“Mr. President, sir, I rise to move the motion standing in
my name, “that this House accepts as a primary political objective the
attainment of self-government for Nigeria in 1956… Sir, the Action Group, the
N.C.N.C., the Northern Elements Progressive Union, and indeed all true
nationalist who interviewed the Labour Party delegation left them in no doubt
that 1956 is their irrevocable choice”1. And 1960 became the date.
Pa Anthony Enahoro has been described by some as Nigeria’s foremost nationalist
clamouring for a perceptual change in the authoritative rulership in Nigeria.
Here we can say that nationalism goes beyond patriotism, country’s loyalty and
respect, it can accentuate a political dictum imploring a journey to put a
nation in developmental decorum. Nationalism is idea oriented behaviour; it
can, as it has, be a flagman-ship of one’s influence, background, culture,
religion. The igniting factor is unity, in one common cause nationalists fight,
they defend, uphold and together conquer.
What thrusts a nation to nationalism? What impedes it? It
is a monumental fact that people diversified in all corners would champion the
monumental cord of nationalism. That intuition relies on the testimony of
individualized goals achieved afterwards. It is sacrificial, yet common and driven
for the good of all. That a certain suffering, a perceived bedeviling called
for the rise of nationalists is true and very correct but what keeps it afloat
as well as the nationalists’ consistent nature if paramount. The Nigerian
youths have so many roles to play in promoting nationalism and being
nationalists themselves, championing a cause many believed is a no go area for
them.
As a onetime R.N.V (Religious and National Values) teacher,
I captioned a scene from one of the numerous community clashes in Nigeria –
with the karate, heavy punches, shooting, in wanting to know those physically
participating in such brutality. And of course, it was/is the youth. The place
of the Nigerian youth calls for urgent retorting, it has been a carryover
specimen hindering needed nurture at the early stage. If today, Pope Francis
shares a Christian message, it is majorly targeted to the youths; when Ayatollah
Khomeini retorted government changes, it was the youth that reinforced the
world acclaimed Iranian Revolution; Buddha admonished nirvana in youthful exuberance.
The youths are the spinal cord of a nation; it connects the motor nerve cells,
the back and the leg. The youth replenishes or decreases any certain stride
they deem fit either because they were taught or because they failed to learn.
The motor nerve cells is the country, the back is the
stride of development, intuition, culture, precepts of the country, while the
leg is the people united in nationalism. “I pledge to Nigeria my country to be
faithful, loyal and honest, to serve Nigeria with all my strength…”2
seem only a recital for our young children. Alas, we all made it too, a call to
be committed to our country, a call for nationalism, fostered in strength and
goodwill. But then, it goes farther than this, for anyone can result a
country’s anthem and pledge without true loyalty to it. So, the background of
the problems facing the Nigeria youths must be addressed. Unemployment is not a
reason to steal and engage in one form of social vices or the other. Criticism
makes little or no impact on the average Nigerian. Apart from prayers,
self-change for goodwill work wonders. Negativity should not be mainly blamed
on the country’s outlook – it starts from the home – the first social contact
of a child and that means everyone is a partaker in this quest. A nationalist
is not a sole fighter. He must mingle in order not to fumble. There are many
problems that hinder a youth’s success, aside karma’s presence but that does
not call for delinquencies.
First things first, I have listed six ‘first things’ that
must be promoted first before nationalism be promoted. Love is number one. Self
love, love of countrymen, love of country. The type that is genuine, where
every hurt touches and collectively we bear the brunt of it. Patriotism
liquidates lukewarm-ness to a country’s revival in terms of intellectual
support. All nationalists were/are patriotic is indeed a valid conclusion. Honesty
and transparency is a foremost ethical behaviour upheld by almost all religions
in the world. The Baha’i faith clamours for it as well as Islam and
Christianity. Form the kindergarten pupil behind my house to the leader of a
country, even to the manager in an organization, honesty and transparency
instill confidence and goodwill on the nation.
