NIGERIA

“NIGERIA AT 49”
Where have we dropped our pledge?
By Ayeleso Toyosi

“I pledge to Nigeria my country,
To be faithful, loyal and honest,
To serve Nigeria with all my strength,
To defend her unity,
And uphold her honour and glory,
So help me God.”

A pledge is defined as a serious and solemn promise to do something. At one time or the other, ninety five percent of Nigerians have recited the pledge. Good as it may seem, the unfortunate thing is that not up to twenty percent of the ninety five percent have ever taken time to think over the pledge they have made. Worst still, a lot of us have even changed the third line to a ridiculous chant which is “to serve Nigeria is not by force” rather than the ideal to serve Nigeria with all my strength.
Thinking about Nigeria has several times brought melancholy. This is because of a lot of vices which still exist despite the efforts of some “few” people. But do the few people alone make Nigeria? A lot of us have said the pledge several times without even thinking back at it. This is because we have forgotten that a pledge is a promise and a promise is a debt.
Looking into the problems of Nigeria which include assassinations, political instability, corruption, maladministration, insecurity and lots of other vices , one would discover that it wouldn’t have been so if everyone both those in the helm of affairs and even the ordinary man on the street would sincerely fulfill his pledge.
It is embarrassing to note that The BBC dictionary concludes its definition of Nigeria by making note that large foreign debt and high level of inflation are her major economic problems. This is because our leaders are not conscious of the pledge they make when elected into office. Rather than chanting the pledge with sincerity, they have taken it as just a normal recitation forgetting that a pledge is a promise.





Moreover, the nationalists promised on October 1st, 1960 to give Nigeria a good image which all the world would come to respect and regard as the greatest nation in the black world. Therefore looking at the blistering anti-colonial ripostes of Herbert Macaulay, the magnificent oratoryof Nmandi Azikwe, the deep philosophical ruminations of Obafemi Awolowo, the grim hectoring of Anthony Enahoro, the terse anti-colonial genuflections of Adegoke Adedibu, the keen witty sayings of Samuel Akintola, the dignified cadences of Tafawa Balawe and the caustic criticisms of Bola Ige, it will be observed that Nigeria first generation leaders seemed to have through poetry made real commitments to Nigeria and also seen great hope in her. But why just through poetry?
Having failed the elementary test of nation building, having found the colonial state an insurmountable monster in all its alienating rigour, the political elites have taken refuge in the political equivalent of poetry and this has thus made our pledge a common poem and this is why 49 years after independence, that needed political restructuring which will allow Nigeria to optimise the complementary gifts of numerous nationalists is yet to be found.
Finally I look forward to see people like Tafawa Balewa who promised to dedicate his life to Nigeria, Obafemi Awolowo even though sentenced to prison for non-concrete reasons still stood his ground to serve Nigeria and Gowon the father of modern Nigeria. These ones served Nigeria not only with words but also in their actions. It is time to restructure and recreate Nigeria in order to properly harness the creative gifts and imaginative talents of its people.

Therefore, as we celebrate a new year with events, let us take time to reflect on our past misdeeds which have brought low the reputation of our country, and once again recite the pledge but this time solemnly and with commitment.