Hope seems blurry but regardless, we are always on guard for the worst. The power of unity is more formidable than any obstacles we navigate through in track and trash. We must have learnt how to live with the uncertainties, but how long before our strength fails us? In as much as we are blessed with the grace of sailing through our entire struggle so far, but we must not push our grace to the limit before it runs dry.

Expectations are cut short, losses are encountered, equilibrium disturbed, dealing with fate as if we are bargaining. We didn’t plan this, so we live through it the best way possible and still hoping we measure up with all the names we are being called, including the ones we call ourselves such as third world, primitive, corrupt, etc. All things have never being equal, but we grow in strength by every challenge conquered.

Nigeria is getting ready for another initiation of mandate and the passage of mantle by 2019. Mandates and manifestoes on a soil where all seeds have not the same season for germination, much less harvesting. This is not a mantle for mere formality; it is for giants ready and strong enough to uphold the title of Giant of Africa. Factors that perturb mandates read to us years after years must be weed out before the planting season, by serious commitment to exercising our franchise and being incorruptible to our conscience.

Election period is the period of investing in the future of our country and her citizenry, hence determining her fate right before it is given the chance to be mismanaged or properly administrated upon. We must realise that this is nature giving us the chance to create what will become tomorrow, with all odds and chances being played out by ourselves. We can avoid misusing this once-in-four-years opportunity, by not giving in to shortcut of proper scrutiny, taking a chance to look at the faces of our children and determine what we want them to learn; what they are to be called when they grow and interact with peers from other parts of the world. Will they be proud to say they came from us, or feel like mediocres? These are questions for our conscience today. This is not a mere game, but must be seen as a chance to determine what the future will bring, and a chance to correct our mistakes and build up courage for our fatherland. Emphasis must be on peace and unity, with love and strength and faith.

All things can be equal when put in their right and proper perspectives. All voices must be given the opportunity to be heard without intimidation, yet with proper attention to the lines before we chorus along. Let the result tally with the scale without undue pressure or influence. If not, why bother at all with the stress of weighing our chances of being committed to our rights and duties?

All things must be equal to eradicate poor and incomplete infrastructure, ineffective administration, uncontrollable and sudden disturbance from sectioned agitations. Our course for progress must be on merit and hard-work, in other to be able to bear the fortitude that comes with every good labour. Lasting growth and development cannot be achieved by a magic wand. It is only by preparedness, with a clear picture of the future we want to have in our minds and the willingness to be selfless and uninfluenced by religious and cultural biases, all things being equal. We can overcome all setbacks and build ourselves a lasting and favourable legacy for the future and even a paradise for our children. Only then can we have ceteris paribus.

•Esther Chizaram Ngele writes via fab_esy@yahoo.com

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