I Have A Dream

Evergreen Ray Onyenadum

All rights reserved. 2022
Motherland
 Sunrise

Let me express my gratitude to all of you for the honor of speaking to such a
great audience and acknowledge the men and women who work tirelessly to
make this day possible. I value your huge sacrifices in these difficult times. Your
efforts are possible because you cherish this beautiful country and are
passionate about change. By your presence here today, you give honor to this
nation.

I’m happy to join you in what will go down in our nation’s history as the most
fruitful crusade for a new Nigeria. I assure you that our resolve on this day will
be felt for the rest of our lives. But we must recognize the enormity of the task
ahead of us, which is to correct the many problems that harm our beautiful
nation. Make no mistake: we have no illusions about the difficulty of the task
ahead of us, exacerbated by a few powerful people who go to any length to
frustrate us. They do this because of their selfish interests. They don’t want us
to share in the good things coming out of this country. But we have come to put
an end to that. Today, we accept the reality of change. We believe in the
promise of change. And we are ready to meet the demands of change.

State of Affairs

My pain in our current situation worsens when I hear comments implying that
our country is a mistake – a disaster that none of us would wish to happen to
anyone. So, I ask: what is wrong with Nigeria? If anyone can say that Nigeria is
a mistake, then anyone can say – and believe – that we all are strangers here.
The truth is that Nigeria exists because we call it home. We are the breath of
Nigeria. And so, because this nation cannot exist without you and me, the
question I ask today is, what is wrong with us?

Today, we live in a country where the people in power are blamed for all our
problems. Our leaders are identified as the culprits for the socioeconomic
inequities in our society. Everywhere we go, we hear that these people are
irredeemably corrupt. By their actions and inactions, our hopes for a better
tomorrow are jeopardized.

Today, many people commit all manner of fraud because they want to escape
poverty. Today, many kill because they want to be rich. Today, many envision a
future defined solely by power and wealth. Honesty, integrity, and hard work
play no role in the success that people seek. Today, many people are
preoccupied with greed to consider putting a stop to the acts that blight our
country. Make no mistake: greed ensures that those who otherwise would be
honest live the menace of corruption. Today, let us not blame anyone less than
we blame ourselves.

Now, we can trace our problems to a host of factors. The bulk of these
problems have their root in the craze for power by people who promise us a
better tomorrow. During election season, these people create beautiful stories
and great campaigns. They entice us with handouts and social projects. We
salivate at the promises that never come true.

They entice fellow Nigerians into political gangsterism and arm them to scare,
attack, and destroy us. They dissuade patriotic men and women whose genuine
concern for our well-being is unmistakable. But we can no longer allow them to
continue committing acts that bring our country into disrepute.

As I walk the streets, I cry in my heart. I hear my brothers and my sisters

complain about how politics in our country breeds bad governance and makes
their lives miserable. I see mothers who are exhausted and depressed as a
result of hard labor. I see fathers who are frustrated because the burden of the
family makes their daily struggles look meaningless. They ask: “When will God
remember us for good?” We are witnesses to these pains.

This is not patriotism. This is not leadership. This is not the future that we want
for our children. I stand before you today to declare that we will no longer
tolerate the exploitations. We will no longer accept promises that leave us in
unimaginable hardship. We say NO MORE to those who profit from this
massive deception.

We will no longer accept the dilapidation of our roads, which are now death
traps. We will no longer accept the abysmal state of electricity. We will no
longer accept substandard healthcare. No more will patients in hospitals die
needlessly while health professionals agitate for better pay.

We will no longer tolerate deterioration in our schools and institutions of higher

learning. Strikes and protests will no longer interrupt the rhythm of our
education. You'll agree with me that any country with a dysfunctional system
cannot compete in today's world.

I stand before you to declare that we will no longer accept our country's
deplorable security situation. I stand before you to say NO MORE to the
incessant killings. We say NO MORE to criminal gangs challenging law
enforcement agents who have a duty to serve and protect us. We say NO
MORE to people who wake up every morning intending to make our country
unlivable.
I declare that political gangsterism and hooliganism will no longer endanger our
lives. I stand here to declare that drugs will no longer destroy the future of our
youths. I declare that our youths will no longer be corrupted by the brazen
looting in government. I declare an end to the decadence in the society fuelled
by the pervasive idea that it’s okay to profit criminally from other people’s labor.

