Who truly is a patriotic Nigerian?; is it the one that offered us a chance to democratise Nigeria or the one that overthrew a democratic government in the 80s?

Imagine how far we would have gone with our democratic processes if not for coups in the 80s. A decent capture of our history beyond 12 years ago will help shape our choices. Goodluck Nigerians as you make your choice for good governance.

A patriotic Nigeria is definitely not a man that celebrates thieves and corruption

A truly patriotic Nigerian is anyone who is truly interested in baking the proverbial national cake than sharing it.

mama-gee:

A patriotic Nigeria is someone that can stand up for Nigeria without being ashamed nor nervous about what people would think. . .

Genevieve, for example is a patriot because she defended Nigeria in an interview without bias nor prejudice.

But recently we can hardly see any patriot because Nigeria is not worth [size=18pt][size=18pt]dieing[/size][/size] for.

Please Mamagee, i couldnt locate that word in my dictionary. What does it mean, please?

fstranger3:

Please Mamagee, i couldnt locate that word in my dictionary. What does it mean, please?

You are looking for mamagee's trouble.

A Joke Called Nigeria

This may seem unpatriotic, treasonable even. But it is real. Nigeria is joke. The key to surviving this farce is not to take the country too seriously.
If you did, you face the risk of sustaining a heart attack. Leaders of this country are clowns. That bears stressing. I wondered where they were in the days of the theatre of the absurd.

Everywhere you turn to, the farcical nature of Nigerian leaders confront you. Our educational system, for instance, must have been created in hell. It has suffered so much back and forth from policy inconsistencies that foreigners wonder if our leaders are not clowns. Every now and again, some bright-eyed minister would come up with an idea, and bingo! It is done.

Nigeria’s education was once a pride of the continent. Citizens of sister African countries used to come here to study. Not anymore. Those who studied abroad, especially America, were derided. Now they are celebrated. There is a newspaper in this country which goes ecstatic at the sight of a foreign degree. Three years in a row, less than five percent of the total students that sat for NECO and WAEC score five credits.

Those who take Nigeria seriously wonder if we have not lost the future. They wonder out of ignorance. They only need to see the clowns calling the shots as leaders to know that this country is a huge joke.

With education in tatters, our circus clowns move on to destroy other sectors of national life. Because our universities churn out semi-literate graduates, the process of leadership recruitment becomes a do-or- die affair.

We all know for instance, that a certain former senate president didn’t contest an election but he was shoved down the throats of our not-so- ‘distinguished’ senators- most of whom have skeletons to fill the size of a five year old cemetery! There was the story of a federal legislator (now late) who was an international scammer. He got elected into the legislature and manouvered to be chairman of the police affairs committee.

The judiciary is no different. I remember a certain High Court judge (also now late), who had a penchant for issuing interim injunctions in the night for a fee.

And the police? It is better not to talk about the police. We once had the head of police giving cover to criminals involved in all manner of sleaze and crime. Presently the ruling party willingly subverted its own constitution to accommodate the aspiration of a president who lives in denial.

As I write, the same party is busy ordering a rerun to weed out those the people voted for. The story is no different in other political parties. Everywhere one is confronted by the seeming rascality of the elite. People are kicking the imposition of candidates. But those clowns and comedians don’t give a hoot.

Basketmouth, Julius Agwu, Clint ‘da drunk’ and Ali Baba are known comics. The last especially is a grandmaster in the art of rib splitting humour. He towers above all the dozen or so of the Nigeria’s burgeoning tribe of comedians. And mark you, the nations’ comics could hold their own anywhere in the world. But Ali Baba’s amazing gift to make light of a heavy matter places him a shoulder above his nearest competitor.But compared to Nigeria’s leaders,these guys are upstarts.

I recall an instance this pure genius called Ali Baba, in the theatre of the absurd performing on stage. Before the imperial presence of ‘Baba Iyabo’ himself, Ali Baba was at his artistic and caustic best. He secured a place for himself in the hall of fame of comedians by that performance. He derided the president maximally in his unique comical ways demonstrable only by masters of clowning. He was unsparing of his ministers too. He began taking poke shots at President Obasanjo with the story of the contract of erecting his life size status in Ota.

During an unofficial visit to Ota, according to Ali Baba, , an obviously impressed Obasanjo asked the supervising minister, Jerry Gana how much it was going to cost to the national treasury. An obviously excited Gana promptly responded ‘N300 million, sir!’

‘What!’, a not too pleased Obasanjo asked, ‘N300 million?’ Give me the money and I will stand there!’

Ali Baba went on. Soon after the attacks on the World Trade Centre (WTC), the world was beside the US sharing in her grief. Expectedly, world leaders were calling President Bush to commiserate with him and other Americans. Suddenly there was a call from Africa on the direct line of President Bush. Presidential aides knew that the caller must be a fellow president but which country from Africa, they couldn’t tell. They were certain the caller must be an important African leader. So they handed the phone to Bush. The first thing the caller uttered after clearing his throat as he is wont to was ‘Boosiii’. Ali Baba so mimicked Obasanjo that everyone burst out laughing, including Baba Iyabo himself.

So tell me is this country not a joke?

mama-gee:

A patriotic Nigeria is someone that can stand up for Nigeria without being ashamed nor nervous about what people would think. . .

Genevieve, for example is a patriot because she defended Nigeria in an interview without bias nor prejudice.

But recently we can hardly see any patriot because Nigeria is not worth dieing for.

You and Genevieve sef, Why not use urself as an example or are you not worthy of being a PATRIOTIC Nigerian there you reside?

lol!

Anyone that can love and hate Nigeria at the same time.