Help! We Are Wannabes

           When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, there met Him two demon possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. So the demons begged Him, saying, “If  You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”  And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water. Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, the whole city came to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.” - Matt 8:28-34

There are two interesting things about this story. One, the people wanted a solution to the nuisance, but they also wanted to save their pigs. Two, the demons aren’t willing to leave the country (verse 29); they obviously found the Gadarenes a cheap prey.

 You will agree with me that Nigeria appears a nation populated with people of the same mindset as the Gadarenes. We don’t want to be confronted with behavioural changes nor problems. We want deliverance without disturbance. We want benefits without footing bills. We want success without sweat and sacrifice. Harvest without sowing. We are Namans wanting cleansing but loathing a bath in the Jordan River. 

Every Nigerian university undergraduate wants at least a 2.1 without a clear cut resolve early in the university to pay for it. Foolish wasting of time in social or spiritual pursuit is prominent rather than heavy investment into academic goals. Excessive midnight phone calls, club partying, fellowship activities etc is more common compare to aggressive study (I was once guilty).

 While in my final year in the university, a 100L guy lost his spinal cord in an accident while returning from a club party. The reckless driver and other occupants (all students) had no single injury. Our poor friend passed on while his colleagues were writing their exams. We keep talking about stable power supply as obtainable in neighbouring developing countries but we don’t pay the bills of the available epileptic supply. I’m aware of over billing and low voltage on the part of the supply authority, but I hope someone will be courageous to start an NGO on Consumers Right Protection (will it be you?). 

We cry foul play about bad roads, poor medical facilities, lack of potable water, schools without adequate facilities (in some cases dilapidated) or non at all etc, yet we don’t pay taxes. Majority of the taxpayers are civil servants whose taxes will have been deducted before they receive payment. I’m quite convinced that if they have means to evade payment, they won’t think twice about that option.

 Good governance and visionary leadership is our common cry. Yet through our so-called independent electoral commission and political parties, we field candidates of questionable characters at elections and then, we plunge headlong into massive rigging of election result in their favour provided that their party is the ruling or popular party and they can settle electorates at the polling booth with “peanut”. It’s quite unfortunate and discouraging that those of us who are educated and enlightened don’t participate in voting. We leave electioneering in the hands of touts, rogues and street urchins and consequently suffer the rule of fools. 

Accident free highway is our collective anticipation, yet our drivers must intoxicate (cigarette, alcohol etc) themselves before driving. A lot of them don’t even possess driving particulars and most that have one would not have being eligible to drive if they had undergone specified driving tests. I recently read in a national newspaper about a crippled lady who has a driving license in her possession. Even if one must be issued for her, the class of license she was reportedly holding is not for people with disabilities. 

A decent and corruption free police system is our yearning. But we don’t think and act on policies that will ensure a good welfare package for them, no special education package for their children, the barracks where they live is no better than refugee camps, no constant supply of new and sophisticated arms to combat crime. Yet we have a yearning. 

Year in, year out, our indigenous companies go bankrupt not because of poor management neither inadequate manpower nor technical incompetence but unfavourable competition with imported items. Porous borders, irregular power supply (leading to dependence on generator to run big factories), continuous increase of fuel price (making it hard to keep to budget and promised ROI to shareholders) and poor government policies to discourage importation of goods that are in production locally. 

On individual basis, let’s think about the “pigs” we must let go in our life if we really want to achieve what we’ve dreamt of in this New Year . Don’t tell me you’ve got no dream. Indiscipline, laziness, poor reading culture, poor communication and writing skills, hard drugs, lawlessness, immoral practices, internet fraud, premarital sex etc are all pigs that must be let go if you really wannabe your dream.

 One of Benjamin Franklin’s favourite sayings was; “There is no gain without pain”. The great goal of becoming what you are capable of becoming can only be achieved by the willingness to pay the price. The price always involves sacrifice, discomfort, perseverance and stick-to-it-tivity. 

“Every dream has a price” – Arnold Schwarzeneger 

We’ve got no alternative route! Happy New Year.