Nigerian – Nigerian Patriot

37. Xenophobia: An Opportunity For Sober Reflections By Nigerians

Problem Overview

Xenophobia can be defined as a fear for foreigners or strangers. This fear creates a very tense relationship between the locals and perceived guests who may not necessarily be citizens from foreign nations. When nursed to extreme levels, this fear could lead to violent attacks which bears its fair share of unpleasant and grave consequences often resulting in the maiming of fellow human beings or the outright and senseless loss of human lives. These murderous outbursts are also accompanied by the wanton looting and destruction of property perceived to belong to the foreigners or strangers. Xenophobic attacks do not merit any iota of justification or commendation from any rational mind and must be condemned in its entirety by all and sundry. This is the strong position of this summary post.

Nigeria has been on the center stage of various xenophobic incidents around the globe including the latest wave of attacks on foreigners in South Africa. While we are rightfully entitled to collectively express our outrage and solidarity for our compatriots who are the unfortunate victims of this despicable dilemma, there is also a dire need for some sober and inward reflection on our part on the reason our citizens seem to bear the brunt of this scourge wherever and whenever there is a major xenophobic outburst across the globe, particularly in South Africa.

Possible Aggravating Factors

Undeniably, a xenophobic fear is nursed by a person of low self confidence; however there could be other underlying aggravating factors which contribute into translating this fear into actions of extreme violence. Understanding these factors might provide insight on the reason we mostly fall victims to incidents of xenophobic attacks outside the shores of Nigeria. Three of such volatile factors are highlighted below.

Please note that it might be easier to appreciate these highlights if we are to swap places with the local populace in such areas. In addition, we cannot deny experiencing the effect of some of these factors right here in our country Nigeria which is strongly divided on ethnic boundaries. Within the context of our country, we could be perceived as strangers when we find ourselves in any region that is not our ethnic stronghold.

1. The Brutish And Intimidating Behavior Of Foreigners Or Strangers.

A stranger or foreigner in another person’s homeland, or country is required to be of good behavior. The stranger or foreigner must be seen to be respectful to the local populace, their environment, their culture or indeed any other laws peculiar to the society of the indigenes of the location.

There might be certain areas of resentment regarding local issues or habits by the foreigner or stranger, however these resentments must be respectfully expressed when the need arises. It would never portend well for a visitor to engage in unruly discussions with a person who has the unilateral advantage of being on their home ground.

Travelling within our country Nigeria requires a display of this trait of respect whenever a person finds themselves outside areas of their ethnic stronghold where they may be considered strangers. For instance, it would be extremely disrespectful for a Southerner to openly disrespect the domestic ethics of a Northerner because it appears odd at first glance and vice versa.

The advice of wise providence for a stranger or foreigner, who does not see the need to be respectful to a person in their home ground, would be to refrain from paying a visit for any reason.

2. An Uncontrolled Inflow Of Undocumented Foreigners Or Strangers.

An uncontrolled inflow of (undocumented) foreigners or strangers to a particular location might arouse an unfriendly attitude from a local who might feel threatened by the prospect of scrambling for resources which might be perceived as scarce with the foreign guests. This fear is especially heightened when the staying time of the visitors appears to be more permanent than temporary. It is very human for any local perception of fear that the visitors appear to be in competition with them over resources that are their rightful entitlement of existence.

A real-life illustration of this challenge can be appreciated by understudying Hillbrow; a city in Johannesburg, Gauteng province, South Africa. Sadly, it can only be said that the notoriety of the Nigerian image created by the majority of our citizens living in this city is frightening enough to scare away most South Africans and indeed most persons of average courage.

In fairness, I am most certain that we would never tolerate such glaring domination from any group of foreigners within the boundaries of our country Nigeria. We had frowned and reacted to such domination by undocumented immigrants in 1983. Our government (with our collective consent) forcefully expelled over 2 million West Africans mostly Ghanaians from Nigeria. They left without any compensation for their abandoned properties and there was no international uproar because we acted within our rights of autonomy as a sovereign nation.

3. An Increasing And Unbalanced Share With Investments And Properties

A perception of an unbalanced growth in investments and properties favoring the foreigners or guests could draw the ire of the local population especially if the investments do not reflect the active participation of the locals either as employees or co-owners. While the laid-back attitude of the locals to work may present plausible argument for this trend, it will definitely not hold any substance in the minds of the local population who could choose to react aggressively in response.

Within the context of this factor as a fuel which can create the fear that can lead to xenophobic attacks, a close observation of some major acclaimed investments of South African origin in Nigeria would reveal that these investments (Shoprite, MTN, Stanbic Merchant Bank, and Multichoice) provides employment for thousands of Nigerian citizens, while their services are benefited by a lot more people. Undeniably, we could have a lot more small scale investments in South Africa, but there are no comparable Nigerian investments that reciprocates the same strength of employment or scope of service for South African citizens in their own country.

