*Reflections Without Mirror- -Niyi Aborisade*
*We Shall Meet Again If We Are Related— Part 3.*
This is the concluding part of the 3 series. The three parts should be read together as one for better understanding . I have explained earlier that ‘ *soul* ‘ and ‘ *mind* ‘ are used interchangeably. It is the same.
1. *Regenerative souls and 2. Degenerative souls .*
Regenerative souls are souls that have been renewed or restored after it has been damaged or lost . When a soul is regenerated , it has discarded his formal way of thinking , and is revived, a regenerative soul can tame his body positively. Some souls however have been refined from the beginning .
A degenerative soul is a soul that has lost his mental and rational way of thought, his thoughts are polluted and he is worse and weak mentally.
The problems we have in Nigeria is our mindset and we also suffers from mental poverty due to our state of mind . Majorly , it is mind that controls the body as I have stated before.
Our highly revered chief Obafemi Awolowo also made this observation in a lectured titled ‘ *The Economic Well being of the Individual’* delivered on 08 February 1970 and made the below statement by directing our attention to the right path. He said and I quote
” *But before we have travelled far on the road of material reconstruction, we must realise and do so vividly and truthfully , that the most crucial areas of reconstruction are the minds of Nigeria.”* chief Obafemi Awolowo noted that for there to be any meaningful change , we have to reconstruct our minds . For years, we have concentrated on the irrelevance, we have majored in minor and left the most important thing that can revolutionise the country . Reconstruction of mind should come first and the mindset must change . We must regenerate our minds in order to bring positive change to our environment.
We have reconstructed roads and we are reconstructing roads, we are carrying out reconstruction of buildings and many infrastructures but unless our minds undergo reconstruction they are all exercise in futility. If you ask many people why they are in politics , you would be surprised by their answers. They do not have any formidable plans for the country but they have made up their mind to share from the national cake.The same go for individuals. It is a matter of mindset
The first time I travelled to Germany, things were a bit rough for some of us and I have a good friend from an Ibo extract , we lived in the same room, we shared the same value and determined to work hard and ready to do anything including cleaning or factory work. However, others were not ready to do the same. At the time we were struggling to get any jobs another guy that we arrived at the same time requested us to follow him to a car dealer one Saturday and in front of us he bought 5 vehicles and paid for the shipping. We were gobsmacked. We asked ‘oh boy where did you get tbis money’ , he told us simply that he has started selling drugs as he cannot wait to be like us. He sought to persuade us to join him and make quick money too. We demurred and refused to be tempted , we had made up our minds that we will work with our hands and will be satisfied from whatever little amount we make. Yes it was not easy but we maintained the dignity. Not long after that our friend bought another set of cars and became one of the big boys but he was soon arrested and sent to jail. He was deported eventually, he returned by another means and when i met him inside the Train, he told me that his German wife had ran away with all his money when he was in jail and his people in Nigeria that he put in charge of his property had dessipated everything . He was back to start all over again. He was soon arrested and sent to jail. He had a second chance but failed to change his mindset. He was a degenerative soul. Many of them are in Nigerian politics . There was another one of his friend that he trained in the drug business, I warned him to change his mindset and work but he refused . One day I was at the Nigeria High Commision sorting out my papers when I saw him under polizei guard with handcuff in his hand. I had not seen him for 2 years , he was happy to see me and tried to embrace me because he was handcuffed to the front but he was restrained by the 2 polizei. I asked him why he was handcuffed, he told me that he was about to be deported to Nigeria after completing his sentence as a drug dealer . I looked into his eyes and he remembered my warning . I have not seen him since and I don’t know whether he will come across this piece. It was his mindset that led him to do what he did. Those who recently carried out armed robbery operation at Idi Ape Ibadan in 2022 and killed 2 policemen and civilians were men of degenerative souls and they are those who their God is money. As a man thinketh in his heart so he is. It is a matter of mindset.
To that extent everyone must be prepared to examine his souls (mind). Chief Hubert Ogunde in one of his songs ‘ Ekun Oniwogbe ‘ entreated everyone to examine his souls, he maintained that there is no greater oracle than our minds where we can see clearly whether we are clean or not , examine your minds.( ” *E wo, E wo, e ma wo kedere o, e wo inu okan o, tori iwogbe l’okan , bo mo, bo mo o , e ma wo kedere o, .)*
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We must work on our mindset in Nigeria as a people and change our ways. The Maxim ‘ *Mens sana in corporate sano ” – A sound mind in a sound body* summarises everything.
In conclusion , when people asked me , do you think as you are venturing into politics that you can make any change? Won’t you be a lone ranger and be overwhelmed with forces of evil? This is my answer ” *There are many people who carry the same idea that I have within them,they are all over Nigeria , those who have the same mindset, the same dignity, the same spirit and even though we may not have met and we may have met before but we shall meet again for we are all related. Togetherness with these people of the same mind, we shall bring positive change to our beloved country.*
Until I come your way next week , make up your mind to be among those who will bring positive change to Nigeria.
Niyi Aborisade is a lawyer, a Human Rights Activist and an Historian.
