THE CLARION CALL

Without an iota of doubt, I am convinced that this title is not strange to anyone who at one time or the other has had the opportunity of serving his or her fatherland in any part of Nigeria. Particularly I am talking about serving under the National Youth Service Corps (N.Y.S.C.) scheme.

I am sure also that this title reminds you almost immediately of the N.Y.S.C. anthem:

Youths obey the clarion call
Let us lift our nation high
Under the Sun or in the Rain
With dedication and selflessness
Nigeria is ours, Nigeria we serve.

What beautiful lines those are!

With a high degree of certainty, I am convinced that Mr. Wole Adetiran (OFR), who composed this anthem, is a man who truly understands what it means to have the interest of the nation at heart and be ready to serve, come rain or shine.

As a Nigerian too, who has had the opportunity of serving under N.Y.S.C. the scheme, in the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Makurdi, Benue State to be precise. I have thought over the words of this anthem and gone to check the dictionary for the meaning of the word “CLARION” only to discover that the phrase “CLARION CALL” means, “A strongly expressed demand for action.”

This is what gave birth to the writing of this piece – “THE CLARION CALL!”

To say that Nigeria is a country marred with myriad of problems will not be an understatement or exaggeration of any kind. The indices are so clear. Virtually every Nigerian from small to great is complaining because of the heat we are being bathed with by reason of these “innumerable company of problems.”

However, the point of emphasis here is not to begin to lay bare one after the other the various problems we are faced with on a daily basis, we all know them. These problems cut across all the facets of our national life. All!

The indefatigable former U.S. President, Bill Clinton, on the occasion of his visit to Nigeria, said, “Nobody has a right to complain about anything if he is not willing or ready to do something about it.”

I believe that the astute former President must have borrowed leaf from the idea that has become so enshrined in the mentality of every American today – “Ask not what America can do for you, but what you can do for America.”

It is from this perception that I also want to throw this challenge to you, yes YOU! reading this piece right now.

The time has come for all of us to rise and take up the challenge to improve the lot of our fatherland. But for this to happen, we all must be ready to take the bull by the horns – whether you are young or old; educated or not. It is not about where you live – in the fast paced city or the slow paced village.

The CLARION CALL is a wake up call; it is a call to action; it is a call to duty and responsibility by using whatever ability and capability at your disposal to bring about stability in the socio-economic growth and development of our nation – Nigeria.

This CALL is a challenge to all and sundry, and above all, it is a call we must all answer. No matter who you are or what you do, you have a stake in this country called Nigeria. That is why as long as breath remains in you, you must continue to fight positively against all the ills that have plagued our nation and brought us to the point of degradation.

Above all, I believe that in the long run this fight will bring promotion and foster integration amongst our people, and help to redeem our battered and shattered image amongst the committee of nations. Remember that Nigeria once enjoyed the enviable position of being called the “Giant of Africa.”

This can happen again; this will happen again; and this must happen again! But not until we all answer the “THE CLARION CALL!”

God bless you and God bless Nigeria!

Abiodun Mabadeje

abiodunmabadeje@yahoo.com

08023771690, 07041662789

WAKA-PASS

As an actor with many years of experience, I know that for every story you always have major or main characters and minor characters. Apart from these, there are also such characters that are referred to as ‘extras.’ Here in our local setting we usually refer to these ‘extras’ as “WAKA-PASS.”

These extras are characters whose roles are not usually important; they are part of the crowd. Their inclusion or non-inclusion in the play does not affect the story or its message.

My dear, I want to tell you that a story has been written by the Creator concerning your life, in this story you are supposed to be the R.M.D or Ramsey Noah or any other actor or actress you know. But the question is do you realize your role; how important it is to the story?

God who is the Chief Director expects you as the main character to give your best so that people can come and pay to watch you.

So unfortunate though, is the fact that most people do not understand their roles in the story of their own lives. They do not know how important they are to the Chief Director who is also the Producer putting so much resources on the ground to get the best out of them.

Most people see themselves as “WAKA-PASS” – ‘not important,’ ‘insignificant,’ ‘won’t amount to anything,’ ‘can’t change the story,’ and so on.

I tell you today, that is a wrong perception of who you really are. Rev. Sam Adeyemi titled one of his books – “You Are More Than This.” In other words all we see of you right now is not all there is to your life. Bishop T. D. Jakes says, “The only number you add to another and does not increase the value of that other number is the number zero.” You are not a zero but a hero. You may have written exams before and you failed. It does not mean you are a failure, it only means you are yet to succeed. Your business may be experiencing doom instead of boom, but I want you to know that in spite of the gloom there is still room for improvement. Bishop David Oyedepo on his part said, “There is a treasure in your nature, which you can use to terminate all the pressures in your life.”

I will simply put it to you like this, God did not create you for a life of mediocrity or obscurity but to be a celebrity and that is why He gave the ability to counter the effects of the reality of the calamity that subsist in your society. God gave you ability so that you will not be a liability. You are an asset!

It has been proven that there are over six billion people on the face of the earth today but none is like you. There is no second you; none has the same finger or footprints as yours. You are special. “Fearfully and wonderfully made” says the Bible. If you want the glory make sure you fulfill your purpose by playing your role as the main character in your story. You are not a “WAKA-PASS.”

God bless you!

The difference between life and death is nothing more than a second. People die sometimes not because of anything other than recklessness.

On Thursday the 1st of March, I was coming back from Ilorin, Kwara State, where I had gone to attend a seminar both as facilitator and Compere. On the way back to Lagos, God delivered me and the rest of the people in the bus from accident twice within the space of about 5 minutes. These accidents would have been caused by reckless drivers who overtook other vehicles ahead of them without necessary caution.

If you are reading this, please know that whenever you are on the road, there are other road users and it is important you take that into account, or else you might kill someone and even yourself.

This March, you will not die. Shallom