The words of our national pledge doubtless portray the loyalty of the Nigerian people; It is thus:
I pledge to Nigeria my country, to be Faithful, Loyal and Honest
To serve Nigeria with all my strength,
To defend Her unity
And Uphold Her Honour and Glory,
So help me God.
Powerful words… but what do these mean to us as Nigerians? We enter the New Year 2013 with hopes, but sadly the Loyalty of Nigerians especially the youth to defend the unity of their nation is dingily sunk.
In 2012, we saw the videos of the gruesome murder and killing of the UNIPORT Four who were alleged to have stolen mobile phones; our judicial system has swept under the carpet the case file… or have they?
It has practically been two steps forward, ten back! For how long Nigeria?
Some years back, the NYSC Corps members posted to Bauchi also were murdered. They wanted to serve their fatherland and were killed without justice to the effect, till this day and the scheme still runs – endangering the lives of the youth and enriching the pockets of a few through contracts on poorly made kits and infrastructure with obvious hikes in price.
Late last year in the US, the whole world cried when unarmed kids and their teachers numbering 27 (20 kids and 7 adults) were shot by a “mentally unstable”/ “troubled kid” after killing his mother… Even Nigerians were saddened … But it seems we have however forgotten the women and children massacred numbering over a hundred in a village called Dogo Nahawa, in the troubled area of Jos, Nigeria in March 2010.
Till this day, the no culprits have been charged with these murders.
Our aviation industry have put Nigerians that do air travels in “compulsory-fire-prayer” mode with every boarding – and most recently even the poor “wey no dey travel by aero plane” in danger with crashes/disasters in the middle of cities as well.
We have become so “used” to these deaths that kids see corpses on the highways in our cities and yell “daddy, see dead bodi”.
Are you sick to the stomach? I honestly am. Whatever country we go, we are now identified as the country where lives are lost in murders as though natural. Laughing stocks? I wouldn’t say that because I see nothing funny in deaths, sorrow, hunger, injustice, illiteracy, joblessness etc. And the list goes on.
Will you just read my bit and move on in 2013 as we have always done? Or would you re-echo in anyway your own bits?
All words and no action? Maybe… but I have said my bit and will continue to re-reverberate my yearns for a better Nigeria because I am Nigerian!
