Nigeria of my dream

By Bashir Ishaq Bashir

I am very happy and impressed by the series of steps the President is taking in the last few days/hours. That is what we have been demanding from him. Purposeful Leadership. Uniting the country by bipartisan approach, being Firm, but fair. Showing compassion to women and children, and the downtrodden. Refocusing and rejigging the economy. Sending the right and appropriate warning to rascals and criminals. And on the whole, being a father to All.

As we continue to pray for his Health, we await his immediate cabinet reshuffle with vibrant young men and women with a sandwich of few old ones to spice up the cabinet with wisdom. We await him to take drastic and radical approach to the power sector. We demand a timeline to the end of criminalities, insurgency, and secessionist elements. We demand a surgical overhaul of our major Medical centers and Teaching Hospitals so that we treat Baba here and Not in London, as well as save Fx and associated costs. We demand a new and fresh approach to overhaul our Primary and secondary schools across the nation with a Young passionate Professeur as minister with vision and courage.

We demand the president to be open minded and listen more, and act more and speed up his decision making process and execution velocity. We demand his media team to be more civil, appreciate our impatience and address us with more respect and decorum. We, the Citizens demand respect and understanding. We have been raped, robbed, Lied to, devoured, exploited, taken for granted, killed, kidnapped, bombed, used and dumped. Name it, we have gone through it. Nigerians are very easy going people. All they ask for is justice and equity.

A detribalized leader they can trust. We have been told good afternoon severally by our leaders while our wrist watches were at midnight. We have been inundated by leaders without plans and focus. The only focus they had was on our treasury. The only plans they had was to perpetually cause ethnic and religious divisions amongst us to allow them refocus on the treasury and in turn re-plan to create more divisions. We are tired of being told that Nigeria is a country of great Human and material Potentials! As a mechanical and Gas Engineer, Potential is dormant. Without external force, Inert, if you like.

Let the our president assemble a Team that will positively release that potential into Kinetic, mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Thermal Energies that will propel us into Global reckoning and make us hold our head high where ever we go. Let them push us with a thrust and power from the level of a one stroke cycle engine to that of a Giant gasTurbine. Let them tell us with the loudest of voice and Conviction of Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad that the same blood that runs in the veins of the Igbos, the Efiks, the yorubas, the Hausas, the Uhrobos, The Kanuris and so many of our country’s hard working citizens is the same blood. We share the same DNA, our destiny is the same. Our diversity is our strength.

Instead of a Deadline of October 1st, to the igbos, let Nnamdi Kano drive into Kano and take half of my Plot of Land for Free. When he is coming let him stop over in Akwa Ibom and bring Akpan to make us an Edika ikon for that is my favorite soup!  We let them come with Palmwine for their consumption while I munch my Kilishi and sip my zobo drink. Let them tell me the beauty and moral teachings from Genesis to Revelations while I read to them from Surah Maryam (Chapter Mary) the mother of Jesus who occupies the highest position of reverence that no woman has attained in Islam. Let them make us a proud Nation loved by all! Let us all forgive each other, for all of us are guilty of one little Hate speech either in public or in a small corner of our rooms.