The spirit of patriotism is dying down gradually in our
nation because of the nonchalant attitude of our leaders. The can-do spirit and
the enthusiasm that people, most especially footballers representing the nation
in an international sports events exercised before now to ensure the nation
celebrate victory is no longer there.
There are cases in Nigeria where the heroes that have
performed a worthwhile task and have contributed immensely to the growth and
development of the nation are neglected to die a mockery death by our leaders.
One of those heroes to mention a few is Pa Taiwo Akinkumi who designed the
national flag. No wonder Nigeria doesn’t celebrate flag day like the United
States of America do on every 14th day of June every year because
the Federal Government do not see it worthy of celebration. I’m expecting a
flag day like the one Great Britain celebrates every year, where they collect
money from people on the streets for charity homes. During the course of the exercise,
people are given small stickers to wear in order to show that
they are given money.
It is so disappointing that the Nigerian leaders have learnt
nothing from all the positive things ongoing in the developed nations of the
world, rather trick or deceit is the only thing they have learnt from the
exposure to western education. In as such, I think the Boko Haram might be
right to call it a SIN.
Another hero who was ignored by our government to die a
miserable death is Mr. Rashidi Yekini, the football sport hero became popular
in the 1994 Olympic game. He later suffered some emotional disorder and was
neglected to die like an orphan. The recent one which attracted public
reactions from Nigerians is the death of Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, the coach of
the Super Eagle who died few months back. The statement made by the president
that there was no money to bury him came as a surprise to Nigerians. This
happened before the family demanded for the remains to shoulder the
responsibility by themselves or could it be that there was no money to bury
Keshi because he wasn’t a Hausa man?
It is so saddening that the people mentioned are those that
we can remember vividly. What about the nation’s soldiers dying in unknown wars
of political combat between the political lords that trade with the blood of
their citizens in hunger for power and money? It is not amazing however that
the troops are retreating from the battle fields because the weapons given to
the unknown soldiers are more sophisticated than the ones given to the known soldiers.
More saddening is the nation’s soldiers who died in the defence of their father
land and are left forgotten in their shallow graves with their memory dead
with them. How then can others who are still alive exercise the spirit of
patriotism? If na you, you go stay?
No wonder the whole world was surprised when U.S president,
Barak Obama swapped five prisoners for the sake of only one American soldier.
If you ask me, I would tell you that. That is why an American soldier can fight
with the last drop of his blood to defend his country. So, Nigeria awake.
