Educational – Page 2 – Nigerian Patriot

30. Patriot Alert 19: Our National Reconciliation – The Dignity Behind Truth, Forgiveness and Justice.

The Characters of Truth, Forgiveness, and Justice can unlock the doors of any Reconciliation Process.
© 2019 Nigerian Patriot

In simple terms, Reconciliation means reestablishing politely warm and friendly relations between two or more people after a disagreement of ideas or beliefs. It is a mutual process of great responsibility required to achieve the harmonious coexistence of the Participants.

Reconciliation presumes that there has been a degree of breakdown in a relationship and understands the need to restore a Cordial balance. Despite this understanding, the success of any reconciliation process is firmly hinged on the virtuous attributes of Truth, Forgiveness, and Justice.

It is a process that guarantees Healing and promotes Love. In certain instances, it might require an obscene doze of patience and tolerance, however the wealth of healthy Rewards at the end of the process is a worthy justification for the resources committed into any project of Reconciliation.

While there is no doubt regarding the enormous challenges, which may be interspersed on the honorable road of Reconciliation, a person who is armed with the sword of Truth, the shield of Justice, and the strong body armor of Forgiveness, will surely win the race.

The Sword Of Truth

A person involved in a Reconciliation process would need to genuinely, honestly, sincerely, and truthfully evaluate the facts leading to the disagreement within the innermost chambers of Human Conscience. Overemphasizing the synonyms of Truth in the preceding sentence brings to bear the enormous weight of this objective attribute of reconciliation, and its priceless value to the entire process. It does not matter if this evaluation is in favor of the person involved or otherwise.

The Armor Of Forgiveness

Wikipedia defines: ‘Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offence. The Victim lets go of negative emotions such as vengefulness, forswears recompense from or punishment of the offender, however legally or morally justified it might be. The Victim develops an increased ability to wish the Offender well.’ For a person on the path of Reconciliation, the preceding citation is Self explanatory. Please click on this link for further details from the original source of citation.

The Shield Of Justice

A Person involved in a Reconciliation process would need to be reasonable and just with their expectations from other persons involved in the process. The extent of application of this attribute of Justice may be acceptable in the courts of Humans, but most importantly, it must be acceptable in the Divine Courts of the Almighty God. There are no half measures to this statement of Truth. As stated in one of the Maxims of Equity: ‘He that comes to equity must come with clean hands’. The authenticity of this paragraph is further emboldened by countless citations in the Holy Books. These Holy citations are not limited to a single Religion and are beyond the scope of this blog episode.

Closing Remarks

A deep meditation on the highlights of the preceding paragraphs above clearly indicates that the process of Reconciliation is an honorable act reserved for Noble persons. It is an act reserved for persons whose aim in life is to leave a legacy which can withstand the corrosive rigors time. A feat which cannot be compared to a Will that bequeaths the physical wealth of the entire Universe. It is a feat whose prints can never be erased from the sands of time.

Reconciliation is a feat that earns the respect of all and sundry. It is a feat that deserves and eventually earns the highest measure of Esteem. It is a feat of great dignity indeed, and worthy of emulation by every single Nigerian citizen for the sake of a better tomorrow within the demarcation of our noble nation.

This post is inspired by the life and times of one of the greatest African Teachers on the subject of Reconciliation: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela 1918-2013.

Arise O Compatriots…

29. The Greatest Nigerian Football Moments: A Patriot’s Daydream.

Daydreaming is a function of Greatness
© 2019 Nigerian Patriot

History has proven time and time again that football has an unrivaled unifying effect on the Nigerian nation. Our national passion for football is nearly infinite. Our great country is one of several countries in the world counted in the archives of the game for leaving some of the pleasantly unforgettable moments in the memories of Football history.

Agreeably, such moments may be few and far between, but for the period the electrifying euphoria of victorious achievement lasts, any observer can attest to the pleasure of genuine happiness amongst citizens who have absolutely forgotten their ‘strong’ differences and ‘fierce’ contentions. At such moments, every single citizen is proudly Nigerian. The joy within the Nigerian nation at such moments is completely unimaginable to a person who has never witnessed it. It is a deep expression of the delightful side of a united Nigerian spirit.

For the sake of brevity, this summary post will highlight two such outstanding moments and the undying Lessons of great value.

Dammam Miracle: 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship Saudi Arabia

The quarter final game between the Nigerian and Russian under-20 football teams was an exciting thriller. Nigeria made one of the greatest comebacks in Football history.

