Rebranding or Rebuilding - Conceptual Principles for Restoration of Nigeria

1. It is futile to create or implement ideas or programmes that are not founded on divine principles.

2. Only the emancipation of each individual in a nation can lead to freedom for a nation.

3. Conferences and programmes are fruits of ideas. the fruit will be consistent with the root from which it . emanates. It is either rooted in godliness or godlessness.

4. History proves it is futile to fight over civil rights, women's rights, ethnic rights, etc, without accepting the root cause of every imbalance in society - godlessness.

5. Jesus said, "You will know the Truth and the truth will set you free"; but our people have resolutely accepted the bondage of falsehood. Our people have sold their votes, their conscience and their integrity to the highest bidder.

6. "We do not need to get good laws to restrain bad people. We need to get good people to restrain bad laws. The problem is that the majority would rather not accept such responsibility; therefore, it generally falls to the minority to protect the majority from its own predilection to foolish acquiescence to tyranny" - G.K. Chesterton

7. Nigeria must never depend on the benevolent auto-cratism or the goodwill of the self-styled messiahs, but that the law of the land is supreme - and everyone is equal under the law, and this law is inspired by God.

8. EFCC, ICPC, SSS, CID, etc may arrest criminals, punish crimes, legislate control of crimes, but a dead conscience is not subject to legislation.

9. An inspired constitution is not an exercise in the politics of legalism. It is based on the core principle that the greatest good is offered to the greatest number of people in our nation.

10. Nigeria's Constitution has always been legalistic, imposed and put together by undemocratic governments. thus, it always lacks the ability to cater for the common good. Only an open, or sovereign assembly of elected representatives of the people of nigeria can create a living and acceptable and binding covenant. It cannot be imposed by a government based on the work of a selected minority, no matter how knowledgeable.

11. The smallest unit in a nation is the nuclear family. The family feeds the community, which feeds the cities and the regions and the nation at large. If there is fundamental corruption at the family level then the nation is doomed. Branding and building are both whitewashes that cover the malaise.

12. The nation has a dearth of true national leaders and heroes...instead we have political super heroes, television or magazine heroes etc; People who have become platform performers and soft sell hot cakes but whose works in the national life lacks true depth or sacrificial benefit to the people. These are the people that the next generation have as models.

13. Government's economic policies are having the desired results - creating more wealth for the government and large corporations, but majority of the people impoverished. All foreign inspired reforms are ultimately for the benefit of the inspirer.

14. Nigerian leaders have never listened to the ordinary people that God entrust to them before formulating policies and programmes. They listen however, to the IMF, World Bank, Paris Club, G8, UNO, multinational corporations, party leaders and godfathers, special advisers, diviners, sorcerers etc. Everyone but the people they are elected or appointed to serve.

15. "Unless a man becomes the enemy of evil, he will not even become its slave but rather its champion. God Himself will not help us to ignore evil, but to defy and defeat it" - G. K. Chesterton.



Readers critique, comments and added remarks welcome.

(c) George H. Ashiru
The Institute for Transformational Leadership