What message do you have for Nigerians? Seeker of Truth


By Victor Dirikebamor

In the film 'Sometimes in April' by Raoul Peck.

Idris Elba, was poised in a scene with his machete raised and he's being forced by a crowd to chop of his best friend, fellow Rwandan army 'Xavier', played by fraser James.

Fraser was on his knees, arms tied behind his back, he's crying, he's sniveling, it's a pitiable sight.

As we watch it, we're ashamed and we want to say to Idris, chop him off, shut him up.

As Idris moves, "fraser says stop, please stop". Idris posises and he moves again but fraser says "please, please stop".

It is not the look of horror and terror on Fraser's face that stops Idris or us but the look on Fraser's eyes... it's one that says: "don't do this, and I'm not saying this to save myself, although, it would be nice but I'm doing this to save you because if you do this you will be lost".

To be so afraid and standing in a death you can not escape and soiling yourself, crying but in that moment fraser says to Idris "tell my girlfriend I love her".

Immediately before he was shot dead by his enemies fraser said to Idris, "I'm lost already but not you, not you".

This is a redemption we can all aspire to...

Our leaders in the past failed us, the present ones are doing the exact same thing but we the young generation have not failed.

Me and you have the power to change the status quo!

I find that, the cause of all our troubles is the believe in the essential pure identity; religious, ethnicity, historical and ideological.

Point is, how can Nigerians balance narratives that are wonderful with narratives of wounds and self loathing.

We are no doubt the salt of the earth. The finest of men and women, doing incredible things with very little opportunities.

But we're also a people divided by tribe, religion, and personal greed.

This is the difficulty we face in telling the Nigerian story.

I want us to move beyond political rectorate to a place of ethical questioning.

I'm asking us to balance our idea of complete vulnerability with the complete notion of transformation.

Compared to the rest of the world, we haven't done much to deserve and accolade. We're swiftly under performing.

Our negative, inhuman aspects have kept us from growing or achieving our God given potentials.

Just like the tower of Babel, we as a people desires a good life but we have not been able to achieve it because all we have is the potential and not the unity to build our country.

If you live in Nigeria a little longer, you will realise how easy a man's humanity could be taken away from him.

Still, we prefer to suffer and smile.

Why must we keep doing the same thing when it's not working?

If we don't bring the change we will remain the way we are.

We can't continue to be ruled by relics. We are our own tomorrow. The world is not waiting, the clock is ticking faster.

You can be the change, and sometimes your voice is all that is needed to make a difference.

The meaning of Love in your language means the same thing in my language.

Why would you want to treat me differently because of my tribe or language?

How could a mans tribe or religion be the basis upon how he's treated?

Why not treat me as a human, based on the contents of my character.

Although, transformation is a slow and difficult process.

Some times I can stand before the world and say "my name is Victor and I've been human six days but only sometimes".

But let us not be too slack or clouded by religion, ethnicity or personal gains that we can't work together in achieving a common goal, a better life for every Nigerian in the shortest of time.

God bless Nigeria