The inherent political inclination of man sheds light on his ceaseless quest to ensure his robust subsistence by instituting viable societal structures. Evolution of governmental paradigms that has seen the emergence of democracy and its widespread assent is a testament to humans' relentlessness in the pursuance of holistic development. Democracy's propagation by many nation-states today is far from incidental, because its very essence is primarily hinged on the people and their all-round welfare. Commendably, Nigeria jumping on this bandwagon in 1999 was at that time reminiscent of a new dawn in the country's existence. But the democratic framework was scuttled for reasons not unrelated to avarice, nepotism, tribalism, and improbity, the very same set of factors that were the bane of and led to the fall of the first republic (Nigeria in its structured form). It is indeed mind-boggling that most Nigerians presently brandish "Restructuring" as a way out of our national misery without rich consideration of what could possibly impede its efficient operation. Political restructuring would be just a temporary relief measure if moral bankruptcy in the national system--which can be checkmated through mental restructuring--is left unattended to.

In recent times, the Nigerian news space has been saturated with calls for reversal of its political configuration of federalism--where states are juxtaposed with a federal government--and a reinstatement of the previous order of quasi-independent regions alongside a central government. It is argued by proponents of restructuring that such a political alteration would curtail the evils of marginalization, ethnic friction, religious bigotry, underdevelopment, and usher in a healthier Nigeria. Meanwhile, the agitation for the unreserved independence of the prospective Western, Eastern, and Northern regions has not gone unnoticed. Also, some Nigerians have contended that practise of "true federalism" is capable of dealing with the clogs in our national wheel. In as much as these suggestions sound like a good idea amidst prevailing status-quo, their potentials are very likely to be truncated if a fundamental mental reorientation of Nigerians is not embarked on through what I call Values Education.

Apparently, things are falling apart in this part of the globe due to deficiency of good, patriotic values in the citizenry. This state of affairs has gone on to reflect in such unfortunate occurrences like corruption, tribalism, nepotism, religious fanaticism, terrorism, etcetera. Steven Covey, in his book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," undercored the mind as the starting point of creating anything in our physical world. Thus, the mental precedes the physical. Going by that logic, it follows that the creation of a better Nigeria or society is dependent on the creation of a better mental disposition herein. And this is exactly what Values Education aims to do. Values Education is the sustained conscious injection of wholesome ethical codes in a group of people, and in this case, Nigerians. Persons who encounter it are fed with positive values (like integrity, transparency, accountability, gallantry, justice, consideration of the other, self-control, patriotism, and so on), belief-systems tailored toward promoting the well-being of the country. Values Education should be included in the curricula (as a subject taught every term and semester) of educational institutions in the country at all levels. And as for Nigerians that aren't literate, the mental reorientation campaign can be done through village groups in the local dialect. More so, these rehabilitative ideas can be disseminated through Churches and Mosques, which entails the incorporation of religious leaders in this proactive move to displace values in their adherents that could be counterproductive to nation-building.

However, the route to Nigeria's promised land has been proposed as restructuring, true federalism, and secession. The contention of each of these seem plausible but there is a big question mark on their capacity to take us there in the absence of a mental restructuring and reorientation. At this point, Values Education is our nation's knight in shining armour. Its antithesis has led to the prevalence of so many social evils today that plague our individual and national well-being. That indoctrination has been effective in midwifing negativity, which has seen the Boko-Haram terrorist group burgeon, makes it reasonable to counteract national evils with a similar approach that is somewhat liberal and based on a well-tailored conscientious mental reorientation. Our journey to that place filled with milk and honey requires it.

Kaycee Naze
(Rational Pen)

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The problem of Nigeria is poor mentality, a country where people want to enjoy without working, where students want to get A without reading. My neighbor a student has been running generator for over 2 hours despite the fact that NEPA has come and what is he doing by the way, playing a particular music in repeat and you can figure out the rest yourself, tomorrow he will ask uncle and aunties to contribute to his schooling.

Tiresome geographical entity

Restructuring will change nothing

otokx:
The problem of Nigeria is poor mentality, a country where people want to enjoy without working, where students want to get A without reading. My neighbor a student has been running generator for over 2 hours despite the fact that NEPA has come and what is he doing by the way, playing a particular music in repeat and you can figure out the rest yourself, tomorrow he will ask uncle and aunties to contribute to his schooling.

Exactly my point. That thought-pattern needs to be eradicated because it would still stifle progress in a restructured or non-restructured Nigeria. Hence, the need for an urgent mental restructuring.

deedeedeee2:
Restructuring will change nothing

Mental restructuring would.

Kayceenaz:


Mental restructuring would.

What do you mean by mental restructuring?

leofab:
Tiresome geographical entity

The repugnant physical manifestations that warrant "tiresomeness" proceed from a rotten mind that is opposed to national development. USA is a force to reckon with globally today because wholesome, patriotic values are deliberately inculcated in her teeming citizens.

Restructuring will change everything. Do you think the Northern elders would have relaxed and be saying an attack on bokoharam is an attack on the North if they had to rebuild the North with their money?

How do you talk of value for education, when you have to lower the standards for people from one region to gain admission Into the university, but at the end of the day, are more employed that others?

Corruption is increased because of the power concentration at the center. Where senators and reps stay in Abuja and loot what is meant for the states. State governors will loot, and if they are friends with the center, nothing will happen to them . But when you now deal face to face with the people and live with them, you know they can express their frustration directly.

