Should Now Be The Emergence Of A New Order? By Sydney Usman Godwin

Considering the current trends in the Nigerian political space; disrespect for rule of law, contempt for courts, dilapidated healthcare centers (with no syringe in the Aso Villa clinic), insecurity, hunger, poor housing scheme, poor educational funding, bad roads, poor electricity supply, degenerating infrastructure, systemic corruption and being the world capital for extreme, multidimensional poverty, I can only wonder the catastrophic effect of post COVID-19 virus on our economy. 

Many economies across the globe will be affected with the concomitant effect but for Nigerians, it’ll further highlight the decadence in our failed leadership architecture as seen during this exceptional times, from our healthcare sector to our database during the hoax distribution of the highly politicised “palliatives” created to oppress, subjugate, degenerate and relegate to oblivion the Nigerian masses.

We have every right to destroy the very system that seeks to destroy us.

Every Nigerian seek a better country, in further words, a better tomorrow, but have failed to confront the monsters and institutions that have subjugated, raped, regressed, denigrated and grossly exploited our common patrimony just to ensure that it never happens.

The old order have hijacked the instrumentality of power for the aggrandizement of their cohorts and self. All we need do is to resist just as in the words of Frederic Douglas. “If there is no struggle, then, there won’t be progress”. Those who profess to favour freedom and depreciate agitation (protest) are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning and they want ocean without the awful roar of it’s many waters.

However, we must understand the workings of the Nigerian political architecture. Power concedes to nothing without demands, it never did and will never do, we must further understand that power belongs to us the people, it’s never euphoric but has a lasting ecstasy. Power, importantly belongs to us the youth, not because we’re young, but because we have 51 per cent of the current 86 million registered voters, a figure we can further stretch moving forward.

The common way people give up power is by thinking they don’t have any. We’ve been fed with lies that our votes don’t matter, but they come from behind to buy them. The resistance and rebuttal should begin. 
Let’s take a cue from the Hong Kong protesters who sought for a new order, one free from the oppressive and tyrannical regime they were subjected to, a regime skewed at destroying their dreams, aspirations, goals, aims and future. They came through in achieving the society they envisaged.

The Nigerian youth have the potency and capacity to elect whosoever they want from among the plethora of exceptional young Nigerians who are so much in touch with contemporary realities to lead them, as seen in the 2018 and 2019 Big Brother Nigeria show, where in the latter, a whopping 240 million votes were recorded and over 50 million of those votes coming in the final week of the show, racking an outrageous N7.2B in revenue generated from SMS alone.

This solely demonstrated the power of oneness, that if we collectively decide to change the gerontocrats in power, no amount of rigging and mechanization, no force on earth can stop us.

The sustainability of Nigeria lies and rests on our shoulders as we should never again allow those whose future were yesterday design our tomorrow.

In the face of dwindling global economy, crashes in oil prices, Nigeria’s dilapidated and fast dissipating economy, increasing debt profile and it’s accompanying irresponsibility and gross incompetence, it’s now crystal obvious than ever, that to save the heart and soul of Nigeria which is worth fighting for, we must get involved in her mainstream politics, to direct her trajectory to the desired goal. We must understand that we’re critical stakeholders in the project Nigeria and as such must stop agonising and start organizing to reverse the trends of gross ineptitude, failings, cluelessness and exceptional incompetence in leadership and governance.

Importantly, considering the urgency of now, young aspirants, captain of industries, stakeholders, celebrities, employed and unemployed youth, artisans and students must all unite to create that future of our dreams. A country that works for all irrespective of tribe, region, religion, class and political thought(s) and affiliation. 

Only a revolution now can drive it and make it happen.

We can’t breathe furthermore, we want change! Now should be the time for the emergence of a new order.