My Take On 'Change Begins With Me,’ Campaign

I believe the ‘Change Begins With Me,’ campaign inaugurated recently by President Muhammadu Buhari has failed, if not dead on arrival.

Buhari had, in his speech at the inauguration, said before Nigerians could see the change he promised, during the 2015 election campaign, they must first change their attitudes by shunning corruption and other social vices.

But sincerely such comment only goes to tell us that this government cannot give Nigerians what they want.

An adage says only an unserious and irresponsible father hinges the possibility of performing his duties to his children on their ability and/or condition to impress him. Change should start from the top downwards? It is not a enough to continue to blame the Peoples Democratic Party for squandering Nigeria's future for 16years, when Nigerians need results. The degeneration of the Nigeria's situation and the continuous accusation of the PDP, is also an indictment on the All Progressives Congress to the truth that it lacks solution to the current economic hardship, because it fails to prepare adequately.

To be persistent in criticising the old order, is to willfully subject its intelligence and ability to resolve the problems to defeat. It also seems that all the APC, or better still, the opposition, wanted to achieve for 16years was to grab power and not proffer solutions. It is obvious that he who fails to prepare, prepares to fail. The greatest problem of a leader is for him to know what he wants or where he is going but not to know how to get what he wants or to his destination. It's obvious that his followers, knowing fully well that their leader is focusless, would not hesitate to find their focus and level. There is nothing as bad as a focusless person or government, because his entire life becomes a guess work or a try and error.

The change starts or begins with me is like asking an hungry child not to be hungry when there is obviously nothing to eat at home. Let the father first provide food in the house and see if that child would still be crying of hunger. Some people make reference to popular JF Kenny's advice to the Americans, asking them not to think of what America would do for them but what they could do for their country. But then I ask them if JF Kennedy actually told America not to do anything for them. It is sad that our own government is yet to do anything to gain the people's trust, yet it is asking for too much. Buhari and his people must realise that Nigerians are not fools, and they will not tolerate this one chance government in the name of change.

This government must realize that it has no goodwill yet, because it has failed in all fronts. The Buhari’s government has no moral justification yet to ask Nigerians to change, when it’s yet to live by example. As far as I’m concern there is no need for this ‘Change Begins With Me,’ campaign as at now. Let the government give Nigerians electricity and other basic amenities and let’s see if Nigerians would not change naturally.

Take or leave it, gone were days when the people believed in the effectiveness of the mechanism of government. Today, they see the Nigeria project, as a disarrayed jungle, where every animal fends for itself. They are alive to the reality that even in this supposed progressive republic, the notion of once beaten twice shy is unsurprisingly in operation, as no animal wants to be caught unaware twice by a predator.

No doubt, the times are hard, and Nigerians have been very considerate and passionate about this government, but in a situation those in power failed to see this truth, and became too egocentric, inefficient and wasteful, there is bound to be anxiety and perhaps, a fundamental disquietness amongst the people for survival.

Nigerians had tolerated bad leadership and rulership as well as countless killer governments, and I know that they are no longer ready to sit back and watch any government take them for granted again. Nigerians understand it is impossible for a leopard - politician - to change its spot, but at the same time, are ready, with their eyes wide opened, to give true agents of change their best faith and assurance to succeed.

But this government or perhaps politicians, especially those in the legislature, must realize that good-optimism is unquestionably not goodwill. Good-optimism is the ability to be patient and tolerant in anticipation, while goodwill is the ability to be kind and friendly in anticipation.

The difference is that while good-optimism is based on hope, goodwill is based on facts and truth. In other words, good-optimism is believe that it would perform, but goodwill is substance and/or physical or concrete evidence that it has performed. And what the APC is enjoying now is good-optimism, because it is yet to demonstrate to Nigerians that it is capable of running the affairs of the nation.

The people are not stupid!
Georges Macnobleson-Idowu