Closing Remarks

The pain and sadness resulting from the loss of lives and property experienced by our compatriots in areas prone to xenophobic attacks can never be understated. However the highlights of this summary post calls for a deeper and sober reflection on urgent steps we need to take as a country to mitigate the exposure of our citizens to the embarrassment of xenophobic incidents within and outside our nation (especially South Africa).

A cursory comparison of the geographic size, human and material resources of both countries would reveal that Nigeria has a huge potential advantage. The Nigerian land mass of approximately 923,768 sq km reasonably compares to that of South Africa estimated at 1,219,090 sq km. The Nigerian population is estimated at 195 million far more than that of South Africa estimated at fewer than 60 million. Our overall diverse mineral resources are far more than that of South Africa with our crude oil as an easy citation of measure. So the biggest question on the lips of the entire world is the reason we cannot translate this huge potential of our great country into any meaningful kinetic effect.

The Nearly Infinite Potentials Of The Nigerian Nation – A Tip Of The Iceberg.

Achieving this feat is within our capacity as a nation and would provide the opportunities of the better life we mostly seek outside our shores right here in Nigeria. It would also enable an ability for us to establish foreign investments in other nations which would provide employment opportunities for their citizens at the scale we currently enjoy within the shores of our country from investments by other nations. This is the wisest channel to direct our thoughts and effort in order to earn the respect of the greatness we once enjoyed as the giant of Africa.

Arise O Compatriots…

33. The Strength Of Visualizing A Goal And The Precision Effect Of Goal-Setting.

Deciding on a destination, Visualization and Planning are the foundation steps that should define the beginning of any journey.
© 2019 Nigerian Patriot

Definitive Intro

For the purpose of this summary blog episode, a Goal can be defined as the designated end of a task or project. It is the target destination of all resources expended in any endeavor. For contextual relevance, goal in this paragraph could refer to the desired global expectation of an entire project. Examples: earning a degree at school, embarking on a holiday, building a house, etc. For the sake of distinction, it is tagged macro-goal through the rest of this post. A goal could also mean the designated end of a phase of a project; this definition is tagged micro-goal through the rest of this post. Examples: passing a semester exam toward earning a degree at school, booking a hotel toward embarking on a holiday, acquiring a structural plan toward building a house.

Visualizing a (macro or micro) goal involves creating a strong mental multidimensional impression of the destination. A person should be able to observe, feel, taste, smell, and wholly interact with this mental picture as if they are actually at that end point. It is this powerful mental impression that will provide the motivational drive required to pursue the goal-setting process as well as every other task involved in the journey toward pursuing a macro-goal to a logical conclusion. This means that a person must select a macro-goal which is driven by personal passion.

Goal-setting is the process of developing a map of smaller (micro) goals that will guide the journey toward the destination predefined in the first paragraph as the macro-goal. As we all know, without a map, the journey of a thousand miles, might transform into a perilous nightmare of a million miles. Goal-setting provides focus and direction. The footsteps of a person who is armed with such a map is always informed by the wisdom and advantages of the Precision effect.

The Precision effect is a phrase coined for the purpose of this blog episode and defined by four strengths highlighted below:

The Precision effect would birth an innate independent and deep rooted feeling of success in a person on a journey toward a goal. This guarantee of victory cannot be shaken by the doubt of people who may not share the vision of the gainful rewards of completing the journey, or phases of it.
The Precision effect develops a renewable and invincible spirit within a person who embarks on a goal bound journey. This indomitable spirit would feed and sustain the motivation, courage, faith and hope required to deal with the challenges encountered along the journey. Yes, this spirit of tireless boldness would always keep the eyes focused on the destination, and constantly propel the feet effortlessly toward the goal, regardless the odds.
The Precision effect generates a deep measure of reassuring self confidence that any resource expended along the journey would translate to a successful end.
The Precision effect enables a person to gain traction and improve momentum as a journey progresses toward the goal.

Attributes Of A Smart Goal-Setting Process

An effective goal-setting process must be guided by established standards of success. The acronym S.M.A.R.T defines a popular and globally accepted set of attributes for a successful goal-setting process. They are briefly highlighted below.

(S) Specific: The macro-goal and micro-goals must be specific and clearly defined in order to provide direction, and a fix on the destination.

(M) Measurable: The macro-goal and micro-goals must be measurable values in order to track preset milestones, stay focused and remain motivated.

(A) Achievable: The macro-goal and micro-goals could be challenging, but must be achievable within your realm of effort and ability. Setting goals beyond the borders of our capacity could lead to disappointments and discouragement.

(R) Relevant/Realistic: The macro-goal and micro goals must be relevant and realistic with your circumstance, means, and aptitude. This would develop the resilience and stability required to gain traction and win the race.

