I deem it fit and most appropriate to begin this *”Open Love Letter”* to you, my fellow Nigerians, by quoting the words of President Ronald Reagan of the United States of America thus:
*”Peace is not the absence of conflict but the ability to cope with conflict by peaceful means”*
This *Open Love Letter* is coming on the heels of the recent Ten Days nationwide protest from 1st to 10th, of August 2024, which was tagged *”Days of Rage”*.
I am particularly concerned about the violent dimension that the protest assumed in some parts of the country, especially the north, and the ethnic inuendos that it generated, vis-a-vis the *”Igbo Must Go”* campaign, said to have been spearheaded by some unscrupulous, faceless groups in Lagos; and also a secessionist outburst credited to a highly reverred intellectual from the north, and a counter press release, by an Elder Statesman from the South East.
With the help of hindsight, and speaking as a retired first generation General of the Nigerian Army, I commend the Military High Command and the security services, for a job well done. I also salute the professional standards they exhibited in their management of the early warning signals, and also how they prevented the country from sliding into anarchy, by resisting the call by some unpatriotic people, for a regime change, through undemocratic means.
May I therefore appeal to all Nigerians across social, political, religious, tribal and ethnic divides, to consider the grave implications of making sensitive statements that tend to fan the embers of *war* and also threaten the *unity* and *peace* of this great nation, for which many paid the *Supreme sacrifice*, and also for which some of us dedicated the prime of our lives.
My position is not in any way to downplay the enormity of the economic hardship now being faced by the ordinary citizens, but to encourage us to stand strong together as one indivisible nation, throughout this trying period, and accept it as nothing but a sacrifice for a passing phase in our nation’s history.
Without sounding political, I believe that our elder ststesmen and leaders across board, should seize the opportunity of a time like this, to send messages of *”hope”* to our people instead of spreading *hopelessness* and *dispair*.
Perhaps we need to remind those few Nigerians who delight in singing the *songs of war* that they are only being driven by ignorance and myopic sentiment; because in actual fact, no one can predict the outcome of any war because no persons or groups have the *monopoly of violence*!
Nigeria must avoid falling into the traps of our foreign and domestic enemies, by all means possible. Let us learn from the recent experience of a fellow African country, Libya, a once prosperous model African economy, who allowed themselves to be lured into an avoidable war! Let Nigerians protect Nigeria and let those who gleefully brandished the flags of some foreign countries during the recent protest be told that no country loves Nigeria more than we Nigerians! And no country is free from one form of challenge or the other.
It has pleased the Almighty God that He has positioned Nigeria as the leading light of the Black Race! We are also the potential light of the whole world, and we must do everything possible to keep the light of this great nation shining!
Therefore, to avoid crises and chaos, we the people of Nigeria must love ourselves and give *”hope”* a chance so that *peace* can reign. We cannot afford to lose hope because losing hope will lead us to frustration. Therefore, the heart of my message in this Open Love Letter is to assure every Nigerian that:
*IF WE GIVE PEACE A CHANCE!*
*NIGERIA’S ECONOMY WILL RISE AGAIN!!*
As a Christian, I wish to admonish all Nigerians at home and in the diaspora, with what the Bible says in Job 14:7-9 thus:
“For there is a hope for a tree. When it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And it’s shoots will not fail. Though it’s roots grow old, in the ground, And it’s stump dies in the dry soil, At the scent of water, it will flourish and put forth springs like a plant”
I was born and brought up during the colonial era. I am proud to be a retired military officer who served in the Nigerian Army from 1960 to 1980 and who, as a young officer at that time put *my life on the line* and fought to defend the unity of this country at the famous *”Ore Battle”* in the then Mid West Sector where we successfully ended the ambitious advance of the Biafra Army, in their bid to capture the Western Region, during the Civil War. I have a deep appreciation for the sacrifice of those patriotic Nigerians, dead or alive, who fought so hard *”To keep Nigeria One”* and remained together till today. I find it most disheartening to see some Nigerians undermining the *unity* and *peace* of Nigeria, in our lifetime!!
Let it be told that Nigeria’s economic challenges did not start today. It is unfortunate that despite being blessed with the most active youth population in the world, we have one of the most unproductive population of import dependent economy. It doesn’t take Rocket Science to know that the way to improve the value of the Naira is to reduce import and increase export. And given the resilience of the Nigerian spirit, I am of the opinion that we can turn the present *hardship* into *prosperity*, if we commit ourselves to it.
While we salute the courage, determination and sincerity of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and his team to turn around the economic fortune of our country and change the mindset *”consumption only”* of our people, permanently, we appeal to Mr President to devise more means of alleviating the plight of the most vulnerable Nigerians, in particular. This is against the background that there are always avenues to perform better despite the fact that, in the history of mankind, no government anywhere in the world, had been acknowledged to have done enough for the people. Mr. President should consider an urgent review of the *”immunity”* and *”impunity”* among elected and appointed office holders at federal, states and local government levels. In so doing, Mr. President should do whatever he can to bring sanity to governance by enforcing severe *consequences* as *deterrent*,⁸ for the excesses of all top government functionaries. The President should do whatever he can to reduce the *cost of governance* drastically to reflect the true state of our economy.
The President, Commander-in-Chief, may also consider the pros and cons of the constitutional review proposed by the Patriotic Group and act accordingly, in the best interest of our country.
Equally important is the regeneration of fundermental values which had collapsed in the homes, schools, colleges, churches, mosques, communities and all strata in the private and public sectors of the economy
Nigeria deserves to be at peace and we must all agree and recognize the fact that *peace* is the precursor to prosperity. It is in this light that the modern concept of peace is often defined as “the presence of justice, equity and other conditions that create social harmony, and thus prevent situations of violence that may result in social or armed conflict”
In conclusion, I totally agree with the concept of the campaign to *END BAD GOVERNANCE*, but only as a constructive, non violent idea. And the objective should be to presurise our leaders to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people. But I disagree with giving the campaign any political, religious, ethnic or treasonous coloration.
Therefore, my advice to the leaders of the *END BAD GOVERNANCE* Campaign is to come out clean as a pressure group and take it to the three tiers of government – the Federal, the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and the 774 Local Governments. We cannot lay claim to sincerity in our campaign for good governance until we begin to hold *ALL OUR LEADERS* accountable.Some of them are corrupt, whilst some of them encourage corruption, because of personal gains. As they say, “*he who must come to equity must come with clean hands”*. I also vehemently disagree with the tag of *DAYS OF RAGE* given to the last protest. No responsible government anywhere in the world would fold it’s arms and watch any group unleash *rage* on the country and her citizens under whatever guise!
I therefore appeal to all Nigerians to sheathe the sword and forsake all forms of *bigotry*, and work together for the *unity*, *peace* and *prosperity* of our country. We are better off and stronger as *ONE* united nation with *LOVE*, because *”united will stand, divided will fall*”. Therefore:
*IF WE GIVE PEACE A CHANCE!*
*NIGERIA’S ECONOMY WILL RISE AGAIN!!*
Your concerned citizen,
Prince Dr (Gen) Olu Bajowa, CFR, OFR
(Jagunmolu of Ikale Land)
&
(Ojagbulegun from The Source)
