“What we call our destiny is truly our character and that character can be altered. The knowledge that we are responsible for our actions and attitudes does not need to be discouraging, because it also means that we are free to change this destiny. One is not in bondage to the past, which has shaped our feelings, to race, inheritance, background. All this can be altered if we have the courage to examine how it formed us. We can alter the chemistry provided we have the courage to dissect the elements.” – Anaïs Nin, The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 1: 1931-1934.

Just as every individual has a character, every nation has a national character. What determines the depth, breadth and height of a nation’s influence is not the natural resources possessed by such a nation, otherwise Nigeria should be the most influential nation in the world. It is also not in the skill sets the citizens of such nation possess, otherwise India should probably be the most powerful nation. It is neither in the level of education of the citizenry, though this has direct impact on the GDP of the country. What determines how powerful a nation will become is her National Character.

What is Character? Character, in this context, ‘is the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.’ It is the summation of the values, thought patterns and habits that make up a man. National Character is therefore the summation of the value system, thought patterns and habits of a nation. It is the soul of the nation. A nation with good national character is like a nation with a good soul. A nation with a bad national character is also like a nation with a bad soul. No matter how richly endowed such nation is, her National Character will always overshadow all her endowments. Woe to that nation without great National Character, even when endowed with cornucopia of natural resources!

What is our National Character as a nation? Do we even have guiding principles that we all commonly adopt? Usually, every nation writes her constitution using her National Character as the foundation. What are the guiding principles behind our Constitution in Nigeria? An American child knows and is guided by the value system of USA. Personal achievement, individualism, hardwork, morality, humanitarianism, equality, democracy and so on guide the Americans. These also have been built into their constitution.

At some point during the administration of former President Obasanjo, an attempt was made to articulate a national value document at Kuru, Job in 2001, but it all ended like most other government projects, swept under the carpet. A major reason why each successive government comes in with a lot of hope and leaves the country worse off, is the absence of a commonly adopted National Value Document. It is such document that defines the National Character of a nation. Government’s attempt to tackle corruption will be strengthened when there is a value document guiding the act of governance. Until and unless we go back to the basis and define our guiding principles as a nation, tribalism, nepotism, corruption, self aggrandizement and placing personal comfort above national good will continue to tow us as a nation.

This current administration must define our National Character and put up strong and durable structure for its national adoption. Only then would we have commenced the journey to true nationhood. Where there is no dream, the people perish.

God help us all.

Good morning Africa!

Good morning Nigeria!

Perhaps the best human summary of the needs of man can be found in Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. He summarized our needs into five starting from Physiological (need for food, water, sleep, sex, homeostasis, etc), then Safety (of body, health, family, resources, employment, morality, property), then Love/Belonging (friendship, family, sexual relationship), then Esteem (self esteem, confidence, achievement, respect for others, respect by others), and finally Self Actualization (morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts). This I believe is a detailed breakdown of the scriptural advice in 1 Tim. 6:6-8 which says “But godliness with contentment is great gain, For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. Having food and raiments, let us therefore be content therewith.”

What else do you then need money for? If you are able to meet all these needs as detailed by Apostle Paul and Abraham Maslow. It amazes me how people go beyond the accepted boundary to make money, even after satisfying these basic and premium needs. Some kill, some convert public goods to private goods, some loots the treasury and some steal the nation blind. The kind of money being peddled in the news as ‘looted’ by some individuals, especially in this contraption called Nigeria, is mind boggling. The other day, a former minister was going to pay off a mortgage worth £12.5 million in UK. Yoruba will say ‘E gba mi’, meaning ‘pls help me’. Please help me, why do they steal, when even the comforts that come with their positions are enough for a lifetime?

Truly, I am lost here and need help in form of some credible explanations. If I have three to five properties for both shelter and maybe sustenance, I feel I should be okay. Or maybe to help others I acquire a little more (and legally/morally so). I do not understand why people buy properties all over and even forget some, knowing none of these will go with them when they cease to breath. I heard the story of one of these stupendously and filthy rich men, who stopped on a journey to somewhere in Benin on sighting a property he obviously coveted. He asked his team to stop and then asked one of his PAs to find out the owner and to make an offer to the owner. And guess who the owner was, he himself! Obviously he bought it without even knowing and he was almost repurchasing it! Such madness! ‘E ma gba mi’. (Please help me).

In a nation, where more than 90% are groaning under huge weight of lack and abject poverty, we have a few individuals stealing billions of dollars. A broke nation that has some few individuals that can buy her over and over again. Isn’t it an irony that they even steal and stash their loots in foreign havens?

