Nurudeen Ibrahim
Independence is impor betant to every nation. It means freedom and Allah wants freedom for His creation.
Prophet Musa led the people of Israel to Independence and our Holy prophet Muhammad also led the Muslim Arabs to Independence and established a nation free from the persecution and slavery of Pagan Arabs.
In a broader Islamic perspective, independence is seen as follows:
Independence from Slavery
Independence from Oppression
Independence from Tyranny
Independence from Injustice
Independence from Ignorance
Independence from Paganism and Idolatry (Shirk)
Independence from Lack of Necessary Amenities
Our country Nigeria is a great country that is blessed with resources, intellectuals and great people. Despite our challenges, we are still better than so many other countries. Nowhere in the world is completely rosy as some may assume. In this presentation, we will focus on the positive sides of the country and will do less criticism so that we can achieve a better result.
BUILDING A NATION
Building a nation is a collective effort and it requires sincere collaboration between the Government and the Masses. To build a nation a foundation upon which the nation will stand is most important. Two basic things constitute the foundation: the people and the resources. The people will form the government and the resources inclusive of amenities generate funds for the government. If the people are not good, then it will be difficult to have good government. If the people are good, then having a better government is not difficult. Most Nigerians are not good to themselves as seen in the public spaces. Most Nigerians are not law-abiding compared to other nations. Most Nigerians are selfish: the rich are not ready to support the poor and the needy while the poor want the downfall of the rich. We want money by all means irrespective of who is hurt. The rich are never satisfied. We enjoy bribe to the fullest and we see misappropriation of funds as smartness. Our patriotism has collapsed and our moral values have dwindled. Religious houses are more than companies and industries yet immorality and misconducts are on the rise. Many are misguided by ethnicity and religion which have massacred humanity. Religious leaders preach prosperity instead of posterity, they encourage hatred and discrimination instead of love and harmony and they want their followers to bring money to them by all means irrespective of the source. The politicians are mostly looters and cruel individuals whose interest is selfishness and greed.
To build a nation we all have a great task ahead of us. It is a collective effort from the people and the government. The people and the government have roles to play collectively especially this period when we have a government that is good and determined to rescue the nation.
In order to achieve this, the government must focus on the following:
1. Security
2. Agriculture and Food Circulation
3. Health
4. Education
5. Infrastructures
6. Investment
7. Unity
SECURITY
For any nation to progress efficient security system must be in place. The Federal Government of Nigeria is doing a lot on security by equipping the military with the necessary support and also improving their welfare. However, they need to continue to do more and to also employ more officers into the military and the police. They need to provide quality training to the officers not to oppress the people by way of extortion or demanding bride.
The masses must also work together by not supporting criminals and criminal acts. They must provide support to the security agencies and collectively defend the nation. They must desist from whatever that will disturb the peace of the nation as this disturbance is identified in the Qur’an as fitnah.
Allah (swt) says: ‘Beware of fitnah as it will not only affect the perpetrators but everyone.’ (Q8: 25)
The people constitute terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and hoodlums. People must desist from all these illicit acts in order to achieve better security and peace in the land.
AGRICULTURE
The government must ensure affordable food circulation. Government must support farmers and promote agriculture. They must ensure that the food gets to the masses by breaking the chains of the middle men who are mostly responsible for inflation.
Today people deliberately inflate prices of food for their selfish interest. The government should intensify efforts to control the price of food. If it is possible to get affordable and quality food from other countries, the government should not hesitate to allow this for the benefit of the masses.
Almighty Allah (swt) also promotes trade and agriculture in the Holy Qur’an. All these are to boost the economy and provide food for the nation. He says: ‘He produces for you from (the blessings of rainfall) crops, olives, date-palms, grapes and every kind of fruit: Verily, in that is a sign for those who think deep.’ (Q16: 11)
Insecurity caused by man has also affected food circulation and agriculture in the nation today despite the government efforts.
HEALTH
So far from independence there has been improvement in our health sector. Nigeria has been able to defeat polio and kicked it out of Nigeria. Cholera has been overcome to the minimal. Infant death rate has reduced during labour and from malaria. Nigeria’s swift response to Covid-19 was impressive and acknowledged in the world. As a result of this the Director of NCDC, Dr. Chike Ihekweazu has been recently appointed as Assistant Director-General of the World Health Organization.
In some states, more health centres and hospitals have been built and the existing ones have been renovated to show that the government is working. However, more of these should be replicated and other states should follow the steps of other progressive states. More health workers are also needed with improvement in their salaries.
Our doctors must also appreciate that to train a medical student anywhere in the world is very expensive but Nigeria is doing great by training medical students for free in all the federal universities across the nation. They are trained to provide quality health care for the people and to protect lives of the citizens as pay back to the investment of the government on them. Thus, our doctors and health care workers should have it in mind that the lives of the people are most paramount.