The Call

Today, we can retrace our steps. If we must appreciate the value of change, we
must understand the cost of our mistakes. We can make the right decisions
going forward. We can put our lives on the line for better things rather than
accept inducements that set us on the path to ruin. We cannot afford for our
country to become a slaughterhouse. We can no longer afford to waste our lives
because Nigeria needs us now more than ever.

We must strengthen the principles by which we must live for the greater good.
We must not have cause to arrogate to ourselves the right to bear arms. We
must not have cause to engage in evil activities that have an ethnic or religious
undertone. We must not participate in counter-productive agitations or
spearhead sectarian violence. The doors to our hearts must not be closed to
constructive dialogue and only open to conflict resolution through the barrel of a
gun.

Life is short, and we cannot afford to waste it fighting needless battles. In this
watershed moment in the history of our nation, a promising life blighted by
unguarded words and thoughtless actions is what we do not need. Now is the
time for us to take actions that are in line with the spirit of our cause so that we
can live in peace.

In the face of our collective challenges, let us remember that life in all its peace
is swell - a haven where we all can dwell; each man in his cozy tent, not
bothered through the years with rent.

We can wipe the slate clean today. We can prove to those who believe that we
are a people headed for self-destruction that they are mistaken about us. We
can no longer give these people reasons to continue to say things that
jeopardize our efforts to build a better society.

Today, we can truly emerge as one of the greatest nations on the planet. For
this to happen, we must reinvent our value system. We have the power today to
declare that we will henceforth take pride in the dignity of labor. We have the
power to declare that we will no longer disregard the sanctity of human life.
Let us sacrifice wickedness on the altar of tolerance. For the sake of future
generations, I stand before you to implore you to see those who look down on
you and tell you that you do not matter as deserving of love and pity. They have
no idea what you are worth. But they will.

Let us abandon every proclivity for vices that taint our image and rob us of the
ideal country that we desire. Let us get rid of all forms of corruption. Let us put
an end to decades of deception with a simple resolution based on honor. I say
to you, there is nothing that we cannot achieve with a true patriotic spirit. From
this day, our patriotism will spark love. Love will spark passion. Passion will
drive progress. And progress will lead to success for all.

Compass

Time is not far when you will become the men and the women that we will vote
for. Time is not far when you will become the leader that we can look up to. We
will need you to earn our votes. We will need you to be a servant-leader.

You will free us from the shackles of poverty. You will look after our teachers'
well-being so that they can focus on our children's future. In your time, you will
ensure that our society no longer suffers brain drain. You will fix the decay in
our infrastructure to meet the demands of rural and urban living. You will protect
both our lives and property. Your actions will convince us that being patriotic is
not in vain.

Two choices will be available to you. One will be the result of a desire for
positive change. The other will be the result of the proclivity for greed. You must
understand that if you choose the latter, the less privileged will be threatened.
The poor will continue to be poor. The rights of ordinary people will be violated.
And all development efforts will be harmed. But if you choose selfless service to
our nation, the broken-hearted will be healed. The lost will be found. The
diligent will be rewarded. And the patriotic will be satisfied.

Because of your good leadership, the enthronement of the rule of law will be
guaranteed. No longer will the high and mighty escape punishment for their
crimes. No longer will men hide behind immunity to defraud us. Those who play
God will learn to live and operate within the confines of the laws of the land.

Beyond these, your leadership will bring about massive infrastructure

development. Our airspace, roads, rail lines, and waterways will be secure. The
citizens will ensure the protection of public property. Huge sums of money will
no longer be committed to projects without commensurate results. Contracts will
no longer be awarded to cronies of the high and mighty who put self before
country.

Your leadership will ensure food security for the vast population. Our nation will
become a hive of intense agricultural activity enabled by full mechanization and
abundant farm inputs. We will no longer import food that we can grow in
abundance.

World-class hospitals will be built and outfitted. Existing healthcare facilities will
be modernized. The best training will be provided to qualified personnel.
Doctors and nurses will be adequately compensated. Patients will get good
value for their money. Rural men, women, and children will feel the impact of
change.

Your leadership will bring order to the process of establishing businesses.

Policies that cause bottlenecks will be repealed. Small and medium-sized
businesses will be fully supported. Our local industries will thrive. Standards will
be of international repute, and locally-made products will enjoy unprecedented
patronage.

Meaningful research will be encouraged in our educational institutions. There

will be new intellectual breakthroughs. Educational facilities for developing
competence will be provided and accessible to all. Our children will develop an
unrivaled thirst for knowledge and achievement.

Your leadership will put in place a functioning system to provide sponsorship to

those who cannot afford school. You will identify those who drop out for
whatever reasons, and you will understand what they want to do with their lives.
You will discover their gifts and use them for the benefit of both them and the
nation.

