Nigeria We Hail Thee

Rev. Fr. Leonard O. Anetekhai

Once upon a time, my father told me, Nigeria's hope was bright and beautiful, every individual was proud to associate with the name Nigeria. This pride clearly was seen in the way and manner we chanted our National anthem, Nigeria we hail thee, Our own dear native land, though tribes and tongues may differ, In brotherhood we stand, Nigerians all are proud to serve Our sovereign Motherland. Our flag shall be a symbol that truth and justice reign, In peace or battle honoured, and this we count as gain, to hand on to our children a banner without stain. O God of all creation, Grant this our one request, Help us to build a nation where no man is oppressed, And so with peace and plenty Nigeria may be blessed.

This was the joy that clouded the being of every Nigerian at her birth on 1st October 1960 under a constitution that provided for a parliamentary government and a considerable measure of self-government for the country's three regions Northern, Eastern and Western region. Going back memory lane as told, Jaja Wachuku from 1959 to 1960, was the First black Speaker of the Nigerian Parliament - also called the "House of Representatives". He replaced Sir Frederick Metcalfe of Great Britain. Notably, as First Speaker of the House, he received Nigeria's Instrument of Independence - also known as Freedom (Charter - on October 1, 1960) from Princess Alexandra of Kent, the Queen's representative at the Nigerian independence ceremonies.
From this very beginning, our land was green; the bright hope of the Nigerian child was seen even while kneeling down. The ever loud in brotherhood we stand was the order of the day. The federal government at this time was given exclusive powers in defence (of the right of her citizens), the commercial and economic policy were not without attention.
But, months after months, political parties gradually gained root and tended to reflect the make-up of the three main ethnic groups in Nigeria. The Nigerian People's Congress (NPC) represented conservative, Muslim, largely Hausa interests, and dominated the Northern Region. The National Convention of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) was Igbo- and Christian-dominated, ruling in the Eastern Region, and the Action Group (AG) was a left-leaning party that controlled the Yoruba west. The first post-independence national government was formed by a conservative alliance of the NCNC and the NPC, with Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, a Hausa, becoming Nigeria's first Prime Minister. The Yoruba-dominated AG became the opposition under its charismatic leader Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
After years of battle for supremacy among our leaders, which lead to series of assassinations and coup, ethnic and religious tensions were magnified by the disparities in economic and educational development between the south and the north (1963 1966). The worst came on May 29, 1967 when Lt. Col. Emeka Ojukwu, the military governor of the eastern region who emerged as the leader of increasing Igbo secessionist sentiment, declared the independence of the eastern region as the Republic of Biafra. The ensuing Nigerian Civil War resulted in an estimated one million deaths before the war ended with the famous "No victor, no vanquished" speech in 1970.
Following the civil war the country turned to the task of economic development. Foreign exchange earnings and government revenues increased spectacularly with the oil price rises of 1973-74. On July 29, 1975 Gen. Murtala Mohammed and a group of officers staged a bloodless coup, accusing Gen. Yakubu Gowon of corruption and delaying the promised return to civilian rule. General Mohammed replaced thousands of civil servants and announced a timetable for the resumption of civilian rule by October 1, 1979. He was assassinated on February 13, 1976 in an abortive coup and his chief of staff Lt. Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo became head of state.
After Shehu Shagari and Muhammadu Buhari had their fair share of power, Maradonna came in August 1985 to completely put Nigeria and Nigerians on the path of no return, may God help us. He stole billions of dollars in Nigerian state resources and mismanaged the rest. His children and cohorts became rich overnight. But most importantly, Maradonna is yet to answer to his crimes against humanity and the Nigerian people, including the killing of Dele Giwa. To show his disdain for the dead journalist and the constitution, he refused to testify before the hapless Oputa Panel; Human Rights Panel about Dele Giwa's murder. The most painful aspect of Dele Giwa death was that he was killed via a bomb with a parcel bearing the coat of arms of the Nigerian state, which reminds us of the pledge to serve our motherland.
It beats my imagination that each time a leader is sworn in, he or she recites the National anthem and pledge to Nigeria my country, to be faithful, loyal and honest, to serve Nigeria with all my strength, to defend her unity, and uphold her honour and glory, So help me God. But afterwards, they forget because they have allowed money to help them and not God. The bombing we are experiencing today did not begin today. For our selfishness and lack of integrity, our leaders have lost the right sense of judgement to act on issues but hide under the guise of perpetuators will be brought to book. The killers of Dele Giwa are still living freely, even contesting for elections as free citizens Nigeria, we hail thee.
When will our lips service stop, the society is getting more and more insecure. More people are going into crime and they are getting more ruthless, desperate and sophisticated. With the way the society is, it is a knowable result of a cruel environment dominated by man's insensitivity to man. “The most serious of these negative consequences is the complete breakdown of law and order. Our case can now be summarised as “When the morning of doom dawns, even the soldiers and the police will run for their lives”.
Yes, we blame BOKO HARAM (the evil of our time) and term them terrorists and their act terrorism, but we forget that the real terrorist are those who use state and the nations apparatus to kill, to maim and to detain yet they go on freely, because they have paid their 'tithe' to the appropriate authority. The world is running out of patience with us as a nation, the world is mad that Nigeria cannot get things right at 50 because of the activities of few criminals among us. The world cannot understand why an election in Nigeria will be equivalent to war, the world cannot understand why a politician will insist that whether his people want him or not, he must win an election just to live fat on the people's wealth.
How sad and distressed that we have not grown beyond the level of No Job for our youths, No Electricity to power the vital aspect of our economic development, No Drinking Water to stop the spread of malaria, typhoid and their cohorts, No HealthCare to battle the growing diseases of our time, No Food to move us on and fight for our pride anymore. Now we are into kidnapping, bombing in different shades. I dare to ask, where are the Compatriots, Arise, O compatriots, Nigeria calls us to obey and serve our Fatherland with love and strength and faith. Let the labour of our heroes past not be in vain, let us serve with heart and might, one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity.

God of creation, we ask that you direct our noble cause; guide our Leaders right: Help our Youth the truth to know that bombing and kidnapping are evil and a crime against humanity, so that in love and honesty we may grow and build a nation where peace and justice reigns.