In my last article, I pointed out how patriotism turned a dry, desert land like Israel into a fruitful field while the lack of it has turned a fruitful field like Nigeria desolate. It is very clear that patriotism is to a country what fresh air is to aerobic organisms including man. However, patriotism does not just happen. It is not plucked from trees. It is instilled and imbibed. It is a dainty fruit harvested from hearts that have encountered the loving arms of their country. It is the precious stone that rewards the tireless labour of a nation state on the promising soil of the citizen’s heart. There are incidental crops the farmer just finds growing on his farm. Patriotism is not one of them. It is something that must be desired, deliberately cultivated and carefully nurtured to maturity.
Nigeria as a nation has a serious deficiency in the art of nation building. Nation building is a serious business that cannot be done carelessly. The process must start from the top. The leaders must show their love for Nigeria by practical deeds, and drive the country in such a way that she inspires love in her citizens. This is a therapy that Nigeria must either take or perish. Many people believe that corruption of public office holders is the major problem of Nigeria but I think our bane as a nation is lack of patriotism. This gross deficiency in patriotism is a result of the lack of seasoned leaders who are wise enough to realize that their major task is to address the issue of ethnic and religious diversities in such a way that these factors will not pose a problem to the development of the nation.
Nigeria has more than two hundred and fifty ethnic groupings and naturally, it is difficult to run such an amorphous entity as a single nation state.
To succeed in the task of making a progressive country out of Nigeria, everything should have been done to unify all her component parts and make every citizen have a sense of belonging, no matter what part of the country he hails from. Policies should have been put in place to downplay ethnic and tribal sentiments and promote national integration. Instead, policies were made to clearly show that a part of the country must always have the upper hand in the scheme of things. Appointments, employments, contracts are all skewed to favour one area and short-change the others. Definitely, this is not how to build a progressive nation.
The leaders of this nation must realize that it is what they do and what they fail to do that will define us in the comity of nations. No nation can rise above the integrity of her leaders. If the people see a Nigerian outside the shores of the country today and immediately believe he is a criminal, it means that the leaders of Nigeria have lost their credibility before the international community.There is no way the world will respect you as a leader if you have not led your people well.
In the last dispensation, bombs harassed us and nearly stole our sanity as a nation. Blood was shed for no just cause. Everyone condemned the levity with which the government of the day handled the carnage that was almost a daily occurrence. The general belief then was that the government could have done better in stemming the tide of Boko Haram but did not.
The present dispensation has come with the harassment changing apparels. The new name is Fulani cattle men. We hear they now carry AK47 in place of the shepherd’s staff and are now so blood thirsty that killing a hundred villagers in one night does not satisfy their quest for blood. They invaded Agatu in Benue state, killed hundreds of innocent farmers, whose only offence was that they resisted the destruction of their farm crops by cattle. They slaughtered these people like cows and there was uproar in the market places, on the streets, inside buses and cars, in various gatherings, everywhere except the corridors of power. Yes, the powers that be kept quiet while Agatu boiled. Pray, how does this treatment inspire patriotism? How can this attitude of our leaders cause citizens to fall in love with their country?
This harassment came down to Enugu, headquarters of Eastern Nigeria. The cattle men unleashed their terror on the farm lands. They fed their herds on cassava, pumpkin, groundnuts and other crops and when the natives complained, they used their weapons freely on the unsuspecting villagers. They killed some villagers and they retaliated, killing some herdsmen. Another attack by the herdsmen followed and the natives staged a peaceful protest. The federal government arrested the protesters. Is there any reason for this arrest? Is it a confirmation that some animals are more equal than the others? These are actions that will destroy every atom of patriotism in a citizen.
Just this week, a clandestine attack was unleashed on a village in Enugu state which claimed many lives. It was perpetrated by the same Fulani cattle men. There is an outrage. All men of goodwill are disturbed. All lovers of humanity are perplexed. Everyone that values peaceful co-existence is crying out in pains. How can human beings suckled by mothers just break into peoples’ houses while they sleep at night and murder them in cold blood for no apparent reason? But what have the leaders said?
In all of this sordid drama, my greatest worry is the reaction of our leaders. The governor of Enugu state is silent. What is he afraid of; losing his seat? Of what value is that seat if he secures it at the detriment of his people? Is he not aware that heroes are only made in times of adversity such as this? I urge the young, ebullient governor of Enugu state as well as the governors of other states concerned to say no to this new form of terrorism. Speak up, fight with all you have got on the side of your people and write your name in gold in the annals of history.
I wish to beg the president to break his inglorious silence. He needs to show Nigerians that he stands for equity and justice at all times. The herdsmen’s menace is an evil wind that carries no good tidings and our president must stop them now before they destroy Nigeria.
Finally, I wish to state categorically that nation-building revolves around patriotism and Nigeria must undertake the task of instilling patriotism in her citizens as a matter of urgency. Make things work for the citizens. Stop defrauding them at every turn. Ensure they get value for the things they pay for. Turn around the education systems. Stop the colossal fraud at EEDC and other DISCOS. Make us feel loved and cared for and together we shall build a great nation.
Failure of our leaders to cultivate patriotism means that Nigeria should get ready to die.
NNENNA Ihebom
