May 29, making a statement

a wise man once said that evil triumphs when good men do nothing, and i firmly believe this to be true. it is also true that some forces are so powerful that their course will hardly be affected by the efforts of the well-meaning, but that should never be an excuse not to try. what have we to lose?

someone sent me an invitation to put up this statement on my blog last week, and my initial reaction was skeptical. i honestly didn't see what point it would serve, until i read an email by another invitee describing the last elections as more-or-less fair, as though all the reports in the media were false, or the exaggerated imaginings of paranoid fools. i shuddered, and realised there and then what the purpose would be; its not only to call for action, but to remind us i.e. you and i, what is wrong with our nation, so that we can watch out for it in future and seize the opportunity to fight it any way we can.

i decided then to be part of this struggle, and to put my actions where my incessant wailing has gone many times before. prominent writers like Wole Soyinka and Christopher Okigbo have always maintained that the writer has a duty to reflect the struggles of his people through his medium, both as a record for posterity, and as a force for change. in Web 2.0 (today's internet as Time described it) the writers are the Bloggers, you and i, ordinary people who have a reach, however limited, that allows us to spread whatever message we choose to disseminate. it is hardly an excuse that only 5 people a day read my blog - there is still a duty on me to speak the truth, or allow my conscience die the demise of indolence.

but you know, vigilant societies have been changing the course of their nation's destinies since time immemorial. every time a tired, hungry oppressed nation says to their leaders "we will have this no more, we demand a change", they make change happen for themselves. every revolution was borne first from the quiet murmurings of the discontented, until it grew into the movements that emancipated people from the shackles of bad leadership, kleptocracy and tyranny.

what this statement, this manifesto, represents, is a call for our people to be vigilant to their rights as a nation, and the duties and responsibilities of their leaders as elected representatives and servants of the people (i laugh, but this will one day be true) of a country which has every potential to be great. we will achieve nothing if we sit still, if we hang our chins on our shoulders and complain quietly, while our "leaders" drag our country to hell in a hand-basket. we can look away, pretend that this reality is some other fool's nightmare, but we will change nothing by doing so.

if you read this, and it makes sense to you, put it on your blog. if you don't blog, why not email it to someone else, so that they can read it? there is nothing seditious or treasonous about it, indeed it is a patriotic statement if anything. it does not call for revolution or war; it simply calls for vigilance and the duty to take a more active role in the running of our country. please pay attention, and draw this to someone's eyes. discuss it, debate it, and remember it, for to continue to do nothing is more than just passive suicide. that would be the sort of criminal neglect that will ultimately lead us down the path of rebellion. those hungry "servants" as someone recently described his powerful father's domestic staff will not remain docile for long, and when that tide turns, noone will be safe. the time to act is always now.

IN RECENT HISTORY, NIGERIANS HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY BETRAYED BY THOSE CHARGED WITH ADDRESSING THEIR NEEDS. INSTEAD OF SERVING THE PEOPLE, PUBLIC SERVANTS HAVE SERVED THEMSELVES TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE MASSES. THE RESULT IS A NATION LACKING ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE, ORGANIZATION AND SECURITY.

THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF NIGERIAN LEADERS INDICATES A LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE CONSTITUENTS. NIGERIANS ARE NO LONGER RELEVANT TO THE LEADERS, THUS, LEADERS DO NOT FEEL RESPONSIBLE TO THEM.

THE RECENT FAILURE TO CONDUCT A FREE AND FAIR ELECTORAL PROCESS WAS YET ANOTHER ILLUSTRATION THAT THE NEEDS OF THE MANY ARE SECONDARY TO THE WANTS OF THE IMPORTANT FEW.

FROM THIS DAY, ALL NIGERIANS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS GREAT & POWERFUL COUNTRY. CONSEQUENTLY, ALL NIGERIANS MUST COMMIT THEMSELVES TO THE FOLLOWING:

1. WE MUST DEMAND THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS AND IN-ACTIONS.
2. WE MUST EXPECT DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES TO BE HONORED, RESPECTED AND MAINTAINED.
3. WE MUST BELIEVE THAT ALL NIGERIANS ARE EQUAL UNDER THE LAW AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH.
4. WE MUST APPLY OURSELVES TO IMPROVING THE LOT OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL NIGERIAN REGARDLESS OF GENDER, RELIGION, TRIBE OR SOCIAL STATUS.
5. WE MUST STRIVE TO MAINTAIN A UNITED REPUBLIC DESPITE OUR DIFFERENCES.

ONLY UPON ACHIEVING THESE PRINCIPLES CAN WE AS A PEOPLE FULLY LIVE UP TO OUR POTENTIAL AS A LAND OF GREATNESS. FOR OURS IS A COUNTRY RENOWNED FOR ITS ILLUSTRIOUS PEOPLE, AMPLE RESOURCES AND SHEER PHYSICAL BEAUTY.

please spread the word. thank you.