Text of speech delivered by Dapo Lam Adesina @ a Special birthday celebration/Political declaration held in his honour by friends at D Rovans Hotel,Ib

Text of speech delivered by Dapo Lam Adesina @ a Special birthday celebration/Political declaration held in his honour by friends at D Rovans Hotel,Ibadan on October 24th,2009.

The chairman of this occasion, Emeritus Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,
My Father, Alh (Dr) Lam Onaolapo Majiyagbe Adesina (The man God Almighty has given the solution to the problems of bad leadership in Oyo State),
My Mother,Alhaja Sarat Adesina,
Symbol Rauf Aregbesola (The man the good and progressive people of Osun State gave their legitimate votes to be their Governor de facto)
Dr Kayode Fayemi (The man we all are eagerly waiting for to be sworn in as authentic Governor of Ekiti State)
Chief Jimi Agabaje and Mr Yinka Odumakin,Our ever progressive Uncles,
Comrade Moshood Erubami,Dr Ademola Aremu,Chief Femi Lanlehin,Senator Lekan Balogun,Dr Isiaka Kolawole,Prof Wale Oyemakinde,Prof Wole Akinboade,Dr Niyi Adelakun,Hon Soji Akanbi and Hon Kazeem Adeshile,Chief Ashiru and all other leaders here present,
Our brothers and sisters who are members of the press,
The greatest Nigerian Students here present,
My friends,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me begin by saying thanks to all you who have travelled far and wide to witness this progressive gathering. We are here to celebrate my birthday which comes up on the 25th of October, Every Year.

This year friends came up with the idea of a public lecture instead of the normal sober reflections and I totally welcomed the idea because of its necessity most importantly at this period in the history of our dear nation.

We all made it here for different reasons and I tell you that it is humbling, and deep inside me I am convinced that this is just the beginning of great things to come to this land. We all came here because we believe in what we as a people can do to liberate ourselves from the shackles of oppressors.

In the face of despair, you believe there is hope. In the face of militancy, you believe there can be peace. In the face of election rigging and subverting of wishes of the people, you believe one day our votes will count. In the face of politics that shuts you out, you believe we can be one people reaching for what is possible. In the face of ineffective leaders, you believe Nigeria will still make it. In the face of lack of good schools, you believe our educational system can still be better. In the face of a bleak future for the youths, you believe there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Each and every time, a new generation has risen up and done what is needed to be done. It is time for our generation to rise up to the task. In the face of impossibilities, People who love their country can change it.

As a nation, it has been a while that we have been struggling to put an end to the rule of oppressors and visionless leaders. We have endured and persevered, we continue to hope even as it gets darker through our journey for 49 years. I have come to understand that our most cherished rights of liberty and an egalitarian society depends on active participation of an awakened electorate in the political process. Enough is enough, Nigeria must rise again.
This auspicious event is taking place few weeks after Nigeria celebrated 49 years of election rigging, corrupt leadership, death traps called roads,ASUU strikes,niger delta militancy,kidnapping,armed robbery, political assassinations,poverty,fraudulent electoral systems,Lack of internal democracy in Political parties and most importantly a no future situation for the youths, just to mention a few.

Everywhere in developed nations all over the world, leaders wake up to strive, create and prepare a better future for the youths and the coming generation, the reverse is the case in Nigeria. All of us know the challenges we face daily as a nation. Our problems includes dependence on oil that threatens our future, schools where too many children are not learning,militancy,corrupt leadership, fraudulent electoral system. We know these challenges, we have heard them, and we have talked about them for years. Now is the time to act.
What has stopped us from meeting these challenges is not the absence of great policies and effective plans but failure of the leadership, the myopic reasoning of our leaders, the ease at which we get distracted by the petty and trivial, our avoidance of tough decisions, preference for scoring cheap political points instead of facing the challenges with a rolled up sleeve and build a working consensus to tackle these problems.

Nigeria has a long way to go and it won’t be easy. That is why we have to set priorities, we have to make choices, we have to accept responsibilities, and we have to strengthen the system. Let us begin the hard work together, let us transform this nation, and let us practice politics of hope and not politics of insincerity. Let us build a new Nigeria where election would not be won before Election Day.

We all must know that every good thing in life comes at a price. We must stop the idea of “E go better mirage”. Every of life’s solution answers the law of farming, the quality of your seed will determine the quality of harvest.

Let us be the generation that reshapes our nation, let us set high standards for our schools, let us be the generation that ends poverty in Nigeria, every single person willing to work should be able to get a job and earn a living. Let us be the generation that frees Nigeria from the shackles of dependence on oil. We can turn this crisis of global warming into a period of opportunities. Let us make the future generation proud of what we have been able to achieve. Politics should cease to divide us. We can make Nigeria great again.

My Fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, in the A.C,ANPP,PDP,LP,PPA,DPA and all others we have work to do. Let us build a new Nigeria where we can feed our kids, send them to school, say what we think and write what we think without hearing a sudden knock on the door, where we can start a good business without going through hell, participate in the political system without fear of assassination and that our votes will be counted, where all will have a decent shot at good life and know that the doors of opportunities remains wide open. Let me be clear, we have real enemies and they must be found and humbled.

