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“An average Nigerian, who has shown a little dexterity in a skill suddenly believes he knows it all; he doesn’t want to listen to others, and unfortunately, those who have found themselves in decision-making positions and all we see is disasters in administration”
*Adebisi Benjamin Temidayo
PEGASUS REPORTERS, LAGOS | NOVEMBER 14, 2022
With over 200 million people, Nigeria has not only the most populous black people on the planet earth but the most intelligent and industrious individuals that ever walked on the surface of the earth.
Check the statistics, Nigerians are in no way to be counted out in almost every sector of human participations, from sports, music, to research, to medicine or innovations and Inventions, Nigerians are always on the lead.
Most importantly, Nigerians and other Nigeria-bred people have found their ways into the Positions of Law makers in foreign lands like the United States of America and the United Kingdom; and as a globe trotter, myself, I am yet to see any set of highly determined, tenacious and perseverant humans in my expeditions.
However, with these kinds of qualities, we unfortunately find Nigeria, as a Nation, tagged and ragged unsafe, insecure, corrupt, impoverished country with massive brain drain.
Apparently, several factors must have been responsible for the situations; and it is not far-fetched that unlike many of my contemporaries, who never believed in Nigeria, due to the myopic reasoning, I, for one, have stood to understudy, the major causes of our predicaments and ways to mitigate them.
As usual, I will enumerate.
1. We don’t value ourselves.
I could go on and on on this point, but one thing that have made our country devoid of greatness is the bitterness and disdain we treat one another with.
In any society where Malice, hatred, gossips and slander rules, it is very difficult to have individuals use their God given talents to improve the standards of living of people living in such communities.
2. We are rather impatient.
As an academic, I sometimes imagine if many people who have got themselves into the leading Administrative Positions ever understood what life is; as many have confronted me expressing what is least expected of an adult; obviously, in their advice, it showed they know little about growth, development, timing and patience.
You know, when all these variables are absent in our dispositions, it will be very difficult to have any reasonable or meaningful impact in our lives.
I have simply spent 7 years as a faculty and I have got the whole world mentioning my me, just because I exercised patience. I did spend a decade developing myself, anyway, so don’t be surprised at my exploits.
Nevertheless, the quality of being patient, is what makes things work in great countries across the globe.
The leading Nations in the world never got to where they are today in a century, so if all Nigeria understood is getting things done now or never, we might never get anywhere meaningful.
3. Money is everything.
Honestly, how I woke up suddenly one morning to discover money is all that matters in life is still startling to me. With several songs, parables and stories about virtues, honesty, trustworthiness, hard work, which I heard, while growing up, I must sincerely register my disappointments in everybody, including the elders, how money should be a measure of success.
And since, Money has become the order of Respect and Value, it is not impossible how many individuals in Nigeria have resorted to allow form of despicable, unscrupulous and heinous ways to get the money.
However, whichever way the money comes doesn’t matter, you will be respected in our society, when you have lots of it; that is never a way to develop folks.
4. We think too highly of ourselves.
Yes, it is good to value yourselves, however, we all need to understand there is always room for improvement and learning.
An average Nigerian, who has shown a little dexterity in a skill suddenly believes he knows it all; he doesn’t want to listen to others, and unfortunately, those who have found themselves in decision-making positions and all we see is disasters in administration
5. We kill our Stars.
No one wants to die, but in our environment, several folks who have been gifted have been killed, frustrated or immersed in scandalous situations.
Check the records, many folks in the Academia and industry, who have got their reputations soiled in scandals are the bright brains, sadly leaving the stage in the hands of charlatans.
6. Egocentricity
There’s no way a society will grow, if all individual people do is think about themselves alone and what they have to gain. I had on several occasions preach synergy, complementarity, inclusiveness as factors to consider growing any society.
I have been in working communities and presently in several; these folks do not care about who you are, your sexual orientation, how rich you are or your family affairs; all they want is “what could you bring on board?”; How could your ideas, skills, observation solve problems we are facing?
And even in research, we talk about consortia, collaborations, co-participation, all to incorporate everyone and by the time the gains come, it will be distributed equitably; and that is how to be great.
7. We undermine God.
Let me tell you, there are secrets to greatness in life and most, if not all, are locked in the mysteries of godliness and wisdom.
Before I became a Faculty, I had seen myself in this world of advanced technology and explorations; no one could believe me, they thought I was crazy, and I was surprised, how they could be so unaware of the potentials of getting things done and enjoying life better.
I was deeply saddened and concerned, until God told me, He has deliberately made them not conscious of it because they failed to retain Him (the Almighty) in their hearts; thus, they did many things which are not convenient.
For example, we prefer to jail our able bodies youths rather than create job opportunities to make them responsible; we prefer to run to foreign countries to live a lower life in the name of ideal society and we prefer to purchase substandard facilities, which will end up jeopardizing our lives; and most importantly, the security crises in our nation today we’re stimulated by our insensitivities and unrighteousness.
There’s one thing I know and that’s “righteousness exalts a nation and sin is a reproach to every people”… Proverbs 14:34
Summarily, if we refused to understand that we are the greatest Nation on earth but our unorganized, mismanagement, evil, imprudent and immoral ways of doing things, which unfortunately, have been generalised and accepted in our society, should be effaced; then, we will keep running from pillars to posts, changing government and political parties in Leadership, trying to figure what is the way out.
Adebisi Benjamin Temidayo writes from Osun State University, Nigeria.
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