By Muyiwa Adetiba

I am sure we have all prayed for a better year—even those who got promoted, got juicy political appointments or secured fat contracts in the previous year. It is in the nature of man to wish for better and higher things always. Unfortunately, many of us downsized in many different ways last year and would want a change in fortune. So many of us must have spent the first day of this year at our different places of worship in search of the elusive better year. Many churches fasted in the first three days of the year to this end; many are still fasting. In the past, before we all got this religious, we used to write a list of dos and don’ts—called resolutions—for the year.

This became the butt of New Year jokes because many were not worth the paper they were written on. By the third month, many of the resolutions would have been broken. Those that included a change in lifestyle would have been pushed forward until yet another month; until it became yet another year. Now, it seems more expedient, even if it is more irresponsible, to pass it all to God in prayer. You want to stop smoking? No problem, just pray about it. Is it drinking, or maybe drugs that is your problem? Have a vigil on it and the craving will gradually disappear like magic. Is it wealth? Spend more time in church. Yes, God is capable no doubt; but is He culpable for all the near misses in our lives? All the acts of irresponsibility we subject ourselves to? I think our mind set is largely the culprit.

Perhaps the greatest gift given to man by his creator is his mind. It is that intangible thing which defines us. It is what makes an athlete take one more step or a boxer throw one more punch when the body is crying for a rest. It is what enables achievers in all fields of endeavour to shut out indulgent distractions to spend lonely days and night behind their desks. A questing mind is the mind that probes; that asks ‘why not’? And thus seeks solutions to life’s problems. We also can expand it or close it. There was a friend in our younger days who was fond of changing his mind on issues. When challenged, he simply said his mind was God’s gift to him and his to change as often as he wanted.

As true as this is, it is usually said that a man who changes his mind often stands the risk of being described as unreliable. Yet the bane of our continent are not those who change their minds often but those who refuse to change their minds or put more succinctly, people who close their minds. Africa is the most endowed of the five continents, yet it is the poorest. We do not have extreme weather yet we are unable to make our environment hospitable and comfortable for the people. Our land is rich yet we are unable to till it for the collective good. We want a crime free society yet we create a deep chasm between the very rich and the poor in the land. We desire a better society yet we are unable to change the mind set and the old ways that have impoverished the people. Every year, we wish for a better economy and a better society but our minds play the same old discordant tunes.

This year is only three weeks old; yet about four professional associations have either gone on strike or signalled the intention to embark on one. Two of them belonging to resident doctors and university dons represent the most learned in our society. Every year they go on strike. Yet every year, their situation deteriorates. Why they cannot go back to the drawing board to find fresh ways of engaging their situation beats me. Why enlightened minds think that what worked some 50 years ago or in a different clime must work for all times and in all climes is beyond me. Talk about a New Year and an old mind set.

A country that has no business being in recession given its human and natural resources is spending its second year in recession. Yet we are not looking inwards to address the fundamentals of our structure. The States go cap in hand to the centre to share the national cake. It is a system that allows sloth and unproductivity. Let each State bake its own cake. Those who deny hospitality and creativity in their domain should in no way benefit from the proceeds of these ventures. Nigeria has practised a unity form of government in everything but name since I was an adult. It has not worked.

It is time we tried a truly federal form of government and see whether the agitations for ethnic self- expression would decrease. Another issue we must not be afraid to open our minds to is why corruption oozes from every pore in our country. Where did we get it wrong? Our current fight against corruption is obviously not working. We need to open our minds in order to address the root cause of corruption in our land. Why are our politicians considered the elites in the country? Why is political office a do or die affair? Why is there impunity even in the rank and file? Can we effect a change in our political structure especially concerning the legislature?

It seems to me that the present Federal Government is of the mind set that there is very little wrong with the current political set-up in the country. All we need is a little stability in the Niger-Delta region; all we need is a little increase in our agricultural production and we are good to go. I beg to disagree. We can be the America of Africa if only we can open our minds to the immense possibilities in Nigeria. But first, we have to change our mind set and get rid of the rent-seeking elites. We must evolve a system that gets every man and woman including the physically challenged into productive work; into earning their pay.

This New Year, let the spinster looking for a husband change her mind set. Let the worker looking for the elusive promotion change his mind set. Let the husband looking for peace at home change his mind set. Let the wife who has lost her husband’s love change her mind set. Let our leaders beset by economic and social upheavals change their mind set. It’s a new year after all. Let’s not continue to pour new wine into an old wine skin.