₦airaland Forum

I believe patriotism and nationalism is relative to each Nigerian. Personally, i consider myself patriotic and proud to be a Nigerian regardless of our image internationally. Every Oct. 1 here in Chicago, I carry my Naija flag and join my fellow Nigerians in the independence parade, God bless Naija,

Carrying a Nigerian flag and wearing green and white is not patriotism - make a change in Nigeria is patriotism.

You're sounding like Martin Luther. I think they'll appreciate your orating skills over there. This is obodo Nigeria where not even a good orator can save us.

I'm not the MLK type - I'm more Huey P. Newton meet Malcolm X.

"The day that the black man takes an uncompromising step and realizes that he's within his rights, when his own freedom is being jeopardized, to use any means necessary to bring about his freedom or put a halt to that injustice, I don't think he'll be by himself." - Malcolm X

Patriotism include telling ourselves and our leaders the truth.

I am proud of my country, but I will be the 1st to also condemn what is wrong with my country and my leaders with the view of having a change.

If I don't complain and fight for the right thing to be done, who will?

Talking alone won't solve the problem because they're not listening - we need to make them listen ( not the boko haram way). Some of us know these leaders, we can start taking the violence to them, and I'm sure if they lose some of their loved ones - they will start listening.

What do I need to do to be seen as patriotic?

Start a movement, or do anything you can do to make a change - and stop whining.

Huey Newton and MLK were not as old as some of you guys when they took a stand - yet millions of people are reaping what they fought for, including millions of Nigerians living America.

I've been hearing this kind of messages since the 80s and nothing has changed. I definitely won't grow bear bear for Nigeria.

The 80s was a different ball game with the military in power - and the situation in 80s is far better than what it is right now. If we don't take a stand now, Nigeria is going to abyss. The time is now, don't give up, brother.

Malcolm X: "Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it."

Let's be a "man" - grow some "balls" and free this great nation.

Leave patriotism alone.
Chase the paper and when you get it do your best to serve humanity with it.

That's the same individualistic mentality - which breeds corruption.

How Patriotic are our looting loving leaders?

We can take a stand and make a change!

If African Americans with the civil rights movements, the black panthers, Nation of Islam etc. can do it - yes we can. Their situation was worse than ours with the Jim Crow Laws but they fought with their lives, blood and tears - they took a stand - and racist America was forced to listen to them. These leaders are in the minority and they can't hold us down!!

Like public enemy said: FIGHT THE MUTHAPHUCKING POWER!!

"A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything." - Malcolm X

Stand for something; make  a change and stop complaining,

patriotic indeed?What did I gain from bn patriotic years before now?mtchew!

You don't need to gain something now, but if you stand up for what's right and make a change - your children and generations after them will definitely gain a lot.

Personally, Nigeria has never done zilych for me because I've lived most of my life in London - but that doesn't mean I shouldn't be proud of my country and my rich cultural heritage. That doesn't mean I shouldn't stand for a change with like minded people, and bring the wind of change to Nigeria - so that Nigeria can be a country, others will marvel at - and a country my children will be proud of.  I grew up in London being laughed at, persecuted and attacked in schools in London for being Nigerian - that's worse than what you've been through - but I'm still proud of the country. I grew where you've to claim you're Jamaican for people to rate you in London - being Nigerian was a NO NO.

If this generation don't take a stand, who will?? Trust me, our children will never forgive us - if we continue to plunder this country the way we are doing now. We're all proud of Nnamidi Azikwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Enahoro, Ahmadu Bello and Herbet Macaulay and their struggle for Independence - but if they never took a stand against the Colonialist, would there have been a country called Nigeria? We would have ended up worse than Apartheid South Africa, trust me.

The present generation of leaders ruling us benefited a lot from from Nigeria growing up, but what have they given back? NADA!! They all benefited from Nigeria, yet they are the same people that have destroyed the same country that gave them free education and all the goodies the 60s, 70s and 80s Nigeria had to offer.

