By Dumebi Kachikwu
Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress in the 2023 General Elections.
Robert Frost in his popular poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ said ‘Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.’
My dear Nigerians, we have come to the beginning of another year. New resolutions, new round of prayers and another opportunity for a hard reset or a fresh start.
Today I would like us to consider the path we have taken as individuals and as a nation. Do we continue with prayers and resolutions whilst on the same popular path that has led us nowhere or do we take the road less traveled?
2025 will be the year of tough choices and our very survival as individuals and as a people will depend on the choices we make.
Do we continue in mediocrity or make excellence the minimum standard?
Do we continue with ethnicity and religion or run our nation on a merit based system? Do we continue with a nation and government that works for a few or one that works for us all?
Do we continue in hate and strife or in peace and love? We need to make choices concerning the corruption that pervades every facet of our society, the failure of our health care and education systems, the increasing moral decay in our nation and the absence of civility in our civic space.
Our individual choices affect the collective. The blame game is no longer fashionable. We must accept that only through personal responsibility and commitment can we bring about the desired change we need in our lives and our nation.
Every man for himself and God for us all has not worked for us. Our destinies are bound by blood and brotherhood and no amount of ethnic agitation will put asunder the Nigeria that God has created.
We must all accept this truth and commit to the building of a new Nigeria that will be a beacon of hope to all men. It all begins and ends with the choices we make in 2025. Happy New Year to you all.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. God bless you all.
