WELCOME TO FOUNTAIN HEIGHTS UPDATE: WILL YOU DIE FOR NIGERIA? PART II

Last week, I wrote about the PART I on the topic above. This week, the final segment on this article is being featured. Please, relax and enjoy yourself.
Please note, I will be very glad to read your responses.
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So, would you die for your country? (that was the last question). The sensible way to answer a question of this nature would be to first identify what the term ‘country’ means and how that relates to the individual. The easiest definition of a country would be, the territory , or state , of a people , or a nation.

While the terms country, state and nation are often used interchangeably, there is a difference. A State is a self-governing political entity. A Nation, however, is a tightly-knit group of people which share a common culture. In that sense, does Nigeria qualify as a nation? Let’s examine a few established prerequisites of any Nation or State;

1. Has space or territory which has internationally recognized boundaries.
2. Has people who live there on an ongoing basis.
3. Has economic activity and an organized economy.
4. Has the power of social engineering, such as education.
5. Has a transportation system for moving goods and people.
6. Has a government which provides public services and police.
7. Has sovereignty. No other State should have power over the country’s territory.
8. Has external recognition.

Would I die for Nigeria? Most likely not. What has Nigeria done for me lately? Take a closer look at no. 3 – 7 above. Nigeria’s economic activity and organized economy only encourages the rich, the dubious, and the corrupt. Oh! Plus the politicos (advisers and hangers on, including their families!).

Nos. 4, 5 and 6 are non existent. Our educational system is in tatters, an organized transportation system is only recently being provided by a few states (notice the small caps!) and totally ignore No. 6, for sanity’s sake. And that No. 7, Ahem! Is it true that the Nigerian government and Boko Mofo recently had a covert meeting in Mali…..? No. 8. We all know what Nigerians are recognized externally for. Well, some are guilty , sha, but all must take the blame!

Is Nigeria a country? Certainly. Is Nigeria a nation? Certainly not. Nigeria is a country of various nations, actually – more than 250 of them. The challenge is to build ourselves into one nation.

An uphill task, as various Nigerian governments have found out. But we must start somewhere. Sometimes, you just have to do the right things. A good place to start would be to recognize and respect our real heroes, teach their individual stories of heroism in schools, inspire people with their strong messages of hope, and truth, and justice. And build statures, structures, halls and libraries in their memories.