A newspaper headline on Tuesday, February 11, paraphrased a recent speech by Bishop Mathew Kukah touching on a delicate topic which Nigerians have innately considered for decades. The Punch headline – “Nigeria not worth dying for” imploded a new debate on the subject of patriotism in a dire nation like Nigeria.
Of course, reading the full statement of Bishop Kukah as delivered at the Funeral Mass of slain seminarian Michael Nnadi, one of the kidnapped parishioners recently murdered in Kaduna, there was nothing which instructed Nigerians to be less patriotic.
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But the headline only further confirmed the bias many Nigerians already have about dying for their beloved country. They already know that soldiers who die in battle for Nigeria hardly ever get the deserved honours due to them. They know that credible civil/public servants who give their all to serve the country are hardly compensated for their faithful service on time. Nigerians know quite well that oftentimes, even sportsmen who represent the country at the risk to their own lives or financial gain hardly get the recognition and emoluments they deserve.
What Bishop Kukah said exactly in the homily at Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kaukau, Kaduna State was:
“Nigeria is at a point where we must call for a verdict. There must be something that a man, nay, a nation should be ready to die for. Sadly, or even tragically, today, Nigeria, does not possess that set of goals or values for which any sane citizen is prepared to die for her. Perhaps, I should correct myself and say that the average officeholder is ready to die to protect his office but not for the nation that has given him or her that office.”
– Bishop Kukah
It is for this same reason of patriotism that Nigerians are no longer ready to carry placards to protest an inconvenience except they were handed a wad of Naira for same. It is for this same docile reason that to hold the government accountable has become difficult and Nigerians have now resolved to inefficient self-governance, large-scale corruption and saboteurs.
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Make no mistake, citizens have now largely resolved on self-governance, many now believe they owe no allegiance to the country of fellow Nigerian. This is the antithesis of what the average American feels and how they have been able to collectively move their country forward with patriotism.
If a great effort is put into remembering and preserving the memory and legacies of those who have given up their lives and convenience for the country, more people will naturally want to partake in being honoured for service. If only we can stop hurriedly burying those soldiers who died fighting Boko Haram and other insurgent groups, more will step in gallantly for the country. If the pension and gratuities of individuals who served the country gets paid on time, very few will run from faithfully serving in government. The list runs endlessly into many facets of the Nigerian living.
Until we get our values right once again, as insinuated by Bishop Mathew Kukah, anyone who dies for the nation Nigerian might just be a life truly wasted.
Featured Image Source: The Kukah Centre
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