Many Voices One Nation

Before any attempt to comment on the matter, let us firstly and clearly understand what we refer to as the voice and the nation.

The voice we talk about is the right to express an opinion and influence decisions. Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary also defines the voice as the sound or sounds produced through the mouth by a person or persons speaking or singing. Having got a cue of what the matter is concerned, nation therefore posses no problems as far as everyone belongs to a country considered as a group of people with the same language culture and history that live in a particular area under one government.

Now, with the facts established above, let us take Nigeria as a case study to determine how these two words (Voices and Nation interplay in the governance of the country. The people that make up a nation especially under a democratic dispensation have the right to express opinion and influence on any matter affecting the country or nation.

Before getting into the root of the matter, it is important to note that a healthy nation needs candid opinions and anything short of that creates noise and confusion which could lead to anarchy and according to an old adage too many hands spoil the soup. As a matter of the moment what then could be done about the many voices? How many leaders could a nation have? What form of government could be proper, right or good for a nation with many voices? If we take voices as individual persons that make up a person and any object, be it vehicular, airplane, canoe, local government area, state or country like Nigeria, how many person or persons could be recognized as the head to ensure steady or smooth existence to avoid accident.

Unfolding events indicate that in Nigeria, there are too many voices in the country thus contributing to the many social ills affecting the nation. Remember the Israelites in the olden days, they had Moses as their leader but because of the many voices then, Moses grew annoyed and broke the covenant tabloid as well as disobeyed the creator of the Universe. As a result of the many voices in the then Israel Moses could not make it to the Promised Land. God is God and not man. Even at that Moses was no more but Israel continued to exist.

Presently in Nigeria, Nigerians as a result of many voices do not know the fate of their leader –presidents Buhari. This matter baffles the matter of the moment inspite of the fact that these people have representatives from the State House of Assemblies National Assembly and the senate yet one hardly hear the voice of the representatives except the many voices of the people they represent. Too bad this has to change.

In the case of the demise of a royal father, it had always been kept secret until announced by the royal dynasty. What happens in the presidency in this case is rather very appalling and creates room for noise making. There has to be a change in this kind of communication if Nigeria has to forge ahead.

In this era of insecurity, many voices or nose are made giving room for enemies to be aware of the secret in which the government uses to counter the enemies ploy to sink the nation. When Boko Haram struck in Chibok, they carried away a number of school girls using them as succeed bombers and yet many voices arisen with a slogan “bring back our girls” as if Buhari was the one who absconded with girls. Very unfortunate for the innocent girls to have found themselves in such a situation. When the government wanted a voice (opinion) as to where the girls had been taken to, many voices were silent thus giving the government a hard nut to crack. Oh! Nigeria how long shall you cope with the problem of unity in diversity? All that is needed is one voice and not many voices.

Nigeria is a secular state with different religious beliefs including pagans and yet many voices are heard as if the one they talk of is as many and different by the way they present or worship. There is one and only one Deity (God) and because of the many voices there now seem to be confusion in the religious circle. No day passes by without contrary reports about the religious people. Pray that this does not escalate even though no one would stop that as far as the Holy Bible has stated situation like this would occur and that judgment would start from the church.

As a matter of the moment, Nigeria needs fervent prayers to enable her remain as one healthy nation with one voice so that she might be one nation loved by the creator and not Sodom and Gomorrah. God help Nigeria!!! Amen.