Friday, October 2, 2009

RE-BRANDING OUR MANNER'S:NIGERIA @ 49


CHANGE HAS CHANGED! This phrase was coined by the Hip Hop Awards in 2008. They changed and challenged our perception of red carpets by introducing the yellow carpet. Change helps in achieving better results…
Few hours ago, we all forgot about our worries, our hunger, our indebtedness, of our continuous stay every day and night without the luxury of a constant power supply, without access to basic amenities and justice and fairness…

Ok people…it’s time to wake up…It’s the beginning of a new season… it’s a brand new day! A countdown to the 50th independence celebration of Nigeria…

For a change that will put us on that pedestal and ensure that by the time we are hitting the 50 mark we would have at least started out on a change towards a better nation, we must start taking stocks now…beginning from the national level…but while dealing with this from the top, we must not lose sight of the individual, our own personal angle.

At the national level, we have the ReBrand Nigeria Project which is on going with our charismatic Minister for Information and Communication, Prof. Dora Akunyili who is at the fore front of it
Much has been written and said about that initiative…well, that’s another day’s story but as we journey towards the change of a better nation onto our 50th independence, we have to also look beyond to how individual misbehavior translates to national reputation.
Personally I have asked myself how the action of few people can give a whole nation such a bad image.

May be the saying that ‘bad news travels faster’ holds some truth after all; agreed that western cultures and media have their default modes set on the negatives from Africa and African’s if not, why won’t the exploits of the Kanu Nwankwo’s, Obafami Martins, Aiyegbenis, Yobo’s, Babayaro’s from the premier league, Tuface Idibia, Dbanj, Asa, Dare Art alade from Music, Genevieve Nnaji, Richard Mofe Damijo, Chet Anekwe, from the Movies and even much more from other facets of life who have all done sufficiently well be able to give Nigeria a good image Why should our ‘yahoo yahoo’ cons outshines our other less deleterious artistic exports including paintings and artifacts? Why should the activities of a few credit card scammers eclipse the excellence of Nigerian medical doctor’s, lecturers in the U.S.?

Years ago, to be called an Indian businessman will be pejorative, the Indian’s that taught in our schools were laughed at with various jokes, it was even said that when it was time to apply for a car loan, the Indian chose to apply for a bicycle loan instead because a car loan was unthinkable in his country. What we didn’t see then was the delayed gratification exhibited by the Indian’s while we lived it up on borrowed robes.

Today, Indian is the vanguard of emerging market; it’s a nuclear, ICT, destination and flourishing democracy. Who dares talk down on the Indian today?
When foreign aids were pouring in for Tsunami victims, India proudly asked donors not to bother of her…that’s the place Nigeria should be.

The moment we can identify the importance of true change, starting from each man in his own home, our bad name will just fizzle out.
The Nigerian have the greatness chip embedded in him. Our leaders have tried to find the right code to crack that and set lose our potential. Our greatness can only move from potential to reality with the right leadership. But before that happens, can we become that change in our individual homes? Place of work? Social circle? and most importantly in our manners?

The government has nothing to do with our road manners or cell phone manner’s. Our electricity situation does not need to improve before we stop dropping trash on the streets-abi?

Well, in our own small way, we can all contribute change to changing our nation…

Am already personally starting that change and this is one way I know how to do it…and one way you can also do it is by practicing this that you and I have just read…

Once again, this is wishing you all a ‘manner-ful’ national day


NIGERIA: GOOD PEOPLE, GREAT NATION!
allvoices

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