What
is more? We must all promote a crime free society. A society were stealing is
corruption, bribing should be punishable, election malpractice is disgusting
and leadership neglect is a crime itself. Cultural and religious development
and tolerance must be upheld. As a people our diverse culture is a hefty plus
like a hippy lady in the mist of young bachelors. We must nurture it, be proud
of it: education should NEVER outshine it, we must distinct it and tolerate one
another because what we have is a blessing.
The
role of the Nigerian youth in promoting nationalism I have distinguished as
follows:
(1) Learning from History:
learning the precepts and dictates that once upheld a country and being
inspired by them. This correlates the country’s diverse makeup, colonization
process, religious inculcation and so on. So that, by virtue of the vase
knowledge top-up the youth can learn from a realized mistake as well as salvage
solution.
(2) Taking Charge of Their Political Future
Through Communal Participation: The youths must start
form the basics, they must not be insightful added to the fact that they are
devoid of basic intellectual broad-spectrum to affiliate themselves politically
and defend their country’s political edifice. This is not tout practice or mugger
neither is it societal notoriousness. Conventional programmes to enlighten the
youth should be organized in association with the state and national ministries
of youth. Crime-free association organized by youth at the local level is also
advisable.
(3) Hardwork: In promoting that spirit of behavioural
attachment to one’s habitat, the youths must be hard working in order to be
taken seriously. Hardwork will take their minds of social vices and all what
will lead them astray. It will impact on them exposure needed to curtail
stagnancy and all it brings if it be in attaining education, learning a trade
or engaging in trades.
(4) Discipline and Self-Motivation:
The youth must be discipline so as to inculcate that into younger ones.
Maturity and respect for elders which is listening and obeying words from their
well of wisdom. They must be composed in the mist of other national and not be fragile
and inferior. They must also show brilliancy. Motivation is primarily a
personal acquaintance, in fostering that they empower their country and not
wait for the reverse.
(5) Outspoken to Government Policies: The youths can take charge of their
political future through airing their vital views on developmental projects
across the country. Rather than spend honours watching Telemundo and crime
combating fairytales of other countries, they should use their time to reinvest
their contribution to the policy making and rulership strategy of their
country.
(6) Promoting Cultures and Values:
In promoting nationalism, the youth must promote their way of life, their
etiquette, including the way they eat and greet. This should be a culminating
effect leading to real nationalism.
(7) Make Nigeria and not Mar Her:
The youths, me included must hold strong that there is no place like home. The
future is now to maintain and monitor the progress of the country. It was youth
like General Yakubu Gowon that spearheaded a country like Nigeria, today he is
celebrated even at old age. He made his own impact, appreciated by all and
there is still more impacts to be made by others. Because when we mar Nigeria
we mar the life-hold of our future.
(8) Foster Peaceful Co-existence: The youths must make sure that Nigeria remain
one and united entity, cheating, exploitation, jealousy, inhumanity must be discarded
from them.
What
are the ways in which all these can be achieved, for, my essay will be rendered
incomplete without elucidating on the attainable strategy of it all. First,
true democracy must be what it really is, that the people has the highest power
and they exercise it freely using credible electoral processes. Youth
empowerment in trade, education and agriculture comes next. The youth must have
a form of empowerment to boost their flare in nation building this will in turn
curb laziness and un-devotedness to one’s country. Moving on, change starts now
– from every single individual, change in the general negative orientation and
psychological makeup to a change for progress. Then, the youths must look
beyond tribe, ethnicity and religion. Nigeria has more than 500 ethnic groups
with more than 170,000,000, a blessing glaring and enticing. It is on this
solid rock that our uniqueness stands. On this note, we must promote one
Nigeria, one spirit, one sacrifice and one hope.
Endnotes
2. The Nigerian National Pledge.
For Yakubu Gowon
Foundation Essay Contest (submitted 02/05/2015)
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