Tears of Nigeria

Tears for Nigeria

Where did I go wrong?

Was it wrong to beget you?

Was it really a wrong idea to bring you to this world?

I Nigeria, a woman full of compassion and love, endowed with natural resources and short of natural disaster, rich in cultural heritage and beautiful landscape.

I started my journey of existence in 1914.Later, the likes of Zik of Africa, Awolowo, Anthony Enahoro and others joined forces to give me the independence I savored in 1960.

My children, the leaders had their dreams then but they hardly put them to work. What a waste! When war broke out in 1966, my children fought bravely without financial aid from other nations. To recover faster than ever conceived, God endowed me with liquid gold discovered in Oloibiri in now Bayelsa state and its resources grew in geometric progression such that as the war ebbed away, financial stability was achieved with the combined resources of agricultural produce of Groundnut, Cotton, Cashew, Rubber, Cocoa, to mention but few. I breathed sigh of relief .I was so happy believing that with all these, my children would never go hungry. I was so fulfilled that they can never fight one another. I was so sure that there would not be any reason for fighting, killing and maiming since I have more than enough. Little did I know that I was building my castle in the air. Little did I know that I was living in fool’s paradise.

My children, can you trace where I went wrong? Why have you decided to cause me so much pain? Why all these kidnapping in the East, Violence in the west? Ethnic and religious crisis in the North, kidnapping and killing, over natural resources in the south? Even in the face of these crisis and violence, the leaders happily click glasses in celebration. Can any of you tell me where I went wrong? How can I be back at my knees at this point in time? How is it that you have made a mess of all that God endowed me with? If you have valued your root, there would not have been any religious crisis because Muslims and Christians are created by that same God. Why are you chasing shadows when the main objects are there staring at you? There are Volcanoes, Landslides, Monsoon Wind, Monsoon flood, Whirlwind, Typhoon, Cyclone, Tsunamis in other countries, I can almost hear them pant in fear but none of these is here. My children, what exactly do you want? Is this the faithfulness, loyalty and honesty you pledge almost every day? I can see how you have exhausted your strength in serving me. I can see how you have been defending my unity, upholding my honor and glory. Do you know how bad you have defiled me? Do you know how many times you and other countries have raped me in the broad daylight. Oh! What a sacrilege! Do you know how hungry I and my helpless children have been? Do you know how many nights you have locked me out, naked in the cold, to cry my eyes out? I can hardly see a dry land. Everywhere is covered with blood, not just blood but innocent human blood. My children no longer believe in themselves. They have sold their conscience, pride and talent to the people of other part of the world. Where is your wealth? Wealth you ask? Oh! You do not know how rich you were before you enslaved yourselves, when you are naturally endowed with great talents and ideas? How can you accept to work for someone you are better than? How can you accept crumbs instead of bread meant for you? Oh! My children! Why are you crying of no jobs and employment when you are endowed with all you need to employ others? What have you done with your talents? What have you done with your creative ideas, sonorous voices, writing abilities, wonderful skills, etc?

Arise my children! Arise and obey my call. Learn to serve, not to be served. Embrace love and discard hatred. Never allow the labor of my past heroes to be in vain. My children make peace your best friend and my glory will be restored.

BY MRS. OLUCHI MADU