(T) Time-bound: The macro-goal and micro-goals must be time-bound to start and end moments. This will imbibe the discipline required for consistent milestone achievements which are usually accompanied by well deserved self treats.

Documentation

The procedure of deciding on the macro-goal (final destination), visualization, and goal-setting process must be documented in great detail. This documentation is the Master plan. It would form the basis of a daily reminder and an easy reference point of audit on the progress, zeal, and any adjustments required to stay focused on the finish line that marks the end of the journey.

Sustainable Action

The journey to any destination can never be achieved by wishful thinking. It requires the consistent action of motion for success. This logic of wisdom applies in gaining any meaningful result from the contents of this summary post. There are no short-cuts to bypass this understanding of truth.

Closing Remarks

This post has been designed to inspire the noble citizens of Nigeria on the basic skills required to inform a positive mindset capable of attaining success with any endeavor of life. It is the sincere wish of the author, that these endeavors include renewing our spirit of Patriotism and Love for each other. This feat would significantly assist our collective effort at lifting our country Nigeria back to greatness.

This post is in honor of the inspirational encouragement of the ‘Sweet Believer’: a profound blogger that knows how to bring out the bloom beneath any gloom. Great thanks S.B.

Arise O Compatriots….

32. Comparing The Graceful Finesse Of Patriotism Against The Brute Naïveté Of Nationalism

The spirit of Nationalism does not bear the decency to tow the moral lines of Patriotism
© 2019 Nigerian Patriot

Intro

There are broad and controversial definitions for the terms Patriotism and Nationalism. This summary blog episode highlights the distinctive differences in the attitude and mindset of a Patriot in comparison to a Nationalist. It is a personal, albeit informed opinion of the author and is designed as a guiding standard which must not be necessarily accepted by all readers.

Definitions

Patriotism is a love for one’s own country and countrymen. It is a love for the inherent goodness of the values that guide the system of Government and its people. It is a love that accommodates criticisms from other nations which can inform improvements to its value system. Patriotism understands the concept of collaboration and coexistence with other nations in order to solve shared problems and develop shared interests. Patriotism is informed by an objective knowledge of decent moral values.

Nationalism is a blind loyalty for one’s own country. It is an irrational belief system of a citizen that their country is superior to all others. It is a stubborn devotion to the values that guide the system of Government and its people regardless of the moral deficiencies of these values. Nationalism does not accommodate criticisms from other nations, nor tolerate coexistence with other nations.

Distinctive Features

A Patriot and a Nationalist can make the ultimate sacrifice on the parallel ideologies defined above; however it is crystal clear that they are not working in synergy toward a common goal.

History can bear witness, that it was the nationalistic mindset of Adolf Hitler and his infamous Nazi regime which was driven by the concept of racial supremacy that triggered the Second World War. History also bears witness that the nationalistic profile of the defunct apartheid regime of South Africa was a grave issue of global concern in the wake of the chaos and tragedy which trailed the existence of the ideology.

It is pertinent for a person to make a clear distinction between Patriotism and Nationalism in order to be morally informed in attitude when relating with others (whether compatriots or foreigners) and in the refinement of aptitude.

The vision of a Patriot is driven by a sense of responsibility which understands that even though their roots of origin maybe tied to a particular country, they are an intricate part of a larger global community. It is this realization that stirs the passion of a Patriot to ensure a collective positive and peaceful collaboration of the Human race toward ensuring the survival of the planet Earth.

The vision of a Patriot understands that the survival of the planet Earth would always guarantee a platform of existence and continuity of life for the Human Race: the generations they would leave behind.

This vision ultimately understands that though each of us may bear passports identifying us as citizens of different countries, every member of the human race is a bona fide citizen and Patriot of the planet Earth.

The perspective of the vision of a Nationalist is limited strictly to the boundaries of the ideals that define their country.

Closing Remarks

A deep reflection on the paragraphs above would avail all Nigerian citizens, and indeed any reader the knowledge that imbibing the character of Patriotism would greatly assist our effort toward building a peaceful and productive Nigerian nation. The character of Patriotism would also assist us in fostering better relations with neighboring Nations and the World at large.

On these truths and more, I rest my case on comparing the graceful finesse of Patriotism against the brute naïveté of Nationalism.

Arise O Compatriots…

31. Patriot Alert 20: Crushing Our ‘National Stock Exchange Of Negative Energy’ In Nigeria

Trading Blames never solved a single puzzle of Life. It is an empty expression of Negative Energy.
© 2019 Nigerian Patriot

For the sake of clarity on the context of this summary post, a Stock Exchange is an organized and regulated financial market where Brokers trade Securities (Shares, Stocks, Bonds, Options, Futures, and Commodities). Trade pricing is governed by the forces of Demand and Supply.

