Morolake Akinosun is a Nigerian-American. Her parents are surely among the Diaspora-Nigerians contributing immensely to the socioeconomic development of the United States.
Morolake Akinosun is an American track runner who participated in this year 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She won gold at the 2015 Pan-American Games in Toronto, Canada in 4 x 100 meter with teammate Barbara Pierre and a host of others. Morolake was born on May 17, 1994 and attended University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA.
She has won another Gold Medal in the Women’s track and field event in the just concluded 2016 Summer Olympics. She has brought more glory, honor and fame to her family and to America. Morolake is a spotlight of glory. She has also registered her family name in the Museum of American sports. For her to have come to limelight in sport, she must have been an exceptional student in school.
Morolake Akinosun’s victory is an admixture of joy and sadness for some of us who are incurable optimists of a greater Nigeria. Nigerians are scattered around the world distinguishing themselves in all human endeavors. The years of locust have contributed to the deadly brain-drain from Nigeria. Research has shown that Nigerian immigrants have the most educated citizens among all the nationalities in the United States. Peruse the US geography and go into any corner of the USA, what you will see will stun you to cry aloud for Nigeria’s revival in the present predicament. Ours is after all not a lost hope!
In the last 4 decades, Nigerian leaders have sold their conscience and moral for porridge. The current youth is so anticipatory in the patrimony of corruption. They see the sharing of national cake as family inheritance. In a state of conundrum, we radiate in a repetitious and nauseating life circle, glorifying mundane and mediocrity. Every passing day is a wasted opportunity for all Nigerians to get it right.
Regrettably, the days of Emmenuel Egbunike, Falilat Ogunkoya, Sunday Bada, Mary Onyali and a host of others who glowed our collective memory are gone? As we lay our bed, so we shall we lie on it. Corruption and religion are the Nigerian twin towers plaguing her development.
“Corruption and underdevelopment are intertwined. They have never produced meaningful development anywhere.” – Yahaya Balogun
Our naughtiness and egocentricism have prevented the present crop of the Nigerian youth from seeing beyond their nose. The country is more polarized than ever in craziness and idiosyncratic maladies.
As this rhythmic saying goes: “no pain, no gain”. That is our present reality in Nigeria; everyone must sacrifice for the change we yearn for. Most Nigerians want change overnight, but for an enduring legacy to be firmly rooted in Nigeria, we have to change the old or present ruination approach or lifestyles to a more conservative approach to revive a comatose nation, that is a point-blank-reality.
The next Winter Olympics will be held in the ski resort of PyeongChang, South Korea in 2018. It is around the corner, the stakeholders in the United States are putting every machinery in motion here to maintain or improve on the status quo. Raw talents are being untapped and explored in every nook and cranny of America in preparation for the next Mundial.
The spirit of America is rooted in the imagination, conception, planning and execution. In the end, USA has maintained its exceptionalism in all areas. Nigeria was once like that in all ramifications. We have distinguished ourselves exceptionally in all areas in the past. Corruption, like cancer has eaten deep into the fabric of Nigeria. Poignantly, any war on corruption now should be all encompassing and encouraged, otherwise, it will continue to be business as usual. We should revolutionize our minds; jettison divisiveness to revive the soul of Nigeria.
I am using this medium to appreciate and congratulate all the hapless Nigerian participants in this year 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. You have tried your best for a country struggling with so many contradictions.
Morolake Akinosun has become part of the conscience of a nation yearning for its salvation and revival. We pray that Morolake Akinosun and her parent’s national duality in the course of a new Nigeria will continue to manifest in her new enigmatic status.
Congratulations to our girl!!!
