Hello dear readers of Inspiring World. I know many of you didn’t like the point I left off my last post. Radiant, one of my commenters wondered what happened when the meeting with the minister finally commenced. Well, let me tell you about it.
After the arrival of the minister, we were ushered into this board room with an oval table, a slightly choky space, with seats gracious enough to contain a few persons. Yours sincerely was observing at one corner with many others. We were all asked to introduce ourselves. Some names like mine were feather weight ( who sabi me sef except my Motivator people and of course my village people?) compared to names like Amb. John Fashanu, Asu Ekiye, Amb Rachel Bakam, Abiodun Oyediran (MD of Abeysteph), which were of course, heavyweight.
Mr David Ibrahim was the spokesperson of the Nigerian Rebirth Art Project. He sincerely apologized for the lateness in the commencement of the meeting. His speech, laced with compelling candour talked about the Nigerian situation and why the perception of Nigeria must change for good in the international community.
He handed over to Captain Balami, President of Cabinet X Africa, who I was meeting for the first time. Captain Balami looked dapper in a dark blue suit and spoke with an air only found around the entitled. Needless to say how much I’ve admired him through the stories I’ve heard about him and for him to be driving a noble project such as Cabinet X Africa, you can be sure of his quality.
Some of the heavy-weight young people spoke before the minister began his speech, I was taken aback by his incredible sense of humour.
These were some of his initial words,
“Where ever people see me, they’re quick to say that I am a youth because I look young. Look at me very well, I am fifty-one years old. What will a fifty one year old person be doing as the minister of youth in a normal society?”
When he said this, I heard the sound of a pin fall down and die. His words unsettled normal thinkers looking for something to preempt.
Then he continued,
“But in an abnormal society, I have every business being a youth....
With men aged over 80 sitting at the board of companies, it will be criminal to think that at 51, I am not a young man.'
According to him, “The greatest challenge of the Nigerian nation is to liberate itself from ethnicity and religious differences. What is the religion of hunger, of love or of poverty? It's more preferable to be materially poor and spiritually rich. The only thing that can live after you is a good name. Every other thing ends with may your soul rest in peace.”
By the time the event ended, I was thinking more about the positive energy generated in that room, how much young Nigerians were committed to building a greater nation than on any other thing. I was more than excited to be in that small space with people so full of greatness. We were given a book titled A New Nigeria Is Possible written by Chris Nwani. (Good book by the way)
During his speech, the minister promised to be available in Dubai for the event in February, 2016.
Believe me, Nigeria has a great hope in the midst of her young people.
Are you one of them?
I, once, wrote an essay titled: "The Youths as Vanguard in the Fight Against Corruption". I still believe in the topic but one thing is that the people (mostly the youths) do not believe in the country and (as being part of the country) consequently have no believe in themselves.
ReplyDeleteSee the power of belief: from the moment you truly just believe in anything, you will start seeing all the possibilities that lie within it and will definitely hold that thing precious. See religious beliefs for example. If we can do such for our country (and for ourselves)!