I still need an answer, what do they need the money for? To buy countries? To compete amongst themselves? To finance their generations unborn? I don’t know, maybe you do!

God bless us all.

Good morning Africa!

Good morning Nigeria!

Copyright
adewumioni.com

Someone sent me this, and it is insightful. I need this writer on my friends list. If you know the author please oblige me. Enjoy his piece……
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“A Time for Sober Reflection”

They say Saraki’s TRIAL is a witch hunt.
Dasuki’s TRIAL is a retaliation.
Dokpesi’s TRIAL is opposition.
But they do not say they are innocent.
They do not say the trial is not fair.
They say there are many other thieves,
So they say wait & catch others first!!!
░ A child will die in about a 1000 homes today bc it lacks access to primary health care. Someone is driving a car built from looted funds allocated to Primary Health Care;
░ A car will hit a pothole and cause grief to families bc someone is living in a mansion built frm looted funds meant for road projects;
░ A child will go hungry to bed, a father helpless a mother tired and in anguish because someone is wearing *a custom-made designer watch* bought with their salaries.
░ Someone spent 5 hours searching for fuel today, will go home to darkness because someone wanted a mansion in France, London and New York and used money meant to expand refining capacity, increase power, etc.
░ Many will die from treatable ailments because someone imported chalk as medicines. Because someone wanted to fly to the U.K. for cosmetic surgery, he approved the chalk to be sold in our chemists.
░ Many will drop out of school for ₦5000 because someone wanted their own children to attend Harvard and stole the funds for education of Nigerian children to make it happen.
░ Corruption is the reason for the rape of young hawkers who are forced on to the streets by hardship, to make a living for their cash strapped families.
░ Many families are dislocated & many are now refugees in their own country and in neighbouring nations because someone did not buy guns and ammunition for the army. Someone bought fake blades for helicopters, and someone wanted to buy mansions for his sons!!!;
░ How many lost their lives to failed banks?******
How many emigrated?
How many received a racial slur because someone took their future in their native nation?
░ Why are we kind to those who stole destinies but merciless to those who took only a minute?
▓ Think-> ***Corruption kills. Corruption impoverishes. Support the war on Corruption.*** Save the future. Pls share this, it’s high time we let people know the enemies of this nation.
# copied

God bless us all.

Good morning Africa!

Good morning Nigeria!

Where a man’s treasure is, there his heart will be also. Matthew 6:21. What you love, you give attention to. When you love your wife, you protect her, you support her, you overlook her faults and weaknesses. Same with your children or husband. When you love your job, what you are paid doesn’t matter, you just naturally want to give your best. Your heart will be with what you love. You will always strive to make the object of your love better, whether it is your kids, spouse, fiance, Job, business or house.

It is therefore disconcerting that we do things that show that we have no love for our dear nation and yet we claim to love our country. We speak ill about the country. We curse the country. We destroy the country through our actions. We litter the roads, the environment. We drive carelessly. We damage public utility. We hoard things to create artificial scarcity so that we can sell at absurd prices. We manufacture fake drugs and destroy lives. We import expired food items into our dear country. We close our eyes and conscience and vote in looters because we have been bought. When they start looting, we start complaining. We misappropriate public funds. We kill ourselves for ritual purposes. We damage the country’s image home and abroad through our nefarious activities. We sit on the fence and refuse to speak up against evil. There are too many heartless people in our nation today and not just at the top, even among the poor and downtrodden.

What constructive thing have you done about your country? There are so many things we can do to make our nation great again. You can volunteer to clean your neighborhood. You can volunteer to teach true morals and values to the kids in your neighborhood. You can report those police mounting illegal checkpoint. Don’t just look at them and keep quiet. Do something. Anytime you see evil and keep quiet, an element of evil is also planted in you. Speak about the ills in our society. Talk about it in your church, mosque, school, social gathering. Never let the voice of the Sanballats and Tobiases discourage you. Do something positive about your country.

Do you love your country? If you truly do, then get to work.

God bless us all.

Good morning Africa!

Good morning Nigeria!

An Indian friend of mine sent me a newspaper clip this morning. It contains news about two Nigerians who duped an Indian Judge Secretary. My heart sank as I read the entire news and wonder how many of such is happening all over the world. I keep asking myself how Nigeria sank so low to have become a major exporter of fraudsters. When did we cross into this abyss?

Growing up, I remember Nigerian Green passport being treated with respect and how we were known to be brilliant, especially those who went to study abroad. We could stand shoulder to shoulder with any national of other countries at that time. What a wonderful time in our history. I remember a senior of mine in Secondary School who was exceptionally brilliant that Russian Government gave scholarship. It pushed us to study hard as we all wanted to be like him.

