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The Nigerian Dream

August 28, 2008

For those of us who are not Americans, but had the opportunity of listening to Barack Obama delivering his acceptance speech in Denver, we constantly heard him use the words “American-dream” and “America’s-promise” and in the course of that speech he instantiated the meanings of those words. In effect, American-dream and America’s-promise consist in rewarding hard work and in the belief that if you struggle hard, you will achieve your aim.

For those of us who are not Americans, but had the opportunity of listening to Barack Obama delivering his acceptance speech in Denver, we constantly heard him use the words “American-dream” and “America’s-promise” and in the course of that speech he instantiated the meanings of those words. In effect, American-dream and America’s-promise consist in rewarding hard work and in the belief that if you struggle hard, you will achieve your aim. Hear him “It is that promise that's always set this country apart, that through hard work and sacrifice each of us can pursue our individual dreams, but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams, as well.”


In the American dream and promise the next generation is always a part of the equation. A belief that, not only the present counts but, the future will always come and therefore the present attitude must spill over to the future for its security. In the American dream the present bears witness to the future, a witness that the future generation will not be left out in determination of policies and projects. For those of us who are not part of this American dream and promise, since we are not American citizens, we then turn to our own immediate country to search for our own dream. In other words we the Nigerian people search for the Nigerian dream and the Nigerian promise. What does our own dream consist of and does it consider the future. The stark reality is that the Nigerian dream is a contrast of what Barack enunciated as the American dream. Our dream is a dream where excellence is shunned and mediocrity is rewarded, a dream where you study hard but meet your death on a stampede in the search for a job. A dream where the future generation is not put into consideration in policy making, for the future the Nigerian dream will always say “let the dead bury the dead.”

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In the American dream, giving the entrenched feeling of that promise, no matter how things turn bad there will always remain a surfeit of that feeling which will incidentally rise to restore things. As Barack pointed out “Because for 232 years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women -- students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors -- found the courage to keep it alive.” In contrast the Nigerian “day-dreaming” is that which has never been accomplished not to talk of a surfeit, day-dreams that has been entrenched in Visions—Vison 2020, Vison 2000, Millenium Goal—and agenda—seven and eight to infinite points, a day-dream that has endured both on the individual and governmental level. The Nigerian dream—the stark reality—is one which individuals have no respect for others and the law.

A dream where there is no dignity but praise for money-bags and mangy-mongrels. In contrast the American promise “that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have obligations to treat each other with dignity and respect….” The American promise endures because the American government and politicians understand the function of government and its limits. “Ours -- ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves: protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools, and new roads, and science, and technology.”

Rather than live up to this ideal, our own government works against us rather than for us. A government where NNDC funds are embezzled and PTDF funds are transferred to private coffers, a government where insatiable bowels of private Laundromats seek to appropriate public assets, a government which seeks to increase fuel pump price no matter what. A government that neglects ecological concerns and partners with Oil company’s to exploit and ruin her citizens with sulpuhr-diluted air, thanks to gas flaring and a government that continuously raises pay for spectator-senators and raises alarm when teachers seek for a decent pay. This is our own promise and dream—the Nigerian dream.

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The truth is that the ideals embodied in the American dream are not prerogatives of the American people. The Nigerian and African people can also enjoy the ideals of that dream, no, not by migrating to America as many do either by hook or crook, rather through a responsible and responsive government, a government that will put the people first and make hard work and dignity its watch-word. The Nigerian people should echo Barack by saying we are better than what we are getting. Our government is short-changing us and lining their pockets with public funds. Therefore, it is the time to rise up for what should be our authentic dream. This will be done in our different spheres and our areas of command since the dream will come as a result of mutual co-operation between the citizens and the government. We must start from somewhere, let us as citizens play our own part and hope that this failure of a government will turn a new leaf. One day our own authentic dream will come. Good help us.

 

 

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of SaharaReporters

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