It was a cool, quiet evening—one of those rare days when the city seemed to exhale. I boarded the bus home from work, grateful for the unusual calm. The vehicle was only half-full, a welcome contrast to the usual chaos of rush hour. The driver was sealed off in his little cubicle up front, and we passengers were scattered like leaves on a still pond. Among them was a man who immediately caught my eye—late 60s, wearing a crisp white cap that read ' Chosen One' in bold black letters. He was flipping through a newspaper with such frantic energy it looked like he was searching for something long lost—or perhaps arguing with the headlines themselves. Opposite him sat another older man, though you wouldn't know it from his clothes. He was dressed like a teenager—like someone clinging to relevance with both hands. Then, out of nowhere, the man in the cap spoke, loud and clear, as if addressing a courtroom rather than a quiet bus. 'Does time determine what's right or wrong...
The
little I know about Nigeria is what others say about her; overpopulated,
corrupt, dirty, poverty stricken, underdeveloped, a debtor, diabolic, dubious,
etc. Definitely, your father and my mother would have mentioned one of the cited
above. Is there anything new under Nigeria? Will she ever change to our concept
of a great nation?
Imagine
your children responding to these questions. What do you think their reactions
would be? Would there be compatriots left of them? Would Nigeria be able to call for them to
even obey? How would they show love to their fatherland by then? They might not
even be familiar with any of their heroes past not to mention their labor.
What
would be the concept of freedom then when its meaning at the moment is
meaningless? Do you even think peace and unity won’t be assessed by the “escape
from Naija” spirit?
If
we do not even comprehend our noble cause how would God direct us?
I
mean, He can only guide those who don’t want to be misguided by vanity right?
And until the youths know that truths don’t lie in the bosom of publicity or the bleaching of the skin just to look like someone else (note:
this does not only affect the skin but also the brain cells…) then love and
honesty will keep fading away like a departing shadow following the lead of the
setting sun.
I
pray that those great lofty heights would not be attained on an airplane to
another land alone. I pray that the building of the nation won’t be with
expired, cheap and substandard materials so that the figurine of Justice would
hold its scale in an equal light lest peace would only be a far cry.
Is
your Nigeria different from your father's Nigeria? What is your national anthem standing for? Have a thoughtful
Independence celebration.
I pledge to Nigeria my country
To value life, more than money
To never throw dirt on the streets
To wait my turn in queues
To never take one way and cause traffic
And not keep others waiting and
unattended to
To desist from hyping the prizes of
goods and services
Once there’s surge.
To believe in diligent work and not
quick wealth
And finally, to help others grow
instead of pulling them down.
So help me God!
Happy
Thoughtful Independence Day… From Emmawad!
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