It is with a lot of pride that I address you as the Leaders of the New Nation.

For many of us in this space,we have by the Mercies of God had the privilege of a sneak peek into what has now become a global topic of discussion in various global media outfits and major streets of the world. That the attention of the world is now focused on Nigeria as a result of the brazen resolve of the Nigerian youth to make their voices count is a clear testament to the fact that Nigeria is too important to the world,despite the fact that we have become the world’s greatest exporter of human capital largely as a result of the frustrations occasioned by leadership deficit.

The events of the past two weeks have revealed the frustrations of a Nation in a quest for self discovery. Questions were raised,hidden ill motives were revealed, religious bigotry was exposed, political machinations have been demystified, no one will now undermine the strength of a united people. Here is to your courage to dare to believe in Nigeria even when it looked foolish to do so.You prayed and when the occasion demanded you spoke and coordinated yourselves as the leaders that you are. In the twelve days of peaceful protest you displayed strong leadership that reflected empathy,accountability,selflessness and transparency. We saw the sick and wounded being cared for,the hungry being fed,finances being accounted for publicly,damaged vehicles being fixed,Muslims being shielded by their Christian brothers while they prayed and vice versa.We surly didn’t step out to make our voices heard as southerners or northerners,Christians or Muslims, we stepped out bearing the same Surname “Nigeria”.Such sense of National cohesion has arguably eluded Nigeria from the inception. The enemy of our Nation soon got threatened by this and unleashed the “fifth columnists” on this noble agenda. It is a shame that some of the Nigerian youth tainted our image by allowing themselves to be tools in the hands of our oppressors. To the willing tool,you probably don’t understand that our restrain in the face of provocation is in the collective interest of every Nigerian and therefore our greatest strength.It is therefore,very painful and demoralizing to see you take this path.We remain determined to cease the moment and show leadership to these brothers and sisters of ours who have fallen to the antics of our oppressors by conducting ourselves in a manner that leaves no one in doubt that we are more than capable to deliver and lead a Nation that sits on righteousness and Justice.

I condemn acts of violence and forceful entry into Government and private properties,we must be in control of our emotions and show restrain.However,Nigeria and indeed the Nigerian youth must not allow the trending “looting of Palliatives”to overshadow the original conversation of a quest for a just society. We will continue this conversation until we arrive at a Nation where everyone feels a sense of ownership with a lot of pride.
Therefore, it behoves those in the helm of affairs to lead in entrenching the values of accountability and justice in the fabrics of our society as we seek to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor in our Nation.
My appeal to Mr President is that engaging the Nigerian people regularly in person especially on matters of life and death does not make you less of a President.In fact, it makes you more Presidential. Hearing from you once in a while reminds one of the Masquerade that only appears in the village square once in a blue moon.We always want to hear your perspective and see your emotion on issues of National importance.
To the Nigerian youth, we owe it to our heroes that were killed in Lekki and other parts of the Nation,to make the quest for a better Nigeria our personal responsibilities, continuing to hoist the Nigerian flag and sing the National anthem as they did to the point of death. Never ever forget that the greatest weapons of battle are not Guns,Tanks or even Bombs,they are LOVE and PEACE.Thankfully,you don’t need “connection” to access them,they are God given and they are available to mankind. Going forward we owe a duty to our Nation to lead a revolution of Love and Peace in our society while we take responsibility of providing the leading thought and actions. Nigeria shall surely be counted as a destination of choice because you are alive today.

God bless and keep you.

God bless Nigeria 🇳🇬

-Alex Ladan.

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It is with a lot of pride that I address you as the Leaders of the New Nation.

About The Author
- A graduate of mass communication ABU Zaria, journalist, media consultant and a Film maker. Giving a voice to the voiceless