When we cut leaves

Nigeria is a wealthy nation coping with poverty, my country is coping with scarcity in the midst of abundance. Unfortunately we know the problem but prefer to pretend about the solution. When men enjoy the presence of a problem they won’t mind coping with the absence of the solution.

A lot is said about terrorism, a lot has been said about corruption yet the nation is in a sorry state. We describe the symptoms of the disease threatening the future of our nation yet we do too little to provide the cure. You can’t solve the problem of a tree by cutting its leaves; you can beautify a tree by trimming its leaves but if you must solve the problem of that tree, you must deal with the route.

There is something wrong with Nigeria, it’s way beyond corruption and terrorism; it’s leadership problem. You can’t correct a system error by creating new political parties; changing the name of a problem won’t provide the much needed solution. When the priority political parties of a nation is holding on to sensitive positions instead of providing effective leadership, that nation is in a sorry state. It’s unfortunate to know that many African leaders won’t mind spilling blood to win an election yet many lack the capacity to handle the responsibility the position comes with.

The real deal about leadership is responsibility not position, hence capacity development is necessary for everyone who intends to hold any position in our nation. Fighting to attain a position without capacity development is like saving to buy a gun without a trigger. Of what use is a bullet in a gun without a trigger? It’s better to buy a cutlass than to own an AK 47 rifle without a trigger.

A Nigeria where excellence is a culture and integrity is a tradition is my dream; it’s possible if only we decide to get it right. If our root is right, it will reflect in the fruits we bear. When we stop cutting leaves and start dealing with the root of the challenges running our nation on a reverse gear then we truly mean business.

GOD bless Nigeria!