You will ensure that the welfare of orphaned children receives maximum
attention. You will see to it that the children who roam the streets because they
are abandoned are taken in, rehabilitated, and given every opportunity to
succeed.

Good corporate governance and personal accountability will become guiding

principles in our society. Policies that promote economic growth and stability will
be implemented. Personal responsibility for decisions with far-reaching
consequences will be assigned.

There will be no cause for our country to be listed among the world's money-
laundering nations. You will ensure that individuals convicted of economic and
financial crimes receive justice. There will be no "holy cows." The tripod of
placement, layering, and integration of financial proceeds that have no
economic justification will be dismantled.

Our wealth sources will be diversified. Tourism will be bolstered. Moribund

industries throughout our country will be resurrected and strong mechanisms
will be put in place to keep them running. Untapped human, natural, and
mineral resources will be discovered and utilized for the greater good.

You will step up efforts to safeguard and preserve our natural environment.
Deforestation and indiscriminate bush burning will be criminalized. Road
unworthy vehicles will be prohibited. Industrial waste will be diverted away from
our waters, allowing marine life to thrive. Toxic waste will be disposed of in the
most eco-friendly way possible.

Our security agents will receive the best training possible and their well-being
will be enhanced. Our country's security network will be overhauled and
enhanced with cutting-edge technology. You will prevent light ammunitions and
critical intelligence from falling into the hands of the wrong people.
Investigations will be handled and completed professionally. Our forensic
investigators will be completely competent. DNA and crime laboratories will be
fully operational and fully equipped.

Your leadership will usher in new perspectives on good governance. Political

office holders will bear the burden of being the primary guardians of the general
welfare of the people, and they will be unable to avoid living up to our
expectations. This will be a significant burden for them to bear. Political power
will no longer be seen as a means to financial and economic freedom.

When these pieces are weaved together, we will no longer be seen as a people
on the verge of self-destruction. There will be no need for us to abandon our
country in search of greener pastures. The world will marvel at our economic
and political relevance. And foreign direct investment will be unprecedented in
our country.

The success that I envision today implies that when you lead and serve us, you
must ensure that no corrupt practice is traced to you. You must ensure that no
crime is attributed to you. In the past, leaders who claim to be working for our
good killed fellow Nigerians for their personal political interests. Many continue
to do so today. They rob us while trying to make us believe that they care about
us. I do not see the point in taking a human life to promote development. I do
not see the sense in robbing us to bring about change.
 Character

Many of you will work as security agents. This will be an important role for you.
You will be the face of our country. You will not take your issues out on law-
abiding citizens. Today, my right to freedom is jeopardized when I witness
ordinary people being assaulted by law enforcement officers for what cannot be
considered an offense. My liberty is jeopardized when I hear that there are
people imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. I have heard a man say he's
a nobody because he was intimidated by a team of law enforcement officers. I
have seen a man shake his head in disbelief at the direction our country is
taking because he was told by a law enforcement officer that he can shoot him
at any time and nothing will happen.

When you accept this great responsibility, you must carry it out with the utmost
professionalism. You will maintain the highest level of decorum. The zeal with
which you will carry out your duties will come from a heart made for service.

We want to be sure that when we call you to report a crime, you will respond
immediately rather than later. We want to be sure that you will not provide
weapons to criminals to terrorize us. We want to be sure that you will not do law
enforcement during the day and criminal activity at night.

In your time, you will play a crucial role in ensuring that all forms of power abuse
are eliminated. You will prove to those who say that our law enforcement
officers are notoriously harsh on defenseless people that they can no longer say
that because you have got a new attitude.

Many of you here today will go on to become legislators. It will be up to you to

enact laws that will bind us together rather than tear us apart. You will not
disgrace our country like those who previously were involved in drug trafficking
and economic sabotage. You will demonstrate to us that you are truly honorable
and deserving of our admiration and respect.

You will ensure that the goal of your ascension to your exalted position is not to
recoup financial resources lost on your way to political power. You must
understand that to be patriotic means that you must serve without expecting to
be rewarded.

Time is on your side as you garner the knowledge needed to carry out your
responsibilities. You must not be a legislator whose only contribution will be to
validate the views of others. You must not turn the Assembly into a boxing ring.
You must not bring dangerous weapons to the Assembly as some did in the
past. You must represent the people whose mandate you will be carrying out.
You must live with the knowledge that many will follow in your footsteps.