In summary, the Russian team was 4 goals up with 30 minutes left in the game. Nigeria had not registered a single goal. It seemed a hopeless situation. Every Nigerian watching the game had given up in abject dejection. With 29 minutes left on the clock, the goals started coming from a Nigerian side that ought to have been intimidated into submission. Nigeria scored a second goal with 15 minutes left of playtime, and a third in the 83^rd minute. An equalizer shortly followed in the 84^th minute of the game. It was an unbelievable moment. The entire Nigerian nation and indeed the world were in rapt awe at the breathtaking performance by full time. Nigeria went ahead to win the game on penalties.

The miraculous comeback from abject defeat to victory created a show-stopping moment back home in Nigeria. A great lesson on the Nigerian strengths of united Hope, faithful Determination and a strong collective Action was filed in the archives of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (aka FIFA) for Nigerians to always remember.

Atlanta Olympics 1996: Semi Finals Soccer (Brazil vs Nigeria)

This was another football performance of stellar distinction for our great country. The Nigerian team was rightly classed the underdog in a game against one of the best teams of the tournament. With 30 minutes to the end of the game, the scoreboard was 3-1 in favor of Brazil. A goal from the Brazilian side had been disallowed, it would have been 4 goals against Nigeria. The game was a dusted wrap for the intimidating Brazilian team studded with young stars.

Yet from an overwhelming point of disadvantage, the Nigerian team started the chase in the 78^th minute of the game. With 12 minutes left on the clock, the score line was 3-2 in favor of Brazil. The equalizing goal came at the 90^th minute of the game. Nigeria would seal the game and steal the show with a golden goal in extra time. It was an exhilarating surprise victory and the Nigerian nation was ecstatic in jubilation.

The International Olympic Committee (aka IOC) filed another important yet entertaining lesson in the archives of Olympic history on the Nigerian strengths of united Hope, faithful Determination and collective Action for Nigerians to always remember.

Ironically, the Nigerian Team had been tagged the ‘Dream Team’ by Nigerians prior to the tournament. A dream that had just come true, indeed.

Underlying Lessons

For most of us, the highlighted achievement in the paragraphs above could have been summed up by an average mind as one of the victorious achievements of Nigerian football. The deeper underlying lessons of the virtues of success which made victory possible at such challenging moments of extreme pressure are never in view or ever remembered. These lessons would have provided the inspirational conviction required to make the entire Nigerian nation realize that nothing is impossible for our country if we could collectively display the right attitude of Hope, Determination and Action on any issue.

These lessons would have also made us to realize that we are a nation of potential Champions, and most importantly, it would have opened our eyes to realize that the esteemed status of Champions is buried beneath the principles of Success and not Wishful Thinking.

It is such similar remarkable motivational feats and the kinetic effect of the memories thereafter that fired up the morale of the Citizens of progressive Countries in the world to continue to aspire for Greatness. Out of this greatness the Citizens are able to devote more Love and Respect for their Country and each other. This is one of the reasons behind special days which may be declared national public holidays in honor of such memorable moments. This united understanding and action of immortalizing such moments is not limited to the football arena.

Conclusion

This Post is in honor of the Nigerian Patriots who left an entertaining historic insight on the unstoppable nature of the collective boldness of the Nigerian spirit. Their feat remains a hopeful reminder that one day someday, 200 million Nigerian citizens will be tagged on a single team, playing to restore our noble Nation back to Greatness. This is the reason reliving the joy of the greatest Nigerian football moments is a Patriot’s Daydream.

Arise O Compatriots…

28. Patriotism: A Rainbow Of Hope For The Nigerian Dream

Ask not what your Country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.
President John F Kennedy, 35th American President: 20th January, 1961

There is no denying the fact that our great Nigerian nation is currently bedeviled by a myriad of complex challenges. These issues did not befall our noble nation overnight, but have taken decades of inaction on our part to snowball into their currently petrifying status. Unlike the proverbial stitch which should have been applied on time; the current tear in the fabric of our wellbeing as a nation seems to require way more than nine stitches and this is due to our earlier collective neglect for corrective action.

The overwhelming nature of our national plight is understandable considering the fact that through the years our attempts at reversing the trend has not yielded any positive result.

It is also understandable that the morale index of most Nigerian citizens is at its lowest with regards to believing in the possibility of a positive change let alone making that belief become a reality. For most Nigerians, there might seem to be no solution of logic which the painful experiences of our current quagmire. However, a resounding answer to the prospect of giving up with changing the trend of our currently mind boggling circumstance is a firm no!

This defiant response of positive energy includes but is not limited to all the reasons behind the untapped potential of human resource within our great nation which was once and could still become one of the greatest nations in Africa.

