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“I believe in a united Nigeria, where the citizen is the boss”

June 19th, 2011

Patriotism is valuing a nation which harnesses its resources to provide opportunities for everyone and where the aspirations of the youth drive the hopes of the future, writes 22-year-old Commonwealth Correspondent Nnadozie Onyekuru from Maiduguri, Nigeria.

My hope is alive. I have won the battle again. To be born a Nigerian is to pick battles with unpatriotism.

There are odd events that puzzle you. There are stark indices; indices of doom that partition any nagging optimistic arguments in your mind of  the real and the ideal.

They shred your patriotism in a way that makes the bravest of hearts weak. Each time they come, I wrestle but my hope survives. Today, I have decided to place my weapons on paper to tell the world what I see and to remind myself of why I’m doing what I’m doing.

I believe in a united Nigeria, a nation where the identities of tribe and religion only remind citizens that they are part of a whole. A nation where governance is about working on ideas that protect the welfare of citizens, because the citizen is the boss.

A nation that harnesses her resources to provide opportunities for everyone from the blacksmith in Gusau to the CEO in Victoria Island. A nation where the poor and rich can live with the contentment of citizenship.

A nation that is a hub of human rights, full of upright policemen and free from political assassinations. A nation where virtues are senior to vices, where only the repentant are pardoned and the patriotism of the pardoned awakens the lukewarm.

A nation where the aspirations of the youth drive the hopes of the future. A nation where the only sacred cow is national interest. A nation that would write a positive history in the world because she is not afraid to stand up for what is right in the world and what is wrong. A satellite nation that launches each digital page for the world.

These are my articles of faith. I will keep talking about them because every time I talk, someone listens and every time someone listens, something happens.

Sometimes, the virtue of patriotism moves slowly in words that work and ideas that evolve into worthy adventures. God Bless Nigeria.

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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?

To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit:http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/

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Patriotism is valuing a nation which harnesses its resources to provide opportunities for everyone and where the aspirations of the youth drive the hopes of the future, writes 22-year-old Commonwealth Correspondent Nnadozie Onyekuru from Maiduguri, Nigeria.

My hope is alive. I have won the battle again. To be born a Nigerian is to pick battles with unpatriotism.

There are odd events that puzzle you. There are stark indices; indices of doom that partition any nagging optimistic arguments in your mind of  the real and the ideal.

They shred your patriotism in a way that makes the bravest of hearts weak. Each time they come, I wrestle but my hope survives. Today, I have decided to place my weapons on paper to tell the world what I see and to remind myself of why I’m doing what I’m doing.

I believe in a united Nigeria, a nation where the identities of tribe and religion only remind citizens that they are part of a whole. A nation where governance is about working on ideas that protect the welfare of citizens, because the citizen is the boss.

A nation that harnesses her resources to provide opportunities for everyone from the blacksmith in Gusau to the CEO in Victoria Island. A nation where the poor and rich can live with the contentment of citizenship.

A nation that is a hub of human rights, full of upright policemen and free from political assassinations. A nation where virtues are senior to vices, where only the repentant are pardoned and the patriotism of the pardoned awakens the lukewarm.

A nation where the aspirations of the youth drive the hopes of the future. A nation where the only sacred cow is national interest. A nation that would write a positive history in the world because she is not afraid to stand up for what is right in the world and what is wrong. A satellite nation that launches each digital page for the world.

These are my articles of faith. I will keep talking about them because every time I talk, someone listens and every time someone listens, something happens.

Sometimes, the virtue of patriotism moves slowly in words that work and ideas that evolve into worthy adventures. God Bless Nigeria.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?

To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit:http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/