By Bob Majiri Oghene
Etemiku
In real life, people
are told that quitters never win and winners never quit. That aphorism has
proven true at the level of individual entrepreneurship and endeavour. Most
people have often found out to their chagrin that just after they quit, success
arrives. But how far nations can carry on, from what has been perceived as an
unholy and uneven matrimony remains to be seen. The same is true with Nigeria ,
especially after the recent and successful stay-at-home call made on the people
of the South East by their de-facto leader and the reactions which followed.
Before we log on to the question for today’s
discussion, let me quickly affirm my love for my fatherland. Nigeria is a
great country. Foreigners boast that our mangoes are some of the best in the
world. Our women are beautiful and our young men strong. Our Jollof rice beats that of the Ghana and the Senegal. I have had the privilege of travelling to the
North, South, East and West of this great country. I have met Northerners,
Easterners and Westerners, and if they don’t speak their language they don’t
look any different from the dudes on the other side. As a matter of fact, when
I found myself in the North for my NYSC, I wanted to add a Northern aka to my
name because of its phonetic and semantic affinity with my local name.
Therefore, today, I manage to find my way with a dash of Hausa, Yoruba and some
Ibo, and though I am bothered that this triumvirate do not speak my language, I
have carried on nevertheless.