Good People, Great Nation?

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Nigeria is not yet the great nation our current slogan says we are and in my opinion two things stop us from achieving this potential:

1. The Death of Values in Nigeria
We lack a sense of the common codes that preserve our ability to live together as sane and good people. Our societal values have been slaughtered on the altar of making money. In Nigeria today, anything done to make money is seemingly justified if not during the money making act itself, after the fact.

When a Nigerian makes money by committing a blatant criminal act, as long as he/she is not caught by the law, we are all fine with it. They flaunt the results of their ill gotten wealth and we all want a share. In fact, we give them national honours and "thief"tancy titles.

We have sold our soul for the proverbial bowl of porridge and in our collective poverty, high crime-rate, infrastructureless-despite-investment paradise, we feel the effect.

2. The Dearth of Value in Nigeria
Ours is a society where the easiest means of making money involves doing things that do not contribute any real value - ventures that add NOTHING to the country's GDP. Politics is the way to go if you want quick profit. It's just a big game set up to defraud the country at the detriment of the masses.

In our dysfunctional system, people run away from value-producing ventures to value-sapping ventures 'cos that where profit is.

Sadly the task of creating the enabling environment for value-producing ventures to function efficiently for the benefit of people engaged in them is left in the control of the value-sapping vultures. These value-sapping vultures used the necessity for efficient power generation as a means to steal billions of dollars.

Sadly  the death of values and the culture of not appreciating value has seeped into every facet of our society. If we are to again achieve our potential as a nation, we have to address these twin ills one mind and one act at a time...

I look forward to day when we are truly "Good People in a Great Nation"

Posted via email from Femi Longe's Zone

These Men in Black

In my country,

there are these men in black.

Some call them policemen.

We give them a uniform,

a gun

and bullets

 

and then they terrorise us!!!

 

That's all they seem to do...

TERRORISE US!!!

 

Wish they could actually do their frigging job for a change!!!

 

 

Posted via email from Femi Longe's Zone

THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!!

"Hey yo... So at this point I want to take out a couple of minutes to thank everyone that supported this project from inception till now" - M.I

On a serious note, I want use this post to say a big thank you to everyone who has contributed directly to my life in all the years I have been alive. I know I have not always been the most appreciative of people.

I'd love to name names but there are just so many of you that I don't want to offend anyone by leaving them out. I ask though that you read through this and find yourself in my descriptions. This is coming from the deepest depth of my heart and please understand, my gratitude is genuine. THANK YOU VERY MUCH...

To all those that have contributed to my learning and growth though work, stressing me, training me, conversations, fighting with a very stubborn me, cheating me, schooling me... In whichever form the lesson you had for my learning came, I thank you very much.

To all those that taught me how to love by loving me conditionally and unconditionally. To all those who hurt me and to all those I hurt. To all those who cared about me and to all those who didn't. To all those I cared about and to all those I didn't give a fly about. To all those that loved me by choice and to all those who didn't have choice but to love me. I thank you very much

To all those who made me the man I am today. To all those who made me see I was bigger than the game I was playing. To all those who believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself. To all those who inspire. To all those who say I inspire them. To all those trust and those that taught me caution about trusting. I thank you very much.

To all those who fed me when I was hungry. Who took me in during those very hard times. To all those who were patient with me. To all those who saw me as a flawed being but never turned their back from me. To all those who took the time and effort to grow me and make me into a man they can be proud of. I thank you very much.

To all those I should have thanked a long time ago. Those who I can truly call friend, brother, sister, love. Those who can call me the same. To all those who have housed me at one time or the other. To all those who have fed me at one time or the other. To all those who have clothed me at one time or the other. To all those who have provided me with a livelihood at one time or the other. I thank you very much.

To God and my parents for giving me life. To all I have met through my time here on earth who have nurtured my life.

FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, THANK YOU

 

 

 

Posted via email from Femi Longe's Zone

Ouestion of the Day?: When is Africa 1 continent or 57 countries?

When is it right to think and act as if Africa is 1 continent or 57 separate countries?

In my opinion, not having a rule of thumb around this is why it is easy to divide and conquer our continent. When we should be united, we are fighting each other. Problems that can best be solved as a group we choose to solving individually. Arbitrary borders defined not by us but by Europeans one hundred years ago keep us separated from each other and instead of us to erode these evil creations, we perpetuate them. Again this is not discounting to recognise the grassroot in our collective strive for development because true some problems can only be solved at the local level.

So again back to the question, When is it right for us as AFRICANS to think and act like 1 continent or to live and be as 57 separate countries who just happen to share the same geographical land mass?

This is meant to start a conversation so I look forward to your comments.

Posted via email from Femi Longe's Zone