For the governors who will emerge from among you, we will look up to you to
set a good example. In your time, you must accommodate people who will lean
to the opposition. You must not deny anyone the benefits of democracy. You
must not use taxpayers’ funds to build institutions that will generate profits for
you. You must not stash money in offshore accounts that would otherwise be
used for the greater good. You must not take pride in displaying in the media
the roads and the hospitals that you build as if you are doing a favor for the
people. You must distance yourself from sycophants who will sing your praises
in public so that they can have the means to defraud us.

We will expect that those who have access to you do not employ the machinery
of state to intimidate us. We will expect that you do not seek a seat at the
Assembly if your performance at the state level is disgraceful. If you surround
yourself with armed security while we are kidnapped, raped, and killed, you can
say goodbye to your relevance.

For those who will be in many other crucial roles, the “dos and don’ts” will also
apply to you. You will be open to constructive criticism because it will help
shape you to become better leaders.

Now, as always, these responsibilities will come with privileges. You must be
wary of the power that will put pressure on you to pursue personal goals at the
expense of society's interest. You must not deny ordinary people their right to
their country. Nigeria is ours and we all have the right to succeed. The power
that you will exercise over the people must be under check. You must
remember that you are not God to anybody. You must remember that you
cannot tell what anybody will become in their lifetime.

We deserve good leadership. We deserve true representation. Let us celebrate

these. Let us celebrate the fact that we are a can-do people, a people blessed
by God. Let us celebrate our status as Africa's giant. Let us pull down walls that
stand in the way of our progress. Let our nation’s flag fly in sublime dignity.

The Dream

It is on the strength of our capacity to attain the greatest heights that we dream.
It is on the strength that change is inevitable that we also dream. For Change,
we have come to pass through the tunnel of work and see light at the other end.
My blood is hot today. I cry in my heart today. I cry because the joy of a new
beginning overwhelms me. I cry because the image that I have in my mind of
what Nigeria can become tells the beautiful story of a journey from obscurity to
glory.

My heart wants to do everything for Nigeria. My heart wants to be there at all

times for Nigeria. My heart wants to come out from inside of me and take all the
lashes so that our nation can be free.

And so, in joining you who have faith in the promise of change, I have a dream,
a dream deeply rooted in the Nigerian dream.

What is the Nigerian dream? It is the dream that says we can have a nation of
unprecedented prosperity, a nation in which we will no longer be consumption-
dependent but production-driven, a nation in which we will no longer hear that
millions of our fellow countrymen live on less than a dollar per day.

It is the dream that says we can have a nation of unprecedented security and
peace; a nation in which we can walk in the day and at night without looking
over our shoulders; a nation in which we can travel freely without fearing for our
lives; a nation where we all can drink from the cup of bliss and eat from the pot
of unity.

It is the dream that keeps us wealthy in the face of economic meltdown, healthy
in the face of many diseases, secure in the face of aggression, and happy in a
world filled with pain.

I have a dream that one day, at the table of reconciliation, warring entities in
many parts of our country will be able to reconcile. Ethnic and religious tensions
will be buried in the sands of forgiveness and tolerance.

Youth unrest and armed insurgency will one day be extirpated by an abundance
of job opportunities. Thieves and criminals will no longer have a haven in the
corridors of power. The government treasury will no longer be looted. Financial
and economic crimes will become obsolete.

Unpatriotic high-ranking officials will stop buying properties all over the world
with taxpayer money. Those in power and those connected to those in power
will stop using their political and economic power to oppress the masses.
Privileged Nigerians will stop harassing and intimidating ordinary Nigerians with
the help of unscrupulous security agents.
Our elections will no longer be marred by violence and vote rigging. People will
no longer regard elections as a do-or-die affair. Voter apathy will end. In the
spirit of sportsmanship, losers in elections will accept defeat with dignity and
winners will accept victory with humility.

I have a dream that our fundamental human rights will no longer be violated by
those who are supposed to protect them. I have a dream that the travesty of
justice will be turned into a victory for justice for all.

I still have a dream.

I have a dream that our security agents will one day become true friends
and will no longer torment us. The habit of extortion that many of them have will
no longer exist. Those who joined security organizations only to intimidate and
shoot the common man will be flushed out. Extrajudicial killings will cease and
those cleared to bear arms will learn to control their trigger-happy fingers.

I have a dream that our hospitals will become world-class and accessible to all.
The wealthy and privileged will no longer need to seek medical treatment in
other countries. Our doctors and nurses will no longer be concerned with
leaving the country to our detriment.

