By Olusegun Bankole

 

As I type this little piece, I am currently in NISE, Anambra State and I must say that all the hue and cry about restructuring the country should not be about breaking up; it should be about restructuring our mindset in doing things the proper way. In our diversity, there is a lot we can achieve together.

There are so many potentials innate in our land that we are yet to tap from. Here, I see a state that can blossom beyond the citizens’ imagination if they could harness positively what God has given them in terms of natural resources. The Land is so green but yet untapped. Our energy in most part of the country is channeled towards the wrong things and the so-called leaders are cashing in on that. Who benefits from the whole cry about restructuring? The people or the cabal who won’t stop at plundering our commonwealth for their own selfish interest.

Our quest for a better Nigeria should be tailored in identifying the unique potentials that God has deposited in each part of the country and make use of it in developing every nook and cranny of the country with a sense of purpose and sincerity from our Leaders. Our restructuring should be focused on reorientating the way we see ourselves as a people; how we relate to each other despite our cultural and tribal differences. We should begin to bring out the humanity in us rather than the bestiality in us. We should be bold enough to bring our leaders to account for their irresponsibility rather than allowing them to divide us along tribal lines for their own selfish interest.

Here, in NISE, I see a people that is welcoming and friendly beyond all the mongering of war that we get to read in the pages of the newspaper albeit the fact that,there lies some streak of poverty on the faces of the rural dwellers. No thanks to the politicians who have continually deceived them and plundered their commonwealth. This is the time we should all stand up as a people as our country turns 57 and demand from our leaders good governance laced with a sense of purpose and focus.

This is the time we should begin to restructure our leaders’ mindset that being a public servant is truly being a servant and not otherwise. They must be held accountable at every point in time. They must be constantly reminded that, neither they nor their family members are no better Nigerians than the rest of us. Let every Nigerian be responsible to this country called NIGERIA.

Segun Bankole lives in Lagos and he is a Brand Management Practitioner. (Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc.)