The Need To Cherish Freedom And Liberty Through Nationalism: A Call To The Returnee Emigrants

The inspiration to love, cherish, protect, defend and even die for one's nation or country is closely associated with the spirit of nationalism and this presupposes that such a nation or country reciprocate the act of altruism of the individual citizen by ensuring his/her protection and security within and outside the borders of the country.

However, nationalism is also associated with selflessness and selfless service, personal and collective sacrifices of the citizenry in order to attain a higher national goal. Undoubtedly there is no privilege without commensurate responsibility in order to attain a higher national goal. Of course, there is no privilege without commensurate responsibility, just like there are no rights without obligations.

Moreover, the privilege to serve is the opportunity to make useful and meaningful immense contribution and personal sacrifice to the upliftment of one's country.

A careful study of our society today shows that people glamour for political offices, public and bureaucratic, because at the back of their minds, they think only of the privileges of that office, not the responsibility and inconveniences attached to it. And this is the reason some people fight each other and even kill one another in order to access an elevated office.

But those that honestly and transparently think of the responsibilities and sacrifices in the holding of a political or public office, are usually circumspect and wary in trying to present themselves or when persuaded to accept an offer in public service domain. I pity Nigerian political practices.

The decision to put one's reputation, dignity and even life on the line for the betterment of one's country demands the highest sense of patriotism and willingness to voluntarily sacrifice. The conduct of a nation at the various stages or levels of leadership, starting from the immediate and nuclear family to the place of work, is what shape the feelings of nationalism in the individual citizen.

It is undeniable fact that when a youngsters grow up in an environment of various forms of insecurity, ranging from food, economic hardship, and physical insecurity, it is very difficult to nurture the true sense of patriotism, how much more nationalism. The product of these circumstances perceives the nationalism as the exclusive jurisdiction or privilege of the well to do and those that hold government positions. And this is absolutely wrong in our society.

The level of one's commitment, focus, determination and dedication to his/her official duty is a measure of his/her nationalism and patriotism zeal. At times, it is very difficult to speak of nationalism without the mention of patriotism. This is so because, indeed, patriotism is the barometer for the measurement and evaluation of nationalism. It is the acts of patriotism that conveys a sense of nationalism; whereas, nationalism or nationalistic tendencies are expressed three patriotic exhibitions or displayed.

I strongly believe that a nation's history, unity, peace, stability, security and economic interests are threatened when its leaders do not demonstrate a strong sense of nationalism which is the unqualified willingness to live and die for the cause of the nation integrity knowing that it is just one nation, one people, and one destiny.

Nevertheless, the international politics over the years following neo-colonialism and preceding globalization have tended to dilute, threaten and even jeopardize the true feelings of nationalism. This phenomenon is the option of dual citizenship which individuals have tended to accept and acquire for the dual reasons of economics and politics. And this is destroying true nationalism in their country of origin which must be discouraged by all tiers of government.

You will agree with me that many people have adopted the nationality of an alien nation for the exigencies of economic survival, whereas keeping the nationality of their country of birth for political and cultural considerations. This is a new colonization of the mind that is even more dangerous content and devastating than the colonization of territory and other resources of the colony. This has led to the inducement of the emergence of the nationalism of economic exigency. The implication of the rush to acquire dual citizenship is the fact that nationalism has been killed or destroyed in the country of origin of these Africans, particularly Nigerians who had more immigrants in diaspora than any other country in the continent. Thereby endangering leadership which suffer crisis of loyalty and conflicts of nationality. This is partly cloudy reason for the crisis of confidence in leadership that have struck so many countries in the third world, with leaders who serve the interest of foreign countries through UN, UNICEF, WHO, WORLD BANK, IMF, USAID, EU etc, to the detriment of their country of origin. The national interest and security of these countries are systematically subverted and subjugated to the national and security interest of foreign countries.

This will account for the reason that in so many African countries, no one seems to take many governments seriously when it talks about the national security of the state, as this is seen as efforts to protect the exploitative economic interest of the hegemonic foreign powers and an extension of economic neo-colonialism.

However, some citizens are not less patriotic but true nationalism is a different ball game because patriotism is a component of nationalism. When feeling of nationalism is weak, a country easily loses focus and direction and instead tends to serve mundane interests that neither benefits its interest nor advance its cause, the leadership lack purposefulness and the country drifts dangerously in the management of its own affairs.

A leadership like this tend to subvert, subjugate and jeopardize the national sovereignty as the citizenry enslaved to a shadowy foreign hegemonic. The African leadership is inherently compromised to the extent that the citizenry cannot take their destiny and that of their country into their own hands. The leadership contest amongst itself to attract the attention and curry the favour of the foreign hegemonic powers.

So many countries in Africa and other third world countries are victims of this type of leadership and the citizenry will need to go through a nationalistic struggle for self-determination to be able to throw off the neo-colonialist shackles foisted on the people by a leadership that is fifth-columnist personified.

Therefore, we most appreciate the fact that we are a Nigerian, a God's blessings and given country, where everything opportunity is naturally made available and dual citizenship does not advance the course of progress of both nations.

And efforts must be made by government at all levels and parents to discourage themselves and their families from this phenomenon if they really cherish freedom and liberty.

By Usman Mohammed
07060815443 ([email protected])
Wrote from Chenche House, Lapai-Niger State