We should all be reminded that other nations which may have found themselves in a similar or worse predicament, were able to make a persistent and remarkable recovery albeit slowly. Illustrations of this fact are left to the imagination of the reader, but can be found within the African continent and beyond. Therefore it can be safe to state that the possibility of a positive recovery of the fortunes of the Nigerian nation is not wishful thinking. The pertinent question would be a plausible first step which would create the foundation for subsequent steps in the right direction.

A response of hope to this current challenge of national magnitude strongly appears to rest in reawakening the spirit of Patriotism in every Nigerian Citizen of discerning age.

Patriotism can simply be defined as ‘A person’s selfless Love for their own Country, and a willingness to sacrifice for it’. Bearing in mind that a country is an abstract concept on its own which is molded by the strength of character of its citizens, the definition above can be rephrased for further clarity to mean ‘A person’s selfless love for their own Compatriots and a willingness to sacrifice for them’.

Our Neighbors, our Coworkers, our Landlords, our Tenants, our Pastors and Imams, our Bankers, and everyone within our personal horizon of interaction are our Compatriots as long as they are Nigerians. In addition, the trader we patronize at the market, the tireless bus conductor and his driver, the traffic warden sweating it out in the scorching sun, the kids we may not know playing around the corner, the less privileged persons and those citizens with special needs, the politicians, and a whole list which may not accommodate the mention of this paragraph, and who may be beyond our personal horizon of interaction are also our Compatriots as long as they are Nigerians.

A person who can display the selfless character of patriotic love toward fellow Nigerians mentioned in the paragraph above is called a Nigerian Patriot.

Patriotism is an inherent ‘God given’ attribute of character deposited within the DNA of every single human from birth therefore it is safe to assume that this noble character has simply been dormant rather than non-existent in a majority of Nigerians through the years.

Regardless our reasons for suppressing the Patriot in us, it is a fact that the Nigerian Patriot lives within the soul of every single Nigerian citizen.

Given a chance, the selfless love of the Patriot in each of us can make a huge difference in our daily interactions and endeavors with each other. If we could collectively unleash this positive phenomenon resting within us, it would greatly assist us with a different insight of life which goes beyond the horizon of a Religious, Tribal, and Political divide. These three negative attributes have greatly impeded our efforts at national development.

The spirit of Patriotism is the only attribute of character that can tag every Nigerian citizen on a single team and neutralize the current divisions across board. It is a certain fact that the massive strength of a single Nigerian team with over 200 million teammates can overcome any mountain of challenge.

In conclusion, reawakening the spirit of Patriotism within the mind of the Nigerian citizen will not come with overnight success, but our sincere effort in this direction would definitely provide the foundation for the team work required for subsequent positive actions geared toward our positive national development.

On this truth and more, I rest my case on Patriotism as the Rainbow of hope for the Nigerian Dream.

Arise O Compatriots…

27. Our Cardinal Responsibility: Consolidating On The Wellbeing of Our Children, Our Generation, And Our Future

Our Children may be the Leaders of tomorrow, but they are the consequence of our actions today.
© 2019 Nigerian Patriot

For the purpose of this summary blog episode, a cardinal responsibility can be defined as the vital part of a social force that binds a person to the course of actions required by a concept.

As an instance, Parenting ideally places a binding social force on a Father and Mother to the concept of properly raising their children. Similarly, a position of Leadership ideally places a binding social force on a person in such a position toward the concept of properly administering the followers. With this understanding, it is a lot easier to appreciate the fact that the life we live is an aggregate transient intertwine of responsibilities which is a function of Roles and Time. Roles change with time, and time changes the roles of all participants in this equation of the cycle of life.

A new born child starts off life as a cardinal responsibility of the parents, from the age of a teenager, the essential responsibility of the parents toward the child starts fading off as the child tries to assert independence of self. From an adult age, the role of responsibility between parent and child starts a gradual reverse trend as the parents advance in wear and age, while the child consolidates on life with the youthful strength of early adulthood. At some point in this cycle of responsibilities of life, the parents become the cardinal liability of their children.

The brief analysis in the paragraphs above represents the transient nature of the basic cycle of responsibilities interweaving through varying age groups and generations of life. As stated above, the entire life as we currently know is an aggregate function of how individual family cells, groups, and nations understand and handle this knowledge of fact for the continuity of positive development.

At any point in time, the fate of a generation to come largely depends on the positive lessons which have been imparted to it by the generation before. These lessons could be the good achievements of the earlier generation or positive insight into the errors of their ways. This has mostly been the culture of life with the productive nations of the world we strive to emulate. This principle of understanding behind this culture has transmitted a legacy of development from generation to generation and moved those nations in graceful strides, maintaining positive growth over the decades.

