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National Identity And Pride: An Intense Scrutiny by Chukwuemeka Oluka

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If an “Emeka” who is born in Lagos, grew up in Lagos and had never lived in the South-East throughout his life claims the Igbo identity for instance, it’s not necessarily out of love, but out of necessity. The system has made it so because, it’s only by claiming that (ethnic) identity can he get a ministerial slot in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for instance. But the Nigerian (national) identity does not yet offer concrete benefit and pride to him alongside other Nigerian citizens. The opening paragraph captures the disposition of many Nigerians about national identity and pride. It would go on to set the tone for this essay. The essay explores the concept of national identity and pride in a multi-faceted society recently facing protracted armed struggle and key developmental issues. It explores the extent to which historical antecedents and political developments have shaped notions of national pride and identity amongst Nigerians. The essay argues that, despite the odds, weaving a narrative to inspire a national pride and identity in the face of a seemingly topsy-turvy present-day Nigeria is possible. By the way, what really is National Identity and Pride? It refers to the sense of belonging one has to a nation – say Nigeria, or the sense of solidarity one feels with a group about a nation regardless of one’s actual background or citizenship status. The expression of one’s national identity seen in a positive light is patriotism which is characterized by national pride and positive emotion of love for one’s country.[1] Elements of National Identity include the national anthem, working for the success of the nation, respecting national symbols and so on. A closer look at these elements gives a reflection of how Nigerian citizens see the concept of National Identity and pride. Take the national anthem for instance; how many people still feel goose bumps whenever the trumpets herald the “Arise, O compatriots…?” How many still stand at attention while caressing their breasts or foreheads to the rhythmic chords the melody and harmony strike whenever the anthem hits the airwaves? How many citizens still remember the first and second stanzas of our national anthem?  Not many souls anymore. How many citizens are ready to shed their blood defending the integrity of the country? How many of our politicians really work for the success of the nation? Do we hold and see our national symbols like the national flag and coat of arms as totemic symbols that inspire some level of national pride in us anymore? Yet, National identity not only enhances physical security; it is built to inspire good governance, economic development, citizens’ trust, engender support for strong social safety nets, and ultimately make liberal democracy itself [2]. Can these be said to be obtainable in Nigeria today? Can citizens draw some level of pride from what National identity ideally promises? Well… Your guess is as good as the writer’s. How then did we get here, one may ask? This is partly historical, and partly a result of continuous bad governance structures and corruption. The writer blames colonial masters heavily for not prioritizing developing the country. The effect is that the independence of emergent Nigeria, lacked needed depth and couldn’t attain sustainable development. Also, many emergent Nigerian leaders continued with the exploitative socio-political and economic arrangements they inherited at independence – a case of neo-colonialism. This becomes the precursor of the leadership crisis Nigeria experience today. Yet, the process through which our leaders emerge in office also takes some blame. Such processes are mostly marred by irregularities and imposition of leaders lacking ideologies, vision, and selflessness. There is no gainsaying, therefore, that Nigeria desperately needs good leadership to surmount its governance challenges in other to assume its role and pride of place in the global continent. What we thus have today is a Nigeria and a national identity that mean different things to many ethnic nationalities in the country. With the collapse of public education, characterized by long years of neglect occasioned by corruption, citizens are more or less left to depend on private education. Healthcare is inaccessible, and in a state of comatose. Even the number one citizen of Nigeria lacks confidence in the country’s health care system; reason he goes to Britain on medical tourism at the expense of tax-payers’ money rather than invest in the countries health infrastructure. How then do Nigerians identify with a poorly functioning state? A look at the Nigerian Coat of Arms, the motto reads, “Unity and faith, peace and progress.” Are we really united? Do citizens still have faith in the progress of the country? Is there peace in the land? Today, the country continues to battle several security challenges, including but not limited to insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, Farmer-herders’ crises in the North-Central, agitations of cessation in the South-East and South-West plus militancy in the South-South. All these pointing to a dysfunctional and chequered national identity devoid of any level of pride. With the challenges of living in Nigeria, it becomes absolutely difficult for citizens with no access to basic infrastructure and services to feel a sense of National identity and pride. So, things appear to have fallen apart and the center seemingly cannot hold anymore. This captures exactly what could happen if we continue along this trajectory, neglecting the impact national identity and pride can make in mending cracks and broken walls. The question now becomes; can a national narrative and identity be weaved in the face of a seemingly fallen apart nation? Can some level of pride be restored? Absolutely, it can! But note; such narrative(s) must be weaved outside the political class. Since politicians follow the trend rather than set the trend, they are not really change agents because their ultimate interests lie in winning elections. So, often times, when radical change is needed, it has to come from society itself. When citizens start demanding more from the political system, then, the politicians will begin to react. The

Opinion Articles, Writers

Our National Identity; The Need For A Come Back by Emmanuel Enaku.

