IN THE END;A NEW BEGINNING BY IFEOLUWA KALEJAIYE
Growing up as a child in Nigeria,when it starts to rain, kids impulsively run out 2 d rain,ready 2 strip naked and play.
The parents or should I say adults on the other hand,would have umbrellas out,trying to gather all things that shouldn’t be under the rain whilst also endeavouring to make sure the kids go back into the house.Aintnobody got time to be treating cold for d next couple of days. Umbrellas have always been significant when it comes to rain and let me say that they have been just as significant in Nigeria when it comes to governance.Not because it rains cats and dogs in the government houses(it sometimes does
), but because for the past 16 years (mostly for as long as we’ve been democratic), Nigeria as a country has been ruled by a political party whose emblem is the umbrella.The People’s Democratic Party; PDP as they are commonly called .
If we should talk about emblems and their significance,you would agree with me that an umbrella is a pretty impressive one. It creates the illusion that under the rain,the scorching sun, the storm, the wind,we will cover u. We will protect u. We will take care of you. However,an umbrella can only promise this much if it’s in perfect working condition. Few months before the election that brought us into this new era,I felt inclined to write a piece and title it “This Umbrella will Soon Tear” Umbrella in that context was supposed to be and it still is at this moment,a representation of d PDP. The ruling party in Nigeria up until a couple of months back. It’s been 16 years of alot,ranging from the good to the bad and to the ugly. (Not necessarily in that order).
One of the major reasons I didn’t end up writing that piece was because I realised that the umbrella was already torn.Writing about it would just be adding salt to injury. I would have said then like I am saying now, that the former president would run on a record which unfortunately would include not only his performance in office (which isn’t really as bad as it has been portrayed) but also terrible relationships that now even cost him more than his performance in office.
One of my best moments in the all time classic movie “Titanic” is when the captain was informing the ship owner (who had foolishly bought the lie that no force on earth/in heaven could destroy the ship), that the ship had hit an iceberg and there was no more hope. Having put so much hope in his ship,the owner retorted “But this ship cannot sink”. Without a pause,the captain responded, “She is made of iron Sir. I assure you that she can and she will.It is a mathematical certainty.” On the 28th of March,2015,our titanic sunk and it was a day that went down in the history of this country. For the very first time, a ruling party lost to its challengers at presidential level.
However,despite the bitterness that was associated with the 2015 presidential elections, the former president redeemed himself when it mattered the most by not only conceding and accepting defeat,but also congratulating President Buhari even before the collation of results was concluded and for this,history will forever be kind to him. That Nigerians are today proud of Jonathan is not in doubt and it is quite shameful that it took a defeat for him to equate to the president many had wanted to see in recent years.
Now,we are in the era of “change” and it would seem that barely 2 months into the new era,the new president is already under heavy attack by some disgruntled Nigerians who are unhappy with the way things are going.There have been open letters,articles and funny criticising memes. It would seem that some nigerians were under the impression that the new President is a magician who would wave a magic wand and transform the country and now that we see that he is just as human as the rest of us…tongues have started to wag.
By the former presidents last act of selfless submission,he gave us an end that could justify the murky path of a humble man from Otuoke who started life without shoes but has risen to great power and now to the honour roll of great people in the world.
This message is profound yet so simple. In losing power,Goodluck Ebele Jonathan finally found himself and gave Nigeria a new beginning. It’s been two months and maybe a little too early to start criticising this beginning and finding faults.Instead, let us now take a moment to pray ultimately for the good of Nigeria.May this new beginning take us to greater and unimaginable heights. “Sai Nigeria”
The parents or should I say adults on the other hand,would have umbrellas out,trying to gather all things that shouldn’t be under the rain whilst also endeavouring to make sure the kids go back into the house.Aintnobody got time to be treating cold for d next couple of days. Umbrellas have always been significant when it comes to rain and let me say that they have been just as significant in Nigeria when it comes to governance.Not because it rains cats and dogs in the government houses(it sometimes does), but because for the past 16 years (mostly for as long as we’ve been democratic), Nigeria as a country has been ruled by a political party whose emblem is the umbrella.The People’s Democratic Party; PDP as they are commonly called .If we should talk about emblems and their significance,you would agree with me that an umbrella is a pretty impressive one. It creates the illusion that under the rain,the scorching sun, the storm, the wind,we will cover u. We will protect u. We will take care of you. However,an umbrella can only promise this much if it’s in perfect working condition. Few months before the election that brought us into this new era,I felt inclined to write a piece and title it “This Umbrella will Soon Tear” Umbrella in that context was supposed to be and it still is at this moment,a representation of d PDP. The ruling party in Nigeria up until a couple of months back. It’s been 16 years of alot,ranging from the good to the bad and to the ugly. (Not necessarily in that order).
One of the major reasons I didn’t end up writing that piece was because I realised that the umbrella was already torn.Writing about it would just be adding salt to injury. I would have said then like I am saying now, that the former president would run on a record which unfortunately would include not only his performance in office (which isn’t really as bad as it has been portrayed) but also terrible relationships that now even cost him more than his performance in office.
One of my best moments in the all time classic movie “Titanic” is when the captain was informing the ship owner (who had foolishly bought the lie that no force on earth/in heaven could destroy the ship), that the ship had hit an iceberg and there was no more hope. Having put so much hope in his ship,the owner retorted “But this ship cannot sink”. Without a pause,the captain responded, “She is made of iron Sir. I assure you that she can and she will.It is a mathematical certainty.” On the 28th of March,2015,our titanic sunk and it was a day that went down in the history of this country. For the very first time, a ruling party lost to its challengers at presidential level.
However,despite the bitterness that was associated with the 2015 presidential elections, the former president redeemed himself when it mattered the most by not only conceding and accepting defeat,but also congratulating President Buhari even before the collation of results was concluded and for this,history will forever be kind to him. That Nigerians are today proud of Jonathan is not in doubt and it is quite shameful that it took a defeat for him to equate to the president many had wanted to see in recent years.
Now,we are in the era of “change” and it would seem that barely 2 months into the new era,the new president is already under heavy attack by some disgruntled Nigerians who are unhappy with the way things are going.There have been open letters,articles and funny criticising memes. It would seem that some nigerians were under the impression that the new President is a magician who would wave a magic wand and transform the country and now that we see that he is just as human as the rest of us…tongues have started to wag.
By the former presidents last act of selfless submission,he gave us an end that could justify the murky path of a humble man from Otuoke who started life without shoes but has risen to great power and now to the honour roll of great people in the world.
This message is profound yet so simple. In losing power,Goodluck Ebele Jonathan finally found himself and gave Nigeria a new beginning. It’s been two months and maybe a little too early to start criticising this beginning and finding faults.Instead, let us now take a moment to pray ultimately for the good of Nigeria.May this new beginning take us to greater and unimaginable heights. “Sai Nigeria”
Lights out with Kharis
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