WHO ARE YOU TO START NOW? My Community Want to be Where They Are
Introduction
The people’s fear of change has kept our community, Lim, moving backward instead of forward. This article explores the issues that have become barriers to any Lim son or daughter who wishes to contribute meaningfully to the development of our beloved community. These challenges arise from a lack of cooperation between those living in the village (home) and those living in the cities.
Our inactive youth leadership, which has lingered for years without improvement, has also contributed significantly to our underdeveloped state. Development starts from accepting that we have been left behind and opening the door to new ideas while supporting individual and collective efforts to build a better community.
“Who Are You to Start Now?”
The fear of “Who are you?” or “Who am I to start now?” has held Lim back for generations. The moment someone brings an idea for community development, unnecessary questions rise:
i. Who is even bringing this idea?
ii. Which church does he or she attend?
iii. How can someone from COCIN or Catholic teach us what to do?
iv. Which family clan does he even belong to?
v. How can this ‘small boy’ who just went to school come back and teach us?
vi. How can someone living in Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja, or Bauchi tell us what to do in Lim?
These questions divide us — yet those who ask them rarely contribute anything meaningful to the community.
Have you ever asked why many of our people in the city prefer to live there until the end of their lives?
Lim has many prominent sons and daughters with high-level careers, whose children attend good schools in the cities. Naturally, no parent will uproot their children to bring them to a community without basic amenities.
The Cost of Our Resistance to Growth
For decades, Lim has existed without essential community structures:
No strong community school
No sufficient pipe-borne water
No employment opportunities for our trained graduates
No fully functional community clinic
When the government attempts to provide a social amenity, conflicts emerge over where such a facility should be located.
A community as large as Lim once lacked a designated place for a clinic — our family house was temporarily used before the clinic was moved to Lim Bakin Kasuwa.
Individuals with genuine intentions to develop the community are often unwelcome in their own hometown.
A clear example is the Lim Community Town Hall project initiated by Lim sons and daughters living in Port Harcourt. A foundation was laid, but the project stopped because:
Some said proper consultation was not made. Others said the land was wrongly allocated.
This proved that there is a noticeable gap between those living in the village and those in the cities — a gap that has weakened our progress.
Rather than support the initiative, attacks began from different angles. The major question remains: If that land was wrongly allocated or was located in a wrong place, why was another land not given?
My Community Wants to be Where they Are
Lim prefers to remain where it is — for “peace to reign.”
But this mindset has cost us progress for many years.
People listen when you talk about development. But when you attempt to implement it, attacks come from unknown directions.
Some claimed the project was motivated by personal interest — simply because they were not the ones who initiated it.
Why are we afraid to start from somewhere?
This insecurity and fear of another person’s success turns good initiatives into controversy.
In 2019, when I created “Lim The 21st Century,” many people called to challenge it. But I knew what I was doing, it was for creating awareness and enlightening our people.
Signs of Hope
Not all is dark. Some sons of Lim have shone light on what is possible:
1. Mr. Habila Simon Magaji, Mr. Yakubu Kasai, and Mr. Stephen Simon Magaji
These individuals contributed meaningfully to the well-being of the community.
They established chemists that provided essential healthcare support. Instead of building a proper community clinic to empower them, the environment pushed them to take their knowledge elsewhere. Today, not less than three chemists are functioning because of their foundation.
2. Sarkin Yaran Lim
In November 2021, Mr. Dogara Simon Magaji became the first Sarkin Yaran Lim (Youth Chief).
Instead of supporting him fully, some were with sentiments that will not lead us to nowhere.
3. Educational Impact by Mr. Sunday Simon Magaji
He established Simodiana Nursery School, creating good employment opportunities providing quality education — an initiative the community itself failed to undertake.
4. The Rise of Lim Forum
In February 2025, Lim The 21st Century was rebranded into Lim Forum — an information hub for enlightenment, awareness, and unity. Although some individuals opposed the name and logo at first, Lim Forum continued to grow.
Today, Lim Forum has recorded over four million views in the last 28 days, proving that the platform has grown to become a voice for the community and beyond.
Conclusion
Our community must understand that development begins with a willingness to change. We cannot expect progress while resisting every new idea or attacking those who step forward with genuine intentions. The habit of asking “Who are you to start now?” has become a barrier that limits our collective growth and silences initiatives that could transform Lim for the better.
We must embrace unity between our people in the village and those in the cities. Collaboration, not division, is what will move us forward. Supporting individuals, respecting our leaders, and encouraging meaningful contributions should be our new culture as a community that wants progress.
The future of Lim depends on our ability to accept change, welcome new ideas, and work together with open minds. If we desire a better tomorrow, we must begin by creating an environment where every son and daughter of Lim is supported, encouraged, and empowered to contribute to our development.
Yohanna Sunday Atiku
Criminologist and Security Expert
17 November, 2025.