What's there to be patriotic about? You can't just be patriotic for the fun of it. There must be something fueling that patriotic nature. If i'm correct, you're telling us to be proud of corruption, boko-haram, kidnapping, police brutality, crime and all the ills that's evident in this poo hole people like you love to call country.

Hey bruv, your way of thinking is way the country is so messed up. Most of us only care about what Nigeria should do for us - and not what we should do for Nigeria, so that Nigeria can reciprocate that to our children. Just imagine how better off Nigeria would've been if our present crop of leaders were patriotic?? Most of the people ruling us travel around the world and they see what's obtainable over there - but why can't they replicate the same thing in Nigeria?? It's because they're not patriotic and they don't really care about the country. We will never move this country forward with the "me and my family only" mentality - we need to be our brother's keepers, and find the answer to the Nigerian puzzle.

Boko Haram, Kindnapping, Police Brutality, Crime etc. didn't just drop from the sky - all these barbaric things are done by unpatriotic Nigerians.

A lot of Nigerians are quick to say "God bless America" and "The UK is my hometown" - but these countries are what they are today because their citizens are Patriotic. An average English man (not pseudo-British) will always put England before any other country - no matter where they live - and the same goes for the Americans. But the average Nigerian will always switch allegiance, and choose Nigeria when it soothes them. Some are notorious for always talking down on Nigeria e.g babaowo and kobojunkie . These clowns don't see anything good in Nigeria, yet they flood NL everyday to show us how much they really hate Nigeria and Nigerians.

We all need to come together and look for a way to build a Nigeria, we all are going to be proud of - we need to be patriotic and take our beloved country back from the elites that have maimed, killed, destroyed and impoverished us. The time to act is now!!

LETS DO A CHECLLIST

Facebook
1. Catch up with old friends easily, make new friends, meet real pple.
2. Most pple disagree with ur opinions without insulting u
3. Real pple, real pictures, real places
4. Facebook for smartphones and bb. Very accessible
5. Nigerians rep nigeria well while condemning her many problems
6. Meet all sortsa peeps. Immature, cool, mature, responsible, irresponsible
7. Multiple applications: chat, write on walls, poke, inbox, share pics, groups, profiles, celebs

Nairaland
1. Meet new usernames (no faces, no pics,)
2. Evry1 insults u before they disagree with ur opinions
3. Fake pple, fake pictures, fake places
4. Nairaland for mobile phones not so cool
5. Nigerians ('specially those in diaspora) diss Nigeria n condemn her
6. Meet mostly these kindsa pple immature, wifebeaters, insultive peeps n very few reasonable peeps
7. Available applications: Nice threads, useless threads, derogatory threads, threads and more threads

Need I say more? 7 Up of the whole matter is clear.

Damn! You went in with the list!

I had to view your profile just to confirm why you sound so confident, and you look really pretty. Keep up the good looks!

I think most people on nairaland troll, just like a every other faceless forum online and I'm guilty of that as well. FB is more of a personal thing because you know most of the people on your friend list. I'm not really a FB person (used to be) because I don't like people knowing my business - but with NL, you have a platform where you can air out what you really believe in, without the fear of being judged.

Personally, I prefer NL because I've learnt a lot from reading people's opinions about Nigeria - and I have also learnt a lot about Nigerian history and Yoruba history. These are valuable things I don't think I would learnt on FB. The only thing I abhor about NL are the serial ethnocentric nairalanders, they tend to infect people over time with that virus lol.

NL can do no wrong with people like Katsmoto, Ekt_bear, dudunegro, gbawe, PhysicsGED, Kilode, ChinenyeN, Afam4eva etc. still posting on the forum. That's just my 2cent.

I will just quote the great Malcom X:

"If a cat has kittens in an oven, they are still kittens and not biscuits."

You may be born in Jupiter and raised in Planet X - but you're still a Nigerian. Let's be patriotic and move this great country to the promised land.

