A Place Called Hope– Brian Oji (09)

Beyond our aspirations and criticisms of our nation, we must understand that if we do away with this location our future is just another story; told but not seen. There is a place where we can draw strength; of purpose, for our visions; a place where the sun shines and casts its light even on the shadows. For every dream that has been lived, every accomplishment, for every strong economy and thriving innovative government you see today, I tell you, there was a time when people had to reside in this place that we are today as a Nation. It is not a place of mockery or defiance, or a place of resignation and disillusion but a place of possibility, a place of laughter from within, a place of creation, development, longing and action: a place called Hope. Every Nigerian may not live here but you can and so many others would come with you. We can be hopeful and expectant even as we channel our efforts to constant development and exemplary emulation. We must be hopeful, for the future we expect and the success of generations to come. We will be hopeful because in hopelessness is death and in death is failure; the failure of our visions, a fractured society and a blemish for our children.

We see hope, through the eyes of possibility and effort, beyond the barriers of greed and division, in the hearts of the trying youth, in the capacity of our inner man. We bring hope, when we encourage another, speaking well of our nation and making up our minds to do well. We draw hope, when we surround ourselves with the right people and the right information, when we set our goals and achieve them in milestones, when we put a smile on a face and cause the tears of another to dry away. In such moments, we inspire ourselves even more than the one for whom we have done good. There is a place called hope; I live there and there is no greatness except for the person or the people who have lived here at one point in time. So what would be your story? The future as well as the present belongs to the hopeful. Where do you live? I invite you to this beautiful place: a place called Hope. I believe in the Nigerian Project. You should too.