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Social media has been agog with celebration and a display of national sense of unity and patriotism following the raising of the Nigerian flag and Nigerian cultural way of lifting the “basket of victory” by David Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi on 15 May, 2021 after the victory win of Leicester football club over Chelsea football club in the F.A. cup finals at the famous Wembley Stadium. It was a powerful and fascinating merger between culture and sports and it has left Nigeria being the centre of envy to the global world after all the depressing news bordering on the proliferation of ethnicity, disunity and inter-tribal disagreements in Nigeria.  The question comes then, is there really any ounce of national identity and pride among Nigerians or was the act following Iheanacho’s win on 15 May a mere facade, an act put up due to the euphoria of that moment? This and many more is what I attempt to reveal in this essay. However, for a perfect understanding, it seems worthwhile to turn our focus into what National identity and pride really entails- a simple and understandable breakdown of the phenomenon, even a clear and concise dictionary meaning. National, as defined by The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, means something connected with a particular nation; shared by a whole nation and Identity by the same dictionary is “who something or somebody is”. Therefore, national identity could be said to mean ‘who someone is in connection with the nation he comes from and the cultures and traditions inherent therein’. Pride, on the other hand, according to Google.com is the feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements or, the consciousness of one’s own dignity. Therefore in a nutshell, national identity and pride has to do with recognising where one comes from and having deep-seated pleasure and satisfaction in that knowledge. National identity and pride plays significant role in nation building. It is not mincing words to say that a disorganised and disunited country hardly achieves progress. National identity and pride precisely brings about progress. Therefore, one can aptly say a country needs its citizenry to survive; weakness sets in when citizens becomes apathetic to their country. Such indifference to national affairs retards progress and drags the country backwards and it is only when citizens show commitment and strong love for their country that it is sure to be moving towards a united, strong and developing nation. Nigerians have always been noted for celebrations of its cultural values and quite captivating patriotic acts within and without the country. Like Iheanacho, there has been countless showcasing of national pride until the recent past. This, eventually, has gone on a swift decline following the rise of corruption, the infestation of our culture by foreign cultures and decadence of values in our society. The Nigerian state has become so docile, parochial and hostile that it victimizes people unlawfully irrespective of their rights. This, however, cannot be blamed on Nigerians. The state of Nigeria, the name in fact, is a facade which was put in place by the white colonial masters for selfish interests. The amalgamation was a ruse performed due to urgent need to assuage the issue of budget deficit which was on the increase in the North during the colonial era. The plan was to use the resources in the South to cancel off the deficit in the North. There was no plan of creating a united nation out of the two protectorates before amalgamation. The South has continued to see itself as the victimised and the North as the ‘favoured’ section. This has been the foundation for our disunity, ethnic bigotry and tribalism, with all ethnic groups trying hard to dominate the seat of power, even to the point of being unfair to the other ethnic groups. Even looking briefly into history, the issue of who would take over from Aguiyi Ironsi was rooted in ethnic struggle. Most military officers, including Odumegwu Ojukwu, contended that it was the tradition of military for succession to follow sequentially according to rank, therefore Brigadier- General Ogundikpe who was the next senior officer after Major-General J.T.U Aguiyi Ironsi was meant to take over but the Hausa faction stood their grounds and imposed the then Lt. Colonel Yakubu Gowon. The Yorubas felt cheated and Ojukwu felt aggrieved to the extent of saying that if Yakubu Gowon succeeded Ironsi, the loyalty of the east would not be guaranteed. This and many other factors precipitated into the Nigeria-Biafra civil war of 1967-1970. Recently, the president Buhari’s choice to replace late Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru with Maj. General Farouk Yahaya as Chief of Army Staff has sparked bitterness in the hearts of the Southern counterparts, particularly those of the South-East. Even Iheanacho’s patriotic act at Wembley Stadium was not welcomed by all. Popular Nigeria critic, Igbo leader and fascilitator of the IPOB movement, Nnamdi Kanu, took to twitter to blast David Iheanacho and Vincent Ndidi for raising the “zoo” flag when they ought to be using their victory and inherent fame to buttress the struggle for Biafra. State and ethnic identity has now become of higher priority over national identity. For instance, job seekers from an employer’s ethnic society are preferred over non- indigenes and given lavish positions even with poor qualifications. This has led to every state looking out for ‘their own’ man and has in turn, skyrocketed the issue of hatred and ethnic tensions in Nigeria. However, hope is not lost but success depends on our acting now in line with the suggestions adduced below. The ways Nigerians can move forward are; to avoid ill propagated news that tends to cause strife among us, to realise that there is blessing in our diversity, to respect everyone’s culture and religious views and to live in peace and tolerance with one another, investment in education and social amenities are key factors too, government must give ears to the masses and act fairly while improving the welfare of the citizens and