Did they just discover oil in Uganda

Lool i thought we just called a truce

I'm being patriotic

Blue blood flows in the arteries of every human being - but the colour of the blood in my arteries is green white green. I'll defend  that green white green - even when I'm being persecuted

Proudly Nigerian

Hah its all good mate!! No hard feelings though.
We need to preach on AFRICA UNITE,
Peace!

Peace!

atleast there's "24hr" supply of electricity

I don't know why you people are so quick to always point out 24hr supply of electricity smh. What have you achieved with your 24hr of electricity?? As far as I know, kenya is still a shyte hole! "24hr" electricity is a luxury, Nigerians have survived without it and are the economy is growing at an average of 7% without it - the same can't be said of Kenya with your "24hr."

The last time I checked your President care more about the lives of white people in your country, than its citizen. Didn't your President come to Abuja and marvel at Nigerian architecture?? You need to get over yourselves - kenya is far below Nigeria in everything, apart from the long distance race at the Olympics.

I know my Kenyan and South African mates are about to commit suicide right about now

Yo, I was just playing with you lot - we're all Africans and we all suffer from neo-colonialism. We need to embrace each other, rather than let people keep us divided. I'm a Pan-Africanist, but it's just sad every time I see fellow Africans hate on Nigerians. Y'all need to wake up, and support Nigeria, if Africa is ever going to rise. If Nigeria is good, trust me, it will rob off on other African countries - it's just a pity that my fellow Africans can really peep the bigger picture.

I'm out!

Oh and because nigerians are beautiful yeah?look in the mirror first before you come running your mouth or better yet sit yo a$s in a corner and shove it up ey?
Must be daddy's money you spending over there and yet u talk about nigeria being treated like poo by s.a

I don't spend "daddy's" money - I'm self-made!! You can never go broke when you have a Lagos and London mentality - that's why I said Kenyans need to drop their bow and arrows; stop hunting lions; and emulate naija people - rather than hating on us because we're so far gone, that you lot can't see us. Trying to compete with us, equates to trying to compete with shadow, go figure.

eewe. See dis oo!!!
Why drag Igbo into this? If you want to fight SA, fight am, use your own people and group.
Don't use my own group, You for see us in thread. Hah ooo!!

You just like looking for trouble where there is none - and since you want to go there, I'll give you your dose as well.

If Ibo men that got their arses and their Biafra smacked by Nigeria can run your country - just imagine what a REAL Nigerian would do to your HIV/AIDS and crime ridden country - are you happy now, anuofia?

Why do I need a job, when I have got a career - peep the difference?

Kenyans and South African Zulus with bow and arrows, take note

Ooops, I forgot the bushmen of South Africa the joke is on you lot - stop competing with Nigeria, we're head and shoulder above you clowns.

So its true what they say,you can take the man outta the village but not the village outta the man huh? NaughtyWoman keep talking big behind that screen of yours!!and what exactly do you do in london,working at starbucks huh?
Keep talking those athletes are making millions while you continue scamming people and drug trafficking if its not mopping floors & washing toilets over there?

Ugliness is ugliness, just tell your Kenya athletes to fix their teeth, and their ugliness - it's just an eyesore at the olympics.

Bytch, I'm just out in London chilling because it's my second home - been out there since I was a toddler and I grew up in both Naija and here. I understand the beauty of Naija and I spend at least 3mnths in naija every year - you see the difference between you and I??

I don't need a job, bytch - I'm self-made and naija-made - we go hard!!

You Kenyans and South Africans can keep playing catch-up with you short men syndrome - but you can stop Nigerians, we're everywhere and there's no competition for us in Africa.

Talking tough behind your computer screen does not help bro! You say a IBO men run my country?  And why are they deporting their own
I dey laugh in IgboHauYorub

I don't do the internet tough talk; but I'll knock you out if I need to. You started the internet tough talk, not me - so who's the keyboard warrior?

