11.11.11.11

The year 2011 is a very historic year. It is in many ways amazing, upturning, chaotic and healing all at the same time.  You don't need a soothsayer to tell you that this year is different in many ways. A closer look at many of the events that have characterized this year so far is enough to show it.

At the very onset, 2011 was heralded by happenings hitherto thought impossible. Revolutions in the least likely region; the middle east and Africa. The wave swept swiftly and firmly across several countries toppling many governments in its wake and ending decades upon decades of sit tight governance.

Natural disasters also took their pride of place. Japan has yet to recover from the devastating earthquake and flood it experienced earlier this year which affected its nuclear reactors and snowballed into a veritable nuclear disaster. The United States too is reeling from its share of hurricanes. Do you also remember the volcanic ash in Iceland that disrupted flight plans across Europe? Even Nigeria is not left out of the flood battle. Indeed, 2011 has been an amazing year so far.

In some schools of ancient wisdom, it is said that 2011 represents the last year within a 12 yearly cycle. It therefore represents the end of an era and also precedes a new one. Like the pain a mother experiences in order to birth a child; these occurrences are said to portray the birthing of a new era in our lives, individually and collectively. This is serious food for thought.

As a country, we believe it is an opportunity to pool our collective energies together to set Nigeria on a new course of prosperity and progress. What's more the year contains certain symbolic dates that we believe can be harnessed for just this purpose.

So at Heal Nigeria, we have set aside the 11th day of November this year to collectively rebuild our nation. The programme is slated for 11am and will have in attendance people from the Baptist Convention, Nasfat, Asabe Yaradua Foundation, Hare Krishna, Eckankar, Traditionalists, everyone who has a stake in this country and would like to see it grow from strength to strength. If you would like to be a part of this programme and we haven't formally invited you yet, please send us your contact details at heal9ja@gmail.com.

However, you can also participate in the programme without actually coming to the venue. All you need to do is set aside a few minutes on that day and do the same thing we will be doing at the venue. You may do this alone or with your friends and family. Simply let us know if you will be participating this way and we will send you copies of the CD "Prayer for Nigeria" which we will be unveiling and airing on radio stations on that day.

Nigeria has got to change for the better. We are happy to let this era end all the things we don't like about Nigeria and will be actively creating the Nigeria of our dreams on 11.11.11.11.

Football & The Nigerian Spirit 2

Nigerians are in  a state right now. And understandably too! The Super Eagles, the nation's national football team just failed to qualify for the African nations cup for the first time in 25 years! People are angry!!

There are so many questions begging to be answered. Like, had Vincent Enyeama, our suspended first choice keeper, manned the goalposts, would the match have gone differently?

Had the coach, Samson Siasia brought in playmaker, Ike Uche much earlier, would we have won?

Had they, could they, would they? The press is going to be agog tomorrow. Blames are going to be traded and scapegoats would very nearly be found. Nigerians don't take kindly to defeat, especially not in football.

But it is striking to note that inspite of the many other issues in the country, not once did arguments about the match degenerate along tribal lines. It never happens with football in Nigeria. It doesn't matter that Ike Uche is  Igbo. Many people, Yoruba and Hausa inclusive, agree that he should have been brought in earlier in the game. Obinna Nsofor's ethnicity was irrelevant when he scored the first goal for the Super Eagles, everyone from every tribe leapt for joy.

There are so many lessons in unity to be learnt from football. It stares us in the face each time we watch a game. It doesn't matter what part of the country anyone is from, we are all one body working towards one ultimate goal. If we approach ourselves from that perspective, we would begin to see less differences and more common grounds. Only then can the process of healing our nation truly begin.