Secure Your Own Future Too

By Shehu Bashir Esq.

Permit me to give this brief admonition. In this life, experience is an experiment, an encounter that will always produce something, positive or negative.

Like a scientist in the laboratory, what you encounter in life, the way life treats you, the way the people treat you or see you should always make you a better person if only you can learn from each of these experiences. Truly, this life no balance.

In this life, please, know one basic rule – nobody cares so much about you as you may care about them. People have boundaries and in most cases, they set the limit for others. Ironically, as a victim of dogma, you may not even know it. You are in a subliminal state of blind loyalty. You may not even know how your time is wasted “worshipping“ them until you have no time again for yourself.

The circle you think you are which should ordinarily aid your growth, you may just be a steward in that circle without you knowing it. It’s such a pity state of unconscious self deception.

Those you are dealing with or hoping on with all your love, commitment, dedication, sacrifice, loyalty and respect do not necessarily see you as a “son” or a partner or a friend or a colleague who deserves a reward in return when the opportunity comes. They see you as a tool for their own end.

To them, you are a cheap labour for their crop production (financial, economical, social psychological and political gains). You are not even an insured asset let alone paying any premium on you. You are on your own.

However, when they are caught in the web of their own hypocrisy and double standards, they will try to win a social praise through “eye service” gestures.

The worst part is when you go on a lone “hunting” to get yourself a lawful and deserving favour, it is even more difficult for them to support you. In some cases, they wish you bad. If they have such other powers, they can even demarket you and destroy reputation with those who truly want to help you. Life is never a fair deal.

I have come to realize that nobody is doing anything for anyone, technically. Religious admonition or moral preachings do not even tickle their conscience anymore. Everything they do or aim to do in that position of power is both for them and their own biological relations. You are not equal to them and they even sometimes see you as inferior to their children. What they need you for is what they are using you and what they are keeping you for. You dare not raise your hand in expression, you are consider a dissent.

When you are in fair competition with their own biological relations or someone more dear to them than you, no matter how dedicated you are to them, even when you merit more, they will rather delay it for their ward to clinch it or they throw it away. I am not writing a toy story, these are life time experiences that I have seen.

Those who cannot expressly say no to you when you ask will slyly cajole you with a sermon of patience. They will ask you to wait for what is not coming until they have come and gone out of relevance. To them, a push for your career advancement is an over ambition. Meanwhile, they can leap frog their own ward to skip the scale and run to the peak. It is a sick mindset, suppressive attitude, irresponsible repression and oppressive control mentality.

If you are lucky to encounter them, just tell them you have an ambition to do one big thing, they will instantly use the power and of their office to block your chances. If they are too scared to do that open or confront you with a no answer, they will give you with silence treatment. They don’t care if you lose such golden opportunity to an outsider, for as long as you don’t get it, it’s ok by them.

The mindset of an average Nigerian leader, or an administrator, be it president, governor, Minister, Director General of this, Managing Director of that, or any such political office holder, high, medium or low, is to have everything to their own advantage. They love the ovation and they enjoy the outcome only for their own personal good. When it is your time to shine, they see you as “ruining faster than your shadow“.

It doesn’t matter to them if you lose everything from your open celebration of them. You are a tool for their own good. When the opportunity comes better, you are rarely the best candidate in their eyes unless of course they have no choice.

What is just, fair or justice to them is in the template of their own selfishness. Rules are applied selectively. When it matters to you, they hit the nail on the head to push you out of favour. But if it about their biological ward, they vary or veto the rule. Indeed, to them, justice is a relative definition.

Your loyalty, however, staunch does not matter to them. They know where they want to plant their tree and for what. They will use you to till the land but when the tree produces any fruits or even provides shade, they don’t see you as a partner in progress but a serf in need. Yes, you are a means to their own end.

In some cases, some of them who know your intellectual capacity and patriotic zeal to change the tide for a better governance would still try to underrate your value and competence. No matter the impeccability of your integrity, they just can’t imagine you are also ripe enough to take up the mantle of leadership. To them, you are always too small in their eyes and you don’t deserve the chance.

A declaration of your harmless personal ambition is perceived as a threat to them. If it is possible, they want all the position of power to be occupied by them and their family members alone.

When you think they have your back as you have always had their back, risking everything for them, they will throw you under the bus like a dead meat.

They will only applaud you so that you can continue to be the irrigation to their desert land. The moment they find alternative to your usefulness, they bury you in the shallow grave of abandonment. E go shock you.

This world doesn’t care about anyone with such passion and compassion, you are seen only as a conditional partner. The perception of you by those you hope on is in the convenience of subservience. The day you rise to utilize your God given asset for yourself, they will fly a kite of blackmail on you and call you all manner of names.

Unless you redefine your essence and go on your own journey, those you are relying on or mingling with to push you up are not genuine with you. You can only achieve your personal goals when you stop idolizing them. Respect those who deserve your respect, expect the worst from them and hope only in your God.

My fellow compatriots, never you allow your own God-given intellectual and administrative assets be used as some people’s raw material for their production. Take care of yourself, for yourself, your family and for the good of the nation that you truly love. Work for your children and ensure that you secure their future so that your children will not serve their children as you have tirelessly served or still serving them.

Therefore, worship them less, have your hope only in God, prepare yourself for eventual separation from their tie and work towards growing your own garden by yourself and for yourself. Get yourself an independent means of livelihood outside their perks, do not rely on anybody’s promise that you may fall into slumber. Develop that mindset of greatness through your personal efforts and God’s favour and everything shall fall in line for you.

If you don’t prepare for life without dependence, the goodies of life may leave you behind. Life is freedom. Freedom is life.

GOD IS HERE.