Can I tell my children the same message that I heard from my father over three decades ago about the future of Nigeria?

I woke up this morning and listened to Wasiu Ayinde’s music track, Talazo ’84. He appealed to Major General Muhammed Buhari (Military head of State) to look into power outages (electricity) and economic problems. That was about 37 years ago. Then I was 16 years old at secondary school.

Today, over three decades ago, the same man now the president of Nigeria, Major General Muhammad Buhari (rtd). He was elected as the president of Nigeria in 2015, over six years ago, under the APC platform. Although before he was elected as the president in the 2015 election, he had contested three times and failed.

However, the country’s social-economic condition and currency exchange are becoming unbearable, and the masses on the street are eating from hand to mouth. Furthermore, the poverty level is increasing, and family dependants are rising.

According to the report, Nigeria has been rated poverty capital; therefore, the infrastructural facilities, social amenities, social welfare and human capital need urgent attention; otherwise, the security of life and poverty would become something else.

That reminds me of when I was a teenager in the ’80s. My father used to say that “Nigeria would be better”, but the question is can I tell my children the same message “Nigeria would be better.”

In my journey in life and based on my experience and exposure, I hypothesise that “Nigeria would be better.” It could be a deceptive strategy. Therefore, I need anyone to prove me wrong. This question is keeping me awake daily.

I ask myself, what would happen to the younger and unborn generations 30 years from now in Nigeria. Can I tell my children the same message I heard from my father over three decades ago? Can I say to my mentees that they should be hopeful that Nigeria will be among the world superpower in 30 years?.

To save Nigeria from the present economic and political conditions, our leaders across the board, including the religious and traditional, need to put their differences and egos. As well as self-enrichments and power to influence others aside and try to be human for a second and digest a biblical message that says ‘vanity upon vanity all is vanity.’

Leadership is about sacrifice and making a society a better place but not personal enrichment. The British, Americans, and Swedes remember their past and present leaders based on personal sacrifices to improve their societies.

Our leaders must think of a society devoid of security and social-economic threats. Although, I am old enough to know that anyone who profits from a flawed system would not see anything wrong in the mess because of greed and selfish interest.

What is the essence of following Jesus Christ or Muhammed in the name of religion, but you do not want to be human in your thinking and action? Anyway, the heart is deceitful, so who sees it.