For country...not for Politics

Earlier today i had gone out to get a birthday gift for my Mum whose Birth Anniversary happens to be Today. I made a remarkable observation that has been heating me hard since then. I noticed that people went about there normal businesses as though the day was not a special one. There was no indication that the country was in a celebration mood. I would have blamed it on the poor results from the U20 world cup, but that wouldn't be the first time i am noticing the negligence Nigerians pay to days like that. Now we've gone over 13hrs into the day and i am yet to see anything "Greeny" talk more of the national flag. There is no sign of anything, anywhere. A few people i spoke to around my area admitted that, were it not for the declared public holiday, they wouldn't have known today was remarkable. All this got me thinking of how much we have lost our sense of Nationhood. When i recalled that i had once written on a notable trend that related to Nationhood and national identity, i decided to repost it here for Nigerians to read and see the need for a change.

I have observed an unhealthy trend and anybody who hopes the best for Nigeria should frown at it. Our youths are becoming so uninterested in matters of national concerns. The boys would rather read a dozen column on sport news than go through a paragraph of current issues affecting the country and the girls have fallen in love with social magazines that it is alien to hear a young Nigerian woman discuss politics or governance. They could spend any amount of money to watch football matches in game houses but wouldn’t sacrifice a fraction of their time to listen to free Nigerian News on TV or radio. We are faced with a situation that demands immediate attention for if this continues, we might soon find our hands tied.

When I discussed the situation with a friend, he told me the trend was not only common with youths alone; but is spreading fast among other grownups. He added that when he was growing up his father used to force him and his siblings to listen to the NTA 9 O’clock News but today the man will rather seat for hours watching boxing matches than spare an hour for the evening News. So he decided to ask him why he hardly listens to the News “these days” and guess the Old Man’s reply: “Nigerian News is Bad News; the good ones are camouflaged”. Then I asked him what he thought about his father’s reply he said, “I think the Old Man has some points; we only hear of misappropriations and scandals alike and then we don’t hear the truth”.

I have met people who will excuse their lack of interest in the affairs of the country with statements as “I am not interested in politics; it is too dirty”. One of them, Dayo, a colleague I met in Nairaland.com once asked me “why all these talks about nationhood?” when I tried to explain that we all are indebted to our country and have a vital role to play in building it. There was another person who told me bluntly that he has stopped discussing what is happening in Nigeria. He said, “There are many other productive things that one can do with their time”.

However, I am convinced that negligence will not solve the problem. I don’t blame anybody for how they feel about the country but I will blame anybody who is not doing something about remedying the situation. Did I hear you say how? Well, it starts from laying down our machetes. We need to understand that whatever grievances we have with our leaders; we should not transfer to the country. The country is not the government; it is the people and the geographical area they inhabit. You can love your country and dislike her government- this is safer since; governments will come and go but a country will always remain.

coiled from My book in progress "The land in Green"