The title tag of this post boldly presumes the existence of an unenthusiastic yet subtle character of the mind within the physical demarcation representing our noble country Nigeria. It is a mindset that has gradually found relevance in our national space due to various self appealing reasons. These reasons inexcusably include ignorance on the dire, long term consequences, of such unpatriotic trait, nor its magnitude. It is the character of Trading Blames and the accompanying distractions on the real development of our nation.

A single unit of blame is plainly an accusation that someone is responsible for some lapse or misdeed. It is not the slightest corrective measure of action that can address any possible solution to the identified problem. It is merely an empty expression of negative energy. Negative, because the comments are designed to discredit, especially without positive or helpful suggestions.

Early Origin of the Blame Trade

At the dawn of Independence on October 1960, it can be safely assumed that most citizens were in agreement and support of the project Nigeria. Shortly after, the first national fatal altercation occurred in the Military coup of January 1966. From that point onward, the project Nigeria became the deliberate mismatch of incompatible people by the British colonialists in the minds of a number of Nigerians. The seed of Trading Blames was planted, and the first blemish was cast on the fabric of the noble concept we know as Nigeria, our home Country. It must be restated, that some of the noble reasons behind the ‘partitioning’ of the Nigerian domain by the British have been highlighted in previous blog posts: 12. The Nearly Infinite Potentials of the Nigerian Nation and 23. The Citizens of Nigeria: A People Of Diverse Strength In Colors and Numbers.

Trade Highlights

Presently in our country, most Nigerian citizens will jump to blame any Ruling Government for everything which is perceived wrong within our nation. They clearly fail to realize that governance is the collective participation of every Citizen. It is a collective national process of Responsibility and Accountability. This is the only means the process of Governance can guarantee a functional System of Integrity.

An unhealthy percentage of Nigerians are quick to blame Compatriots on the opposite divide of ‘regional boundary’ for the state of the misfortunes of our Noble Nation. These include issues bordering on resource sharing amongst other mundane self-driven ‘priorities’. The Blame Traders fail to realize that the essence of representation with the legislative arm of our democratic system is to guarantee a measure of national balance albeit an imperfect equilibrium.

In the full view of National and International media platforms, Legislative sessions which ought to display a Patriotic sense of constructive debates are watered down to non productive bickering and comic drama. The Legislator’s Constituency never sees a need to hold their own elected Representative accountable. It appears more acceptable within the context of the Nigerian space to blame another Compatriot on the basis of a perceived ‘ethnic’, ‘religious’, ‘tribal’, ‘political’, demographic, or genetic bias.

With Nigeria, the list of ‘plausible’ objections as justification can be endless.

Currently, the divisive Blame diatribe is visible on all fronts and in all fields of endeavor in our groaning Nation. Aside the Political system, it is in our decaying Education system, with the loop of Blame tossing between the Government, the Lecturers and the Students, it is in our divisive Religious character with the loop of Blame tossing between Religious groups, and Institutions. It is nested in the heart of our massively careless road habits, with the loop of Blame tossing between the Commuters, the Transporters, and Road traffic officials. It is behind the mayhem that currently defines the security wellbeing of our Nation.

Blame trading is behind the tattered status of a National economy and a poor Infrastructure profile that was once among the celebrated prides of Africa. Trading blames appears to have blinded us on the urgent need to collectively change the circumstance of our National dilemma.

Closing Remarks

There is no denying the fact that Blame Trading has become a huge negative concept of the mind within the Nigerian space. A despicable attribute boldly utilized to side-step Responsibility and Accountability.

The apparent market value of this holocaust is deliberately nurtured by nefarious Nigerian Citizens who understand how to manipulate the thirst and wrapped interest of ignorant Compatriots with the ‘right’ indicators of demand and supply required to sustain the viability of the Blame Exchange Market.

Under the baffled glare of the International Community, which includes other African Nations that previously had the pleasure of strong Respect and Admiration, we could certainly be likened to the bad workman who cast the blame of failure on his tools rather than himself.

The glare of our Children and Generations to follow, would regretfully tag us as grand failures devoid of the most remote element of maturity, wisdom and constructive reasoning.

As a Nation, we are still blessed with the landmass, and natural resources required to reverse the trend of the currently frightening narrative. We are still endowed with the strength of diversity in the Human intelligence capacity required to command the untold wealth of the Nigerian Potential in our favor. Yes, as a united Nation, we can still make a change for a prosperous future.

In conclusion, assuming we could bury our hatchets of blame and embrace the action of selfless Patriotic love, the solutions to our seemingly complex cross word puzzle of National issues, would light our path to Success.

On the truths of the summary highlights above, and more, I rest my case on the dire collective need to crush the National Stock Exchange of Negative Energy in Nigeria. It is simply a Trade platform which is given the credit of relevance by the ignorant minds of a majority of Nigerian Citizens.

Arise O Compatriots…

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…