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Nigeria is a highly blessed country both with human and natural resource.

There are various challenges militating against our development, amongst such is corruption, this evil has eaten deep into our bone marrow for a very long time.

Nigerians never demand for too much, we just want to be happy, amongst other things, we demand constant electricity supply, good road network, qualitative educational system, jobs for the teeming youth.

Although corruption is not the only challenge militating against the development of Nigeria, it is an evil that must be tackled by all and sundry. Over the years, a few turned our commonwealth into their individual private accounts living in extreme luxury while others die of curable diseases.

With all the mineral resource in Nigeria, there is no reason why we should have any citizen who’ll live on less than a US$ p/day.

Our future is bright and promising if and only if we can all join hands to fight corruption, it is not only the job of EFCC, ICPC and GMB. It must be a collective effort; we must expose corrupt political leaders in our midst.

We must set –up whistle blowing organizations to expose suspected corrupt personalities in our midst. As the current administration undertakes to recover some looted funds, we must now set a culture of excellence. Stealing with impunity must be jettisoned.

A culture of integrity is key to our national development. As we point accusing fingers at the corrupt political leaders in our midst, how do we behave in our day- to- day activities? What we do in our individual cubicle has a long lasting effect on the future of the country.

As we castigate others, let us check ourselves. It is not too late to stop individual behavior that is inimical to the peace, progress and development of Nigeria.

You have a lot to contribute to the development of Nigeria by always acting right and saying, ‘NO’ to all negative attitude.

Nigeria shall become the most desirable country to live in by year 2025.

God bless you!

God bless Nigeria!

Ope Ajayi

Ghoulish news flooded the media towards the 2015 general elections, many thought Nigeria would break up, some others felt there would be crisis but we emerged from the election a better country.

Elected officials have been sworn in across Nigeria, at home and abroad, we have high expectations from all levels of government, so much was given to elected officials across the political landscape and we expect so much in return.

We must however realize that even if our oil wells keep flourishing at an astronomical rate, the returns from it won’t be enough to meet our aspirations in a four- year period. This doesn’t give our elected officials the latitude to be lackadaisical in delivering the dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

We have a very large and dynamic country; so many things have gone bad, virtually all sectors require servicing.

If we really desire to move up on the ladder of national development in our life- time, every Nigerian has a role to play. We must all pursue personal responsibility in national transformation with all vigour, we all as Nigerians at home and abroad must gird ourselves for the task ahead.

Officials in all tiers of government must keep working hard to realize the emergence of a great Nigeria, we the citizens must not just leave the entire job to them, we have a role to play because we are the real government. There is something you and I must do to see a better Nigerian society evolve. Whatsoever problem you notice within your environment is an indication of the problem you can solve. Do something about it.

We all must discover the problems we can solve with the resources available at our disposal. We must find lasting solutions to the myriad of challenges staring at us.

Government alone cannot fix our problems; you and I have a role to play if we are to see the New Nigeria of our dreams emerge.

Be a responsible citizen; enroll for the personal responsibility task in the New Nigeria movement.

The New Nigeria of our dreams shall emerge where government officials shall be accountable, there would be constant access to power supply, good water supply in our homes, with excellent educational system from crèche to University. Efficient transport system: road, rail and air. A nation with effective mortgage system. Well equipped hospitals, the poorest can afford food, clothing and shelter. A nation where millionaires are made regularly without stealing, a nation where ideas are cherished, valued and developed. A nation filled with patriotic citizens who have the fear of God.  You and I however have a part to play. Find yours. Do something.

We are the government.

God bless you!

God bless Nigeria!

Ope Ajayi

Almost every Nigerian agrees with the assertion that corruption is the greatest threat to the nation becoming the most desirable country to live in on the planet earth in record time; it keeps militating against our development. It is an evil that has eaten deep into our fabric, most people seem to have accepted it as a norm but it must be adequately dealt with squarely before it finally destroys the foundation of our country.

As the government strategizes to fight corruption, some things must be put in place by the 774 LGs, 36 State Government and the FG if we are truly going to eradicate corruption in our generation.

We must structure our economy in a way that every Nigerian worker can afford food, clothing and shelter. Jobs must be available and opportunities must be created to encourage entrepreneurs grow their businesses.

If truly we desire to stamp out corruption, basic social amenities must be available to all and sundry, everything that makes life comfortable must be put in place to discourage the average Nigerian from requesting for or giving bribes.

Effective mortgage system that guarantees that every worker at all levels can own a home over a period of time. It must be affordable and available to all depending on each person’s income. The income will determine the size and location but the Nigerian worker must be sure that the home will become his without having to steal.

Every worker must be guaranteed of receiving his pension and gratuity without having to lobby or protest after retirement.

Every worker must be able to work into a car dealership store, pick a car and pay over a period of time based on the level of his income.

