Naija Heroes

My country was 24 when i was born. My country will be 50 in a few months time. 26 years i have known this nation. I have been nursed by its produce, taught by its institutions, conveyed by its roads, humbled by its heroes, outraged by its leaders, saddened by its horrors, lifted by its triumphs. 26 years of a love-hate relationship. 26years of not knowing whether to cheer her on or to give up on her. 26 years of pain , of joy, of tears, of laughter, of chagrin, of respect. 26 years of being a Nigerian.

Like a woman who has lost her mind, my country sells her children. She doesn't care about the price. A token will suffice. She is concerned about instant gratification. The future will take care of itself. She swallows her young. Those who survive have two choices. Find surrogate mothers or join your mother in her dance of madness.

There is another choice. People like us... We acclimatise. We learn to accept our mother the way she is...We learn to be on guard. We learn that with Nigeria the role of motherhood is reversed. We go everywhere prepared for we do not know when she will begin the dance of madness. We carry with us many wrappers to cover her nakedness. We love her but we know better than to trust her.

We are her heroes. The ones that have heavy hearts when we see our brothers hungry. The ones that are ashamed when we see our children unable to go to school. The ones that are filled with rage when we see the destruction of our rivers and farmlands by aliens whom our mother favors over us. The ones that speak out loud against corruption and rigging. The ones that are seduced at every turn by other countries but we always find our way back home. The ones that still believe in the treasures of the dark place that is our country...

Nigeria, Land of the two rivers, we greet you...May the years ahead be kind to you. May you in turn be kind to the years