Alas, suddenly ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ came and we harbored it. We harbored it to the extent that we knew those practicing it and we refused to expose them. Then, knowing they won’t be exposed, they proceeded to ‘Yahoo Plus’, then to drug peddling, then to exporting ‘runs girls’, then to child labor, kidnapping, ritual killings, etc. The list is endless. We have become an exporter of all the vices in the book. We export evil vices in order to import the products of the West. We have lost our sense of pride and dignity. Anything goes, as long as it brings money. Maybe that is why we lack the moral standing to challenge our leaders. Maybe we are a nation governed by thieves, for the thieves and of the thieves.

Just yesterday I read a beautiful satirical write up by Pius Adesanmi titled ‘Sarakius and the fate of Sodom’, it brought fresh tears to my inner eyes. So we cannot even nail one thief? Saraki is proving difficult to be nailed. Whereas in other climes, he would have resigned out of shame. But perhaps knowing we are all thieves, he feels bold to defend his position. Like Sodom, can we find ten righteous people in this nation? We are all guilty of keeping quiet and allowing all these evils to become deep rooted. It is time to start challenging anyone whose source of wealth is questionable. Be it young or old, challenge them. In the church, challenge them. In the mosque, let them account for their sudden wealth. When we all become a custodian and police of the dignity of the nation, our foreign image will be redeemed.

Remember, according to Prof. Wole Soyinka, the man died who in the midst of cries of souls in torments, refuses to act. The soul of the nation Nigeria is in deep anguish, crying for help, will you help her?

God bless us all.

Good morning Africa!

Good morning Nigeria!

“Leadership cannot just go along to get along. Leadership must meet the moral challenge of the day.” —Jesse Jackson

That, at a time when the Executive arm of the government is trying to minimize cost of governance, our Senators could buy one Land cruiser jeep per state at =N=36.5m each, shows that we have the wrong people at the Upper Chamber. Do they need a 36.5m keep to represent us? Don’t we know them? Do they need to impress us with Jeep?

That the Senate will leave its daily constitutional duty at the Senate to provide ‘Solidarity Support’ for the embattled and self-immolating Senate President before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), shows that these Senators are far from the reality of the times we are in, that it is no longer business as usual for corruption and all its allies.

That the Senate could attempt to arm twist and frustrate the CCT’s plan to ensure speedy trial and judgment on the Saraki’s matter, by unconstitutionally summoning the CCT Chairman on a matter which is already before a competent Court of Law, is tantamount to sabotage of the will of the people and treason against the very people they represent. We all know that this summon is to frustrate the daily trial session of 10am to 6pm and the stay off instruction to the shameless ‘Saraki’s Supporters Club’ within the Senate, as ordered by the CCT.

This 8th Senate must understand the moral challenge of the times we are in. She must understand that failure to meet up with the moral challenge will lead to her failure and eventual dissolution. Nigerians, home and in diaspora should rise up to speak up in unison against all attempts by this Senate to draw us back with their senseless and selfish spending, their attempt to toy with our budget, their ploy to protect one of their own in the face of overwhelming evidence of wanton and reckless corruption, and their grandstanding by inviting the CCT Chairman.

Say ‘NO’ to these immoral Senators.

God bless us all.

Good morning Africa!

Good morning Nigeria!

In those days in school, one of the forbidden things is to fight in public. Whether during school hours or after school hours, God helps you if you are caught. The cause or reason for the fracas is of no interest, the fact that you broke the sanctity of the society and fought, is sufficient reason to be decorated with several lashes, which can sometimes run into twenties or thirties, plus possible suspension. The shame you will bring upon your parents alone will make you reconsider before fighting. But that was those days! Sadly so!

We are in the days where not only students fight in schools and in the presence of their teachers, teachers even fight! What am I even saying? Our lawmakers fight! The very people we call honorables throw honour away and exchange blows! In fact the way some of these dishonorable ‘honorables’ fight, you will think they are trained to fight. They don’t stop at fighting, they destroy public properties, including the Mace, the very symbol of authority of the Assembly! What a pity! Where went our manners? It reminds me of the title of a book ‘Our Elders Have Gone Mad Again’, who will tame them?

I thought they say, you cannot have elders in the market and have a newborn baby wrongly backed by the mother. These days even the neck of the elder is not straight let alone see the wrongly backed baby! The other day I wrote about the lost generation, I was reminded that the elders bequeathed these low morals to them. Truthfully so! So, which madness should we attend to first, the elders or the youths?

God bless us all.

God bless Africa!

God bless Nigeria!