Today, everyone is crying and looking to Abuja,in a restructured Nigeria, when the youths are unemployed and hungry, they face the governors of the region directly.

The less money shared at the center, the less attractive it becomes.

deedeedeee2:

What do you mean by mental restructuring?

Mental restructuring is the alteration of most Nigerians' psyche through the substitution of distorted values with good, patriotic values. This is encapsulated in what I call Values Education, which denotes a sustained injection of wholesome moral codes in Nigerians via educational means. Possession of the appropriate mental disposition is indeed the key to addressing national challenges. For more explanation, kindly peruse the article above.

Kayceenaz:


Mental restructuring is the alteration of most Nigerians' psyche through the substitution of distorted values with good, patriotic values. This is encapsulated in what I call Values Education, which denotes a sustained injection of wholesome moral codes in Nigerians via educational means. Possession of the appropriate mental disposition is indeed the key to addressing national challenges. For more explanation, kindly peruse the article above.

Egbon, mental restructuring will change nothing. Only disintegration will

mekaboy:
Restructuring will change everything. Do you think the Northern elders would have relaxed and be saying an attack on bokoharam is an attack on the North if they had to rebuild the North with their money?

Dear friend, I beg to differ. Restructuring wouldn't change everything. Political restructuring without mental restructuring is analogous to changing the ragged clothes of a lunatic and expecting him or her to be sane thereafter without psychiatric aid. Nigeria's political landscape would change but those lethal factors that war against its holistic progress like corruption, for instance, are very likely to persist without prior mental restructuring or reorientation enabled through Values Education.

Kayceenaz:


Dear friend, I beg to differ. Restructuring wouldn't change everything. Political restructuring without mental restructuring is analogous to changing the ragged clothes of a lunatic and expecting him or her to be sane thereafter without psychiatric aid. Nigeria's political landscape would change but those lethal factors that war against its holistic progress like corruption, for instance, are very likely to persist without prior mental restructuring or reorientation enabled through Values Education.

In a restructured Nigeria, remember that States will use their resources. Before you go to use resources, you must agree to transparency, else you will face hostility in your own state.

Once the structure changes, the mindset of get what you can from Nigeria changes. The competition among regions will change the focus from filling the pocket, to developing your region.

It is when politicians got to Abuja and saw milk flowing and control of power that they became corrupt.

When you loot and are protected by the center, even your people in your state can't confront you.

All that will change in a restructured Nigeria.

If the Northern elder knew that they would use their resources to rebuild what the youths are destroying, their mindset would have changed automatically.

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Lalasticlala

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cc:seun, lalasticlala, mynd44. Front page material.

mekaboy:
Restructuring will change everything. Do you think the Northern elders would have relaxed and be saying an attack on bokoharam is an attack on the North if they had to rebuild the North with their money?

How do you talk of value for education, when you have to lower the standards for people from one region to gain admission Into the university, but at the end of the day, are more employed that others?

Corruption is increased because of the power concentration at the center. Where senators and reps stay in Abuja and loot what is meant for the states. State governors will loot, and if they are friends with the center, nothing will happen to them . But when you now deal face to face with the people and live with them, you know they can express their frustration directly.

Today, everyone is crying and looking to Abuja,in a restructured Nigeria, when the youths are unemployed and hungry, they face the governors of the region directly.

The less money shared at the center, the less attractive it becomes.

Na only u get sense here


DAT is how USA do there own...u mine ur resources den send 20 percent to federal government

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Mental restructuring in midst of a resource cursed economy?

Yes people need to wake up. The most important thing is to knnow your leaders and make sure they account for every penny they get and spend. People need to stop being docile. If you and docile now, nothing will change when we restructure or if we go our separate ways. We will still have a few powerful elites cheating the masses and everybody will just keep praying to God to come and save us.

The youths especially need to begin to take actions. Ask questions with the help of social media , print and electronic(Tv, radio) The press also has a lot to do in moving the nation forward. The useless politicians who are not working must be exposed. Take pictures of bad roads, poor infrastructure, schools and so on and litter the internet with these pictures. Let people know how useless your Councillor, LG chairman, commissioners, governors, ministers and president are. After exposing them through pictures, protest and make sure they fix these things. If it is possible attack the ones you can attack especially when they come for events. stop hailing and celebrating them because they give you N5000 naira that you will spend in less than 10mins. When you take actions against your leaders, especially the ones closest to you, they'll know how serious you are and won't joke with you.

We need to shun the mentality of na our pickin, hence you keep quiet while the embezzle your future. Many of our youths just sleep and wake up, go to work, go to church, party, dance, take fake pictures for instagram, snapchat. We need to stop joking and messing around. Many of us don't even know under which ward the street we live in fall under, we do not know what LCDA or LGA we fall under, let alone knowing the person to hold responsible if infrastructures around your area in poor state. Everybody keeps acting like they don't care. LG chairmen especially have been enjoying some form of immunity, i don't know if many of them are using jazz because nobody talks about them. People only focus on the governors and President. Nobody tackles the senators and ask for what they have done in their constituency, no body tackles the commissioners and ministers. That's why all these people are always relaxed and don't care. The youths should wake up and speak with one voice against useless politicians.

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