Personal Responsibility leads to collective responsibility. When there is Personal and Collective Responsibility in a society, the government cannot but be responsible. That is why it is obvious that a nation deserves the leaders they get, because the nation produces the leader. The leaders are simply a reflection of the values of the society or lack of them.
When we refuse to do what we are supposed to do at the right time, the consequence is pain and tragedy. When a people refuse to pay the price of Personal Responsibility for the problems of the nation, that same people end up paying the high price of irresponsibility, which is often in tragedy and sorrow.
We laugh and jest at what we call “street boys or area boys” instead of thinking of what we could do to get them occupied or send them to school and create work opportunities for them. We rather choose to build walls around our compounds, electrocuted fences to protect out interests and personal comfort. That only shows lack of Personal Responsibility. It doesn’t matter who the government is, what they do or what they don’t do.
The action or inaction of any government does not negate the Personal Responsibility of the citizens. “Such street boys and area boys” would sooner or later come back to us in another ampleur. Only this time as thieves, armed robbers, cultists and gang members that we fear and dread.
Yet, instead of us to have a rethink and begin to use the money we use in building fences, to build bridges of social organisations, NGOs, employment platforms, we again turn around and try to bad mouth our system, forgetting that we are the system. We are the nation. We are the government. We are the people!
As I write this article, I have one of my assistants here who told me a very compelling story that highlights the high level of irresponsibility in our country.
He grew up in a Nigerian city where there were some neighbours who were involved in the illegal transaction of petroleum commodities. There was always chaos in the neighbourhood whenever the law enforcement agents came calling. These boys created pandemonium in their search for an escape route. What never occurred to my friend and his fellow “high fenced secured neighbours”, is that they share the blame in the consequences of the chaos that ensued. They could actually have helped these boys when they were a lot younger. Even presently, they could still offer them some help in getting them off the streets. Rather, they choose instead to complain about those boys’ presence in their neighbourhood and blame their parents for not doing enough in bringing them up. They also blamed the government for not helping these boys with some form of aid, scholarship and employment.
“And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” – Luke 6:31
If these boys were well taken care of by the people who live within these high fences, these boys could have grown up to become responsible and self-reliant individuals who would have in turn looked out for the security of the neighborhood. They in fact subconsciously contributed to whom these boys became – a threat and dread to the whole neighborhood.
The negligence of these boys, the lack of care and the failure to provide welfare for them, led to whom they became. The arrogance at which the well-to-do neighbors looked down at these boys was a sign of irresponsibility. Helping these boys become productive could have done a lot of good to the neighbourhood. It would have had a positive impact on the economy not just of the community, but on the nation at large. These boys would have become tax paying entrepreneurs, who are respected and would never have any cause to go into crime or violate the rule of law.
“Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” – 1 Corinthians 3:8
Moreover the economy would have further benefited in the sense that there would not have been a reason for the speculation in oil commodities from which the whole country eventually suffers. The Nigerian economy loses a quarter of her GDP to all sorts of economic crimes, fraud and speculations annually.
Such illegal economic activities the men were engaged in does a lot of harm to the economy, because the stolen fuel deprives the government of funds which can be used judiciously in building roads, hospitals, and other basic social amenities. These boys, who are the creation of our collective societal irresponsibility, end up depriving us of the very comfort we so much yearned for. We are all deprived of development and civilisation due to the stolen resources which reflects hugely on our national revenue.
Due to this act of Personal Irresponsibility, illegal businesses are setup, our neighbourhoods are not secured and the economy directly and indirectly takes a big hit. The government alone cannot be blamed for this, because this is our neighbourhood and if we cannot take care of our immediate surroundings, then we are clearly not carrying out our responsibilities and we don’t have any business blaming someone else. These street boys also serve as negative influences to our children and the younger generation through their get rich quick schemes.
“But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load.” – Galatians 6:4-5
Personal Responsibility leads to collective responsibility. When there is Personal and Collective Responsibility in a society, the government cannot but be responsible. That is why it is obvious that a nation deserves the leaders they get, because the nation produces the leader. The leaders are simply a reflection of the values of the society or lack of them.
“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” – James 4:17
We often blame our government for their lack of responsibility, socially and politically. We forget that that is only a result of the societal irresponsibility in general. When there is no Personal Responsibility in any society, there cannot be a responsible government. Responsible government is an off shoot of a culture of Personal Responsibility.
Dear friends, I presume the point is been passed across to you that a National Transformation must begin with every citizen of the land. As you and I take Personal Responsibility for mending the things that are out of order in our community and nation in general, we would surely witness a transformed, developed and civilised society.
Sunday Adelaja is a Nigeria born leader, transformation strategist, pastor and innovator. He is based in Kiev, Ukraine. He can be contacted at sundayadelajablog@gmail.com.
