THE PROMISE OF HOPE Dear friends, 25 years ago, Nigerians came out in large numbers to send the military back to their barracks. They came ...
THE PROMISE OF HOPE
Dear friends,
25 years ago, Nigerians came out in large numbers to send the military back to their barracks. They came together
across tribe and tongue to make a clear statement in the freest and fairest election in Nigeria’s history. Briefly, the
heavens opened, and we got a glimpse of what Nigeria could be.
Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola’s campaign was about hope—hope that Nigeria could live up to its
promise. Hope that at last, the most populous black nation on earth could take its rightful place in the world.
June 12, 1993 was the high point of that hope. It was the day when Nigerians arrived at the ballot box sick and tired
of the status quo. They were so tired that in that election, Northerners voted massively for Abiola, a Southern
candidate, with Bashir Tofa his challenger, losing his home state of Kano.
That hope was snatched from us by our military overlords and remains so till this day.
We go into the 2019 elections faced with the exact same problems we had in 1993. Nigeria does not have new
problems, but old problems that have deepened. Even when the military clothes are replaced with an agbada, the
problems are the same.
With a candidacy that offered hope, Abiola sought to solve those problems, but those who think themselves lords
and masters over us denied the will of the people. Many of them are still alive today, still deciding who gets what.
But I believe that the hope of June 12, 1993 still resides in Nigeria. I believe so because in my travels across the
country and interaction with Nigerians, I see the same distaste for the status quo that existed in 1993. I see the same
desire for something bold, new and different. I see the same thirst for a government that is truly on the side of the
people.
I saw that desire for something different in a brief conversation with Ahmed, a farmer in Nasarawa. He had lost
most of his farmland to herdsmen, and repeated calls to the police to act have gone unanswered. While speaking
to me through a translator, he said: “It has never been this bad. I have lost all I own.”
Chinedu, whom I met during a town hall in Ebonyi, lost his job and has been unemployed for months, and does
odd jobs just to make it through the day. I got a letter recently from someone in Port Harcourt, who lost her child
due to a lack of oxygen at the hospital. She wrote: “Please help stop more children from dying.”
The spirit of June 12 is not just about the past, but the future. It is about whether we can, as a people, reach out and
reclaim the promise of that day.
The significance of this day goes beyond recent attempts to use it for partisan political advantage. To honour a man
truly is not to give him titles and declare holidays. To honour a man is to keep his legacy and carry on the vision he
wished for the people he hoped to lead. As an entrepreneur himself, Abiola understood the power of enterprise
and industries. He didn’t pay lip service to it, he got involved in alleviating poverty to the highest level that he could
as a citizen.
June 12 stands for something much bigger than public holidays. It embodies the hope of Nigerians for a future that
is better and more prosperous than the past and present.
To make this future our reality, we must come together and recognise that we need a clean break from the status
quo to forge a new path to prosperity. We must realise collectively that our current political class are incapable of
delivering on the promise of Nigeria.
Nigerians who flocked to the ballot box 25 years ago understood this and voted unequivocally for an end to what
was then 14 years of military rule.
They chose to ignore empty promises and intimidation to participate in an election that will stand for all time.
To honour their sacrifice of those who fought and died for the restoration of that mandate, and stay true to the
spirit of June 12, we must restore that hope that our country can be better. We must refuse to give in to the cynical
people who say nothing can be done, who say it has all been decided already.
It is time to get off the wheel of misfortune and pave a new road to the Nigeria we desire. It is time to replace our
songs of woe with a new song. It is time for fresh leadership and a decisive approach to nation building.
One of the lessons of June 12 is that we have our future in our hands. If we heed this lesson, new possibilities will
open up for us.
God bless you, and God bless Nigeria.
Kingsley Moghalu
About Kingsley Moghalu
As a global leader who has made contributions to the stability, progress and wealth of nations and communities across academia, economic policy, entrepreneurship, diplomacy and more, Professor Kingsley Moghalu has taught and inspired citizens from more than 40 countries in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia, mentoring men and women for leadership roles in business, military intelligence, non-profits, and government service.
A visionary thinker and thought leader, he is the author of several books, including the international bestseller 'Emerging Africa: How the Global Economy's 'Last Frontier' Can Prosper and Matter', an international keynote speaker at industry conferences, and a frequent commentator on global issues in the media including CNN, BBC World TV, Bloomberg, and the Financial Times.
As Deputy Governor of the CBN from 2009-2014, he led the execution of extensive reforms in the Nigerian banking system after the global financial crisis. He was a member of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee that brought inflation down into single digits.
