I have never thought that we needed to state our religion and state of origin and gender and age for special advantage in the 21st century Nigeria. Well, you do.
You do because the constitution recognizes "federal character" in all public service positions - both elective and appointive. It also forbids economic power/resources being concentrated in the hands of a few - the popular cabal syndrome. Now, working this fine path is the picture of our beauty, the Beauty of our Patriotism.
Some have used it well, others not. We look at appointments and shudder! We look at national awards and wonder! We look at contracts and ponder! Why?
Oh, look no further than our kind of patriotism: Parochialism for Nationalism, Religion-ism for Spiritualism, Pocket-ism for Patriotism. Everyone does it or is made to do it so it becomes odd not to do it. We know it and celebrate the courageous-odd but create less enabling environment for their tribe to thrive.
Then we fumble and fail. Then we grumble and mumble. Then we seek God's intervention. We lament the ferment, make a few adjustments, make a few scape-goats, get a small relief...and go to sleep!
Our beauty of patriotism is scape-goatism: make a few pay for our collective sins. If we cleared the deck and returned not to our vomit, we would be a nation of nationals, a country of citizens, a land of hands.
So, here is the deal. Who knows beauty but goes for booty? How do we make us pay for our personal roles in this brigandage and progressively deepen the roots of patriotism? What must we give to receive? Where do we stay or betray? We must start now, in individual sacrifice to build our collective edifice - seeing the beauty of the self in the bounty of the whole.
Painful? Yes. Gainful? You can't ask that, Oh Patriot.
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