This logic of reason should be no different with our noble country, however a deep observation with the shallow concerns of our generation presents an alarming and disturbing reality.

For very unacceptable reasons, we mostly engage in endeavors which are geared toward preservation of self with little concern regarding the future of our children and absolutely no meaningful thought for the generations to follow.

It may be an easy excuse to point out that the generations before us are to blame for the current predicament regarding our lack of selfless reasoning, however in the court of rational reason, this lame defense will not suffice as justification for us to continue a trend which holds a worse negative consequence for our coming generation. The good health of any interactive system of life requires this attribute of accountable continuity for success and there are no half measures.

There is an endless list of unsavory illustrations which can describe the hopelessness and moral emptiness regarding the sort of legacy our current line of actions could bequeath to our children.

Our philosophy of magnifying the differences of our nation on multiple ethnic, religious, and political boundaries has eaten deep into our conscious minds. It has blinded us from attending to issues of great importance such as the fate of our future leaders.

The effect of the gradual decimation of a standard educational system is a daily experience when reconciling the thought process behind the actions of most Nigerians on the job. This can clearly be observed daily as the work force which graduated through an incompetent educational system struggles for productive relevance in most spheres of endeavors in life.

There is hardly any system within the country with performance levels in line with globally accepted standards. We have mostly accepted the poor quality of the local services available to us with varying degrees of emotional compromise and understanding.

There is no collective plan or effective strategy regarding projecting realistic milestones for the survival of the rapidly growing population of the country. The quality of available relevant basic infrastructure required for human development is also way below globally accepted standards: frequent power outages, bad roads, and mediocre health facilities.

Our largely uncaring attitude to the issues of our time, our space and our future may suggest that our nation could become a wasteland if there is no drastic change in our current attitude toward the fate of our younger generation.

Whilst it is mostly evident that most Nigerians would rather sidestep the humongous issues which need to be made right with the hope that we could wake up one morning and they are all gone, it must be emphasized that it is only our collective strength of Patriotic action that can make an enduring difference.

We collectively need a resounding reminder that in the face of a continuous down slide with the fortunes of our existence due to our inaction, the children we presently adore, and generations to follow would be engaged in an unimaginable predicament far worse than our current experience. They would definitely cast an unforgivable blame on each of us for their circumstance.

With the insight gained from this summary blog episode, it would be very uncaring of us to show no sincere concern and action of effort at changing the current trend of misfortune which has befallen our nation for the sake of these innocent young lives that currently believe and trust that their wellbeing and their future, is our cardinal thought and responsibility.

Arise O Compatriots…

26. Self Education In Nigeria: The Process of ‘DIY’ Learning

Education can be defined as acquiring Knowledge through a process of Learning. The learning process can be done within the walls of a school or outside an academic environment. In both instances, the process can be imparted through an Instructor or directly by the Learner via exposure of self to the relevant learning process concerning the desired skill.

This summary blog episode is focused on highlighting the process of Self education or ‘Do It Yourself’ (DIY) learning which does not require a dedicated Instructor. Success with Self education is purely based on the motivation of a person to know and understand a subject.

This episode is also designed to encourage an understanding that the ability to learn is an inherent attribute deposited in the DNA of every person from birth. Hopefully this realization would help to change the view point of certain individuals that learning is a formal privilege reserved for those who are fortunate to get the experience in a school environment.

It is important to boldly state that a society of mostly educated persons, would naturally thrive better than a society where the educated are in a minority. This fact is also applicable to wellbeing and development of a nation as highlighted in blog episode 3: ‘Ignorance: the Achilles Heels of National Development’.

Education makes a loud difference between an enlightened mind and the ignorant mind. It is Education that has kept the achievements of the Learned person, light years ahead of achievements of the Unlearned mind.

It is important to realize that education is an essential tool for the survival and meaningful existence of any Human being. Therefore everyone should be encouraged through the process of learning with an understanding that this is the only vehicle to the destination point called Knowledge.

On a primitive level, learning is a major function of communication, listening, observation and action.

It is a fact that no child is ever really taught the baby walk which is predominantly learned by repeated observation of adults and action from the child. The same applies to early speech.

This fact about early learning applies to all the creations of the earth and may be better appreciated by observing the animal kingdom and the interaction between the adult and infants of the animal world. None of the adult animals ever summoned a training session to teach an offspring any skill of survival, they were learned by a measure of communication, observation, listening and action.

Illustrations abound and can be briefly sighted: the baby goat never got a bleating training session by the Billy goats; the lion cub never got a roaring training session from the adult lions, and the young birds were never tutored on the art of flying. They all engaged in a process of self learning to acquire these skills.

