A NATION ROBBED
Here, I am not talking politics but pure economies. Heaven is on the wheel of our political destiny already. But below is something to pay attention to.
Open market economy must foster a culture and create a people of opportunistic, self-centered and entitlement orientation. Opportunistic and entitlement mindset rather than strategic, creative, patriotic, responsibility and collective approach to life and nation building must blind us to the value of our birthright, destiny, dignity and future as a people. Forget the free enterprise story first.
Opportunistic mindset is a product of orchestrated lack – consciousness, survival and instinctive behavior (poverty of the mind) that preys on our identity limitation; self-doubt, low mindedness, survival instinct and unwillingness to be driven by destiny motivated life and to be accountable for our inheritance.
The philosophy and essence of citizenship is the responsibility to be proudly identified with your root, nativity, people and nation of birth, in a significant way of revealing your unique and essential meaning, heritage, character and civilization; proving your existence, defining your place of honor under the sun and laying the foundation for the next generation.
Today, elders have ceased from the gates. Our nation has neither fathers nor philosophers, farsighted thinkers and leaders of thought and conscience any more. We have lost our nobility, foresight and dignity, therefore, our authority and voice, leaving the next generation to wallow as Orphans, without role models, authority figures, direction and hope.
Everywhere, our young men and women roam and wander without identity, meaning and vital connection to their history, present and future; ravaged and exploited by their kinsmen and women, whose natural responsibility it was to guide, protect, support and uphold them. Because the cardinal philosophy of free and competitive market economy is “ability is right”, “self -advantage” and “everyone for himself”. Think of yourself and yourself only! Animal savagery!
Majority of us have been compromised. Driven by the spirit of market economy and god of Mammon; greed, material vanity, competition and entitlement, we have exchanged our birthright for bread. The idea of competitive market economy without fundamental national character and objective, equal opportunities and bargaining power is simply to give us ownership of our own slavery, colonization and ultimate self -destruction.
Today, joy, dance, celebration has ceased from our hearts and our streets….
Every day, I take a walk through most Lekki streets and neighborhoods, I am startled, depressed and alarmed. Everyone I passed (especially our young ones) carries the same look of anger, gloom and bleakness. Nothing but a life of helplessness, pressure, tension, pain, frustration, uncertainty and bitterness star at you. Human bombs waiting to explode. Tears fill my heart, sorrow engulfs me. Where are the deliverers, the fathers, the aburos, the egbons? How have we become so numb and blind to who we are and cast away our humanity and Africanness?
Expectedly, almost everyone with means have entered the Jappa (flight) mode, abandoning the ship in the middle of the sea without much thought of their neighbors, heritage and generations. Simply typical of those with little or no value for birthright, vital enough connection with their root and basic culture of responsibility, except their personal survival.
Yes, this exactly is the unmistakable result designed to happen when you create a globalized, liberalized and competitive economy without first enlightening and empowering the people with a national cause to belief in and fight for, to compete favorably and defend their inheritance and land of nativity. When you set everyone against themselves by the low economic idea of self -interest, rivalry and self -advantage as a national culture, you can neither blame nor justify anyone? Everybody is a victim.
We are a nation deceived, blinded and robbed!
Self -interest, competition and opportunism, as motivation for human existence to me, is too far below the human dignity and calling. We must create a new economy! Economy that reveals and advances our true character, heritage and higher meaning, as humans; economy purely motivated by national self -determination and capable of guaranteeing our collective prosperity, freedom, dignity, peace, joy and future generations. Time is running out!
Benjamin Alika @ The Global Economic Summit Lagos