A Clarion Call, A Wake-up Call And A Call To Duty -By Richard Olanrewaju Odusanya

“The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone” – (Psalm 118:22). Don’t allow today’s rejection be a stumbling block to a better tomorrow; rather be open minded, courageous, and maintain your uniqueness. It will separate you from the crowd. Do not struggle to fit in, stand out and let God justify you even if it means standing alone.

You can’t improve your society if you don’t believe something better is possible. There are two types of people — those who make things happen and the ones who give excuses. What kind of person are you going to be today? Let’s strive to be someone who adds more to the world than they take from it.

Martin Luther King Jr knew that so long as the oppressed remained silent and the majority remained ignorant, nothing would ever change. So, the oppressed had to speak out in such a way as to be seen as sympathetic, not violent. And they had to speak out in a way that could not be ignored.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “If you want change then you have to become the change you want to see.” Can you imagine a world where nobody cared about anybody else? Can you imagine a world where nobody tried to ever help anybody else? The would we live in depends on people helping people. We are not here to stay content. We are here to better our society.

The gift of life is to make a difference, we have the choice to make things better, we have an obligation to challenge the status quo. Dr. Myles Munroe words were apt when he said, “Your existence is an evidence that this generation needs something that your life contains.”

The Greek philosopher Socrates once said “The way you gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear”. A lot of people on earth are living a useless and impactful-less life because they think that making a difference is a way to difficult. Have you ever asked yourself, “Why can’t I make something happen?”

This is a sad time for so many African nations battling with bad leadership. There is immense injustice and oppression in the land. Take a look at Nigeria for example where hapless Nigerians are living with the government imposing all kinds of policies from stamp duty, electricity increase and so much more.

Never underestimate your role in a just cause. What we need during times of injustice and oppression are people who are ready, willing to speak up and act on what they believe to be right. People who aren’t choosing to remain silent and in favor of the oppressor. People who are ready to call out those who need to be held responsible for unjust actions. People who are willing to stand up to those who are running and supporting broken, unfair, and inhumane systems. People who are clear in thought, deliberate with their actions, and committed in their resolve to a better, more just, more fair, and more humane world.

No person should ever dismiss their voice or ability to influence change in a time of injustice. For, all it takes is the voice of one person to disrupt a silent crowd. All it takes is the courage of one person to show other people that they can be courageous too. All it takes is one person to say, “ENOUGH!”

History abounds with people who led a large campaign against injustice. Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther king Jr, Nelson Mandela, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti and thousands more from every country on earth. Boldly confront oppression and injustice wherever you find it.

Funmilayo Ransome Kuti fought for equal rights for her country. As a woman, she made it her duty during her lifetime to challenge all forms of injustice and oppression. She was a leading activist during Nigeria anti-colonial struggles. She protested against price controls and tax rates for women in Egbaland. She protest to remove a king Alake of Egbaland and also empower women and gave them a voice.

Martin Luther King quotes that can propel us to make different and challenge the status quo are “There will be ups and downs. There will be setbacks. There will be tragic losses. But progress, truth, and fairness eventually wins. Not all by itself — by the sweat of our collective brows, by the sound of our collective voices, by the anger against our collective injustices. And it all has to be done one step at a time. We need to be there for others the way we would want others to be there for us.”

Our thoughts determine our emotions. And how we feel about what our thoughts determine our actions. It is time to act on how we feel about our freedom and democracy. Change will not come, if we wait for some other person or some other time—we are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek..” The REVOLUTION of values on the way coming.

Richard Olanrewaju Odusanya
Convener AFRICA CONVENANT RESCUE INITIATIVE