THE STORY OF ‘PLATFORM NIGERIA’

Poju Oyemade tells the history of the Platform, designed to improve national growth and development

On 1^st October 2010, ‘The Platform’ took a different turn when we were told we couldn’t use the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) because the government was going to hold Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary there. Our first reaction was to cancel that year’s edition but upon discussing with a few church members, someone suggested we could drive it as a media event by gathering people into a smaller hall and then broadcast it to viewers. Prior to that time, from the first event at ‘Excuse Moi’ in 2007 before we moved to TBS, it was always an assemblage of thousands of people. In fact, one edition had about 20,000 in attendance. So, the idea of a small number of people attending the session was not initially appealing. Little did we know the impact a smaller crowd with media presence would have on the nation!

However, going on television came with its attendant challenges. Once the cameras were switched on, it slightly changed the emphasis, as the speakers became conscious that they were not just addressing the thousands gathered in one place but a much wider national and somewhat global audience. Since the sessions are held on 1^st October when most people would be at home because of the Independence Day holiday also helped. As I travelled the nation in my primary assignment as a pastor, I met with various Nigerians in different parts who kept saying, ‘don’t stop that your programme’, ‘please continue the good work you are doing’. And these were mostly people I never imagined were even watching The Platform. Of course, there were also those who criticized the programme.

Last week, I extended an invitation to someone who then told me that her 90-year father, a regular viewer of ‘The Platform’ would like to be physically present at this edition for the first time. It is people like this who keep us going with their encouraging words. For this year, my initial plan was to put up a stage and present 15 most memorable speeches given at ‘The Platform’ over the past 15 years. However, I thought that will not reflect the times we live in. Eventually, we decided to look for a theme that will address issues but clearly avoid turning the event into a platform for any form of political campaign or secretly pushing a partisan agenda. I had my reasons.

I grew up seeing life from a place where I understood the power of persuasion and diplomacy. I was born as the 3rd child; the first is a lady, the 2^nd, a man. So, the position of first born was gone and the position of first son was gone. With the last being a lady, the position of last son was also gone. A last born can cry as the baby of the house and get things done, the first born can be authoritative and you have to listen, the first boy too has authority. But when you are in the middle, there’s no authority. If you shout no one listens to you, if you cry, they say you are being childish. Therefore, I came to understand very early that the way to get things done was to create a win-win situation for everyone. If you want the authorities to respond to you, you have to start building bridges, alliances among people, become the best friend of every child in the family so that when you want to push your agenda you have the support. As it is for families, so it is for societies and nations.

We must understand that if people resort to extra legal means and it causes problems, those of us who consider ourselves elites who have visas on our passports will be the first to exit, leaving those who have no means to bear the brunt. Yet, by the way democracy is designed they will determine who gets elected next year. My preferred option for change is through renewal, which is really the way reformation does happen and this is when the leadership makes a conscious decision knowing that their own failures will throw up resignation of revolution. Renewal is the process that empowers the people in a nation to work together to create a common vision about the nation’s purpose and how to achieve success.

Whoever gets elected on 25th February 2023 must paint a clear-cut vision for the country that can be sold to the citizenry about how Nigeria will look in years to come and the position she will occupy among the committee of nations. A very clear and precise vision that is understandable to all. Whoever wins should form a government of national unity – what I mean is go beyond the confines of your political party to select talents that will send an all-inclusive message to everyone.

I am not naive and know that in politics it can be seen as ‘monkey dey work, baboon wan chop’. But it needs to be done. A friend of mine, a church member wrote this on Twitter many years ago. He said he would define a technocrat based on his experience. “When I was an undergraduate at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, my roommate and I were cooking one day and a friend of ours came in and we shared our meal with him. But surprisingly, this friend of ours always showed up anytime we were cooking. He knew when we were making the food and he will come in and sit. It became obvious to us that his visits were not accidental, so my roommate described our friend as ‘a technocrat’. It is difficult to fault him.

In other words, the politicians have campaigned and laboured and then somebody comes in after the victory. I understand how it is in politics where people who have invested their time and resources believe that they should be rewarded. And they should. But there should also be a strong consideration to source for the best possible hands for process of nation- building. Whoever wins must also restore greater confidence between those who are governed and the political leadership by giving specific timeframes in which certain things will be done. Achieving goals no matter how small helps to build confidence between the citizenship and leadership. The next president must bring in the youths into governance in visible positions. Understanding the way politics works, our young people don’t have the financial might to make contributions that might earn them seats at the table. This must be consciously done to restore confidence in people. Lastly, the legislative arm is probably the most important arm of government in a democratic institution. We need them to drive the constitutional reforms without which the executive arm is hamstrung.

Overall, let me also state that I have never asked for the content of any speaker before an event nor interfered with anyone’s thoughts. When people come to speak on ‘Platform Nigeria’, they speak freely and according to their convictions. But I must thank all the volunteers over the past 15 years. Some of them may no longer be with us, i.e. The Covenant Nation. It has been years of sacrifice and labour. I remember a young staff sleeping in the office continuously for seven days to meet up with the demands in the early days of The Platform. We will never forget their efforts in the days of small beginning.