When Nigeria works for all, it will matter less what religious or ethnic group a Nigerian belongs. If the ‘Mandate’ is one which is most likely to put Nigeria on the right track and make the country great; a distinguished Senator, of the third republic, that is honest, sincere and capable to make Nigeria work for all Nigerians instead of selected minority and sectional interests; a mandate that mainstreamed prosperity.
The concept of the Promised Land is the central tenet of Zionism, whose discourse suggests that modern Jews descend from the Israelites and Maccabees through whom they inherit the right to re-establish their “national homeland”. Palestinians also claim partial descent from the Israelites and Maccabees, as well as from other peoples who have lived in the region.
African-American spirituals invoke the imagery of the “Promised Land” as heaven or paradise and as an escape from slavery, which can often only be reached by death. The imagery and term also appear elsewhere in popular culture, in sermons, and in speeches such as Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1968 “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”, in which he said: “I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live – a long life; longevity has its place.”
“But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. So I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” King talked about dying in a speech the day before his assassination on April 4, 1968
Ironically, the promised Land also known as (“The Land of Milk and Honey”) is the land which, according to the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament), God promised and subsequently gave to Abraham and to his descendants. In modern contexts the phrase “Promised Land” expresses an image and idea related both to the restored homeland for the Jewish people and to salvation and liberation. The promised land in the Bible was that geographic area God the Father swore to give to his chosen people, the descendants of Abraham
On the other hand, Golgotha was the place Christ was finally crucified. Arriving there took a process and it was torturous indeed. But all through the process, Christ kept reminding His followers of the expected result from the beginning. It was at the point Christ was nailed, but alas it became the turning point! The same way, no leader in Nigeria past or present will accept that they did not get the warnings of where their choice would lead us to.
Unfortunately, our leaders “rulers” only chose to be blind, deaf and dumb. Golgotha is here! Golgotha as we know is the common name of the spot, a hill near Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified; it is a place of suffering, a place of burial. The evangelists interpret it as meaning “the place of a skull” (Matthew 27:33; Mark 15:22; John 19:17).
The frustrations resulting from these failings, failures and disappointments gaze Nigerians on their faces, and presently manifests in challenges such as; irredeemable insecurity in the country, absence of water, no petrol, no diesel, skyrocketed price of food items, perennial electricity crisis, outrageous number of out-of-school which currently stands at an all time high of over 10.2 million with girls leading in number, and unemployment rate, going by the NBS report stands at outrageous 33.5% rate.
Sadly the pain of these tragedies is deepened by the fact that they were avoidable. Hence, the necessity for a new political ecosystem that has become imperative. There is a need to place governance and politics at the centre of research on transformations towards sustainability. Here comes the MANDATE – if ultimately, the mandate becomes unanimous, will it navigate us back to the promised land from Golgotha? On BAT’s Mandate.
The imperatives facing Nigerians today includes but not limited to the issues of; security, quality representation, vibrant legislation, good education, political and economic stability – will our collective bargaining and the ultimate mandate navigate us through the storm back to the promised land? Ultimately, good governance and prosperous new era, is what we demand for as a troubled nation in distress. This is the Nigerian collective bargaining for the ultimate mandate.
When Nigeria works for all, it will matter less what religious or ethnic group a Nigerian belongs. If the ‘Mandate’ is one which is most likely to put Nigeria on the right track and make the country great; a distinguished Senator, of the third republic, that is honest, sincere and capable to make Nigeria work for all Nigerians instead of selected minority and sectional interests; a mandate that mainstreamed prosperity.
In conclusion, if or when unanimously mandated, the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, must of all necessity transcend “life-long ambition” the incoming President, should possess the kinds of qualities of a transformational leader who drives innovation and inspires new ways of thinking, harnessing a team’s creativity to respond to change and challenges – a dynamic leadership of modern day globalization.
Therefore, as a nation destined for greatness: we want good governance; we want the good of our nation more than the seasonal stipends; we want a nation that is prosperous and safe for our children and generations yet unborn. A beautiful place well plan like the countries and places that attracts tourism and investment destination – a nation that guarantees freedom of expression and sanctity of life. This is the people’s mandate and demand.
Finally, permit my indulgence to welcome His Excellency, Sen. Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu: former governor of Lagos State, Nigeria. Accomplished personality, tested democrat, advocate of true federalism, nationalist, national leader, All Progressives Congress, APC. The candidate of the ruling party in the 2023 general elections – welcome aboard flight 2023 back to the promised land.
Richard Odusanya
