There is hardly a day on social media that one or more Nigerians would not disclose that they have relocated from the country. Especially on micro-blogging site Twitter, one would see the excitement contained in their expression, even though most of them do not have a clue of what is ahead of them in foreign lands.
While it gladdens my heart to see people progress by relocating and through other means they deem appropriate, it bothers me that a lot of people have no hope in the redemption of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation.
This is a sad reality that has slowed down the spate of patriotism in many people, particularly the youths. In view of Nigeria’s situation, you would almost think the country has no value anyone can cling to, and all you would be nursing is how to escape from her retrogressive form.
Unfortunately, people who think this way have experienced awful things. Perhaps, more than us. They have seen how corruption has made a country with enormous natural resources and talents, the capital of poverty in the world.
These sets of people have witnessed how Nigerian lives don’t matter to policemen and other security officers in the country; not only this, they have also witnessed how policemen’s lives and that of other security agents don’t matter to other Nigerians (Vice-versa).
With all the aforementioned challenges, I wonder why we still have to battle nepotism, an alarming current situation that sees the government of the day pampering its ethnic group as against others. Honestly, this alone makes me sometimes question if God has an interest in Nigeria.
On a daily basis, what makes the news is how our political leaders are doing things out of spite and self ambition irrespective of the poor masses. Their love of wealth acquisition has become so intrusive on the rights of so many Nigerians, such that not even crumbs are left by the oppressors. As Nigeria grows in years, we, as citizens, discover new awful things about those at the country’s helm of affairs. Without shame, they continuously adorn themselves with failures.
But for someone familiar with the history of some of the world’s developed countries, and a person that has travelled to relevant places around the globe, each day I wake up, my patriotism waxes stronger. I have never doubted the success of this country for once, even though it is not feasible at the moment.
I believe Nigeria has hope, which will only come to reality with the right policies. Mind you, it is not just the responsibility of you and I to make, at least for now, but that of those saddled with the responsibility of leading us to our Canaan Land.
So, while I hope to see the Nigeria everyone would proudly call a home someday, I also hope they would stop making political appointments based on relationships. Not only this, I also hope that someday, the people with the right mindset, true nationalists, technocrats, and the patriotic ones like me, would be the one occupying Nigeria’s public offices to change the country’s atmosphere to a new dawn.
Happy Independence Day!
By Olanrewaju Michael George
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