Monday 30 July 2007

We Love Nigeria

by Hakeem Babalola

Love is one passion that can easily be used to swindle people even from their inheritance. And virtually every human believes in the glory of love, though everyone has their own ideas about it. Majority think an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation is love, while another majority believe temporary love of an adolescent is love itself. Perhaps only a few deeply understand.

The love of our country has been a delicate subject of debate since those featherbrained days when the efforts of colonialists to build a Nigerian elite was pervasive. From that befuddled minds onward, we have had neither a blissful sleep nor a scrumptious food. But we must hail thee Nigeria, telling every goat and chicken our vested mania parlance – patriotism.

If only those cynics would emulate an aura of glamour and prestige with which these "patriots" go about town screaming their love for Nigeria! I must confess however, that I often wonder whether it’s the right thing to do. But that’s my prejudice, for there is true love. Then, must they go to the market with a gong or speaker before professing their true love! What about taking a little surreptitious pleasure in the fact that they know the love they have for Nigeria!

Obsanjo usually flaunts his love for Nigeria, so is Atiku. It is a do-or-die love and, or anarchical flavour of love. Many also profess their love for Nigeria. They love Nigeria but Igilandi jungle their last sleep. By all means they must take their share of Queen Elizabeth’s pudding pound sterling. Should the sons and daughters of a former slave be buried alongside their colonial exploiter?

We love Nigeria. It is enough reason to treat common cold or catarrh, or bruise leg in the land of colonial merchants. Our profound love for Nigeria dictates we must kneel before the White House in Bushland in order to measure our worth. Even die-hard separatists love Nigeria so much their stargaze is to become the president. Let me hear you singing the song – we love Nigeria.

Solomon Lar loves Nigeria too. Lar, the first Governor of Plateau State and Pioneer National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Chief, once declared that any attempt to frustrate the presidential candidate of Atiku out of the last election would be resisted saying, "No Atiku, no April elections". I don’t remember any Nigerian governor or minister or commissioner or local chairwo(man) that swanks not his/her love for Nigeria. To show their wavering love, they must suffocate her by constricting the windpipe.

Yakubu Gowon loves Nigeria, so is Dim Ojukwu. So is Murtala Mohammed, Buka Suka Dimka, Shehu Shagari, Muhammadu Buhari, Tunde Idiagbon, Ibrahim Babangida, Ernest Shonekan, Sani Abacha, Abubakar Abdusalami and of course the new boy. En, when the new boy appointed himself Minister of Petroleum, he was actually telling us: I love Nigeria pass Lord Lugard and Company.

Don’t you see how much they love Nigeria? It was the love they have for Nigeria that turned them adventurers; they joined the army where they passionately protect her from external aggression. And those that did not go to the battlefield showed their own love through polieatics. Common, sing along. We love Nigeria.

Shout hurrah! Because such stark and irresolute love for Nigeria has yielded result, but of course hidden only to the cynics and die hard Momus. For instance, it has smoothed her roads; provide adequate drinkable water; uninterrupted electricity; health care unsurpassed anywhere in the world; excellent education and good communication system; corruption free society and security of lives; and other achievements I can’t mention due to space.

Even thugs and bandits do profess their love for Nigeria. Dr. Ishola Oyenusi, Babatunde Folorunso and Lawrence Anini, remember them? They were the three notorious Nigerian armed robbers who terrorised our minds with impunity just like the ruthless IBB and other military adventurers. They too proclaimed their love for Nigeria before departing to the House of Hades. So is George Iyamu, a divisional police officer who provided Anini with logistic and ammunition.

Lamidi Adedibu of Molete in Ibadan and Chris Uba in Anambra also have Nigeria at the bottom of their innocent hearts. Both men have shown it in thier thinking and behaviour. It was Adedibu who brazenly told the nation that peace would reign in Ibadan only if he Adedibu wanted. The love we have for Nigeria must tolerate Adedibu’s ignoble utterances because, according to the father of modern Nigeria, Adedibu is too old to be reformed. Equally there’s honour among thieves ala Chris Uba.

America also loves Nigeria. So is United Kingdom. So is China, Lebanon and others. America because of her profound love had politely warned us that Nigeria would soon disintegrate. And has since been following that by constantly interfering in our affairs. For instance, America enjoined Nigeria to release Orji Kalu, former Abia State governor, from prison. Is Kalu the only ex-governor being prosecuted by EFCC (The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission)? America is also seeking Translators of Nigerian Languages! What a true love!

But of course, the bard still loves Nigeria, so is the novelist. Niyi Osundare at 60 says he loves Nigeria more than any place in the world including New Orleans where he now resides. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, winner of the U.K Orange Prize for Fiction, at 29 says she loves Nigeria. The author of Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun describes Nigeria further: "it is a vibrant place with wonderful people, a place you love but it’s also a place that sometimes intensely irritates you".

So is Femi Oke, Nigerian by parentage and British by birth. Her passionate love for Nigeria radiates her voice when talking about Nigeria. "The warm thing about the country is that we are very smart, "says the full-time CNN host. "However, there’s so much disconnect about what we have and what we do with it. But I’m glad that wherever we find ourselves, we excel, we are very very enterprising".

I don’t know but it’s Osundare and Adiche and Oke I believe while I discredit other individuals mentioned in this article. Ironically, the three are living abroad. Perhaps it’s sincerity in their tones I have fallen for. "Nigeria is a place I love but also a place I refused to sugar-coat or whitewash," says Adiche. "It’s criticism borne out of love".


The love of our country has been a delicate subject of debate since those featherbrained days when the efforts of colonialists to build a Nigerian elite was pervasive. From that befuddled minds onward, we have had neither a blissful sleep nor a scrumptious food. But we must hail thee Nigeria, telling every goat and chicken our vested mania parlance – patriotism.