Just to let you understand, a South African black is the last person I'll ever scared of - you lot are the WEAKEST BLACK PEOPLE EVER. SA blacks have weak black genes, no wonder you are slaves in your own damn country.

@bitty end Yo have you ever been outside your village lteave alone nigeria?because you sound very ignorant right now. And that kenya you're calling poo is way better than that poo hole called nigeria,  Please go get an education first before you come feeding me bullshit you asswipe!

Listen Bytch, only a village slumdog like you will leave Nigeria for a shyte hole called Kenya - with those stone age looking mau mau people, and talk down on Nigeria.

Yeah, I'm in my village in London; and we own a village family house in VGC expensive enough to buy all your mud houses in Kenya GTFOH, The nerve of muthaphucking Kenya of all places.

You Kenyans need to sort out all your ugly looking athletes you bring to the olympics - they're an eyesore.

Trust me,we tried such a stunt with Dubai

STFU!! What has Dubai has to offer Nigeria - if not for homeless people like you running to shit holes around the world, all in the name of "greener pastures."

WTF are you doing in Kenya any ways?? You left Nigeria for a shit hole called Kenya - so other Nigerians should now start worshiping you, huh?? GTFOH!!

Dubai offers Nigeria nada, apart from corrupt people that go over to waste their stolen billions.

Phuck Dubai, Kenya and South Africa - they're are shit holes!!!

I wish I could see your face

Are you dumb, you phucking midget What are you gonna do if you see my face

Yo, I'll knock SA out of your HIV ridden body - don't play that bs with me. Imagine a SA dude talking tough, when Ibo men run your country GTFOH.

Oh, South Africa - LAND OF THE MIDGETS!!!

Oh, South Africa - LAND RAVAGED WITH HIV/AIDS!!!

Oh, South Africa - THE WEAKEST BLACK PEOPLE ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT - AND THEY'RE STILL SLAVES TO EUROPEANS!!!

Phuck South Africa and their HIV/AIDS infested country!!

The only thing I rate about the hell hole called SA is that they gave us STEVEN BANTU BIKO!!

And phuck Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu as well - the two senile old men are still getting raped by Europeans, though they're closer to the grave than ever

A lot posters are being myopic here - and most are posting comments based on tribal sentiments. We all need to look at the bigger picture here. We need the best people Nigeria can has to take over from the PDP cabal in 2015.

Let's take a look the available candidates from each zone:

- SE Okorocha (A newbie and not really tested - just never ending promises).
- SW Fashola (Tested)
- N El Rufai (Tested)
- SS Jonathan (Incompetent and clueless)
- MB David Mark (Part of the PDP cabal and highly corrupt)

The best Nigeria can offer for 2015 is a Fashola/El Rufai ticket - with ethnic sentiments aside. I'd vote for an El Rufai over Jonathan and David Mark. If the South South can put someone like Rotimi Amaechi forward for 2015 instead of Jonathan, then I'll gladly vote for him - but that won't happen.

As for my Ndigbo brothers, the truth is that, there is no Igbo politician right now worth voting for.

When Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was taken to task to explain why he passed on Awolowo’s offer to become the Prime Minister. He simply said it might have led to the breakup of Nigeria if the North was isolated. Either by design or omission, the logic still stands today but the reasoning and supporters of that logic may have changed. Actually Tafawa Balewa was unmoved by the so called Southern union, vowing to be Opposition Leader.

There has to be some positive spin to the division in the South. There is also division in the North but it is not as pronounced. No matter how you take it, no part of the Country can clearly delineate agreeable people within one region. Biafra has other ethnic groups that do not consider themselves part of the Nation. The same is true of the North Central. The Hausa that form the majority in the North are controlled by minority Fulani.

Even the Yoruba, in spite of common lingua-franca, can only boast of Diaspora union.

