WHAT IF?

Every state has a story to tell, every country has a narrative to relate, and every state has a chronicle to pass down, Nigeria is by no means an exception. Time and space has brought us to a watershed where we need to look back and see how far and how well we have come in writing and telling our story as a nation, both within ourselves and in the gathering of international communities.

It is almost a decade now that one can remember with deep sense of nostalgia how our narrative began to go tragically awry, not only in Plateau state but in Nigeria at large as a nation when we were greeted by the emergence of the dreadful terrorist sect; Boko Haram. Since then, life has not been the same as fear and insecurity have been the order of the day in the life of most average Nigerians.

Hitherto, over the years, Nigeria has been plagued by several communal conflicts and clashes of interest between different parties, leaving many patriotic Nigerians in a very pitiable and devastating state with far reaching consequences. Topping the list of these awful experiences as it is trending now, is the Fulani herdsmen incessant attack that within short period of time has circulated the entire nation, leaving trails of ruins in our land, scores of sores in our hearts and holes of wounds on our minds that will take us time to heal.

These series of dreadful events are mind boggling, heart disturbing and thought provoking that one can’t help but ask; how did we get here? How fast are we losing our sanity?  Where is our humanness? What has happened to our sense of purpose? Where are the sanity, meaning and rationalness that distinguish us from animals? Where are those God given traits that make us human? In fact these questions can go on and on in quest of finding answers and solutions to our present ugly situation.

Suffice it to say that the above series of events have unfortunately dominated our narrative, it would be an unpardonable  irresponsibility for us to raise our hands in surrender to fate and not reach out in faith to turn things around. What if we can actually do something about it? What if we are the ones posterity is really counting on to change the story? What if we are the ones destined for times as this to rewrite the narrative? What if we are the fulfillment of prophesy to document the chronicle of New Nigeria? Indeed, there wouldn’t be any other appropriate time for this than now, and there wouldn’t be any suitable people for this noble task than us.

It was John Stott who said that “when human beings are devalued, everything in society turns sour. Women are humiliated and children despised. The sick are regarded as nuisance, and the elderly as burden. Ethnic minorities are discriminated against; the poor are oppressed and denied social justice. Unbelievers are left to live and die in their lostness. There is no freedom, no dignity, and no carefree joy. Human life seems not worth living, because it is scarcely human any longer”.

Candidly, the picture painted above is not far away from the reality of our narrative. However, with deep sense of humility, responsibility and patriotism, it is pertinent to say time has come to turn the story around. What if human beings are valued and placed above properties and animals? What if men and women and children are honoured irrespective of religious and ethno-cultural differences? What if children are taught the value of human lives, patriotism at a tender age? What if we become less religious and more godly, doing the right thing both in the secret and in the open?

Think of these again; what if the sick are cared for and the elderly enabled to die in peace and dignity? What if the aggrieved in the society are listened to and the prisoners rehabilitated and not condemned? What if our government protects the minorities, set the oppressed free and lead us as servants? What if workers are given fair wage, decent working conditions and have a say in the government?  What if you are listening to this message right now and decide to be the difference by being part of the answer and solution all these questions?

Succinctly, change is not far away from us because our story is far from over, transformation is at our doorstep because we can and will rewrite our narrative. Arise oh compatriots; arise to this noble task of changing the narrative of our beloved nation. Arise oh compatriots; obey this clarion call of retelling our story. The whole world watches us from the sideline, waiting to see whether it would be same old story all over again. However, it is our sole sacred, and collective patriotic responsibility to prove them wrong that the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain.