REBUILDING OUR PEOPLE’S SELF-VALUE AND DIGNITY

REBUILDING OUR PEOPLE’S SELF-VALUE AND DIGNITY

We are in an era where the quest for national development is ever increasing. We the youths are more aggressive about this cause because we suffer from the continued underdevelopment and retrogression in standards of the economic system, educational system, decay in infrastructural facilities among others. While trying to take a deep look at the whole issue of national development vis-à-vis the people of the nation, I realized that the people’s self-perception and mutual value is an essential part of the foundation for building our nation though it is the most over-looked.

Nigeria like other developing nations around the globe suffers fundamentally from a population with helpless self-perception, victim mentality, low or no self-value. I have tried to imagine the root of this epidemic. Prior to colonisation, it is not impossible that there was oppression in our traditional but organized setting but it was a lot minimal. Colonisation or better still, imperialism brought oppression and leadership with impunity to its apogee.

A more organized colonisation began in Nigeria in 1884 as a result of the Berlin Conference. From 1884 straight to 1960, Nigeria witnessed the highest level of economic exploitation with oppression and drastic decline in the self-value of the people. Though few people like Herbert Macaulay, Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe to mention a few through individual tick skin, education and exposure did not lose their self-dignity amidst the prevailing dehumanising order, most people of the nation helplessly succumbed.

At the time of independence, the impact of education and exposure had increased among the people. However, the major error of this era was that the privileged educated and public influencers did not do so much to make this liberation of the mind spread across the nation thereby creating a legacy that will run through generations to come. This is one of the clear distinctions between United States of America and Nigeria. The legacy of the American freedom in the late 17^th century is a great breakthrough that is still ingrained in the American system today.

Upon independence, the immaturity and lack of know-how of the leaders on how to utilize politics (the political institution) to promote a selfless developed Nigeria cost the nation of her young local leadership to military intervention. This influenced another level of mental struggle for the nation. Things grew worse for the nation till 1999 when General Abdulsalam Abubakar revived civil leadership in Nigeria. I should quickly state that the legacy of freedom that spread through the new nation of America over two hundred years ago did not allow military dictatorship to lead. Military people interested in public leadership had to go through the process of democracy. Most of America’s Presidents had military experience but never gained leadership through force. There was a great deal of respect for the people and legitimacy of power.

Not to dwell too much on history, Nigeria has substantially suffered from dehumanising leadership for over a century. Unconsciously, the remains of this kind of leadership in Nigeria include the victim mentality, low or no self-esteem, lack of initiative, poor reasoning, leadership and management skills among others. In view of this, it may not be surprising the quality of leadership we have been experiencing in public offices, private organisations and even in families. After all, you cannot give what you do not have (nemo dat quod nod habet). The people who have opportunity to lead, lead with inferiority complex, selfishness, greed, low self-esteem, not respect or value for the people and at times wickedness.

The people that have broken free from this virus are those who have realised this and invest heavily to gain their liberation from it; those who are groomed by the liberated ones; those that have lived abroad where the environment helped to shape them; and uniquely those whom God has by His mercy liberated out of a mindset incarcerating environment. It is necessary to mention the investment that some private organisations currently make in their personnel on self-value and dignity. No organisation- private or public or even family will derive profit in the absence of the quality of its people beginning with their self-value. Perhaps, the most valuable part of any person is his/her self-worth and value. Destroying this destroys the person.

We need to bear in mind the fact that for the nation to progress or develop, the people’s self-value, dignity and mutual respect are essentials to work at on the foundation of national development. A citizen can only be more patriotic when he/she has correct self- value and dignity. The feeling of I am indeed a valuable part of the whole will help the citizen to realise and utilise his/her gifts and talents to make a good living and ultimately contribute to the growth of the nation. An environment saturated with mutual respect will facilitate national development.

One may ask where do we start from in view of the fact that our public leadership is substantially saturated with self-serving people who take undue advantage of the people’s weakness, helplessness, poverty and circumstances. It indeed calls for deep sigh. But we should not be overwhelmed by the challenges of today though they are real. They are products of yesterday’s thoughts and actions. There is still a better tomorrow for us if we faint not but will work on our thoughts and actions to realise it.

We should therefore start with our selves. We should engage to break free from this victim and helplessness mentality to a point if self-liberation. From here, we can be treating others with respect and a sense of value. No one is worthless or without something to contribute. Our degree of contribution may vary and no one can be self-sufficient. We all exist to compliment ourselves and efforts. The security man and house help are also valuable- we only outsource security and housekeeping jobs to them respectively. This ignites the demand for respect for the dignity of labour.

This is a wakeup call on parents, teachers, religious leaders, social groups and community leaders, corporation leaders, public office leaders and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to take responsibility for rebuilding our people’s self-value, worth, dignity and mutual respect. This is a quintessential part of the foundation for our national development.

Olusola Akinyemi Esq.

President

Joseph Initiative, Lagos.