I Have A Dream For Nigeria - Series 1

A Greek physician named Galen, born in 129 AD said that; “people should carefully observe dreams for clues to healings” and this encouraged him to perform operations based on dream interpretations.   I equally share in the belief that the healing of a land and its people rest on their dreams.  Aristotle believed dreams caused physiological activities; which means our dreams is a function of our living system.  Many would agree that dreams are divinely inspired by God.  One-third of the Bible relates to visions or dreams and important people in the Bible who dreamt were Abraham, Joseph, Daniel, Ezekiel, Joseph (Jesus’) father, Mary (Jesus’) mother, Paul, Cornelius and others.

Some would argue that dreams are just mere expressions of inner desires, while others may believe that dreams are the foundation of any tangible achievement.  I am particularly incensed by the words of Hippocrates (460 BC to 370 BC), a Greek physician who lived in the Age of Pericles (Classical Athens) and considered one of the most immaculate figures in the world of medicine.  He stated simply that “during the day the soul receives images and during the night the soul produces images.” This indicates that dreams could tell you more about yourself than any book, therapist and friend or relative.

My soul connects to images; these images form a candid perspective to my already held beliefs and convictions that Nigeria will be a great country if we use the power in our dreams.  The dreams that is formed in my mind about the future-Nigeria is full of victories, triumphs and laughter, sadly we may not get to the stage until our cataclysms are first addressed.

My dream for Nigeria is mixed with immense fright and melancholia; but it equally has a magical twist that assures a re-branded future full of excitement and triumphs.  

I see a new Nigeria.

Nigeria gained its independence on the 1^st of October 1960 from the colonial British masters.  It was a great celebration of life, the hope was high, and everyone full of dreams for a nation we all can be proud of.  A nation we can be free to sing our songs and do our dances.  A nation we can feed and worship our God without intimidation.  A nation our resources would be shared equally and everyone his or her brother’s keeper.  A nation we can be united by our various lands and waters.  Where respect for individuals would supersede selfishness and wickedness.  A nation our life will count and we would have a deep respect for the rule of law.

Over half a century later, we are yet to experience the tiniest of the dream we hold at independence.  Rather than being free, we are slaves in our land, slave to our resources’ that we have been repeatedly denied of.  Slave to our history of greedy leaders who have shown no concern to our plights.  Our mothers are made slaves; they suffer and die from child birth and poverty.  Our children die in their thousands from preventable diseases and hunger.  We are slaves to our religious beliefs that have caused us immense bigotry and intolerance. 

Slaves we are and slave we will be, except we break the chains of our captivity and set ourselves free.  Free from the jungle of injustice, pride, wickedness and self-gratification, which we have given prominence over mass-development.

The Italian catholic priest Thomas Aquinas (1225 to 1274); said we can only categorize how we behave into two categories; Cognitive (how we know the world) and Affective (how we understand the world via our feelings and emotions).  We have not developed a cognitive or affective knowledge of our world, feelings and emotions.  We are still slaves to our own world.

Our land is blessed with natural resources’, these resources could place us in good stead the world over, yet it is more of a curse to us than blessing because of greed, selfishness, wickedness, and hatred of a greedy few who enjoy the resources that belong to all.  These few simply  sits on the treasure, guard it with their strong arm of tyranny, feed fat on it and spread the overflow to their kin and kindred.  The ordinary people of Nigeria have not started enjoying the benefit of their God given resources after over half a century of independence; neither can our breed of wicked leaders account for the income made from the sale of our resources. They are only helped by their fat-foreign banks accounts and treasury where their loots are stashed.

Despite over half a century of independence, the people of Nigeria have not received support from the government they so much believe in.  Everyday of their lives is a struggle for survival, of what use is the government that cannot provide the basic things of life to its people. Nigerians have been made to suffer more than any of their contemporaries in other countries, they have been repeatedly denied their basic rights, they make and fix their own road themselves, provide their own security as the police cannot be trusted, they have to access and pump their own water, they have to source their own power supply and other basic amenities.  Of what good is a country that cannot provide the basic amenities for its citizens?

I have a dream for Nigeria.

I have a dream that one day Nigerians will drink fresh waters from its nature endowed well without any barriers.  

I am confident that though we face the highest bite of poverty today, I see images of best livelihood and superfluous quality of life. 

I have a dream for Nigeria; the vision is strong and alive. 

To be continued.

Abiola Olaifa writes (abiolla@gmail.com)