The principles of learning are slightly different with Human beings, but basically the same. As adults, we rarely subscribe to any dancing school to learn a trending dance move. It’s an ability that comes mostly with observation and action of practice.

Language is also a feature of human learning and the words of a chosen language must be clearly understood either in written or spoken format. It is the understanding of words that conveys the clear meaning of any sentence of a chosen language.

The action of practice is also an essential aspect of Self learning as it helps to engrave the action of the concept helping the person to perfect the art which has been learned. This is the reason the proverbial saying that ‘practice makes perfect’ still finds relevance in the Divine court of Wisdom till date.

A person in the process of Self learning must also realize that it requires time and patience as cited in blog episodes 20 and 21 ‘The Wisdom Of Patience With Processes Of life’.

From the highlights of the paragraphs above, it should be clear that self learning is something within the reach of any serious minded person determined to acquire basic knowledge on most subjects of human existence.

At this juncture, it should be obvious to most of our unemployed citizens in Nigeria who lack the skills to find relevance in any segment of the productive chain due to the lack of formal education that all hope is not lost.

It may be pertinent to also make it clear that there is no system of government that can provide education and jobs for all its citizens. This is a very unrealistic expectation.

Hopefully the highlights of this summary blog episode may open the endless window of the potentials which comes with the ease of self learning and in addition motivate the Will for action on this knowledge.

In conclusion, if a majority of the citizens of our noble country Nigeria were fundamentally learned in any chosen skill of life, then our drive toward national development would have a more realistic bite. For now, Ignorance is a huge threat on our collective aspiration toward a dream Nigeria.

For our sake and the sake of our coming generations, it is our national and patriotic responsibility to always remember that a stitch in time saves nine.

Arise O Compatriots…

25. Patriot Alert 18: A Plea Against Dishonest Communication – The Empty Use Of Words In Nigeria.

The words of any language are utilized to make sentences for the purpose of decent communication. This is typically the only medium which can convey the invisible and unknown thoughts or intentions from a person to another. The truth behind this statement cuts across the entire Human race regardless of ethnicity or nationality. There is no way the intention of a person, or group can be absolutely determined if there is no window of verbal, written, or sign communication.

Without the process of communication, we would be living in a world of assumptions, and as the saying rightly goes, this is the foundation of all mistakes.

On face value, it is presumed that a person would use the right words to convey an intention or thought in order not to mislead the target audience. With the activities of a group, the impact of sincere communication is the direct consequence of the success or failure of any endeavor embarked upon by the group. Bad communication or insincere communication would have a negative effect on the ability of the group to synchronize their actions and effort toward a common objective.

In progressive nations of the world, people mostly say what they mean, and mostly mean what they say. Everyone is mostly sincere in communicating their thoughts. This is one of the reasons the citizens of such nations can easily synchronize with each other on the goal of success with most of their endeavors.

There is also a penal code for communication which is not sincere and which can flatly be labeled a lie. This ensures a great measure of accountability with the use of words and upholds societal sanity with regards to human interactions. Productivity with such nations are typically high because energies are conserved for the task at hand and not dissipated in figuring out the real intent behind a probably deceptive conversation. The blood pressure and general stress of daily living is not mostly dependent on prayers for divine intervention at every stage of Human interaction, but on an efficient system which is mostly driven by sincerity.

In Nigeria, taking most people by the sincerity of the meaning of their words is a risk which can come with very expensive consequences. This is simply because most interactions are guided toward self interest and social security of self. Most people aim to speak remarkably well but the action of delivery is mostly a deviation from the agreed end and this normally comes with a heavy dose of explanations. These explanations were never made in the beginning, and are designed to justify the reason a distorted end result must be accepted.

An agreement to a time of appointment with most Nigerians cannot work because someone who had agreed to be punctual is definitely going to be late. Someone who says on the phone: ‘see me, I’m around the corner’ may actually be several miles away and perhaps may not even have commenced on the journey yet.

With Politicians of nefarious repute, most mouth watering campaign promises made to people prior to being elected into a position of governance, mostly never translates into any meaningful action throughout their duration in office if elected.

If statistics were compiled, the most abused word which is frequently interjected within the context of lame and deceptive sentences on the lips of Nigerians is the name of the Almighty God. This is a highly revered name that should be used with the greatest respect, dignity and restraint, as directed in the Holy books, yet it is a prominently recurrent feature in most conversations with most Nigerians. It is seen as a means to deceptively earn the conviction of another person, rather than a symbol of commitment to action.

