Nigeria needs you today if she is going to get out of her current rut

By Ayo Akinfe 

(1) Today is August 7. It was on this day in 1914 that the famous poster in which General Horacio Kitchener the UK secretary of war went viral. It was a clarion call for all Britons to support the war effort and defeat Germany. His call was heeded by all and sundry 

(2) What I love about World War One and Britain was the way it radicalised the railways. Prior to the war, railway lines were used in a limited fashion but because they were seen as a means to get munitions to the front line in Belgium during the war, they suddenly became the new vogue. All of a sudden, tracks were being laid everywhere and the train replaced the horse cart and automobile as the favourite mode of mass transportation 

(3) Europe has never looked back since then and railways are such an integral part of the continent’s economy, life without them would be unthinkable. Nigeria desperately needs a railway revolution and yes, the country needs you to achieve this dream 

(4) World War One also saw the introduction of new modes of warfare. For instance, combat aircraft were deployed for the first time ever and the battle tank became the main form of frontal attack. Hitherto, men just used to charge into battle and were cut down in their thousands 

(5) Back to Lord Kitchener, Nigeria needs you today to stand up for Omoyele Sowore, to defend the human rights of Ibrahim Ek-Zakzaky, to tell the government Ruga is unacceptable and to pressurise your pastorprueners to invest their millions in income-generating and job creating ventures. Nigeria needs you out on the streets marching for these causes today 

(6) Nigeria also needs you to tell your governors to stop going to Abuja for federal handouts. This dependency on oil has got to end. Every governor must at least generate enough revenue internally to run his state 

(7) Nigeria needs you to all march against Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (Macban). We have to make it clear that their terrorising of Nigeria is not acceptable. I am particularly keen on seeing a Fulani anti-herdsmen movement. Why have we not had a 1m man anti-Macban/Ruga march in Abuja yet?

(8) Nigeria needs you to eschew materialism, ostentation, vanity and flamboyance. Our meagre economy with a GDP of $375bn and an annual budget of $24bn simply cannot sustain such lifestyles. We need to revert to a more modest way of living. We cannot afford people having 10 SUVs, these lavish Dubai parties and this weekly spraying of dollars 

(9) Nigeria needs you to eschew ethnicity and religion and subordinate all your sectional interests to the building of a viable black economic giant that can compete with China, India, the US and the European Union. By 2050, we will be the third largest nation on earth. Our goal should also be to become the world’s third largest economy 

(10) Nigeria needs you to play your part in good governance. Reject appointments you know you are not qualified for, reject contracts you know you cannot execute and turn down financial inducements to support and vote for visionless and unscrupulous politicians as well as backing odious policies like Ruga!