Outside Nigeria, and indeed inside the country, when two or three Nigerians are gathered, nine to ten bets is that the topic of their discussion will remotely or immediately relate to the government. If they are more than two in such a group, two out of three bets is that the larger proportion of the group is criticizing the government. However the interesting thing about these groups is, dare anyone who is not Nigerian to come and put mouth in such a discuss. All contrary opinions will instantly be discarded as they all round up on the outsider in immediate defence of Naija.
The right and privilege to criticise our country’s government and leadership is the Nigerian’s and no other’s. It is purely ours to enjoy. It is our identity which we guard jealously and not willing to share with no other nationality, no matter who they are or where they come from or how closely related to us such an outsider may be.
Brings to mind a story from long ago (whether true or not I am not sure) in the first reign of General Obasanjo, when it was said that the then despotic president of Zaire, Mobutu TseTse Seko had complained to Obasanjo that the Nigerian press was embarassing him by the sort of caustic journalistic campaign they were carrying on against him. It was said that Obasanjo in response had forwarded to him a truck load of Nigerian newspapers. He had taken pains to underline for the attention of the Zairen despot, where comments were made about him Obasanjo. All of them caustic, insulting and negative. In his own country where he is the Head of State.
However there is another side to this coin. It is usually cool to be a Nigerian who drink your beer, eat pepper soup and goat head as you criticize your government. After this you go home. Just to continue the song and dance on the next opportunity. The question is, what do you do about it? The wise man said that the best critique is usually the worst performer. Fela said it is All talk talk, no action.
The Nigerian in the Diaspora, with particular reference to the intelligentia claim that their apathy or lack of response to the situation at home is that they have been ignored and overtly been treated without respect. No government bothers to look beyond the shores of the land to seek for participation in governance or government related activities, clearly snubbing the quality pool of intellectuals of Nigerian origin that abound abroad. They are piqued that they are not treated as or even recognised as Nigerians, as they are neither included in the Census nor accorded any voting rights. That is unless such a one comes home to join in the race, rat or human.
To these ones, this writer asks, How long would we sing Naijas song in a strange land. The land belongs to all of us. There is no Nigerian, more Nigerian than any other Nigerian.
This then brings to perspective another front, this being the fear of the returnees for life and properties. The absence of security in Nigeria and the way it is described and announced by those Nigerians living abroad who have managed to go home once in ten years could send fears and jitters down the spines of those who have plans of visiting home. These morbid stories are instant turn offs to those who are habouring plans of returning home to settle. We know of Nigerians who have left Europe and instead of going to Nigeria to settle have chosen some other West African country. This is sad.
The other group, with their lumpenproletariat mentality and expressions are the ones that have refused to improve their life quality, inspite of the opportunities that abound all around them in the lands of their supposed sojourn abroad. They resort to every concievable nefarousness and impure lifestyle, as they do everything to drag the image of the land of their birth tot he mud. Alas, these ones, especially in Mainland Europe constitute the majority and the greater proportion of the pepper soup joint Nigerian bashers.
However, what is being sort is not a recount of the woes of Nigeria, but those who can profer solutions. The Yorubas have an adage that says that it is the child that lifts its hands that folks are likely to carry. The Igbos on the other hand say it thus ; It is the goat that cries loudly that gets fed and also cause others to be fed. Chris Dahi says that every one should stand and be counted. Hiding in the shadows and complaining does not solve the problem.
There is a need for the positively expressive group of Nigerians abroad to create and operate under an umbrella, from which they can not only be heard loud and clear, but also seen clearly. In the ambit of such a forum they can have a voice and one clear vision. Also, the world in this Age is open, any one that has any thing to tell the government which they feel is positive can easily make an attempt. This is the true right to be a Nigerian. Formation of Chambers of Commerce is a way to start.
Some years back, the Nigerian Ambassador representing us in The Kingdom of Belgium, The Grand Duchy of Luxenboug and the European Union, at the time had embarked on a town Hall project. In one of those meetings in the town, Antwerp where this writers lives, he had bared the powers of the ambassador. This writer had however, during the course of the meeting pointed out to him and all gathered, that the true ambassadors of the nation of Nigeria were actually those of us living in the Diaspora. We are the ones that stay after they have come, done their brief stint and left. If they make any mess during that period, we are the ones that are left to clean it up. We really are the ones that have everything to lose. Yet we are not even counted as Nigerians. The man, after that meeting called me aside and requested if I could please join his Town Hall group. This I patroitically did.
It is said that Britain expects every man to do his duty, while the American should think of what one can do for America, not what America can do for you. Many other countries have such slogans and cliches. That of Nigeria is that this present Nigeria and indeed future Nigerians have no other Nigeria but this one, so we have to stay and salvage it together.
Obama says “Yes, we can”
Buhari says “I belong to every one and belong to no one”
The power of these immortal words is that they are clarion calls for a collective effort to make self and society worthy, functional and profitable. To stay in a corner and criticize is a coward’s approach to a problem. If you can find fault, also generate the power to profer a solution. The government is not an entity that is imposed upon us from above or underneath. Those in government are people like us, they are our brothers, sisters and compartroits.
It is time for Nigeria to collectively seek for and find a Cultural Identity. It was in the days past of the immediate past president, as a military Head of State that we can remember Nigeria came quite close to attaining a collective identity. Inspite of all odds, Nigerians were proud to be Nigerians at that time. Some of the projects that were established by that government were so laudable that Nigerians still keep to them even up to date. The monthly clean up exercise established by that government is a testimony to them as a proof that Nigerians are ready and willing to collectively do something if such a venture is worthy. Nigerians have looked down for so long, because every where we go, especially for those of us in the Diaspora, our identity is synonimous with crime, corruption and bad governance. Nigerians are yearning to come back to our pride of place in the international sphere.
Unfortunately, about the present government …
Chris Dahi Onukwue, a prolific writer, researcher and author of several books is from Ubakala Umuahia Abia state, he read Sociology in University of Jos, have over the years worked in the television, radio and newspaer sectors and currently reside in Belgium.
