One good turn, they say, deserves another. The western world fully understands that one should appreciate what a friend, neighbor, brother, sister or relation did for him or her. When our Lord Jesus Christ started his Ministry, he came across ten lepers who had stayed with their ailment for many years. Full of compassion, Jesus gave an instant cure to the ten. While nine out of them went their way, rejoicing that they had received their healing, one came back to appreciate what the Lord did for him.

There are myriads of cases where people have blatantly refused to appreciate what has been done to them. For instance, in Igbo land, there have been people who refuse to settle their apprentices after many years of tutelage, even when they had served them well. On the other hand, many people, out of selfishness and greed, have also disappointed those who helped them in one way or the other to climb the ladder of success. Cases abound in civil service, commerce and other businesses where people turn round to spite those who helped them to secure jobs or start their businesses.

There are also glaring cases of those who were trained abroad through community efforts, but rather than reciprocate the gesture by training other intelligent ones, he or she would break the ladder given to him to reach his apogee in life. Such people abound in parts of Igbo land that are today being celebrated by the society, even when they are harbingers of underdevelopment in their various communities. This kind of ugly scenario has also brought about the political lexicon of godfatherism in Nigerian politics, with its attendant grave consequences.

The same goes for others who rose from rags to riches through the help of God but who have chosen to appreciate the gods of their ancestors rather than the creator of the heaven and earth. It is unfortunate that some people celebrate wealth as if it came to them through hard work and personal dynamism, rather than giving God the glory.

Similarly, most people always fail to appreciate others in various communities. However, there are people who, by dint of hard work, resilience and sleepless night became rich. Such people, imbued with kind dispositions and humanitarian ideas, go about doing well by floating scholarships and providing water boreholes in their various communities. Unfortunately, some community members brand them as members of secret societies, engaging in diverse campaigns, telling others not to accept their assistance or risk deaths, disease or accidents.

This action of mischief and trouble makers should be openly condemned by the society because it is not easy to be a rich man. That is why most wealthy people stay aloof in their communities since they are not always appreciated in what they do for their people.

Showing appreciation has far-reaching benefits to individuals and the wider society. On the part of individual, appreciation lubricates friendship and makes those doing good to do more. On the side of the society, appreciation becomes a vehicle for the speedy development of various communities.

For example, for voting him into power for the second term, Governor Willie Obiano showed profound appreciation to the people of the state, both in the media, billboards and public events. His appreciation has brought about the massive development in various communities in the state.

Today, the entire Anambra state is undergoing speedy transformation, which was not the norm in the recent past as many communities now have street lights, good roads, traffic lights, new town halls and civic centres, as well as health centres and upgraded hospitals.

So, as we walk along the path of life, we should always remember that appreciation is not only the oil that turns the wheel of human development but also a sine qua for the overall wellbeing of the society.

No related posts.