have chosen to be part of those who MAKE history. History is about to be made in Nigeria and I am glad to be part of it.
This is a clarion call to all who want to make history to join to join the train of change.
I am game o!!!
Really tired of talking and want to start working/ walking.
The journey of 1000 miles begins with a step.
Hmmm. This is a season of change for our dear country. If change was ‘given a chance in America’, definitely, change will be ‘given a chance in Nigeria’.
God bless Nigeria
I am in absolutely, long time deolu.
I am game Deolu.
We will all leave to see our Nija dream come to pass.
Thanks for this piece.
@ Olajide Michael,
No Sir, we are in Abuja as well, very much so. Are you in? Let’s build this particular database of intersted people… let’s spread the word far and wide.
Great Idea,
Definitely,Im in but pls get to us,I mean students,how do we go about it.Im a student of University of Ilorin.pls this is the call to action we have been waiting for.keep this goodwork up
Chairman,
I have taken the liberty of linking this page to a post on my blog. I believe this should be powerful enough to overcome our collective inertia.
Nigeria is a child and we its citizens are its Parent. whatever a child turns out to be can directly or indirectly be linked to the quality of parenting received. bad parenting might have caused a lot of damage but its never too late to turn a child onto the right path. its time for GOOD PARENTING.
nice piece
Please deolu let us remember we are not talking violence here but the use of democratic instruments to achieve total freedom for this nation.let us print bulletins,mobilise the youth,use the internet,form groups of ten and twenty and forty and so on.Obama used the power of the internet to achieve a great revolution in america history which will take a long time to be rivalled.count me in.
I stand to be counted.
However, even as we stand (to be counted), we can all begin work (now) in our little circles.
How? Two lines…..
We should do what is right.
We should accept not what is not right.
count me in
I am game. The earlier the better.
http://www.faithfulsnetwork.com/
we are game o. but something should be done about maurice iwu
@ omozele,i was expecting that Iwu will personally be in charge of the elections in EKITI but the reverse was the case. may God deliver us from these Power Drunken and depressed People.
it is well even in the well
sir do you know that the president of the US will be making his first official visit to our continent?i was hoping it would have been Nigeria that would be hosting him but i was shocked when the secretary of states gave reasons ehy the president wouldnt be coming to Nigeria citing the Niger Delta crisiss and amazingly the Ekiti state re-run! oh boy! its so sad! GHANa of yesterday that in the 80’s Nigerians were shouting at them to return to their country and they eventually did and made it a gold mine.
i will still keep faith with this country no matter what. God will help us.
well in nigeria there is hope but i just thought about something he other day if nigeria should develop then there will be a wealth transfer that is what is preventing the leaders from wanting to develop. the truth here is this as of now nigeria is becoming more and more irrelevant on the internaional scene, were are not an emerging economy yet not a sustainable one yet just grossly under developed stunted i will say but one day if it ever comes things will change