NATIONAL ESTEEM I

What is the value of a Nigerian life? Recently a factory got burnt in Ikorodu and scores of people were reported to have burnt to death. In developed countries of the world, that would be a national disaster. In Nigeria, however, until a large number of people die at the same time it would not concern us much. That twenty or thirty people die like that has become normal to us because life has been devalued and made so cheap around us.

I believe that there is something at the root of these problems. It is an extension of our National Esteem. The question is, ‘How do we feel about ourselves and about our country?’ Self-esteem is about how you feel about yourself. We are emotional beings.Emotion is the energy that we thrive on.

Negative and positive emotions impact heavily on our destiny, so how we feel about ourselves is important. Over half the world population lives in third world countries and most of the people in the third world experienced slavery and colonization. Through these, most have lost their sense of identity, dignity, self-worth, and self-respect. Nigeria falls within this category.

Despite the measure of freedom and independence given to us by our colonial masters, we are still struggling with our sense of identity, dignity, and self-respect. This is why it is important for us to discuss this issue. How do we feel about ourselves? If we would think about it and be truthful, we would agree with the fact that generally, we feel inferior to the developed countries. Even our government feels inferior to the government of developed countries or else why do they have to go to other countries to beg for aid and complain when the aid is not forthcoming.

Our former colonial masters have not helped the issue. Through subtle means, attitudes and policies they have reinforced in our minds the fact that we lack the intelligence and skills that will make us catch up with them in the developed world. It shows in the way they treat us. When I apply for visas, I get the clear message that they do not respect us. We line up under sheds and sometimes in the sun.

There are rows and railings that you have to pass through before you have the opportunity of going into the embassy. I have been in a row like that before, in fact with my whole family. We were standing for over two hours, the line was not even moving. I picked the whole family and left! What else would show that they do  not value my time? I have been on such a queue before with the Managing Director of a bank; he stood there for about one and a half hours before going in.

Yet this man’s time is supposed to be more valuable than spending a worthless ninety minutes on a queue. You know, anytime I am going through those railings; I say what I feel, which is like a cow. It is only cows that I know you herd through railings. The question I ask myself is, “Do we do this to them in their own country.” No! They sit down while expecting to pick their visas. My problem is not with them, but with us. Because the values we placed on ourselves are what they have placed on us.

And sadly, we are not even protesting, instead, we keep rushing to them to line up like cows through the railings. There is also the powerful control they have over the media. You need to watch the way this part of the world is portrayed. Some people who have never been here will be shocked and almost faint if they come here, and see some of the beautiful structures we have. Many of them still think we live on trees like monkeys and they think we all walk around naked.

I watched a documentary on a Nigerian football star in the States from Enugu. Of course they wanted to show how much progress their country had helped him make in life, so they went to pick his story from the roots. The part of Enugu that was filmed was a shame; small boys and girls playing in the mud. For goodness sake, there are tarred
roads in Enugu but I did not see one in the documentary.

Of course, the message is clear– “We made him what he is today!” There was a UN summit on the world food situation some months back. Only third world countries attended; the developed countries were not represented. Then the third world countries were busy lamenting and agitating that the developed countries are not showing any concern about their plight.

But the question is if you are not concerned about your plight, who should be concerned for you? They also complained about the way they (the developed world) subsidize crop production in their countries to control the price of food in the world market. Crying or agitating is not the solution.

The solution is to grow your own crops so as to increase your bargaining power. They removed the chains of slavery from our hands and legs but the chains were already stamped on our minds and unfortunately, we transfer the chains from generation to generation. But for us, it stops here.
I am proud to be a Nigerian!