This careless use of words has found a comfortable space in our psyche to the extent we also hardly respect written documentation on any agreement. On a national scale, our leadership and certain privileged individuals blatantly disregard the constitution and other written agreements within the context of presiding over the nation, while the Judiciary simply sits with a load of excuses for its inaction.

A glaring and frequent example is with high profile court cases where a Surety agrees to the consequences of allowing someone to go on bail, however, when the person jumps bail, everyone responsible to enforce accountability just sits, while the Surety swaggers around the society as an untouchable.

With this attitude of insincerity boldly engrained in our subconscious, it is no surprise that very few Nigerians can connect with the profound meaning and inspirational effect behind the words of the National Pledge and Anthem of our great country.

The illustrations continue; on the road and indeed anywhere, simple board signs are mostly ignored; at work, operational policies are loosely implemented and a ‘must happen’ on paper, can easily turn to a ‘could happen’ in practice. This unhealthy habit of compromise has become common place in our clime. There is always a protest whenever any attempt is made at correcting anyone found liable of being insincere with communicated intent. Some people would even have the audacity to sue such attempts at enforcing accountability.

With this level of dishonest communication within our clime, it is neither a trick of fate nor curse of divine proportions, that we are unable to synchronize our collective strength at forging meaningful national development for our Country.

This painful hindrance is massively as a result of our selfish commitment to dishonest communication where projected milestones are compromised to a point that achievable results are watered down to mean nothing.

It is most worrisome that most people do not appear bothered by the fact that we are mostly communicating what we do not mean in Nigeria. This is a very mediocre attribute of life which we are successfully implanting into our children from birth; a trend with dreadful future consequences for our nation and citizens.

There is a need for each of us within the context of our noble country Nigeria to realize that every human being has a daily routine which mostly depends on the execution of honest actions for success. We need to learn and understand that group interactions involving any scope of number of people require a synchronization of honest individual actions for which success is hinged on the sincerity of intent regarding communicated information.

The absence of sincere communication in any segment of society simply breeds room for confusion and this truth is obtainable in the smallest family cell or a larger group of national magnitude.

It is imperative for every single citizen of this great nation to relearn the dignifying principles of honor behind the sincere use of words in all dealings with others.

This message of honesty is resoundingly echoed in the spirit of the National pledge as a daily reminder. Our desperate attempt at twisting this fact of life has left our nation in shambles and this is a reality we cannot deny with the current state of our dear country.

On these truths and more, I rest my plea on the case against our dishonest use of words.

Arise O Compatriots…

24. The Refined Differences Between The ‘Masses’ And The Citizens Of A Nation.

The term ‘Masses’ could mean a casual reference to the common people of any society, it could also mean an ill structured collection of similar objects or people. It is a word frequently used in discussion topics of governance by most Nigerians when referring to the majority of the 190 million people who are allegedly downtrodden and not a part of the architecture of governance or beneficiaries of affluent living. This unsavory word is ignorantly used by most Nigerian citizens in reference to themselves and their place of belonging in their own Country.

The term ‘Citizens’ on the other hand refers to all the natives or naturalized members of a nation, state or other political community. It conveys a more deserved intimate feeling of belonging, interaction and expectations from the Parent entity. It also exposes the rather subtly derogatory and uncaring profile of the word: ‘Masses’.

The people of progressive nations prefer the use of the word ‘Citizens’ in reference to their own persons rather than the tasteless word ‘Masses’ which carries the uncaring undertone of abandonment.

The people of such countries interact with their nation with an understanding that they are the individual building blocks of a whole entity which is their country. They have a full understanding of their rights as citizens and intelligently express this understanding with different issues of their national existence.

In such countries, capable citizens occupy positions of capacity on the strength of merit, as a result they diligently dispense the responsibilities of such positions with a firm and sincere commitment of not failing their compatriots whose contribution regardless the scale also sustains the survival of their nation. This system guarantees that everyone is accountable to everyone and there are no sacred positions reserved for a ‘privileged’ class of citizens. Regardless who it is, the system is built on an objective system of merit.

A nation mostly comprised of ‘Masses’ of people tells a completely different tale of emptiness with a National identity. Their voice is mostly unheard as it falls consistently on the deaf ears of a greedy minority who are tagged ‘the big men’. The ‘big men’ feel they are the rightful heirs to benefit from the vast resources of our nation. They are the first class citizens while the rest of us belong to a class of no consequence. This is our case in Nigeria.

The ‘Masses’ of Nigeria literally feed off the crumbs which falls off the table of a few self acclaimed immortals as they shamelessly dine on our common wealth which should be utilized for the productive benefit of every Nigerian citizen.

