By Patrick Okpomu

The mark and traits of a good leader whether in the home, community or the nation at large can only be quantified by the measure of what the said leader was able to do in order to better the lots of the people he leads.

The country’s moral condition keeps slipping to critical level of disorder there by making nonsense of the eruption in religious piety. Our problems are attitudinal and spiritual, and until we change our attitude our problems will not be solved. We are in a trouble world, where so many things are wrong and there is no way our leaders can perform magic because they are human. There are troubles here and there, the global economic conundrum, the Middle East crisis, and even the Continent of Africa, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria have been threatened by the deadly Ebola Virus Disease, terrorism and insurgency by the Boko Haram group in northern Nigeria whose activities could best be described as a “catastrophic epitome of gross misconduct” have become a thorn in the flesh of our leaders.

Today with a heavy heart of concern and deep pain of regrets from the hearts of all men and woman of conscience, we make bold to say we are in a very pathetic situation. We have descended to an abysmal level of illogic, glorifying corrupt people and celebrating absurdity.

Taking a cursory look at the declining state of things, we discover that in the past we have imposed rulers indebted to those who imposed them. Such Nations can never move forward as long as they continue to have leaders who feel highly indebted to perilous importers, unscrupulous oil smugglers, corrupt bankers, dubious industrialists, religious bigots commission agents and other sadistic bourgeoisies who are economic predators of our collective national heritage, whereby the citizens are politically marginalized, economically bastardized, socially peripheralized and even in the threshold of being spiritually traumatized.

Regrettably, such nations hope of overcoming poverty, hunger, unemployment, wars, terrorism etc, through the so called economic and political reforms-micro and macro-economic formulas, devolution of power from unipolar to multipolar global power structure in the United Nations have all crashed due to difficulty in accessing funds in the world financial institutions, lack of viable projects, wrong conceptualization, economic neo-colonialism, world power exploits, world power/third world dichotomy, poor feasibility studies, dearth of infrastructures, corruption, insincerity of purpose etc.

So while we rest to meditate on the declining state of things, with such a prognosis in mind, I can only urge that we purpose to do things that will restore our dignity and respect as God’s people in the eyes of the Almighty in our political, economic, social and religious milieu. Though, we urge Government officials and those in privileged positions of authority to deliver the dividends of democracy rather than personal enrichment.  The tendency of sabotaging government’s good intentions in delivering the dividends of democracy and working for the common good and peaceful co-existence of the country is unwarranted. Insurgency is the next thing that sits close to the devil and has denied the nation laudable developmental projects. It is human beings that make a country great but not natural resources. Japan and Germany have no oil. These advance countries utilized what they were naturally endowed with to develop. Whatever you want in this world; you get it in these countries.

Investigations, research and nationwide consultations carried out by INITIATIVE OF NATIONAL REBIRTH in the analysis of operating principles of governments, have rated the NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION AGENDA of the current administration high and thus be adopted as a policy and regulatory framework, though with slight modifications to conform with current realities of our local environment.

As a corollary therefore, we make bold to say that President Goodluck Jonathan has performed and is still performing admirably and creditably well in restoring and consolidating political, economic and social stability in the country against all odds.

At this stage in Nigeria’s history, President Jonathan’s interest in a second term and Nigeria’s interest in the continued existence of the country have become coterminous.

The truth of the matter is that opposing president Jonathan’s second term is like opposing the continued existence of Nigeria as one united country.

We urge fellow compatriots to rise up against this anti–Nigerian phenomenon. There is no alternative to a united Nigeria where every Nigerian irrespective of place, religious or tribe will have equal opportunities. As the 2015 general elections draw near, we are aware of certain politicians threatening fire and brimstone to take over power by all means. Beware of such persons, they don’t mean well for the country. “Patriots always talk of dying for their country but never of killing for their country”. ­-Bertrand Russel.

Also the inauguration of the National Conference by President Goodluck Jonathan on the 17^th March, 2014, afforded delegates the opportunity to recalibrate Nigeria in every aspect and took advantage of the discourse to effect national economic, socio-political reformation. And Nigerians were given the opportunity to discuss the NIGERIAN PROJECT and suggest ways to move this potentially great country to the next level in prosperity and harmony. “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority”. –Kenneth Blanchard.

President Goodluck Jonathan has used his influence and privileged position to listen to the yearnings of the people but not authority to subdue them. “There are three classes of people: Those who see, those who see when they are shown and those who do not see”. –Leonado Da Vinci.

Which class do you fall into?

Decide what you want today. Now!

“Procrastination is the thief of time”. -Edward Young.

I thank you sincerely for the courtesy of your attention.

God bless you.