Nigeria: The dire need of creative destruction

When unity in diversity is being zealously canvassed by people who hope against hope in their belief of Nigeria project, the glaring reality is that the retrogression to the days of Dark Age is steady and the dastardly acts of discord, acrimony, hostility, rancor belligerence and antipathy and indeed apparent diversity is continued to be perpetrated in the land. This vicious incidences of destruction of life and property under whatever guise (whether insurgence, killer Fulani herdsmen, or avoidable electoral violence) lends credence to the fact that the country is unfortunately rather inclined to focus on what pulls us asunder more than concentrating on those phenomena and qualities that unite us.
Nigeria in real time is run by people or experts at criticism and blame trading and recrimination, indictment, impeachment, and counter. The years when topical and national issues are squarely and objectively confronted with the determinate solution mindset at play, are long gone. In this piece, I shall endeavor not to waste the cherished space and precious time only dwelling on the core maladies and ills in the land (I guess enough of that is being done by other naysayers); I will in addition, suggest solutions. Desperate situations require drastic solution approach. Economically, and indeed security wise, Nigeria is laying cozily on keg powder, and this can no longer continue to remain unchallenged. Herein, the call for a proactive and proficient measure becomes compulsory.

Hitherto, this contorted saying has been peculiarly valid to the lifestyle in Nigeria. “It is regarded a crime and illegal to be lawful or try to be law abiding in a lawless society.” Let that derogatory status and reproach be altered, forthwith. This will startle you…talking about “status quo” do you know the meaning of that phrase? Actually status quo is Latin word for “The mess we’re in”. The hard fact is that it’s only fools and dead men who don’t change their minds. Fools won’t, Dead men can’t. The general situation of things in Nigeria especially touching the very soul of the nation and her continued existence is under serious threat, it therefore calls for an immediate and rapid response remedial measure. Whether you choose to tag it revolution, restructuring or reformation, the clarion call for the unprecedented way of doing things remains the same and unquestionable.

I will not be concerned and detailed, as I promised earlier, here with the mention of the myriads of Nigeria woes, (that is not of any significant benefit). But I shall maximize the space allotted to me here to proffer viable solutions towards achieving an enduring quick fix and one stop answer and resolution to the economic, social and political quagmire and impasse, presently bedeviling Nigeria. The end to the perennial national ordeal – the process must be initiated with immediate alacrity. The recycling of geriatric politicians, (or what Igbos call agadiekwenka), the adherence to decrepit status quo, the irrelevant and outdated and yet trudging system, non-appropriation of the full technological based system, etc are few of the existing draw back elements in present day Nigeria. Against these and their ilks, must the long waited “Creative Destruction” – an economic terminology, emerge to eclipse and pulverize. Good news! This suggested offer requires no enabling environment prior to its application or implementation – it flourishes even in the worst situation. What is Creative Destruction? The first time I read about this was in the 1774 World Classical Book (999paged) of Adams Smith- The wealth of Nations. The most recent definition of Creative Destruction is a process through which something new brings about the demise of whatever existed before it. The term is used in a variety of areas including economics, corporate governance, product development, technology and marketing.

Indeed, a whole new way of doing things, no matter how radical, eccentric, outrageous, unheard of that may be; the call to give it a shot is deafeningly loud now. This practice of running from the post to pole or chasing shadows, which is as old as the existence of Nigeria herself, must cease. Excuse me please… for fellow likeminded patriots, there is a caveat to beware.

Every Creative Destruction disciple and advocate should eschew praise-singing, because indeed the opposite is our portion – criticism, disapproval, condemnation, etc and at some point, mudslinging. Larry Ellison said, “when you are the first person whose beliefs are different, from what everyone else believes, you’re basically saying, ‘I’m right and everyone else is wrong.’ That’s a very unpleasant position to be in. It’s at once exhilarating and at the same time, an invitation to be attacked.” You may be a target of a possible attack but you can’t afford to be vulnerable rather be valiant, and play wisely. It beats any person’s imagination with rational mind, and in whom the human blood flows that most callous Nigeria politicians play politics with the blood of the hapless citizenry with reckless abandon. The rule of law which is supposedly to be one of the major tenets of democracy (and is purportedly practiced in Nigeria) is bastardised. Sufficient words are sought for or are manufactured by the government agencies and apologists for the mere purpose of defending inefficiencies, incompetency, misconducts, maladministration and non–performance when their party is guilty.

And the disgusting thing is allowed to continue unchecked as if in an automated recycling set up. Anyone who tries to question that atrocious custom, woe betide him if he survives the avalanche of opposition few times constituted by the connivance of the powers that be. In the prevailing circumstances, the economy of Nigeria has nosedived and the fortunetellers are not foreseeing any bright days coming but bleak and bare. On the security side, the proliferation of insurgency, the threat of re-emergence of the militants, the non-violence agitation for self determination by the independent people of Biafra (IPOB), the food security challenges, etc cannot be winked at. And the burgeoning unemployment statistics looks impetuously to the government face. It deserves every attention a serious minded and people oriented government ought to deem fit. I am not an expert at prophesying desolation and doom, and true to my promise here, I will rather dwell on a constructive resolution and be spent there than otherwise. This I have done briefly here. Initiators of the unprecedented and novel system of running governance; emancipators, entrepreneurs; vibrant and agile technocrats, etc are hereby called to service for the good of our fatherland. Do not wait for some others to take the initiative, take the bull by the horn and do it yourself. He who stands for nothing falls for everything.

In conclusion, it is better and wiser to be amenable to new ideas as against remaining servile and gullible to the old and yet outlandish system which has proved incompatible to progress. Restructuring, Reformation (or in case either is inexorably disallowed then) Revolution must sooner than later forcefully occur in Nigeria.“Those who make peaceful resolution impossible will ultimately make violent revolution inevitable” Only those who choose to play the Ostrich may shout themselves hoarse to no avail. The clock is ticking steadily. What will happen must happen. The herald sounds the warning, but only the wise, the watchful and the wary gives heed.

Orajiaku is a freelance journalist, wrote from Lagos

Source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/01/nigeria-dire-need-of-creative.html