It is the beginning of a new year. It is a time when prayerful messages of goodwill and best wishes are exchanged among family, friends and associates. As a people of faith, we make such pronouncements believing that Heaven has a place in the affairs of men. But we must also acknowledge another generally held belief; that man is a self-conscious, deliberate being. In other words, man is capable of choice and can be held responsible for his actions.

History is replete with records of how individuals, business corporations and politically organised societies have affected their fortunes, for good or ill, by the actions deliberately taken.

Nigeria is a God-believing country. We profess faith in God and we commence many official state engagements with prayers mostly said in the Christian and Islamic ways. It is not unusual for many Nigerians to claim that some epochal moments in the chequered history of our country were moments of divine intervention. There is nothing wrong in a religious disposition to life, even at the national level. Among other things, religion has a positive value for society. It promotes morality, hope, friendliness and a caring attitude.

We must however be careful not to confuse hope-based religious faith with a fatalistic approach to existence. The former presupposes that when we do the right thing Heaven will reward our efforts with success; while the latter can easily encourage indolence, indifference and a total disregard for human agency. At individual and national levels, we cannot encourage fatalism. History has shown that our actions or inaction have a way of shaping our destiny and as such a ‘what-will-be-will-be’ attitude is not one that an individual, business organisation or nation on a development trajectory can encourage.

2019 is an important year for Nigeria. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled general elections for February 16th and March 2nd respectively. General elections have a way of heating up the environment thereby eliciting anxiety and apprehension in our milieu. The reason for this is not far-fetched. We have had some near misses and infamous moments in the past. So, as the people prepare for the polls, we cannot blame them if some are apprehensive about the polls. But worry solves no problem; neither does fatalism.

Yes, prayerful wishes for peaceful general elections are very much in order. But here we must remember the teachings of the legendary Greek playwright, Sophocles, who reminded us that “fortune cannot aid those who do nothing.” If we want peaceful general elections, our prayers must go with collective, deliberate efforts emplacing peace and tranquillity squarely as our goal. From political parties, to contestants and the electorate, everybody has a role to play in the objective to make sure the polls are free of violence and undue rancour. It is imperative for all stakeholders in the Nigerian project to remember that, beyond periodic elections, we have a country to grow, develop and ensure it works for every Nigerian, irrespective of tongue, creed and political inclination. None of these can be achieved in an atmosphere of strife and restiveness.

Gladly, our recent history presents an important lesson for all of us. Folks will remember that trepidation and anxiety pervaded the land prior to the 2015 general elections. Even friends of Nigeria across the globe were worried for Nigeria. But at the end of the day, the 2015 general elections culminated in a glorious moment in the sun for Nigeria. The elections and subsequent transition of power were peaceful and we all forged ahead thereafter.

History yet beckons. We have another golden opportunity to put Nigeria favourably on the world map. We need to show the world that democracy is being entrenched in Nigeria and we can successfully conduct periodic, general elections. We have done it before and we can do it again; but not by luck, chance or fortune. It is the collective responsibility of all Nigerians to commit to the success of the forthcoming elections. So as we all pray for a great year, let us remember that our individual and collective actions will have far reaching implications for the success or otherwise of the impending elections.

We at Honeywell Group wish all Nigerians a happy, peaceful and prosperous 2019.

LET US PRAY    

Dear God, we thank You for the grace of a new year. We are grateful for the opportunity to write a new chapter in the history of our great nation. We are proud of the successes recorded thus far in our democratic journey. As we look forward to the 2019 elections, we pray that You will enable each and every one of us to do that which is right for our democracy and the progress of our dear country.