Dear friends,
25 years ago, Nigerians came out in large numbers to send the military back to their barracks. They came together
across tribe and tongue to make a clear statement in the freest and fairest election in Nigeria’s history. Briefly, the
heavens opened, and we got a glimpse of what Nigeria could be.
Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola’s campaign was about hope—hope that Nigeria could live up to its
promise. Hope that at last, the most populous black nation on earth could take its rightful place in the world.
June 12, 1993 was the high point of that hope. It was the day when Nigerians arrived at the ballot box sick and tired
of the status quo. They were so tired that in that election, Northerners voted massively for Abiola, a Southern
candidate, with Bashir Tofa his challenger, losing his home state of Kano.
That hope was snatched from us by our military overlords and remains so till this day.
We go into the 2019 elections faced with the exact same problems we had in 1993. Nigeria does not have new
problems, but old problems that have deepened. Even when the military clothes are replaced with an agbada, the
problems are the same.
With a candidacy that offered hope, Abiola sought to solve those problems, but those who think themselves lords
and masters over us denied the will of the people. Many of them are still alive today, still deciding who gets what.
But I believe that the hope of June 12, 1993 still resides in Nigeria. I believe so because in my travels across the
country and interaction with Nigerians, I see the same distaste for the status quo that existed in 1993. I see the same
desire for something bold, new and different. I see the same thirst for a government that is truly on the side of the
people.
I saw that desire for something different in a brief conversation with Ahmed, a farmer in Nasarawa. He had lost
most of his farmland to herdsmen, and repeated calls to the police to act have gone unanswered. While speaking
to me through a translator, he said: “It has never been this bad. I have lost all I own.”
Chinedu, whom I met during a town hall in Ebonyi, lost his job and has been unemployed for months, and does
odd jobs just to make it through the day. I got a letter recently from someone in Port Harcourt, who lost her child
due to a lack of oxygen at the hospital. She wrote: “Please help stop more children from dying.”
The spirit of June 12 is not just about the past, but the future. It is about whether we can, as a people, reach out and
reclaim the promise of that day.
The significance of this day goes beyond recent attempts to use it for partisan political advantage. To honour a man
truly is not to give him titles and declare holidays. To honour a man is to keep his legacy and carry on the vision he
wished for the people he hoped to lead. As an entrepreneur himself, Abiola understood the power of enterprise
and industries. He didn’t pay lip service to it, he got involved in alleviating poverty to the highest level that he could
as a citizen.
June 12 stands for something much bigger than public holidays. It embodies the hope of Nigerians for a future that
is better and more prosperous than the past and present.
To make this future our reality, we must come together and recognise that we need a clean break from the status
quo to forge a new path to prosperity. We must realise collectively that our current political class are incapable of
delivering on the promise of Nigeria.
Nigerians who flocked to the ballot box 25 years ago understood this and voted unequivocally for an end to what
was then 14 years of military rule.
They chose to ignore empty promises and intimidation to participate in an election that will stand for all time.
To honour their sacrifice of those who fought and died for the restoration of that mandate, and stay true to the
spirit of June 12, we must restore that hope that our country can be better. We must refuse to give in to the cynical
people who say nothing can be done, who say it has all been decided already.
It is time to get off the wheel of misfortune and pave a new road to the Nigeria we desire. It is time to replace our
songs of woe with a new song. It is time for fresh leadership and a decisive approach to nation building.
One of the lessons of June 12 is that we have our future in our hands. If we heed this lesson, new possibilities will
open up for us.
God bless you, and God bless Nigeria.
Kingsley Moghalu
About Kingsley Moghalu
As a global leader who has made contributions to the stability, progress and wealth of nations and communities across academia, economic policy, entrepreneurship, diplomacy and more, Professor Kingsley Moghalu has taught and inspired citizens from more than 40 countries in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia, mentoring men and women for leadership roles in business, military intelligence, non-profits, and government service.
A visionary thinker and thought leader, he is the author of several books, including the international bestseller 'Emerging Africa: How the Global Economy's 'Last Frontier' Can Prosper and Matter', an international keynote speaker at industry conferences, and a frequent commentator on global issues in the media including CNN, BBC World TV, Bloomberg, and the Financial Times.
As Deputy Governor of the CBN from 2009-2014, he led the execution of extensive reforms in the Nigerian banking system after the global financial crisis. He was a member of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee that brought inflation down into single digits.
COMMENTS