Really these comparisons of Nigeria to a 15... then 31... then 40 year old (and on each occasion of its anniversary) person that can’t crawl, much more walk at that age is really getting old and tired, and should stop. It just grates on my nerves. Who contrived the analogy by the way? Since when does it make sense to compare a sedentary 47 year old human who has a maximum life span of what, maybe a hundred years, with a sedentary 47 year old nation with a maximum life span of … er … I don’t know… maybe forever?
Ok… so maybe Nigeria hasn’t attained those great lofty heights which the largely unknown second stanza (I dare you to sing the entire second stanza. What am I even saying…? Sing the first one, if you can!) of our national anthem espouses, but that is not to say she should suffer the indignities of such unbecoming comparisons.
Let’s see if I can’t cast my mind back and come up with one or two heartwarming things we can be thankful for about Nigeria:
i) Our civil war lasted not quite three years. If this doesn’t seem like a lot to be thankful for, maybe the Angolans can explain the agony of being in a war from 1974 till 2002.
ii) Forget that he never should have even happened in the first place, but Abacha died out on us!!! That to me will always remain one of the greatest miracles in modern day Nigeria. I mean, what are the odds? Did Mobutu die on the Zaireans? Did Idi Amin? Has Museveni? Or even Mugabe?
iii) For the first time, Nigeria actually has a Servant-Leader; which is a whole new concept for us. Having suffered through boors like Obj, and brutes like Abacha, maybe just maybe, things will be different this time around.
For all the haters out there, Nigeria can choose to begin to crawl when it hits 100; and why not, we have till eternity, no?
Happy 47th Anniversary, Nigeria.
Ok… so maybe Nigeria hasn’t attained those great lofty heights which the largely unknown second stanza (I dare you to sing the entire second stanza. What am I even saying…? Sing the first one, if you can!) of our national anthem espouses, but that is not to say she should suffer the indignities of such unbecoming comparisons.
Let’s see if I can’t cast my mind back and come up with one or two heartwarming things we can be thankful for about Nigeria:
i) Our civil war lasted not quite three years. If this doesn’t seem like a lot to be thankful for, maybe the Angolans can explain the agony of being in a war from 1974 till 2002.
ii) Forget that he never should have even happened in the first place, but Abacha died out on us!!! That to me will always remain one of the greatest miracles in modern day Nigeria. I mean, what are the odds? Did Mobutu die on the Zaireans? Did Idi Amin? Has Museveni? Or even Mugabe?
iii) For the first time, Nigeria actually has a Servant-Leader; which is a whole new concept for us. Having suffered through boors like Obj, and brutes like Abacha, maybe just maybe, things will be different this time around.
For all the haters out there, Nigeria can choose to begin to crawl when it hits 100; and why not, we have till eternity, no?
Happy 47th Anniversary, Nigeria.
2 comments:
its quite unfortunate that despite the average Nigerian's indignance at the wrong potrayal of Naija's image, 3/4s of the time we are regurgitating nonsense about ourselves...!
If nothing we have earned ourselves a pride of place in d Webster's dictionary as '... the merry making ppl on the west coast of Africa" (thanks to our naira spraying prowess and owanbe nature which ppl like chukwuma are trying to destroy... God forbid!!!)
Long Live Naija jare!
I just had to take the challenge. Hope i did well. lol!!
Oh God of Creation
Direct our noble cause
Lead our leaders right
Help our youth the truth to know.
In love and honesty to grow.
In living right and true.
Great lofty heights atain
To build a nation where peace
and justice shall reign.
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