I have a dream that one day, the electricity supply in our country will no longer
be erratic. We will no longer have to pay for electricity that we do not see or
use. Generators will no longer power street lights. Our refineries will be fully
operational and many more will be built.

At our petrol stations, queues will be no more. On our roads, potholes will be
gone for good. Our transportation systems will delight the world.

I still have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, our students will no longer be exploited unfairly in
all areas. Our schools will receive critical acclaim. Foreign students from all over
the world will apply for admission to our schools.

Orphanages will no longer be used as fronts for child trafficking. Child labor will
cease. Drug trafficking, ponzi schemes, and cybercrime will be forgotten. Our
youths will no longer drown in the Mediterranean or perish in the Sahara in their
quest for greener pastures in unknown lands.

Buildings will no longer collapse and kill people because they are built with
substandard materials. We will no longer have our markets on major roads
leading to avoidable deaths by articulated and other vehicles. Cooking stoves
will cease to explode because there will no more be adulterated kerosene.
Cleaner sources of energy will replace all non-renewable sources.

I have a dream that one day all forms of piracy will stop. Die-hard smugglers
who go to any length to bring in substandard and counterfeit products will no
longer sabotage our vibrant economy.

Religious leaders who turn places of worship into profit-making ventures will be
forced to truly repent. Those who flaunt their suspicious wealth and perform
fake miracles will be exposed. Unsuspecting members of the public will no
longer be murdered and buried on religious premises.

I have a dream today that, one day, from north to south and east to west, every
thought pattern, every proclivity, every desire, and every judgment capable of
jeopardizing our lives and the future of our children will be rendered null and
void by the reason of our collective resolve.

A New Beginning

Change knocks on the door to every man’s heart today. Our only option is to
open that door. This is the promise to start afresh and welcome the dawn of a
new beginning.

Change is coming! I see it in the individual who cannot afford to give or take a
bribe. I see it in the worker who cannot afford to tamper with the public treasury.
I see it in the man who cannot afford to take another man's life.

I see Change today in our fields bursting with abundant agricultural produce. I
see Change today in the equitable distribution of wealth. I see Change in the
return of our compatriots who are doing exploits in the Diaspora. I see Change
in the radical industrialization of our great nation.

Today, we bear a significant burden of proof. It is the burden to demonstrate

that we can achieve more than we dream. We must demonstrate that we have
something special going for us, which is one of the reasons why our faith is
unwavering. We must demonstrate that our country has the brightest people to
achieve the greatest things. We must demonstrate that we are a great nation.

And now, I call on you to heed the clarion call and join us on the march to the
promised land. Let our struggles power the turbine of a happy tomorrow. That
happy tomorrow is the crucible of a desperate Nigeria and I am confident that
we will make the best of it. Let our faith in simple dreams be the energy that will
keep us going.

I call on you today to uphold dignity in your labor. I call on you to take pride in
the good work that you do. If you find your mind wandering and you feel weak in
your spirit, know that it is an opportunity to rekindle your resolve. Remind
yourself that difficult times only serve to strengthen you and make you see
better options.

If you are in rags today, you can become royalty. If you are homeless today,
you can own a mansion. If you are impoverished today, you can become a
philanthropist. If you are written off today, you can do exploits.

Wherever you go, go with faith, love, and patience. Let the strength of these
virtues outweigh the agony of your pain. Let the virtues fill you with a deep
sense of success.

Though the road may be difficult, our feet shall be strengthened by hope.
Though the brook may be dry, our hearts shall be enlivened by pride. Though
the worst may happen before the best emerges, in solidarity, we will march on,
encouraged every step of the way by the promise of a happy ending.

With the knowledge that your mind is subject to you, let no one convince you
that there is no hope for this great country. The man who says there is no hope
cannot be patriotic, because hope is an essential component in an individual's
determination to effect change.

Let us fan the embers of love when we would rather hate. Let us fan the embers
of patriotism when we would rather let down. Let us have an egalitarian society
in which everyone will feel a sense of belonging.

And now, fellow Nigerians, destiny tells me that we have every reason to be
proud of our country. It tells me that we were born to do extraordinary things.

The great tomorrow that we dream of begins today. The great future that we
desire is now when we must rise from the ashes and bestow glory on our land.
Let us join hands to build the Nigeria of our dreams. In the end, we will hold our
heads high, proud that, at last, change has come to Nigeria.

Let the fire of faith in our dreams be lit in us all. Let this fire burn forever.

Thank you.
We have overcome