21 July 2019
Like I averred in the preceding post, several factors act as inhibitors to the change we all desire through a violent social revolution. In the part 2 of this series, we looked at leadership and in this part, we'll consider Followership.
FOLLOWERSHIP
As I ponder on the issue of followership in Nigeria, this question comes to mind. ” are the followers in Nigeria better than their leaders”? Leadership is very important however, a man can never accomplish a goal alone let alone a revolution. Some writers have suggested that for things to be right in Nigeria, you have to completely replace the current inhabitants of the geographical location called Nigeria.
–
Nigerians do not really hate their leaders as it appears. We nag and nag behind our keypads but really we are just waiting for our turn to get to the top so we can continue the looting. You hear words like "this country don spoil when my turn reach, I go help spoil am the more"
–
It has been said over the years that Nigeria is a time-bomb, a keg of powder waiting for a devastating explosion. However, all that has remained sheer optimism.
–
Revolution, a violent one, may never happen in this country owing to the fact that the citizens of this country joke a lot. Unfortunately, the only set of people that are aware of this sad reality are politicians. It is for this singular reason I presume would make the former speaker Dimeji Bankole to say that a revolution will never occur in Nigeria. Moreover, the youths who make up the revolutionary incoming class to whom the future belongs to are in deep slumber. This is not unconnected with the fact that the quality of education they get most importantly is very low.
–
Revolutions throughout the world was inspired and carried out by young people who could no longer stomach what their corrupt leaders kept spewing out. In Tunisia, it was Mohammed Bouazizi that set the stage for a revolution that cut across the Maghreb. In Cuba it was Fidel Castro, in China it was Mao Ze Dung.
–
The truth is, should one Nigerian decide that a revolution should be staged, his fellow young people will see him as a fool who probably doesn’t want to wait for his own time to eat the national cake. We have been so used to exploitation, suffering that coming out of it is a more hurculean task than ravishing in it. And this is because our education has rubbed us of our power of critical thinking, battered our self esteem and confidence. One can never truly rise with the kind of education we constantly have.
–
Quality education is supposed to be total, from teaching literacy to building the self esteem required to survive in real life. However, it is unfortunate that our education has been unable to inspire this crucial ingredient of survival. The implication is the production of graduates who cannot stand to assert their rights, let alone confronting constituted authorities, demanding a proper cause of action.
–
The truth of the matter is that there is no hope for a change where the young cannot get angry. Their collective minds have become numb and the anger that should spur a reasonable change can no longer be felt by them. Instead of Nigerians confronting their political and economic leaders, what we have now is the poor tormenting the poor. Suffering desperate and poor people kidnapping, stealing and killing their fellow poor people
–
During election periods, instead of Nigerians demanding for issue such as steady electricity and water, safety and security of lives, conducive environment for birthing ideas, you hear young people ask “how much dem dey pay”? Any one who had the money bag and is able to share it will get the support of people.
–
It goes to show that corruption is not only endemic amongst our politicians but amongst every Nigerian. The average Nigerian, instead of thinking of better ways to push the country forward, is just siting down and waiting for his own eureka moment to come when he'll begin to eat his own share of the national cake.
–
There are currently no indications whatsoever that anything will change or that the human condition of Nigerians will change. As it is, it is the case that our leaders do not care and the followers themselves have no courage or are not just ready to engage their leaders for a change.
–
Your Favorite SHOE MAKER GIRL
