As a typical African, I'm obsessed by love for you, to such an extent that as single as I'm, I imagine playing or going to zoo with you. 'Abban Abdul' (the father of Abdul) a contracted form of Abdullahi is the name some of my friends now fondly call me, while others prefer 'Abban Sumy' (the father of Sumy) a contracted form of Sumayya. This made me very concerned about your future especially at the eve of the recently concluded 2015 Nigerian General Elections, going by the dreadful prediction of the American Central Investigation Agency (CIA) in 2006 that, Nigeria will disintegrate in the year 2015. We thank God for now that the CIA's prediction proved 'abortive' and in contrast, the much expected 'new' Nigeria is birthed.
Dear Abdul and Sumy, my congratulations to you for the prospect of your coming to the world in a 'new' Nigeria, to be steered by the President-Elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (GMB) and assisted by Govenor- Elect, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (AUG) of Kano State. The chief factor that brought about the new Nigeria is aptly prophesised many decades ago in a famous quotation by the former premier of the Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo when he says: 'A day will come when Nigerian masses from the North and South, Christians, Muslims and animists will merge as a force for progress and unity to kick against rigging, corruption and tyranny.'
God willing, Abdul and Sumy as well as the posterity, won't witness the reality about the dreaded Boko Haram. The 1960s Biafran civil war and Kano's 1980s Maitastine uprising were learnt by me in my history subjects. Similarly, you shall not witness artificial poverty, horrible corruption, comatose health system, uncontrollable unemployment and un-punishable exam malpractice. Others are rampant traffic accident, epileptic electricity, powerful election rigging, incessant child abuse, shocking kidnapping and what not. In other words, promising siblings like you, won't breathe 'wicked' or 'deceptive' fresh air but an 'actual' fresh one. You will only learn of all these national atrocities in your Social Studies and History subjects at schools, by your teachers, whom may probably be part of the more than 200 'about to be' rescued Chibok girls.
More also, I pray you will only read in books and perhaps watch in documentaries the 'life and death' of politics that characterized the polity in the country now. In the 'new Nigeria' in question, there will be a truly democratic politics as played in the West or even better. What comes to my mind at this juncture is the rare gesture of the outgoing President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) of conceding defeat to the incoming President even prior to the official announcement of the result of the polls by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) boss, Prof. Muhammad Attahiru Jega. This earned him praises from the President of the US, Barack Obama and other presidents. The concession even won him awards from some international groups. GEJ's gesture served as a example to other losers in Nigeria, ranging from the incumbent State Governors to the State House of Assembly members, not forgetting even the non-incumbents, who unhesitatingly followed suit.
Your father prays you won't know the ethnic and religious jingoism which is mostly inflamed by some crooks and good-for-nothing politicians as a 'divide and rule' tactics, in the new Nigeria.
Injustice would have been done to this article without congratulating Baba Buhari for his success in the concluded presidential polls. Your relentless 12-year Nigerian presidential bid brought far to our home: It is needless to us, as prospective fathers, when we want to encourage our children to be determined, to draw example(s) from Lincoln of America, Ghandi of India or even Mandela of South Africa. Lincoln, Ghandi and Mandela put together is here with us.
Oh Allah! You are the (Kumfa Yakun) and the All-Poweful, help us, the masses to understand that 'Rome was not built in a day'. Baba Buhari is neither magician nor God-sent angel that can transform Nigeria from the mess she was plunged into by the previous governments in only five or six years but rather gradually. Oh the 'Kumfayakun', make the posterity positively differ from the messy present!
(C) Bello Sagir Imam 2015.