Almighty Allah (swt) says in the Holy Qur’an: ‘Whoever saves a life is considered as if he saves the whole of humanity.’ (Q5: 32)
Corruption in the health care sector must be eradicated by all means in order to build a progressive nation. We have heard of so many cases where senior doctors deliberately refer patients from government hospital to their own private hospitals in order to charge more and make more money from them. We have heard of cases where drugs for the pharmacy department are diverted to staff with private pharmacies. We have heard of those senior staff who were selling personal protective equipment meant for government staff to private hospitals. We have heard of those who are not making government laboratory functions in the hospital and in turn refer patients to their private laboratory for medical tests in order to make more money. All these are classified as fasad (gross corruption).
EDUCATION
In every nation education is germane. Without education ignorance will prevail and a nation will be destroyed. Government has done a lot since independence to provide quality education to the people and built schools that have produced intellectuals and great minds. In some states like Lagos, Kaduna and Borno we have seen magnificent structures for both primary and secondary schools. It will be better that other governors should replicate these in their states and even do more. Education should be affordable and quality of knowledge should not be compromised. More teachers should be employed and trained from time to time. Best students should be rewarded with scholarships. Best teachers should also be compensated. The government as well as leading companies should provide grants for university lecturers to carry out research and discoveries. They should be dedicated in their jobs and make life and education easy for students. More government schools should be built across the nation in order to take care of the increased demands.
Almighty Allah (swt) has placed more emphasis on education. He even taught man to pray as follows: ‘O my Lord! Increase me in knowledge.’ (Q20: 114)
It is unfortunate that the people are doing a lot to destroy the educational system by bringing in unqualified teachers and lecturers, promoting examination malpractices, accepting bribes, lecturers and teachers molesting students and taking sexual advantage of the female students in order to give them pass marks. Some lecturers take employment in other private universities and will abandon their primary assignment in the government universities, yet they get paid and are even at the forefront of calling for nationwide strike. These and some others are the ways the people are destroying the system. The corruption in the educational system remains worrisome.
INFRASTRUCTURES
Infrastructures are important in nation development. Without infrastructure nothing will work. The federal Government of today has placed priority on infrastructures and the results are not hidden. In all the states in this country, there is massive federal road infrastructure going on. Nigeria has also constructed roads to link up some neighbouring countries. Our rail transport system has been revived and improved to international standards. We implore the government to do more in all the states and fix all the bad roads that we have both at the federal, state and the local government levels. In addition, new airports are under construction by the aviation sector of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Bad roads are threat to lives and have caused the termination of more lives over the years. The government must see this as threat to lives and must make sure they put an end to bad roads in this nation. It is sad that some people in government and some politicians make huge money illegal from our bad roads. It is important will tell them that whoever does this will not go free until he faces the wrath of Allah.
Almighty Allah (swt) calls the attention of man towards developing infrastructures for transport system when He says:
‘Allah has made the earth for you as a spread out surface so that you can travail on its massive roads.’ (Q71: 20)
‘We have set out on earth mountains standing fir, lest it should shake with them, and We have made therein highways (roads) so that they can be guided.’ (Q21: 31)
‘We have honoured the Children of Adam (mankind) by conveying them on land and sea, We provided them with pure natural resources and We favoured them above a large proportion of creation.’ (Q17: 70)
Unfortunately, it is the people that are destroying this system and making it difficult to work. Government should intensify efforts to get rid of these people including the bad elements in FRSC, VIO, NPF, LASTMA and all others who have failed to control traffic and protect the lives of road users but are after extortion.
INVESTMENT
Government must provide an enabling environment that will allow investment to thrive and flourish. They must also intensify efforts to support the existing investments and bring in more investors. These will create more jobs for the people and promote circulation of money. Investment dies when there is no security. Over the years, investors have left the shores of this nation and we have seen the collapse of many investments. However, in recent years the government has intensified efforts to bring in more investors to establish in this country. Some of those that left have returned. The government of today has also done a lot to support on Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs (SME) through trader money, survival funds and others. We want the government to still do more and sustain these.
Almighty Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an: ‘Allah has made trade lawful and usury unlawful.’ (Q2: 275)
This verse of the Qur’an enlightens us that usury kills the nation and kills investment. The reason government and other institutions should give out loans to SMEs at zero or very low interests.
UNITY
In any nation, unity is paramount. There is no unity without peace. Government should be able to secure the unity of this nation and put all those instigating disunity and disturbing peace into checks. For unity to prevail there must be justice.
