1. “A man that sleeps for 55years is on his way to the grave.”
When I was young I used to listen to people talk about the potentials that surrounds this great
nation. I had always had the mindset that if the dynamics do not change, by the next 20 years the
latent potentials would one day become a reality. There have always been economical
projections on how the economy of Nigeria would someday surpass that of some great nations.
Too often I sometimes envision in my heart how the keys to unlocking our potentials would one
day be released for this country to finally break the boundaries that surrounds its potential well.
I have oftentimes noticed through various discussions with my colleagues and friends that an
average Nigerian has a level of practical knowledge on how to devise a form policy and
mechanism on how this great country would accomplish its laid down objectives. However, with
the face of the influx of knowledge that we receive daily, we are still trapped in this perpetual
razor-wired potential well. As I watch political analysis on TV daily, I could not help wondering
why we have so many policy formulators but only a few of these policies actually stands the test
of time. I hear groups and society clamoring for a new Nigeria, together we pledge to take action
daily but for 55 years we continue to advocate the adoption of good corporate governance
policies and accountable public officers but we still tend to follow the same vicious circle.
Whilst the challenges we face as a nation are deep and complex, there appears a concern on the
minds of every Nigerian citizen on how we can effectively break down the walls that surrounds
our potential wells, yet we work daily chasing our ambitions and the uncontrollable appetite for
personal gains.
It was with great surprise that I witnessed an incumbent local government chairman share
assorted drinks to some elders in my area just few weeks to the election in other to solicit for
their votes during the last election. He has consequently used these items to clear their memories
of the managerial irregularities that occurred during his last tenure. I literarily mourn within my
spirit for this country anytime I see youths overlooking political officers character and
competence over cheap material things that was shared to them by some political party agents
The dreadful policy called fuel subsidy has made experts be at war over weighing the advantages
of the complete removal of the policy. Some experts say it is responsible for the mass
impoverishment of Nigerians, we also know that if it is totally removed the “masses” would pay

2. through their nose to buy petroleum products. World leaders would always look at us with
mockery if funds allocated for subsidy payment is been announced at international conferences.
The naira is perpetually under pressure as a very significant portion of foreign exchange
available is used to support importation of petroleum products. The choice of government is
whether to continue to use our scarce resources to fund a corrupt subsidy regime or use it to
create jobs for the millions of unemployed youths.
I have stopped discussing issues involving our educational system with friends because I feel
years of ruminating over these issues have amounted to nothing. It is only in this country where
99% of its public office holders ostentatiously send their own children abroad where the
educational system is reliable. I shake my head in pity when I look at the structures put in place
in our tertiary institutions. Nigerian students increase the tally of the influx of migrants to
European nations all in the name of getting a degree. This has over the years increased the
number of foreign certificates holders in the country. The moral question to ask is: are we really
learning from their standards and values, or are we just bringing home the certificates?
As a country we need now to recalibrate our path to achieve economic, educational, and
managerial growth. We need to stop dreaming and start striving. Because I have realized
overtime that strivers achieve what dreamers believe. Enough of the partisan propaganda,
structures has to be created to consciously develop our potentials. Instead of counting the
potentials that surrounds us, we need to navigate and device measures to conquer our greatest
challenge. This nation has to be in a state of all-round wellness. It has to start responding to all
dimensions of growth and also break the boundaries that surround its potentials.
No other time for supplying this nation with the right activation energy could be better than this.
Our indices of international integrity has to be rejuvenated, we need to start producing
intellectual capacity and also enable laws of the anti-corruption and law enforcement institutions
to make them more transparent, publicly accountable and less susceptible to political
interference. The road to a better Nigeria begins with you……...ABRAHAM FEMI ABRAHAM