TY Bello "I watch this young lady, listen to her rasp her way through the hope-filled words that seem to come directly from deep within her soul, and I feel an urge to do something; to push despair and despondency out of the way; to join her in clearing corruption off our national pathway. She’s daring us all to dream again, to hope again and to begin now, because yesterday is gone and the future is today. How I wish she had written the inauguration address! "
These are very exciting times in our land. President Goodluck Jonathan is pushing what he calls a transformational agenda. He is saying all the right things. His very first appointment, that of a former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), though criticized by some, has been welcomed by many as a sign that integrity will at last play some role in the selection of public officers.
He has met with the leadership of the top political parties, except, unfortunately, Congress for Political Change (CPC), which according to media reports, did not honour the invitation. What those who attended had to say, after the meeting was indicative that we may truly be on the threshold of a renaissance.
The Governors’ Forum held a training programme for returning and fresher governors to prepare them for the job at hand. At least two of the political parties were widely reported to have held seminars for their elected officers. The cliché: “not business as usual”, seems set to have some meaning!
As readers of this column know, I wasn’t a fan of Candidate Goodluck Jonathan, but the elections are over and he’s president now! He is the duly elected chief executive officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with a responsibility to steer the ship of state and, he seems ready and willing to give it his best shot. It’s early days yet, though, and one is definitely taking the risks of speaking too soon, but, you know something? I am willing to give this a try.
As I write, my mind just wonders to this beautiful young lady, who since her days as a member of KUSH, a Nigerian gospel female quartet, never ceases to amaze me with her depth. Her name is TY Bello, a very deep lyricist, creative portrait photographer, wife, mother and my sister-in-the-Lord. Lately, she has afforded me some of my best moments on television, with her latest video. Titled, Future, it is an inspirational and patriotic work of musical beauty. You’ve got to see and savour it yourself, but here, straight from the song’s official website, is the lyric of a song that has helped strengthen my faith in our possibilities as a nation:
Verse 1
We are the future
We are the dream
We are the nation
We are part of this
Yes, we are so amazing
That’s the least we shall be
At the heart of the nation changing history
Bridge
How can we say that we are finished
We have just begun
When we have nowhere else to run to
We have nowhere else to go
So get out of the way
Of the land of our dream
We are the nation
We are part of this
We are the nation
We are part of this
Chorus
Ohoooo, carry the song
Carry the sound
The future is here
The future is here
Goodbye yesterday
Tomorrow is now for the taking
The future is here
The future is here
Verse 2
I am the future
I am the dream
I am the nation
I am part of this
Yes, I am are so amazing
That’s the least I shall be
At the heart of the nation changing history
I watch this young lady, listen to her rasp her way through the hope-filled words that seem to come directly from deep within her soul, and I feel an urge to do something; to push despair and despondency out of the way; to join her in clearing corruption off our national pathway. She’s daring us all to dream again, to hope again and to begin now, because yesterday is gone and the future is today. How I wish she had written the inauguration address!
However, even as I let myself go, at 62, determined to escape the “curse” of being part of that generation of people, as someone once starkly put it, who lived better than their parents and better than their children, I know that we all have to play our part. TY Bello, for instance, has played and is still playing her part. Until now, I thought I have been playing my part, and that is not untrue. But, I know that I have to keep at it, up the ante, for indeed, the stakes are higher today that at any other time in our history.
That is why I shall not stop calling on the Church, to which I belong, to rise up from its business as usual composure. When I wrote a serial titled, Wake-Up Call to Church Leaders; did an Open Letter series to the president of Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor; when I proclaimed, by divine unction that 2011 was the year of the Church, I was trying to point out the need for the Church in Nigeria get up and get involved.
To a significant extent, the church did, in collaboration with many other segments of society, and that is why we are where we are today. That is why we can talk about a reasonably free, fair and credible election, which with all its warts is the best in the history of Nigeria, with the possible exception still of June 12, 1993.
However, we cannot stop there; we dare not! People have been elected; a good percentage of them profess faith in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. In other words they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Many of them are going there with the best of intentions. But so did many in the past, who came back warped by the system. Are there ways the Church can help them? Are their things that we, as a Church, led by the Holy Spirit of God, can draw their attention to which they should put on the front burner? My answer is yes, on both counts. And I shall try to point out some next time here.
Meanwhile, let’s “carry the song; Carry the sound; the future is here… Goodbye yesterday; tomorrow is now for the taking; the future is here…” Thanks, TY, you are truly amazing (CONTINUES).
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