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Ribadu And Adeola: Before God And Man

March 11, 2011

Friends, last year I made a decision driven by my conviction that in years to come, I will stand head-up before my children and grandchildren to defend the decision I made to support and vote Nuhu Ribadu and Fola Adeloa as the President and Vice President I believe Nigeria urgently needs.

Friends, last year I made a decision driven by my conviction that in years to come, I will stand head-up before my children and grandchildren to defend the decision I made to support and vote Nuhu Ribadu and Fola Adeloa as the President and Vice President I believe Nigeria urgently needs.

Fellow young Nigerians, you may have made your choice candidate, but my question is can you defend your choice before your children, grandchildren and your God when they demand an answer for your choice? This election is neither about me nor you, it's not about individuals and their parties, or regions and zones, it's not about the present day Nigerians. No! It's about the future of our dear country.

Like of all of you here, I am a young and passionate Nigerian, in my little way I am contributing to the future of our futures. I have decided not to be the selfish young man whose interest is only for the gains of today. Our nation is in dire no-business-as-usual need for change and the time is now for a new Nigeria to emerge because it is possible.

Nuhu Ribadu and Fola Adeola are not God-sent or ancestors-sent. They are young Nigerians like you and I, they love our country and they are passionate about our wellness.

Nigeria is faced with great economic depression as we currently loom in waters of uncertainties. This is not the time for usual politicking neither would luck suffice; the time for seriousness is here. Our love for our country must transcend our love for tribe. If Nigeria is not working, our tribe will not run our economy for us.

This is time for real work and I see Nuhu Ribadu and Fola Adeola as a shift from the normalcy that we have known, I see in Ribadu and Adeola courageous young men who are ready to work for Nigeria.

In Nigeria we have a monster that has lived with us for as long as I can remember, that monster is what Ribadu fought with all seriousness. Some people may say he was used for selective attacks, but no one can accuse him of going after innocent Nigerians. If it will take selectiveness to get our looters to account for their crimes, I support it with the beliefs that one day; every one of them will be brought to justice.

Our economy presently is in shambles; failure to take action today would mean that in no-distant years to come, our nation will be like those we mock today. Our economy have for long been in the hands of those who know nothing about financial management. This is where Fola Adeola a young man who built GT-bank from nothing to a world class financial institution comes in. We need such an energetic young man backed with an anti corruption czar to redirect our national economy.

My appeal today is, as a Nigerian you should reflect back to the years before and think about why things have remained the same, I am pretty sure three possible scenarios could be inferred.

1. Failure of leadership to take action in the right direction.

2. Failure of followers to take action that will make the leaders accountable.

3. Sentimental thinking against National thinking.

My friends, for how long are we going to allow these constraints to impede our growth? Nigeria, years after years remained listed among the nations described as 'failed states’, we are constantly and consistently listed as one of the most corrupt nation in the world, we pass through international borders with constant fear of being Stereotyped, our children suffer from years of educational decay, our people die from preventable deaths caused by neglect and failure of successive governments, our government over the years continues to budget huge funds for projects that we only see and hear of in the papers... how long I ask, are we going to pretend that all is well ?

For how long are we going to be glued to bad leadership and expect a different outcome? At the international borders you are not from the north or south, they see you as a Nigerian, not as Yoruba, Hausa or Igbo. The perception of the world about us knows no tribe, we are Nigerians and Nigerians get the blame and the kicks.

When we call for change, let us mean Total Change. Let us start now to retrieve our years of greatness stolen away by the locust, let us stop the sentimental thinking and wear a renewed national cap. In America, the man from California calls himself An American. In England the man from Liverpool and Nottingham sees himself as an English man. Why must we be different?

Nuhu Ribadu and Fola Adeola are not claiming to have any messianic direction from the heavens, claiming such would be blasphemous. They are ordinary Nigerians who suffer from what we all are suffering from.

My presidential choice may not be your choice, however when you look at Nigeria today, do you think for the children unborn? Would your grandchildren be pleased with your presidential choice?

Before you cast that vote, return to your village to see the true situation of things, and then ask yourself how long more will this go on for? Before you cast your vote, compare a picture from Dubai and the one from your village, are you happy with the difference (if any) but above before you cast your vote, prepare an answer for your grandchildren and your God.

Ribadu and Adeola in my beliefs are a break from the past, a clean break from the ugly history of our mis-governance; they represent the paradigm shift we seek.

I know when I come before my God and before men; I will be standing with my face up defending my choice, because I know that my choice is borne from my believe in a better Nigeria because I know it is possible.

Thank you and God Bless.

Charles Jiduwah speaking to Young Nigeria Leaders For Change.. On 'The President of My Choice'.
 

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