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!
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