This country is blessed to be multi-ethnic. All the ethnic groups and different tribes must benefit from the dividends of democracy. There must be fairness to ensure peace, unity and harmony. A nation does not progress at this age and time through cessation and disintegration. The bigger a country, the more opportunities embedded in it. All agitators should forego their agitation and dialogue with the government for the people to enjoy better life. Politicians should also desist from instigating instability of the nation and promoting hatred and disunity through ethnicity, religion and other means for their selfish interests.
Almighty Allah (swt) says: ‘We have created you to be of different tribes and ethnic groups in order for you to mutually relate together. The best of you is the most pious of you.’ (Q49: 13)
CHANGE IS PATRAMOUNT FOR EVEYONE
For us to build a better nation and enjoy the life we want, we must all change at all levels. The government must bring positive changes by correcting the evil in the government as well as fighting corruption and injustice. The people too must also change to be better individuals as we are the true reflection of what we see in the government. It is the same people among us that are in the government. It is the same people among us that are in the Police. Parents watch their children to be fraudsters perpetrating the criminal acts of internet and cyber fraud and are yet celebrated as yahoo big boys. Some of them are celebrated and motivated by their parents whereby they still take them to clerics for more blessings. When the people are bad and refused to change, they cannot get a true change in the government except those that will be cruel to them.
Almighty Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an:
‘Allah does not change the situation of a people until they change (the bad attitude in themselves).’ (Q13: 11)
PATRIOTISM
For a nation to be great there must be patriotic citizens. Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) was patriotic, same with Musa (Moses), Dawud (David), Sulaiman (Solomon) and our Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Patriotism is the spirit that drives building a great nation. Without patriotism a nation will collapse. This is why we must refute all those sowing the seeds of killing patriotism in the minds of our youths. We must reject this with totality as they have an un-Godly mission. The scholars of Islam told us that ‘Patriotism is part of Faith.’ In many verses, the Holy Qur’an called the attention of the Holy Prophet Muhammad to patriotism. The Qur’an reminded him that ‘you (Muhammad) are a legitimate indigene of this land.’
PRAYERS AND SEEKING BLESSINGS
Prayers constitute the spiritual dimension to seeking intervention from the Lord and deliverance. Prayer is an indication that power does not belong to man but it belongs to Almighty Allah (God). There is nothing we are capable of doing successfully without the support of Allah. There is no might and no power except with Allah. He is in charge of the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He gives power to whom He wishes and He takes power from whom He wishes. He exalts whom He wishes and brings down whom He wishes. To Him is all that is good and He has power over everything.
When the powerful Goliath and his forces were to defeat and annihilate the people of David and his weak forces, they came together upon sincerity, confessing their helplessness and calling upon Allah: ‘O our Lord! Give us patience (to withstand this hardship) and strengthen our feet and then help us with victory upon the unbelieving people.’(Q2: 250)
After this prayer Allah’s swift intervention came and the powerful Goliath was brought down lifeless with relative ease in the hands of the young David. This was how what seemed to be impossible became possible as a result of prayers.
The people of Abraha when they aimed at destroying the nation of Mecca through the House of Allah called Holy Ka‘ba. They advanced with their heavy military to bring down the Ka‘ba which was the only revenue of that nation. It was the grandfather of the Holy Prophet that said our of conviction: ‘Ka‘ba has a Lord and the Lord will surely protect it.’ Soon after these words of conviction, Allah sent His natural jet fighters and sophisticated Tucanos in form of birds to destroy the entire forces beyond recognition. The Qur’an documented this incident.
During the Battle of Badr, Allah gave victory to the believers who were not well armed like the Pagan forces. This was achieved out of prayer. Same in other confrontations.
Lastly, Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) prayed for his nation and asked for blessings for the people therein. This prayer was answered and till today the citizens are enjoying the blessings. We shall repeat same prayer of Prophet Ibrahim for our dear nation: ‘O our Lord! Make this nation a nation that is secured (from every form of insecurity) and bless its people from the embedded resources.’ (Q2: 126)
CONCLUSION
To build a better nation we need to promote what is good and shun what is bad. We need to help those around us and every other people in need of help.
Almighty Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an:
‘Allah instructs that we should enforce justice and promote positive values (ihsan), to give support to those who are close to us, to forbid evil and eradicate corruption as well as oppression.’ Q16vs90
We pray that Allah should make us good and patriotic citizens and make our nation great. We pray that we all see positive changes in our lives and receive good news from time to time that will benefit us greatly and benefit our dear nation. It is sinful to say that Allah made a mistake for creating us in this country. Allah the Almighty is perfect in all He does and He made us Nigerians in this blessed country so that we all can play our role in building the nation. Because we as Muslims love the decision of Allah we will continue to express our gratitude and love our nation. We join the rest of the citizens to celebrate the nation at 61 and we say Happy Independence! God bless Nigeria!!
Nurudeen Ibrahim
(Director and Imam of IRFAN CENTRE)