Electricity must be constant and access to good water is a necessity.

Public educational system must be in excellent shape. Teaching and non- teaching staff must not down tool because if they do, parents will be compelled to take their wards to private schools or send them abroad even when the income cannot accommodate it thereby encouraging them to be shady when the opportunity shows up.

Public health care system must be in good shape, functional and effective. If citizens must queue for hours to see a Doctor, why won’t they bribe a Nurse that has not been paid for months just to shunt queue. We should not make the need to visit a private clinic compulsory for the average Nigerian.

As we fight corruption from the top to down, these and many more are basics to discourage people at the middle/lower cadres from being compelled to demand or receive bribes.

Bribery and corruption prevails because the society approves it, it keeps parading because the economy allows it.

The percentage of Nigerian that steals billions cannot be compared to the percentage that “genuinely” demand for bribe because of urgent “need” that must be met in order to make life meaningful. A sizable number of Nigerian are not interested in embezzling billions but their actions or inactions militate against development on daily basis. Our focus should not only be on the few covetous thieves amongst us who steal large sums from our commonwealth, these stolen funds must be repatriated and used wisely to fix our economy.

Many patriotic workers have not been paid for months and no one is bothered despite the release of bailout funds. How do we expect these people to survive? They have to feed, pay school fees.

Majority of these patriotic citizens are not interested in buying properties on Madison Avenue, Oxford Street or sheikh Zayed Road, they just want to be comfortable. People steal billions and go away with it while others are just asking for regular pay as and when due to cater for their family.

We must structure our economy to bridge the gap between the have and the have- not, there must be a strong middle class. Only then can, “CHANGE” move from being a mere slogan to a reality.

We are not asking for too much as patriotic Nigerians from the government at all levels, we just desire a vibrant economy where things work. We desire that our stolen funds must be spent on projects that will be meaningful to all and sundry. We desire an economy where who you know doesn’t influence what you get but the capacity to deliver, a system that encourages entrepreneurship development.

God bless you!

God bless Nigeria!

OPEYEMI AJAYI

There was a time in the history of the world that Great Britain was the world power. They controlled activities in all commonwealth countries. They colonized U.S.A., Nigeria, India, and Pakistan. Etc. It is however very funny that Britain herself is not a big country; she is only a tiny island.

The Britons however possessed maritime knowledge which they used excellently to enhance their economic development by colonizing different nations across the globe, using other people’s resources to develop their tiny island. The compass, a veritable tool for controlling in the marine world was developed about 2000 years ago in China. At that time, the Chinese did not realize the potential of the compass; they were using it for religious purpose. The same tool China worshipped was used by Great Britain to move around the world, controlling empires and colonizing nations, they raised the British Union Jack in those countries.

Africans today sit over a lot of resources but they are the poorest people on earth. The world has shown that resources don’t make a great nation; it is the ability to value what one has that matter most. Places don’t make people, people make places. That is why countries with little or no resource at all value their people; they invest in the intellectual capital development of their citizens and countries with all the world’s mineral deposit have to rely on the people who have no resource to survive.

You and I have great knowledge deposited inside of us but we have refused to value it because of the circumstances around us forgetting that great men recorded in history books are men who ruled the world in their chosen fields despite all odds.

If you decide to stretch your mind, you can change the wrong things around you, let’s stop saying that we can’t do more, study your immediate environment and provide solutions to the problems around. The world respect solution providers and not problem speakers. You can rule the world with the idea inside of you.

The only commodity God gave all human being equal is 24 hours. When you wake up every morning, a suit case containing 24 hours is regularly handed over to you. Barak Obama, Arsene Wenger, Ben Carson do not have more than 24 hours. Your childhood hero does not have more than you have but what you packed into your suitcase yesterday and what he packed into his yesterday is the result you are having today.

It was reported that Albert Einstein, the man voted as the man of the century used only 15% of his brain with all the equations that he solved. You can do more!

Bill Gate, the supercomputer hero of our time earns US$ 500 per second with an idea while three billion people in the world earn US$ 500 per month. Bill Gate is richer than 70 poorest nations on earth. 78million Nigerians live on less than half a Dollar per day. Bill Gate with his financial muscle has conquered more territories than Adolf Hitler or Julius Caesar.

Think and bring solutions to the problems around you. Value yourself, because your brain can process data faster than what the computer processes. Stop focusing on the problems around you instead focus on the solution to those challenges. The most interesting thing about successful people is that they always think they can do more.

What legacy would you leave behind you in the world? What will people say about you? Will any invention be attributed to you? Will you ever write any great book? Will you ever break any world record?

You have so much, don’t settle for less. Don’t fail God. Don’t fail your generation. Don’t fail yourself.

Till we meet at the top!

God bless you!

OPEYEMI AJAYI