Samuel Ogungbemi
This topic has two main focal points i.e. corporate solidarity and Godly Change. Corporate solidarity means unity, agreement and support resulting from shared interests, feelings, actions and sympathies across gender, religion, tribe, ethnic and profession. Change in the other hand means becoming or making somebody or something different, entirely from what the person or thing used to be. We experience change, in a variety of ways. Our growth is a product of change. Change can occur simultaneously, physically and technologically. Godly change is a progressive journey from one point to another in one’s life existence. Bishop David Oyedepo’s assertion said, Life is a journey, life is not a station. Those who want to make it a station end up in frustration prove that life is designed for motion.
When we change, things happen around us. Life becomes more comfortable, bearable and favourable or stringent dependent on the side the change lean to. If we must begin to enjoy the blessings of God in this nation therefore, there must be godly change in our land. Nurturing the nascent democracy and actualizing the benefits of good governance, demand attitudinal change in the behaviour of all and sundry in this nation. And religious bodies with their fear of God, good attitudes, behaviour, virtue etc should lead in this wise and influence others in order to promote productivity, national consciousness and peaceful coexistence among one another.
Thus unity is paramount in our achieving and enjoying the full sovereignty of our national republic. The Holy Book stressed the need for unity and to bring into a singular fold everyone to pursue a just course. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in Unity” Our national anthem focuses on unity and oneness. It cannot afford to become mere rhetoric. It must be expressed in action, practice and belief. We can move this nation forward, socially, religiously, economically, politically and technologically, by being challenged with our national anthem to positive action, showing brotherly love to one another, commitment to the young democracy and nurturing it to full blossom. Every form of tribal differences tending to tear the Nation apart must be way laid as to wage the possible war of common enemy which Satan is assiduously promoting. Wickedness is an ingredient of reproach to any nation. The Holy Book states that: “Righteousness exalteth a nation but sin is a reproach to any people” There is hardly a doubt that shedding innocent blood, setting loosehardened criminal, injustice, bribery and corruption, election malpractices, government workers salaries not paid as at when due, pensioners not paid their meager allowance on time or at all, fraudulent acts, child trafficking, drug peddling, assassination, kidnapping, etc. are sins that have caused a lot of reproaches on our land. There are also saboteurs and sacrosancts who are controlling certain aspects of our economy and dubiously allotting unto themselves enormous wealth from the national coffers. The effect, among other things, has become a porous economy where unemployment with all its multiplier and painful effects strives and the government seemed dazed on how to handle the endemic and pandemic social problems for the well being of the citizenry. If we must have a society that is void of all sorts of crimes,adequate home training must be encouraged. Charity they say begins at home.
The scripture and moral training at home will later translate or metamorphose to good behaviour and discipline of the children and the youth. It behooves on parents therefore to impart on the lives of the youngpositive training for future challenges and leadership roles. Today, it is not an exaggeration to say that the truth and undiluted teaching originally known with Religious Organizations are being diluted, adulterated and commercialized. This trend has contributed to producing half-baked or fake citizens in our society. Time has come for the religious organizations to use the pulpit to preach the truth, cleanse, flush out ungodliness from our society and bring about godly change needed for the end-time global change.
What can we say about the so-called leaders who are not paying tax? What can we say about our public officers who use outrageous amount of money to bribe their way into the Senate, House of Assembly? What can we say about those public officers who deposit money meant for the payments of co-workers salaries into their personal bank accounts for illegal interest? What can we say of leaders who use their positions to terminate other lives just for selfish ambitions? In the midst of these bad leaders we can still get few who can live above the board. “Good leaders are written epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men.” For this nation to experience vast development in all aspects of our economy, our leaders must develop a change of heart and learn to live by good example. If our leaders do not change their recklessness in the spending of public and private funds but allow the decay to continue (God forbid) we will have no future.
Righteousness at institution of learning in Nigeria is at stake. Over time, it is an open secret that the credibility of any Nigerian awarded certificate has drastically reduced according to the report of International Examination Ethics (IEE). Nigeria the giant of Africa was scored terribly low on the issue of “credibility” What a great damage in our education system? What can we say about the legion of dubious candidates who often leave cities and go write their WASCE or NECO exams in villages, others will write the examinations in their stead under the term “Parise” i.e. everything about the result has been concluded. What can we say about parents who aid their children to cheat in an examination or purchase question papers and even certificates through either teachers or examination mercenaries? What can we say about some private and even public schools who charge exorbitant registration fees so as to use part of it to buy question papers for their students before the examination?
Eradication of examination malpractice, certificate forgery and cultism are among the ills now hampering the maximum functionality of our institutions. Their cure is still a mirage; officers in varied cadres have already been entangled in syndicates which rebuff attempts to stop these evils.
Ogungbemi writes from Lagos