By Dr. Ahmed Adamu
The social reorientation campaign (#ChangeBeginsWithMe)
launched by Mr President came with mixed reactions, as some think the President
is the only one responsible for the change he promised Nigerians, and some have
the opinion that change is an unconditional collective task for everyone.
Even though, President Buhari was the one that Promised to
bring the change, but that does not mean we should not do our parts in bringing
changes in our own lives for good. I agree with the theory of “Charity Begins
at Home”, and Mr President should take this as a challenge to do more and
promote the social changes he wants to see in people through action, i.e.
examplenary leadership. President Buhari is generally known to be honest and trustworthy,
then we ask ourselves, are we?
Mr President, just like any other Nigerian needs to change. But,
whether Mr President changes or not, we need to change too. Change here entails
identifying what you are doing that is not right and replacing it with better
option. This can be in public and private life. So, change is a personal
project for everybody.
The change we seek requires systematic and deep social
changes, which entails changing norms of the people. Most of the good and bad
things we do were learnt through socialisation (Social Learning Theory). A
random act by one person can become a social norm for the entire population,
and this act can be good or bad. So everyone can be a change agent. Who knows
your random act might become a norm, so your action must be good always. People
tend to consider and act tasks as normal behaviour when they grow up seeing
people performing the task. That what makes them feel comfortable, otherwise
they will feel excluded.
All of us we are mirror to some others, and they socially
learn from us. Social learning takes place through observation or direct
instruction even without enforcement. So we don’t have to instruct others to
copy our actions. Therefore, we are all change agents. Example of how everyone
can be a change agent can be described using traffic light scenario; if the
first person to meet the red traffic lights stops, all others behind him will equally
stops, but if he passes under red light, all others will copy and take it for
granted. So, would you be a good leader or a bad one? Another example is to do
with environmental sanitation, if you drop an empty sachet of pure water on a clean
environment, others will also do the same, but if they see clean environment,
they will hesitate to be the first to spoil it.
Change can be multidimensional, it may not necessarily has
to do with actions, but in our values too. Changing our attitude and embracing Honesty,
Trust, Selflessnesss, and Responsibility is also changing for good. When we
stop measuring our success by the quantity of money and mighty of power we
possess to by the scale of our honesty, trustworthiness, selflessness and
responsibility, then we have changed for good, and others will change the same
way. So, Change is the responsibility of everyone, and it has no best time to
begin, and it does not require waiting for others to change first. When you
wait for others to change, then there will never be a change.
For those that say Mr President should be responsible for
social change, remember you can be the leaders that will change not only
yourselves, but the president himself. The President might promise social
changes, but he cannot do it, not without the people, and he has now given us
opportunity through the #ChangeBeginsWithMe to change ourselves. Once we change
our characters and attitudes for good, our lives will be blessed, and our
leaders will change too, and our country will prosper.
In the Holy Quran, Allah said “Verily, Allah will not change
the condition of a people as long as they do not change their conditions
themselves” Quran 13:11. This means that, if we want to see change for good
economic and social conditions we have to change for good first, and Allah will
bless us, and give us a better life. Thereafter, He will not change for us our
good condition until we change (stops) our good attitude. So, this call for
change is timely for better economy. Similarly, Allah said “Whatever strikes
you of disaster or misfortune, it is for what your hands have earned or
committed” Quran 42:30, so the current economic calamity requires all of us to
change, because we are punished for our bad characters, as “Whatever of evil
befalls you is from yourself (your actions) Quran 4:79.
So, all of us are leaders for change, and we are required to
be. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said “Allah does not punish the individuals for the
sins of the community until they see evil spreading among themselves, and while
they have the power (even using their tongue) to stop it, but do not do so”.
This teaches us that Change include stopping the bad things within your
ability.
If we seriously need good leaders, then we have to be good
people, because “your leadership will be a reflection of you (the people)”
Prophet (SAW). So, we have to do our best to be good people, so that we can
have good leaders. So, “Change Begins with Me” is our social, economic and
political call, we all have to pitch in.
Change cannot happen on its own, not without mobilizers.
Change is the collective responsibility of everyone, and it cannot happen
without the people. Change from worse to better, Change from being unpatriotic
to being patriotic, change from being irresponsible to being responsible, and
change from silence to speaking, change from not doing anything to action etc.
The change agents are the ones who refused to be cynical about what they can
get done.
It is now up to the people, how do we help our neighbourhood
and communities? How do we spend our extra income? Do we help others live to
their potentials? Have we stopped collecting that little bribe? Did we quit
that ghost job? How honest are we? Do we know what our elected public leaders
get and spend? How can our voices matter in governance? Have we called our members of parliament and
tell them what we want? Have we checked
on them if they are doing their jobs?
Etc. the change require bigger actions, and the big action require all
of us. Together we can keep changing this country for the better, and this is
achieved through this campaign.
Change Begins With Me and You
Dr. Ahmed Adamu,
Petroleum Economist and Development Expert,
Pioneer Global Chairperson of
Commonwealth Youth Council,
University Lecturer (Economics), Umaru Musa
Yar’adua University Katsina.
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