The “Demettled” Transition of a Once Great Country
The country to which I pledge brings no solace to my allegiance. With the hope that things get better, the tales of our past glories blind us to the reality that we are living under the shadow of a great nation cast upon us by the setting sun as she walks away from us, our hands gripping the hems of her robe.
We prided ourselves with the luxuries of being citizens of a great state, the nation I called “The Heart of the Black Universe.” The entropy of this great state was minimal, and our smiles were genuine. The leaders who had selfless dreams of a great nation made huge sacrifices that her masses were elevated above the members of every other Black State. Our youths had prestige in their identity, showing off their shiny teeth in their elegant, glossy ebony skins. Great political icons like the Great Zik, S. O. Abiola, General Murtala and a large pack of great lions blazed with ambitions and love for their nation, fighting hard on her side, in her favor no matter the odds. Wars were fought, and wars were won; glories were given as shame fled from the surface of the lands, hopefully never to be remembered by her inhabitants nor recognized by their descendants.
Over one half of a century past, it is here at our steps, mocking our ways as it visits us with its diverse identities. Can we seize to recall the looks of its face? It lives in our minds at the break of each dawn; we see it in every page of National papers, glaring at us through ridiculous headlines; we stare at it every time we tune to our News Channels. Politics has gone sour; our love still blazes, our ambitions higher than it has ever been yet the prestige of our identity is ripped off us, democratically.
Oh! “There was a Country,” and there is, still. A great state has been reduced to mere ruins where citizens fear the fate of their fatherland. Citizens scared to take their stands on future-determining decisions because the outcome is predictably unfavorable, nonetheless –such brave cowardice. A “Jacob” state where autocracy is cloaked in the robes of democracy; our minds know not the difference between the sides of our coins, yet we wail and sing for the rise of our compatriots and pledge allegiance to our doom.
Oh, what a Nation there is!
The bitter truth we found not, even our lies is soured. The leaders of tomorrow wander as our today suffer from the ill decisions of yesterday rulers who still lead today and hope to lead tomorrow. The shames our memories knew not, now looks at us with grimaces. The true glories of our past heroes, we have soiled, and for our underachievement today, we are shamefully glorified.
