“I believe in a united Nigeria, where the citizen is the boss”
June 19th, 2011
Patriotism is valuing a nation which harnesses its resources to provide opportunities for everyone and where the aspirations of the youth drive the hopes of the future, writes 22-year-old Commonwealth Correspondent Nnadozie Onyekuru from Maiduguri, Nigeria.
My hope is alive. I have won the battle again. To be born a Nigerian is to pick battles with unpatriotism.
There are odd events that puzzle you. There are stark indices; indices of doom that partition any nagging optimistic arguments in your mind of the real and the ideal.
They shred your patriotism in a way that makes the bravest of hearts weak. Each time they come, I wrestle but my hope survives. Today, I have decided to place my weapons on paper to tell the world what I see and to remind myself of why I’m doing what I’m doing.
I believe in a united Nigeria, a nation where the identities of tribe and religion only remind citizens that they are part of a whole. A nation where governance is about working on ideas that protect the welfare of citizens, because the citizen is the boss.
A nation that harnesses her resources to provide opportunities for everyone from the blacksmith in Gusau to the CEO in Victoria Island. A nation where the poor and rich can live with the contentment of citizenship.
A nation that is a hub of human rights, full of upright policemen and free from political assassinations. A nation where virtues are senior to vices, where only the repentant are pardoned and the patriotism of the pardoned awakens the lukewarm.
A nation where the aspirations of the youth drive the hopes of the future. A nation where the only sacred cow is national interest. A nation that would write a positive history in the world because she is not afraid to stand up for what is right in the world and what is wrong. A satellite nation that launches each digital page for the world.
These are my articles of faith. I will keep talking about them because every time I talk, someone listens and every time someone listens, something happens.
Sometimes, the virtue of patriotism moves slowly in words that work and ideas that evolve into worthy adventures. God Bless Nigeria.
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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?
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