The issue of election rigging and electoral reforms must not be taken with levity because that is the foundation in which any society is built. A society which does not have an electoral system that can produce credible leaders is jinxed. The history of election rigging has been since independence. Most of us here in this hall would remember the most wicked robbing of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the 1979 presidential elections and which was followed by the 1983 massive madness.

The 1993 annulment of Chief M.K.O Abiola’s election which was adjudged freest and fairest is still fresh in our memories.

Lately we saw the 2003 and 2007 shameful dance in the market square, what also of the daylight robbery and rape of the good Ekiti people during the last Governorship Re-Run which I termed the “Ido Osi abracadabra”? The much awaited 2010 governorship election in Anambra State has already been won before next year by a certain political party, what kind of people are these so called leaders of ours? Is this the kind of legacy the late Obafemi Awolowo,Nnamdi Azikwe and Tafawa Balewa left behind for them? Why are they planning to leave this unhealthy, uncivilized and satanic legacy behind for our own generation? My people I am not a soothsayer or neither am I psychic but if we do not rise up now, the 2011 elections might be the last straw that will break the camel’s back. We all must rise up to save our future now.

The people at the helms of affairs who have dictated the pace at which we move in this nation have been retrogressive and I say “so far so bad”.

Now is the time for us all to forget our differences, sheathe the swords, call back the warriors, end the war and face our enemies, the enemies of progress, the enemies of our future, and the enemies of our dear country, Nigeria.

This is a small advice for our fathers and mothers here seated, Sirs and Mas, let us reclaim this part of the country and end the era of mainstream politics which they have used to rob us of our values and valuables then we can follow the Yoruba adage which says”Ile ni ati nko esho rode”.
I cannot imagine the spate of development we would have witnessed if we had a Rauf Aregbesola as governor in Osun state, a Kayode Fayemi in Ekiti State,or the progressives in Oyo and Ogun and then maintain the status quo of our ever progressive, ever developing and ever performing governor of Lagos State, Our own Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola(SAN).Even the Speaker of the house of Representatives(Hon Dimeji Bankole) who is a member of another political party confirmed this during the last post amnesty summit and I quote him” To some of you who have been in Lagos in the last one year I am sure you will notice a difference. And I am not shy to appreciate that there is a difference in Lagos. It is good governance”. We are all always proud of this great man of great achievements. I tell us here today that we can see more of this if we lend our support to the progressives. We must alter the Status quo come 2011.

Nigerian youths, we must rise up now and save our future. The present crop of leaders must be made to realise it is our future they are toying with. We must end this visionless tenure by 2011 with our votes.

On the issue of electoral reforms, I feel we need to seriously reform our leaders to be responsive ones before we can achieve any electoral system purity.

It is shameful to see Ghana progress while we retrogress with all the God given human and natural resources and Nigerians cannot still get a good life. Or is our language Ghana must go turning out to become Nigeria must go? One cannot but continue to wonder why we are where we are. We must take the bull by the horn as what we sow now is what will determine what we will reap in few years time.

Nigerian youths as we enter into the murky waters of Nigerian politics for service to the people, the masses and most importantly the youths, is there anyone who still doubts that Oyo State is a place where all things are possible? Is there anyone who still wonders if the dream of our forefathers is still alive in our time? I tell you today, we are the ones we have been waiting for.
I know there are some who do not believe we can do all these things. I understand the fear, afterall every four years, politicians come with promises and immediately after the elections are far gone they disappear into thin air and make people struggle on their own.I know some will say we have not learnt enough but I tell you that we have been on ground to know the necessity of the change we all clamour for and that Nigeria must rise again. That is why it must not be all about me but what we can all do together. This must be the occasion, the vehicle of our hopes and dreams. It will take our energy and time but I tell you there is light at the end of the tunnel. We must reclaim the true meaning of citizenship, restore our sense of common purpose and realise that the few obstacles cannot withstand the power of millions of voices calling for change. Divided we are bound to fail.

I tell you there is power in words, conviction and that under all the differences of race, religion and region we are still one people.

Let us win the next battle for justice, fairplay, hope, an egalitarian society and a new Nigeria. I implore you to join in this quest for a new Nigeria of your dream, my dream and our dream.
Do you feel the same energy as I do? Do you feel the same passion as I do? Do you feel destiny calling? Do you see a future of endless possibilities? If you sense as I do that now is the time to wake up from our slumber and make good on the debt we owe past and future generations, then I’m ready to take up the cause, march with you and work with you.

Today let us together finish the work that is pending and usher in a new beginning and the birth of a new Nigeria. And out of this political darkness a brighter day will surely come.

To God Almighty, We glorify, Adore, Praise and Worship you
To My Father and Mother, We thank and appreciate you
To my Brothers and Sisters, We cherish you
To my friends and contemporaries, We shall make you proud
To my Family Members, we shall sustain the good name
To those who love us, We love you
To those who hate us, We appease you
To those enemies of an egalitarian and new Nigeria, The end has come, We shall defeat you
God bless our leaders, God bless we the followers, God bless Nigerian youths, God bless our dear country, Nigeria.

Thank you all. Journey mercies

Action Congress...............Democracy forever