LIFE IS PRECIOUS

The death last week of four of the sextuplets born to a Nigerian family is heartbreaking. It brings to fore the question of the value we place on human life in our country. A part of the future died with those children. When a seed dies, the potential harvest dies along with it. The death of a seed is the burial of a forest (Myles Munroe). Only God knows those children could have become doctors, lawyers, academicians, governors, or presidents.

All they could become and they could do are gone forever. But come to think of it, we are aware of this particular situation because the birth of the sextuplets was in the news being the first of its kind in the country. There are many children who die unsung almost daily in our country.

Infant and maternal mortality rates are unnecessarily high. At the heart of this sad experience is poverty both of the state and individuals. Human life is more important than money, but poverty causes human life to lose its value. While many think money is the root of all evils, the lack of it is the root of most evils. It is unfortunate that the mother of those children could not afford N500 for a second scan.

It is unfortunate she had to go to a hospital that was not properly equipped. It is also unfortunate that a doctor in this country should have to work under such conditions. It is more unfortunate that there was no emergency line to call for help. A major state-owned hospital could not offer help.

There was no initiative on the part of the medical personnel at the hospital while these four children were fighting to live. Human life should not be so cheap. It should now be clear to us that we are all doing ourselves a lot of harm by allowing this country to wallow in lack. All of us must make a concerted effort to lift the standard of living for everyone in the country.

Wealth creation begins with ideas, dreams, and visions. Vision is the key to provision. All things are created twice. There must be a mental creation of a new Nigeria that is wealthy before we can have it in reality. One of the key qualities of a leader is vision. It is only leaders who have a vision of a wealthy Nigeria that can lead us into reality.

Therefore, the beginning of our wealth creation process should include voting for leaders who can lead us into a glorious future. Leaders who have clear visions and workable plans that would guarantee development. There is an urgent need for people who have already displayed these leadership traits, coupled with integrity in business, to move into the political terrain.

Those who have not created wealth for themselves legitimately should not lead us. On the same note, we must begin to empower ourselves with the kind of mindset that creates wealth. Being rich or being poor are basically mindsets. Our greatest asset for wealth creation is the mind. We need to give the average person in this country a dream for a better future.

We need to teach entrepreneurial skills. And we need to create the right environment for businesses to grow. We must add dignity to life. We must build a country where life is worth living. We deserve the best in terms of health care, transportation, housing, and welfare.

But promises by leaders to build roads and hospitals will not solve the problem as long as the government at the local state and federal levels remains poor. And the government will continue to be poor as long as the citizens are poor. The wealth of our country is the sum of the wealth of individual citizens.

You and I can play our part. First, by deciding that the state of our country twenty or thirty years from now must begin in our minds now. We must determine to do what we have to do to make the future beautiful. Vote for the right leadership and take steps to create wealth for yourself and others.
Nigeria will Succeed!