2020: A Year of Renewed Hope

We thank God for the
privilege of seeing
yet another New
Year, 2020. For those
lucky to have scaled through the
various hurdles, wear and tear of
the previous year, there are indeed
numerous reasons to rejoice. Why?
Many would rightly confess that the
year 2019 was not particularly a rosy
one for our country Nigeria. Reason
being that it was characterized by so
much tension, challenges, chaos and
expectations not met in our national
life. Being an election year, political
maneuvering took the better part
as the various political gladiators
slugged it out against each other. At
the end, the long suffering masses
were at the receiving end, bearing
the brunt of the ambitious few. Many
innocent lives were lost in the electoral process that no doubt fell short
of acceptable democratic norms and
values.
While expectations were high at
the beginning of last year, the quest
for political leadership dominated
the political space, causing fear and
apprehension in most parts of the
country. The initial postponements
of the elections and the eventual conducts elicited much acrimony, tension
and hostility which led to orchestrated violence and loss of lives in some
instances. Kidnapping and adoptions
of prominent individuals and travellers on our major highways was also a
frequent feature of last year. In many
instances, even after ransoms were
paid, some of the victims were not
returned alive. The security agencies
were stretched to their limits as they
battled to safeguard the lives and
properties of citizens.
Boko Haram and herdsmen attacks
were also on the increase despite
the concerted efforts of our gallant
military to flush them out of their
hiding places. While some positive
results were recorded in curtailing the
herders attack, their frequent reigns
of terrors left so much sour taste and
distrust among the various ethnic
nationalities and even the authorities, leading to a renewed quest for
community policing and possible
restructuring of the political space.
Now that we have struggled and
crawled our way into a new year, it is
hoped that the canker-worms of last
year would be a thing of the past.
Though the economy is still wobbling
and fumbling, one hopes that the
new economic team constituted by
the president would deliver on its
mandate to overhaul the economy.
As it is, the fate of our dear nation
rests squarely on the shoulders of its
citizens. What becomes of it this year
would depend largely on our resolve
to remain steadfast and continue to
work towards peaceful co-existence
by exposing the various anomalies
bedevilling the land.
In this New Year, each of us must
as a matter of priority recommit
ourselves to the advancement of our
nation in all ramifications. Everyone
with a stake in this country must
shun all forms of divisive tendencies,
forsake corruption and join hands
with our leaders to build a stronger
and equitable nation we all can be
proud to call our own.