Patriotism to one’s country is not only in giving up lives for the country but it starts from everyday interactions and the pronouncements made about the countries.
Being a
Nigerian, I may have lived in other countries but home for me is still home.
Some people move
abroad and then the very place where their families are and where they once knew as
home before suddenly becomes a dreadful place. Don’t get me wrong…I admit there
are certain things that are which shouldn’t be or which aren’t that should be
but let’s save that for another day…
Miss A, a
Nigerian, was brought up in a ‘face me I face you compound’ but eventually moved
to the United States of America.
A storm broke out once and there was a power outage for two days. Her reaction
to this was over the top describing the situation in summary as unbearable. Her
loved one was quick to remind her of their childhood in darkness and suggested
sending her a kerosene lamp as she would do well with that. That shut Miss A up
to the delight of most people. This conversation was made public thanks to
social media. Why was she crying more than the bereaved anyway? The authorities
were working hard to have the power restored and kept apologizing for the
situation. The Americans understood that this was nobody’s fault and were
exercising their patience. Uncomfortable as it was, they had no choice than to
trust the government and in two days, the power was restored. Miss A on the
other hand was so quick to forget how she grew up with power outages as a
normal thing and each person would have to find solutions. When things are
going well, everybody is fine but when the going gets tough, it is easy to
forget where we are coming from or to have a positive attitude. This negativity
is carried into everything and that impacts our efforts to change things or to
encourage those who even try. “Na government work, no be your papa own” Does
this sound familiar? This same Miss A doesn’t see anything good about her
country anymore and has only negative to say about Nigeria. For someone who is trying
so hard to fit into being American, she has refused to imbibe the love of
country the Americans have for their nation. She isn’t the only guilty one
amongst those who live in the diaspora. Some others sound and act like this
about Nigeria
so where is the hope?
****
Miss B, a
Ghanian, was born and raised for a few years in her country till her mother moved with her to the United
Kingdom at the age of five. So for the most
part of her life, she has been British. However, her father happened to be a
polygamist and she is the youngest of all the children. She didn’t know how
many children they were in total but she knew her father had four wives and may
have had concubines. This is hard for any person to deal with but sadly she has
put all African men in the same bracket and believes that they are all
polygamous in nature. Her expression ‘typical African man’ could be used so
many times in a sentence when referring to men. Bear in mind that her father is
in his eighties and she is a fully grown woman now. I believe these are very
different generations and the thinking pattern has certainly shifted. All
people cannot be judged based on one person’s actions.
Today when jobs
are hard to come by and economic recession is never far, not many people would
have the courage to father countless children. Besides, that one man chooses to
father the world does not make it typical to all the men in his race. And
whatever the case may be, she is a product of that same man! That happens to be
one positive thing.
****
Bringing it
home, many people talk about change all the time but how can it happen except
we are willing to cooperate and do our own part? So many keep saying “be the
change you want to see”. The support football fans have for football baffles me
(I hope I am not about to bring trouble on myself by using this
illustration…lol). These guys will give up anything to watch a game and can
take on an argument for football at any time. After a game, I have seen some
chaps take out their frustration from a team’s loss on their spouses/partners.
It’s funny if you ask me :-) But
think of the love we have for European football being converted to national
football. I know the teams may not be the best now but how about these football
lovers rising up to making it worth watching or arguing for? It is amazing how
far a game can go to unite a country when things are all in place. Rugby played
a role in the national unity of South
Africa, didn’t it? How about this love for
football being translated to love for country?
****
These illustrations
are simply my thoughts on your screen but how about we bear in mind that it is
the little efforts here and there that make it all come together as one big
whole.
One governor is
doing his best to transform his state but some take offence at him doing things
differently. Whether we accept it or not, there are some who benefit from the
corruption that exists and stand in the way of change or good happening in Nigeria. Our
civic responsibilities are somewhat a mirage as we are not even conscious of
them.
This is all hypotheses
but I wonder and I ask when that change we need in Nigeria will begin to materialise. Nevertheless,
take a step back for a moment and do not play the role of judge. Instead, ask
yourself how you can make your own contribution to humanity and your country,
however small…
Expressions
- “Face me I face you” – An expression used to
depict houses that are built facing each other, generally not in the best
areas.
- “Na government work, no be your papa own” –
It’s the government’s work, not your father’s. (There could be a laid back
attitude to work in government institutions as such people work as it suits
them)
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