It is very sad to note that the psyche of the ‘Masses’ in the Nigerian space appears content with this loathsome arrangement and diligently keeps faith with empty grumbles that lack the bite of constructive actions which change their plight.

The ‘Masses’ are in absolute ignorance of the massive effect of their strength in numbers, as result, there is a non-existent willpower to collectively think differently and act differently.

The affairs of our nation are decided by the selfish greed of the ‘big men’ while the rest of us are abandoned to the frustrating consequences of our self-made dilemma of accepting that we are the voiceless and inconsequential ‘Masses’ of Nigeria.

The frustration of accepting the mindset that we are the ‘Masses’ of Nigeria is the reason we all want to run away from our country to foreign lands where we hope to find acceptance and hope of a better life. It is the reason we never have anything good to say about our noble nation. We have consistently failed to realize that if we can reverse this psyche of self pity, we can find the acceptance and better life we seek outside, right here in our home country.

In conclusion, a corrective action would require a lot of education and enlightenment on our part regarding what it really means to be a Nigerian citizen. Our Mass media industry and educational institutions can pilot this reorientation process of the mind which is required as a first step.

Once we are able to expunge the use of this unwholesome word in reference to ourselves, it would be a lot easier to appreciate that we are esteemed citizens of a noble nation endowed with limitless resources to achieve greatness.

It would be a lot easier to engage the ‘big men’ in a discussion that would change their attitude toward the rest of us in Nigeria.

With this achievement it would be a lot easier to collectively accomplish our quest for the Nigerian dream.

23. Patriot Alert 17: The Citizens of Nigeria – A People Of Diverse Strength In Colors And Numbers

The Nigerian nation is currently estimated at a population of 190,000,000.

Over 500 languages have been spoken within the demarcation of Nigeria, and this translates into diverse clusters of Ethnic groups.

If the Nigerian nation were an instrument of painting, it would be much easier to discern that this strength in diversity and numbers would translate into a rich toolbox that can bring to bear a nearly infinite count of inspirational designs assuming this toolbox were in the hands of a Master Painter.

It is dishearteningly sad, that we have collectively remained blind to this great gift of fact for the simple reason that we mostly believe that the 500 languages should translate to 500 countries and 190,000,000 citizens should translate into individual states of equivalent numbers.

53 years since the first major national altercation in the 1966 failed coup attempt, we are yet to forgive each other and move on with progressive development rather than continue to tirelessly spin the windmill of disunity.

It would help every single citizen of this nation of any Religious affiliation that believes in the Almighty God, to refresh our consciousness and soothe our bitterness with the prayer below on a daily basis:

This is the only hope of collectively achieving a Win as a people of diverse strength in colors and numbers.

Arise O Compatriots…

22. Patriot Alert 16: The Negative Influence of Inappropriate Mass Media Content In Nigeria.

‘The fact that it is trending, does not make it right or decent and the fact that it is not trending does not make it wrong or indecent’
© 2019 Nigerian Patriot

The Media is popularly referred to as the Mass Communication Industry, esp. Newspaper, Television and Radio. In the modern digital age, this industry includes the global world of the Internet. Dissemination is the distribution of information or content over an area. The summary post highlights the dearth of societal ethics due to the negative influence of inappropriate content disseminated by mass media channels available to us in Nigeria.

It is a Scientific fact that the human Eyes and Ears are two very sensitive and prominent windows into the Human Mind. The foundation of learning strongly revolves on these two senses and finds relevance with a law of nature which states that ‘Learning is a consequence of constant observation and listening’.

The concept of understanding and emulating a trait gains traction and develops form with varying cycles of observation and listening. The speed of assimilation depends on the retentive ability of a person to the audio and visual information they have experienced and varies with different individuals.

The paragraphs above should provide the awareness required to connect with the reason addressed below as a primary contributing factor that is responsible for the sharp decline of simple moral values in our country.

Previously in Nigeria, this was not the case as attested by the very inspiring stories of old times narrated by our elders on their experience with the country in their younger days. They are pleasant stories of a respectful and morally endowed nation across all ages and boundaries.

Something has terribly gone wrong and the questionable moral undertone of the information we experience from the mass communication channels available to us in Nigeria today is mostly responsible for promoting and nurturing this trend.

Currently in Nigeria, from the waking moment of a person until the next sleeping moment, the human mind is constantly assaulted by varying tones of vulgarity with a majority of presentations across the media platforms available to us, especially from the Internet. This presumably trending lifestyle of violence, drugs, sex and disrespect, could become engrained in the subconscious mind over time, and inform the development of inappropriate habits.

Societies are driven by human beings, and it is our attitude and behavior that feeds the moral fabric of the society. Consequently it is very clear that the tragicomic state of reasoning displayed by a majority of individuals in our country can be attributed to the type of media content which their minds have assimilated over time.

