by
Patrick Ogungbola
MD/ CEO, BLUEHEDGE REALTORS
Happy new month, and Happy Independence Celebration to Nigeria and all Nigerians.
About 56 years ago, Nigeria became a sovereign nation when she gained her freedom from the British colonial masters. For the past 56 years, we have governed ourselves in the best way we deemed fit. From then till now, can it be said that we have fared well? If not, then have we learnt our lessons? If a fool at 40 is a fool forever, then how about that who has aged 56.
It is no longer news that the most populous country in Africa (Nigeria) is currently in deep economic recession. No doubt, ‘rats are no longer sounding as rats, neither are birds sounding as birds’. As a matter of fact, many people have described this year’s independence anniversary as the worst since 1960 going by the current economic quagmire, and the numerous political and economic ‘accidents’. There’s a ‘wrong’ affirmation that if it is black, then it can’t be right; but is this affirmation really wrong when one examines the performance of Africa continent to that of the Europe and America. Most African countries got ‘political’ independence from their colonial masters, but sadly, they didn’t give us the real independence.
What then is the ‘real independence’?
Webster dictionary defines independence as ‘freedom from outside control or support’. It is the complete freedom of control or influence from another party, be it a single individual, a group of people, an organization or a nation.
Contextually, the word “Independence” is comprised of two words ‘In’ and ‘Dependence’. ‘In’ represents inner which means self and ‘dependence’ means dependency. All our actions are dependent on inner-self. Self-realization means realizing the true nature of Self. Nations may experience ‘political freedom’, but until the citizens that make up the nations are ‘truly free’; their political independence cannot be complete and total.
Agreed, no country in the world can be absolutely independent, however, our dear country is heavily dependent on other countries for survival. For any nation, economic independence is far more important than political independence. It will be an eyesore for a married couple to continue to absolutely depend on their parents for livelihood and survival. To cushion the effect of the economic recession, our country has borrowed massively from other countries; whereas, previous debts are not yet settled. Borrowing has now become a norm. Our dear country is in serious debt, and the borrower will always be a servant to the lender. We have to always dance to the tune and command of our creditors like the World Bank, IMF, Paris club, African Development Bank, etc, as who pays the piper must always dictate the tunes.
Does it take a rocket science to get result and accomplish greatness as a nation? Must we always live in debt in the midst of plenty? Has Nigeria really defied all economic solutions that have worked elsewhere? Are we ever going to get that ‘Messiah’ that will change and transform this country and then take us to the Promised Land? Does the word ‘change’ mean another thing in Nigeria? Are we going to see the Nigeria of our dream in this our lifetime? What legacies are we leaving for our generations yet unborn? These are questions that beg for honest answers.
Amidst all these, we cannot deny the compassionate love of God for our dear country. Truly, God rules in the affairs of men. Many countries that are not as complex and multi-cultural and multi-religious as Nigeria have been torn apart by internal and external wars. To a great extent, especially at this time, we enjoy relative peace. If not for anything, the fight against the deadly Boko Haram has yielded great success. Most communities in the Northern Nigeria that had been held captive before now have regained their freedom, and we heard and read that everything has returned to normalcy.
If there is peace, there will be hope. With hope, anyone can achieve the desired greatness. I believe in the vision of my dear brother, Mr. Fela Durotoye when he said that Nigeria will become the world’s most desirable nation to live in by December 31, 2025; and interestingly, there’s already a countdown to that date on Mr. Fela Durotoye’s website (http://www.feladurotoye.org/gemstoneng.org). With hope, faith and right leadership, we will get there. The real change we crave for begins with you and me.
Now, to us as individuals, it’s worth repeating that independence mean ‘self-sufficiency’. To some people, self-sufficiency is an unachievable ambition. As funny as it may seem, some people do not understand what it means to lack money. To these set of people, ‘recession’ is just a word in the dictionary, just as you will also find ‘abundance’ or ‘prosperity’. Many people belong to this class. They live in the choicest parts of the city and drive the best automobiles.
Our last article (http://bit.ly/2cuZA0w) clearly proves to us that everyone has choices to make in life, and the choices we make today will ultimately determine what and who we become tomorrow. You have the right to choose between being dependent or being independent. The truth is, ‘no one can achieve the real freedom without economic (financial) freedom’. A great economy is known, not by the size of the geographic boundary, but by the amount of resources she controls.
Between the commitment to a purpose and the actualisation of that purpose are important conditions to be met, and expected results can only be achieved upon the fulfillment of those conditions. These conditions are prerequisites to get us to where we are going.
Let’s keep our hope and faith alive, and we are sure to get to our desired destinations.
In closing, the importance of having your own place of abode called home cannot be underplayed. Many people have suffered untold hardship from cruel landlords; staying in such rented properties is a form of ‘bondage’. Hence, as individuals, it is important to strive to get a house we can call our own, even if not immediate, it should be in the plan. That is when you will enjoy another realm of independence.
As usual, we want to remind you that we care so much about you, and that when it comes to your real estate investment, we are always here to give you the very best service you can never get elsewhere. That is our promise, and will always be.
We wish you the very best in the month of October.
Thank you.
We remain;
Very truly yours,
