Give Me Change Lest I Die! By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope and delusive phantom of hope, that all is well even when nothing is happening to make all well. Hence, we are apt to shut our eyes against the painful truth, that there might be nothing to hope for if there is no change.

 There is only one way of judging the future and that is from the past. And by judging from the past five years there is nothing to justify those hopes with which we have been pleased to comfort and console ourselves.


 But why should we continue to live in the false phantom of hope that prolongs our torments and increases our fears with no expectations for improvement?

 Our nation at this point in time is faced with numerous challenges which could have been averted or completely solved if we have a president that knows his wrongs from the rights, and his left from his right.


One way or the other, either negligence or by inexperience, by misinformation or by carelessness, by greed or by wickedness, majority of the challenges facing us today are left un-resolved and un-attended to. Even sometimes the presidency pretends it’s not aware until the international community reacts to it.
These challenges range from terrorism to insecurity, to poverty and corruption, to a general breakdown of law and order and to all forms of indiscipline, just to mention a few. All these pervade our society today, such that they are fast in becoming a norm in our society and one might be tempted to say they` re already becoming our culture.
No doubt, I would like to have a young, vibrant and articulate president, full of agility and power. Also, I would have loved to have a president with so many academic records and qualifications couple with a humble background. But it is much more important to me to have a president that can perform and deliver good governance to the people, irrespective of his age and academic qualification. What is so much matter to me now is his ability to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people. That is what I care about now!
Of what use is the academic qualifications and age of a president when over 200 of his girls that he is meant to protect are left un-rescued from the hands of their abductors.
Of what use is the academic qualifications and age of a president if he cannot provide the basis for life- Food, Security and Shelter, for his citizenry.
Of what use is the academic achievements and age of a president if all he does is to blame the oppositions for his flaws and failures.
Of what use is the political affiliation, religion or origin of a president if he can not address even the least challenges facing his citizens.
Are we disposed to be of the people who, have eyes, but see not, and have ears, but hear not, those things that are so germane to our collective development as a nation? Or what would you say is the reason why some are shouting and yelling Transformation, Transformation and Transformation when there is no transformation anywhere? Why do some celebrate gross share of complacency and gross mediocracy in a country blessed with resources and manpower?
As it stands now, If we wish to see those expectations and aspirations, those dreams and desires come true, if we mean to utilise those inestimable privileges that we possess as a nation, if we mean to see our country rise up to the league of great nations, we must work and demand for change!
I know what I`m asking for and am not in any way blinded by any form of sentiments or the other. As much as I wish to see the so many promises of this current administration come to reality, I wish much more to stop hoping on the repeatedly failed promises and huge global shame that it has brought on the nation.
If we had made a proper use of the means which the God of nature hath placed in our hands, sixteen (16) years of uninterrupted democracy should have brought a salutary change to every sector of the country. But the reverse is the case.
However, what is it that men wish? What would they love to have? A continuous stagnancy built on a phantom of hope called Transformation? Or change that is reliable and dependable? But as for me, Forbid it Almighty God, that I continue to live and comfort myself in false of hope and airy promises. I know not what choice others may have made; but as for me, give me Change Lest I Die!


God Bless Nigeria

Ogundana Michael Rotimi