The older generation can attest to the fact that the reason they had a far more sane society, was not necessarily due to the absence of immoral tendencies, but the absence of platforms to disseminate such messages of negative influence at the speed and spread obtainable today.

A pause in deep thought would reveal that the social moral fabric of our country has witnessed a steady decline since the introduction of the GSM technology in 2001.

It has become very easy for people to manipulate very deceptive impressions with their locations and activities, a clearly nefarious and deceitful behavior which most Nigerians view as a display of ‘intelligence’.

The decline in our societal ethics gathered super momentum with the advent of the android phone which made it very easy for any ignorant mind to become trapped in a whirlpool of moral decadence at the swipe of a finger.

A majority of the people who walk around with these digital mobile ‘Oracles’ which they virtually worship all day long are very ignorant on the deeper psychological effect of exposure to the wrong content on their innate process of reasoning.

For the sake of appearing trendy, Parents often ignorantly arm their little children with these very volatile gadgets without caring to activate the child protection features inbuilt into such devices.

This problem is not limited to the internet because the story with the content transmitted through our televisions, radios and newspapers is no different.

The progressive countries of the world whose culture of life we desperately aim to emulate have developed a seasoned sense of responsibility and accountability in their citizens which helps such nations to regulate the excesses of the modern lifestyle of digital gadgets.

The literacy levels in those countries have a spread and depth that cannot be compared to what is obtainable in our country. Regulatory institutions are on top of their game and law enforcement is far more effective.

In such progressive nations, media innovations are introduced after a careful analysis of its summary effect on societal development and citizen Psyche. Intelligent and dynamic policies are developed and enforced to guide the use of such gadgets.

In conclusion, there is an imperative need to change our mediocre mindset toward media disseminations within our national space. We are part of a global system of development and cannot shy away from the fact that while we ought to continue to model the technology of our media industry in line with accepted industry standards, it must be done with a determined sense of responsibility, and a sound strategic plan to enable a healthy integration with the peculiarities of our own national circumstance.

Our media space should be dotted with programs designed to inspire, inform and imbibe a decent character of moral principles on the audience. This would hopefully mitigate the diminishing effect of the so-called ‘trendy’ media disseminations currently decimating the moral fabric of our great nation Nigeria.

Arise O Compatriots….

21. Patriot Alert 15: The Wisdom of Patience With Processes Of Life – Achieving Enduring Results In Nigeria Part II Of II

In Nigeria our orientation regarding the concept of Processes, planning and timelines is depressingly poor. With the Leadership of the country, the longest lifespan of any process of plan is limited to eight years, which represents two terms of four years each in office. The next administration will jettison the process and everything else on assumption of office.

The youthful student does not realize the fact that education is a continuous process which requires a constant exposure to the educational technique of the school including reading materials throughout the semester. They ignore the process and timelines then just before an exam, they hope in futility that some improvised plan (which will mostly depend on a divine assistance of mercy) will earn them a good grade.

At work, the inexperienced and half qualified brand personnel who is relative clueless on their service delivery requirements is always ready with all manner of excuses punctuated with polite apologies for not delivering on the specifics of your request. They never realized that service delivery is a learning process with its timelines. It was just all about getting a job and making money.

The livestock farmer can’t wait for the maturity of his stock and would rather flood the market with premature livestock just to make money. The Principles of the processes and timelines required for optimal growth is thrown to the wind. Same goes for the fruit and crop farmer.

Everyone is very impatient to make money therefore things must happen immediately. The illustrations are so many and we can only make an honest reference of thought to confirm that these observations are true. The ‘get rich quick’ syndrome is feasting on our minds, and it is beginning to infect our youths and children.

Even the simple process of queuing up for any reason can only find success either by the use of force or other incentives of some sort. It is never due to understanding of the concept of the Wisdom of Patience with any process of life.

Little wonder we have collectively been unable to achieve any enduring progress with our development. We seem sadly satisfied with our mediocre progress of snail speed with consoling reminders that since it took the progressive nations centuries to get to their present status, our case should be no different or better.

We blindly fail to realize that if the present level of global development was obtainable at that time; their rate of development would have been compared to the speed of light.

There is every need for a collective realization of the fact that without understanding this basic concept of development, we cannot make progress as a nation or individuals. It is therefore expedient for every single citizen to rise up to the occasion of eradicating this great illusion from our thought process.

It is important that we avoid raising our children with this twisted logic of existence for the simple reason that it will not make our collective quest for a dream Nigeria an enduring reality.

Arise O Compatriots…