Literatures
NIGERIA @ 53; THE ROLE OF PASSION IN DRIVING SUSTAINABLE CHANGE
Each time the National Anthem is sung, I am often burdened with this unanswered question; ‘’Where are the fruits of the labour of our heroes past? ‘’ Then I realize that the fruits of their labour only once existed; we can no longer see them. Of course what we see today in our country is moral decadence, unequalled indiscipline, high rate of crime, to mention but a few.
Our nation’s independence on October 1st, 1960, could be said to be the beginning of new things to come. But sad to say, the reverse is the case. Today, Nigeria is fifty-three, but not fit enough to thrill the world.
In the light of these realities, there is an urgent need for a change, a lasting change that will restore the lost glory of our beloved nation. The constancy of change has not changed. At 53, Nigeria needs a sustainable change, a change that would meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs (Summary from Brutland, 1987 in World Commission on Environment and Development cited in Abasiekong 2010)
Just as it was the desire, the quest, the will and the passion of Mary Slessor in 1848, turned the barbaric part of our culture into a universal morality, we also need that passion, a strong emotion that motivates us to move beyond our comfort zone and to achieve the potential that reside within us (Hagel 2009). As much as we negate comparison among nations, have we forgotten so soon the catalyst behind the Ghana Must Go Saga that of Ghadaffi Must Leave or even Charlse Taylor Must Be Found? All these were made possible only by the expressions of passion which eventually created a foundational change for the tomorrow’s builders. Don’t you think it is time for Nigeria Must Change? The changed NIGERIA must guarantee societal continuity, unity, peace, stability and progress for us to be twice better in all spheres of life than other countries of the world.
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Each time the National Anthem is sung, I am often burdened with this unanswered question; ‘’Where are the fruits of the labour of our heroes past? ‘’ Then I realize that the fruits of their labour only once existed; we can no longer see them. Of course what we see today in our country is moral decadence, unequalled indiscipline, high rate of crime, to mention but a few.
Our nation’s independence on October 1st, 1960, could be said to be the beginning of new things to come. But sad to say, the reverse is the case. Today, Nigeria is fifty-three, but not fit enough to thrill the world.
In the light of these realities, there is an urgent need for a change, a lasting change that will restore the lost glory of our beloved nation. The constancy of change has not changed. At 53, Nigeria needs a sustainable change, a change that would meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs (Summary from Brutland, 1987 in World Commission on Environment and Development cited in Abasiekong 2010)
Just as it was the desire, the quest, the will and the passion of Mary Slessor in 1848, turned the barbaric part of our culture into a universal morality, we also need that passion, a strong emotion that motivates us to move beyond our comfort zone and to achieve the potential that reside within us (Hagel 2009). As much as we negate comparison among nations, have we forgotten so soon the catalyst behind the Ghana Must Go Saga that of Ghadaffi Must Leave or even Charlse Taylor Must Be Found? All these were made possible only by the expressions of passion which eventually created a foundational change for the tomorrow’s builders. Don’t you think it is time for Nigeria Must Change? The changed NIGERIA must guarantee societal continuity, unity, peace, stability and progress for us to be twice better in all spheres of life than other countries of the world.
A