Opinion Articles, Writers

United We Stand, Divided We Fall by Abiodun Eunice.

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    It is not uncommon, nowadays, to hear Nigerians say, “Make person just get green card like this, na so I go comot from Niger”. Or even, “This country don tire person, make God just butter my bread, make I go abroad go enjoy”. In fact, there are memes that depict how Nigerians, not neglecting new born babies who although cannot speak for themselves, lament about their national identity. A perfect example is that of a new born baby that has refused to release the doctor’s coat because the doctor has performed an operation on the mother. Meanwhile, according to the meme, the baby had stayed back because he awaited being birthed in another country. This may sound funny, but truly, new born babies are not exempted from the difficult situation Nigeria is passing through now especially, if electricity, poor education, poverty and poor condition of living are to be considered. This, to some extent, depicts how Nigerians regret being a citizen of this country. Moreover, gone are the days when our currency and economic sector carried value; the economic sector was favourable and things were moderately fine. Then, people loved to migrate to Nigeria to establish a business they were sure would thrive. Although, it was not as if things were not difficult, they were, but not to the extent of wanting to travel out of the country by all means. Unfortunately, presently, reverse is the case. Nigerians want to migrate to other countries, especially the United States and the United kingdom, on the basis of looking for greener pastures, good condition of living and favourable economic sector. Furthermore, our leaders have contributed to the negative way we feel about our national identity and pride. Our leaders have decided to boast indirectly in other countries’ development by sending their children abroad to study, going for medical check-up abroad, saving and investing abroad and the worst of it all, traveling abroad to secure their lives and families when disaster looms over Nigeria. Meanwhile, the money that are being spent over the aforementioned could be use to improve our educational, economic and health sectors. Thus, making Nigeria a better place to be and discouraging citizens, especially the youths, from ridiculing the pride that should be accorded Nigeria. In addition, considering the aspect of our cultural dress and language, one could say that very few people hold these values in high esteem. Everyone wants to dress like an English man: shirt and trousers with a matched tie or scarf or hat. Also, parents are not helping in maintaining these national pride. For instance, most Nigerian parents want their children to speak English by all means. Meanwhile, their native language that should have been prioritised are  completely neglected or are not being taught. Yes, English language is our Lingua Franca, but it is not meant to rid us off of our cultural languages. Therefore, the world may be technologically developing, it does not warrant us losing our cultural and national identities. Despite all these, the unity among us still stands. Abraham Lincoln gracefully said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Though, it may look like we are disunited, however, when trouble comes or needs be, the unity appears. An example is the recent national protest against Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The protest brought together all ethnics and religions. This undivided unity led to a worldwide protest. Fortunately, the protest was successful as SARS was eventually dissolved on 11th October, 2020. Truly, it takes only a united country to draw the attention of the world to interfere and intervene in a national situation. Furthermore, one characteristic of a united society is the presence of religious tolerance.  Religious tolerance is the ability to appreciate spiritual values, beliefs and practices which are different from one another. It can also be related to unity in diversity. Abdu’l-Bahá, the head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 to 1921, explained this principle in terms of ‘oneness of humanity’. He said, “Humanity may be likened unto the vari-colored flowers of one garden. There is unity in diversity. Each sets off and enhances the other’s beauty”. The different religious values held by different ethnic groups enhances and beautify our national identity because some countries that allow only a religion still find it difficult to act as one. Which means that only an undivided nation would allow and accept different spiritual values and practices. In conclusion, as many Nigerians wish to be given birth in another country, due to the difficulties we are going through presently, the unity we share, which although seems to be hiding in us, cannot be underrated when needs be that we speak and act as one. Thus, united we stand, divided we fall. Abiodun Eunice Ihinrerekanmi is a student of English and Literature at the University of Ibadan. She is interested in writing short fictional stories and poems. She can be reached via euniceabiodun02@gmail.com

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