Recently I watched a reality show ‘America got talent’ and among the contestant is a boy (Benjamin) who is blind but uses a glass that only makes him see anything in front of him as a dot while other things around remain black. This boy was there to audition as a dancer, the dance is of specific type and I apologise for not knowing which it is, few people that know me would know and understand that dancing isn’t my strongest point. The first step he took blew the whole audience away, them and the judges that would decide his fate, if he was going to make it or not. I watching millions of kilometre away but was equally blown away. I can say it was my most inspirational as well as regrettable view have seen all my life. I enjoyed and was equally blown away by his performance that I began to cry for a split seconds before I then realised and revert back to an emotionless twat as I usually like to be seen.
In my forgone expression I mentioned regrettable, the reason for this was in awe personally and collectively in Nigerian context, I immediately imagined a situation whereby Benjamin was a Nigerian living in Nigeria and the kind of opportunities that would be open to him as a visually impaired person and here he was, on a stage where I personally would dream to be on to show case some kind of talent, any (still working on it, think I might be going for rap though), and here is a boy visually impaired who wowed the judges and everyone seating in that stage with his talent. In a country like Nigeria, 98% of folks in Benjamin’s condition end up on the street, in situations where they have caring families to cater for them, they end up as liabilities to them with no sense of productivity or prospect to them. I once wrote a piece on lack of social infrastructure in Nigeria, and this further epitomise my point as to the need to have some kind of social infrastructure in place in the country for the citizens. This is a country where any semblance of hope and dream is crushed by harsh realities. A country where citizens are not giving any prior advantage with regards decision, there’s a level of divide between government and the people, where there’s no form of public opinion or forum by legislators before enacting laws (when we actually make any), a country where policy kill rather than build ideas/dreams, a country where the senate president and chairman of the nations assembly held a ceremony to lunch a suggestion box within the national assembly in the 21st century where the complex in itself isn’t accessible to the general public.
Benjamin came in the hope of getting a yes from 4 four judges, he went back with yes from everyone in that stage and millions others watching, his dream thus has been transcended into reality and it is hoped that in my life time, our leaders would be able to transcend majority of dreams into reality with their policy and actions in government, we as youths and citizens too do have a significant role to play in ensuring that we do our utmost in actualizing those dreams but efforts need to be consolidated with viable policy on the part of the government. We as citizens and youth can be like Benjamin and it is hoped that soon enough we’ll come to witness our very own success stories. 2016 is just starting write your own story, don’t just write it though, write it the best way you can and God willing we will be here waiting and ready to read it.
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