On the flip-side however, it is also a moment for sober reflection; a period where I am engaging my thoughts and going down memory lane, connecting the previous with the present and bidding to envision the future and what it all will entail. Decades back when I was still growing as a little girl, having completed elementary school and in my high school years or thereabout, I had nursed the ambition of taking the lead and mentoring my dear Nigerians into a painless array of national unification, good leadership and progress. I had in mind the wish to communicate and help people understand each other better and learn from one another the cultures, values and ethics of our various tribes and see this as uniqueness other than predicament or a reason for disagreement, nepotism or prejudice; an African nation where black signifies strength, empathy and knowledge. Having read a lot about African Legends and their mind-blowing works from Political, Social, Science, Music, Theatre, Arts, Literature and so on. The likes of Nelson Mandela, Dr. Aggrey, Dr. Alvan Ikoku, Prof. Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Thabo Mbeki and a host of all others who had constantly fronted their national interest instead of their tribalistic or personal interest, one can readily say that the thirst for transparency and doing what was right tickled me knowing how these people decorated their national pride and did exploit in their various fields. I’m talking about people who recognize themselves first as a body instead of poles apart or units- I mean seeing yourself first as a Nigerian, before you can now say I’m Ijaw, Itsherkiri, Igbo, Yoruba, Ishan, Hausa and others.
This black race (Nigeria) has come a long way to still dwell in doldrums and in the confines of hope and its unsettling assurances that has never been kind. A lot has occurred; wars, assertions, violence, promises, reforms, declarations, just so much to learn from and improve on that at this juncture of our struggle we should be thinking of stepping even higher instead of squatting in the mud. Daily we experience debase for morals and discipline, neglect for the poor and needy, irrelevant acclaims by uprising political wanna-bees, economic and cyber crime, funds mismanagement and ridiculous lootings by opportunists in government positions and authority, encroachment of the judiciary and the constitution, so much lawlessness and deprivation in the land. More recently, a delirious and fearless religious sect sprung from the North making visible their potency for utter destruction and also posing horrific their threat to the Nigerian people especially those in government and place of authority who are in their bad books- The Almighty Boko Haram. Could we say that the insurgency issues and terrorist attacks in the Middle East- Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Arab enclave and beyond have gradually crept into Nigeria? Everyone is so insecure, we now live like fish out of water. Anything goes in Nigeria, ‘Suffering and smiling’ is the keyword, whether bad or good, Nigerians still live and many still die and the poor mostly are suffering with women and children the key victims.
Where are we going? What is the government up to and what are the people doing? Do we still have hope in our fatherland? Is this the Nigeria of our dream? Please, reflect on these with me. God bless you.
Mary Ikoku
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