The New year is here again, but judging from the very hard times experienced in the past decade in Nigeria hardly anything around us is new. A new year ought to bring better times, but here things are only getting worse for millions. Corruption and indiscipline pervade practically all facets of our life in high and low places. Violence, bloodshed, fraud, stealing, injustice continue unabated. Most of those who wield power and authority continue to cater only for themselves and their friends.
The poor and underprivileged languish more in poverty and deprivation, with many falling into despondency. In all this, the youth gets even more restive and angry and clamour for a better future. Too little good is happening too slowly to alleviate the people’s sufferings. So, millions have become beggars, living on handouts and palliatives while others simply turn to crime in various forms. In a country so blessed and endowed with natural, human and intellectual resources as Nigeria, this is totally unacceptable and must change. For the New Year 2024, and in the spirit of Christmas, I say to all Nigerians: “Be an agent of positive change.
Nigeria is not beyond repair and losing hope is not an option. Make a fresh vow to turn Nigeria from a country of perpetual potentialities to one with huge actualities in honest work, productivity, accountability, solidarity and discipline. This can only happen if we all, government and people, work together but it must start with our leaders in politics, in the economy, in business in the academia, the media, the family, the Church and in the society and at all levels. All must refresh their determination to recreate a better Nigeria”.
We must arrest the mass murder and maiming of our compatriots of whatever tribe, by unjust aggressors and even by state agencies that are paid to protect them and be contented with clichés and patronising statements from our leaders which achieve next to nothing. 2023 is already acclaimed to be the worst year on record for the killing of children worldwide. What an accolade! We should no longer tolerate those in positions of authority and power who merely look on or even participate in monumental fraud and injustice, perpetrated against the very people and the commonwealth they claim to serve. We must rebuke leaders who divide rather reconcile us with one another. Leadership conducted in that manner has no legitimacy and should be rejected.
In 2024 Nigerians should know that life is temporary and power at any level is meant for service. Let all in power know that they will be judged in history and eternity by the good that they do for others and for the common good in the present. Let us all ask: What am I really here for? What will I be remembered for? The joy of every sane human being is to make as many people as possible happy, make as many lives as possible better, while we can. For how long will the bloodshed in Nigeria continue? For how much longer will fellow human beings eat from the dung heap right before our eyes.
For how much longer will our educational and health institutions gasp for attention while we hypocritically desire a better future? Let 2024 be the year when we make a fresh vow of transformation to revive the ideals of authentic, servant- leadership among us, namely: honesty, accountability, selflessness, solidarity, generosity of spirit and a sense of justice. I urge all Nigerians and especially the youth to stop making religion the scapegoat for our woes. We would all be much worse off without faith in God. Every sector of society, like politics, the economy, the media etc. unfortunately all have many charlatans and fakes operating in them.
So does religion, be it Christianity Islam or Traditional religion. Authentic religion is a positive catalyst, a stabilizer, a force for good, for our decisions conduct, sentiments and relationships and has done a lot for the common good over time. Let us imbibe authentic religion and shun all false prophets so that we may reap full benefits of our religious sensibilities and joy and peace shall return to us.
Happy New Year to all!
• Most Rev. (Dr.) Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo is the Catholic Bishop of Oyo Diocese.
