NEW YEAR RESOLUTION 2015, MAKE NIGERIA A FUNCTIONING SOCIETY.

Icheoku says a well functioning society is like a well choreographed orchestra; each musician playing his or her  instrument in accordance with prescribed notes and directed by a conductor; and together they produce a harmonious melody. But a dysfunctional society, where everybody wants to lead at the same time is like an orchestra with too many conductors and in which nobody even wants to be an instrument player. Icheoku asks who then plays the various family instruments from the percussion, string, woodwind, brass, keyboard, and of course voice including accordion, flute, tambourine, trumpet, clarinet, cello etc when every person wants to only be the conductor and nothing else? The result is disharmony, confusion, chaos, dysfunctionality and often times, mayhem; as the conductor's position which is supposed to be occupied by solely one person now has a motley of disparate people, each trying to drive the musical discourse which results in discordant tune and/or no music at all. "Fela's Confusion Break Bone, yee kpaaa" readily comes into mind discussing Nigeria's problem.

Icheoku says Nigerians must learn that somebody must lead and others must follow in order to achieve the desired objective of having a functional country. The true test of a leader is one who has ably, previously followed as an understudy; otherwise where did he learn or take his pupillage on how to lead if he has never been led to know how it is done? It is the school of hard-knocks and their lesson is superbly very instructive. This is one reason why Icheoku regrets the lack of continuity in some government programs in Nigeria like the laudable WAI and MAMSER. Take for example MAMSER which was in the process of making every Nigerian begin to take pride in whatever type of work they did which is no more. Remember the Jerry Gana's famous campaign "if you are teacher, teach well", "if you are a tailor, sew well," "if you are a bricklayer, layer well", "if you are a doctor, doctor well," if you are a lawyer, lawyer well" and "if you are a president, preside well" etc? 

Icheoku reiterates that every person cannot be the president or governor or senator or local government chairman or councillor or even anything at the same time. MAMSER was trying to make every Nigerian be comfortable with whatever they did or are doing and encourage them to do it so well it sizzles. For instance in the clime where I call home, not many people even care about politics enough to give a damn who is where that many people don't even know who their governors are? Even one Hollywood actress was asked on national television who the vice president is but she does not know and did not care either. But in Nigeria, because it is the means to an end and the be it that makes it all, every tug and tout head-dive therein to steal themselves blind from the common wealth. Otherwise why should anybody be that desperate to "serve" anyone to warrant all the do or die that comes with politicking in Nigeria. 

If only Nigerians would ask themselves when did it become fashionable for someone to kill another person simply because he wants to provide service for the people?  It does not make any sense at all and if Nigerians could imbibe this lesson in the New Year, it will help them make and have a good life for themselves, devoid of all these stress and tension, simply because one man wants to be president and another wants to be governor and another wants to be senator and another wants to be local government chairman. If everyone becomes this and that who then becomes the other things in the society? Just be the best you can be in your department and make others so jealous they want to imitate you and be like you. There is honor in labor and as a laborer, you will surely get your wages doing whatever you do, provided you do it well. 

If only MAMSER had succeeded, by now many of these people struggling and killing each other to be elected for one office or another would not have abandoned their original trade or professional calling for politics. So Nigerians, Icheoku calls on you to make a new year resolution to be the best in whatever you do and help make Nigeria a more functioning society. Realizing too that for many of these political offices, there are limited number of occupants at one time; and that you don't have to be the one in it. But in any event, if you must, please go about it in an orderly and civilized manner and also learn to take defeat like a sportsman. All the best in the new year Nigerians and may the lesser of the two evils, running for president, emerge victorious on February 14, 2015.