DREAM IT - ACTIVATE IT

One famous "I have a dream" speech over 4 decades ago, was the basis for the "Audacity of Hope", A' la Obama.

Two years ago, a young man came up to me and said, I have a dream to be an Olympic champion in 2008. I sighed, not because it was impossible, but because all the signs and facilities in our nation are designed to truncate dreams and hopes.

Nonetheless, I told him, I will manage you, and we will climb the steepest mountain. We wrote up our funding plan and training strategy, and went further to seek endorsements by the National Sports Commission, in Abuja.

With all formal papers, and with the assistance of his influential parents, we raised several millions from the private sector for the six months intensive international training all over the world.

In February 2008 began a 6 month whirlwind, self-sponsored tour to activate a dream. From the US, to UK, to Taiwan, to South Korea, to Germany and finally, Beijing.

The young man encountered the Asian Champion, and defeated him, and then the 6ft 10inch world champ, he also defeated him. He went on to win a bronze medal for Nigeria, black Africa's best performance in the sport at the Olympics. His name is Chika Chukwumerije, son of the famous Senator Uche Chukwumerije.

He had a dream, he made a plan, and he suffered for a while, but today he has his medal, he has a British University scholarship, he has dreams to come back again for the Gold in London 2012.

Who says we can't dream freedom for Nigeria? That we can't dream greatness for Nigeria? That we can't dream prosperity for Nigeria. If you have the audacity of hope on your side, write down the vision, activate it, and it shall come to pass, with God on our side.

Lets' begin to dream and activate our desires for our nation.

Peace

GHA