I just came across this post on
Anne MMeje's blog, one of the blogs i follow which resonates with a post i once
made. So, i decided to post it: two posts in one day, something i haven't done
before but i really had to share this. You can visit her blog here. Don't take the
advice just to immortalize yourself but for the sake of doing good.
Recently, a popular Nigerian
blogger made headlines for
acquiring a house worth about half a billion naira. Recently too, a Nigeria
doctor resident in the United States made headlines for
a different reason: He built hundred houses for widows in his village in
Anambra. Because the latter story is so good, I will share some excerpts:
“Maduka replaced every thatched
house in the area with three or four-bedroom bungalows and about 100 of such
buildings are currently in place in the community. They belong to the indigent
natives, especially widows. All such buildings carry green aluminum roofing
sheets for easy identification and beautification of the place.
Dr. Godwin Maduka is the founder
of the Las Vegas Pain Institute and Medical Center. Dr. Maduka completed his
Graduate Medical training at the Harvard University School of Medicine in
Anesthesia and Critical Care and Pain Management. Explaining his philanthropic
gesture, Maduka said:
‘I embarked on all these to save
my people from my ugly experience while growing up. I grew up in a home that
when it rained, it rained more inside than house. Wealth would be
meaningless if it cannot be used to better the lives of the people around the
custodian. The wealthy must provide jobs for the youths; build skills
acquisition centres for willing adults, market stalls for men and women, if
society must be secure.'(Emphasis mine).
Maduaka has opened up Umuchukwu
by building schools, hospitals, churches, security posts, industries, police
station with modern working tools. He believes that government alone
cannot give resounding development due to its meagre resources when compared to
the volume of social, economic amenities expected by the people. (Emphasis
mine).
Umuchukwu, one of the most
backward and remote communities in the state, was totally denied any meaningful
government attention. Nkerehi, as it was then called, was in abysmal
destitution. Maduka’s gesture compelled former governor of the state, Mr. Peter
Obi, to construct two roads connecting Umuchukwu with other communities.’
Mr. Maduka’s story is arguably
the most inspiring story I ‘ve seen in Nigerian news in months. His example
shows how responsible use of wealth entails redistributing it for the benefit
of those who are not as privileged as the custodian. While One can argue that
one has a right to use one’s wealth as they want because it is their ‘sweat’,
the truth is that fate does play a role in how much opportunity one gets to be
successful. If one has a university degree for example, it is usually because
one has parents that could afford it. If education gives one a better shot at
success in life, and one doesn’t choose one’s parents, then it will be
illogical to say for example, that a medical license that gives one an
opportunity to make ten times more than an okada rider, who wasn’t as
privileged, is not an act of fate. Even if one is not inclined to charity out
of a sense of obligation, one should consider investing in the dregs of society
to lift them out poverty since they commit most crimes, crimes of which the
wealthy can be victims. Either way, the rich owe the poor.
If it is true that success comes
from a source other than ourselves, then as good stewards, we should account
for it. And I find that God does bless people who use their wealth in the
service of others. Last year, an old classmate from secondary school and a
friend, told me how every year, she goes back to our alma mater to give N50,000
to the best science student as a grant to help them in their university
education. Mind you, my former classmate made this donation from her salary as
a lecturer, and she was less than thirty years at the time. Recently, she got
an admission in Uk for her doctorate degree and she is studying there now. With
a brain and a big heart like hers, I am very convinced that God will give her
enough resources to carry out all her good intentions. I once told her, and I
strongly believe it, that she will make as much impact as the late Dora
Akunyili. She is just one of the many examples of people who do good get
rewarded with even more success. I can’t keep track of how many charities Bill
Gates is involved in. Growing up, I also saw examples from my parents and other
relatives of how those who give are blessed more.
Redistributing ones wealth while
alive may mean leaving a little less for one’s children, but that is perfectly
okay. I used to have qualms with government taxing an estate during probate,
but I no longer do because I now appreciate the reasoning behind it. Why allow
people leave wealth that will last five generations when it can be used to take
care of those already here? And why should someone enjoy the hard work of
another by mere reason of accident of birth? While it is the responsibility of
every parents to see that their children are set up in life, there is no
obligation to leave anything behind. And with the prevalence of children
fighting over property left by their parents, there is even a greater incentive
to put one’s wealth to good use while alive.
If people focus less on building
wealth that will last generations, then they will be more open to taking up
tasks that will help build their communities. It will be good for example, to
see someone build a public library in my village in Akokwa. Having gained so
much from the local library I have access to here, I strongly make a case for
having public libraries in Nigeria. I remember once looking for public library
in Aba and found none except a neglected one housed in a dilapidated building
that proved to be no use. I left disappointed.
It can be tempting for the
average person reading this to think that this post is not for them but for the
Adenugas, the Dangotes and recently, the Ikeji’s (the last was to lighten your
mood), but we can all take small steps. Take the library for example, if I were
disciplined enough, I could make the library happen even though I don’t have
financial recourses to build a brand new library. I already have access to
books I could donate to my community: Between my seven siblings and I, we have
used university books from the following disciplines: Law, two sets from
Industrial Chemistry (one from a State university and another from a Federal
university) Economics, Public Administration, Accounting and potentially three
from Public Health, Philosophy and Theology. Surely, if I get these books
together, we could start a small library in my village in a room donated by the
community. For practically nothing, and if others follow our lead and donate,
we will have a library in my village.
It is especially important that
the private sector gets involved in building Nigeria because the waste in
government cannot match the efficiency by private persons. I don’t know how
much Dr. Maduka expended in building the houses but whatever it took, it would
have cost probably 20 times more to actualize if same project was awarded by
the government and still the houses may be abandoned at some point uncompleted.
I also hazard a guess that the cost of Ms. Ikeji’s mansion may be more than the
amount Dr. Maduka used to touch 100 families. I do not write this to put Ms.
Ikeji down, she is involved in so many charities herself, I wrote it to remind
myself that the $5 I spend for lunch may buy a family’s grocery for a week.
We’ll all love to leave our
footprints in the sands of time. While many of us think leaving kids behind
will immortalize us, truth is that our kids will be busy trying to immortalize
themselves not us. Trust me, I know because my two daughters’ English names are
derived from mine, not my parents’.
Having seen you can’t count on
your kids to immortalize you; go ahead, build that hospital, school, public
toilet, library, borehole, road, etc. And when you do, remember to have your
name conspicuously and literally engraved on the project because hundred years
from now, that may be the only reminder that you once lived. Even better, also
have your parents’ name written on those projects too, because even though we
can’t count on our kids to immortalize us, we definitely want to appreciate
ours.
So do you have ideas of some
project you wish you could undertake but which like me, you don’t have the
funds to carry out? Please share in the comments section. You never know who
might steal your ideas, and yes, we want them stolen.
Utilize the comment Section, I would love to hear your ideas
Love
Kamby
Comments
Post a Comment