Therefore, as long as the Country stands as Nigeria, Yoruba and Igbo will always fight for political dominance and the Hausa will always come to their rescue so that they do not destroy our Country. Whenever you hear intellectuals and theorists debate about separation as a mere geographical expression; amuse yourselves. Listen if you can with guguru and epa to grace your precious time. They cannot agree on their base, yet they want Nigeria to split. Split into what?

If you are one of the frequent visitors to internet sites, you get some of the point here. We have young men and women born after the War going mercilessly at one another as if they were there. Even more disturbing, some of these young people have never been on the Nigerian soil. Needless to say, you know who is feeding them with venom about the Country on different version of their novel history.

The Igbo are well known for their adventures within the Country into various ethnic groups. You cannot but wonder why many call for separate nations more than others as if they would rather ask for visas into these separate nations in Nigeria. But we need to understand their frustration if at any little provocation in the North, they get the worst brunt of the mayhem. Indeed, they are safer in other parts of Nigeria.

Igbo in other parts of Nigeria have called on those in the North to come home or stop going back to the North after each clash. It is very difficult to heed such calls unless the foot is in the other shoe. No one wants to start all over after spending so much of their effort building a comfortable nest outside. The same is true of other ethnic group in the North as the Yoruba and others refused to come back home. Actually some of the ethnic groups within the North have no other home. So why call on Igbo?

The Hausa recently told Boko Haram to go to blazes, they are not moving out of Lagos. Every ethnic group feels comfortable in Lagos, some as a second home and others as the only home they known. So why would anyone in his right mind leave Lagos where they make their money and live peacefully to go anywhere else in Nigeria they do not feel as safe beats anyone’s imagination.

It will be hypocrisy if the feelings of other ethnic groups regarding settling amongst the Igbo are not shared here. Some think they are not as tolerable as they demand from others outside their base. May be if the gesture of tolerance is reciprocated in Igbo land, we will see more accommodation in the Country as a whole. It may be wishful thinking. But it is better to separate than kill off one another living together. Except that we cannot. So after each crisis, Nigerians will always return to where they can make a living.

Igbo also have their grievances against “Yoruba diplomacy”. They claim you cannot hold Yoruba to a deal without expecting them to betray you. So the suspicion is mutual on both sides. No matter how we view the suspicion, it has served Nigeria well and held the whole Country together. Imagine the Yoruba and the Igbo as political ally, they would oppress the rest of Nigerians; and where is the President going to come from?

Let us be fair, Yoruba and Igbo do not always go after one another’s chin. After all, they dine, play, work and sleep together. But when it comes to politics, it is a no-go area. Their most recent encounter was the leadership of the House. As usual, they contested for it until the North came to the rescue. Some level headed people from each ethnic group have wondered if the Yoruba would support the Igbo for presidency in 2015.

Of course some Yoruba would support Igbo for presidency. Whether they are going to get majority of the Yoruba support is sheer speculation at this point. There is time to kiss and make up. Some Igbo have even said it publicly that they would cross that river when they get there and there is nothing to be worried about right now. Whatever each ethnic group can get right now is fair political game. After all, they always fight and make up.

However, some Nigerians are wondering if it makes any sense to be rotating presidency between North and South. They postulate that we should allow the most competent man rule, no matter where he comes from. By now, we have had every region in the Country rule by hook or crook, by coup or militia. So do not be surprised to see potential presidential candidates coming out from every party regardless of their regions vying to be the Vagabond In Power. They are not different once in office.

Don’t you forget, the incumbent have not made any concrete promise to any party, region or cabal that he was not going to seek a second term as a matter of right. Nigeria is not the same country as South Africa and what may hold in that country does not necessarily hold in Nigeria. Indeed, some members of MEND are already warning others to stay clear. What we cannot predict is if Ebele will get votes from every region as he did before.

Written By Farouk Martins Aresa

http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/nvnews/84257//yoruba-and-igbo-must-remain-divided-to-keep-nigeri.html