Don’t misconceive the caption of this write-up. Yes! We have all come across that familiar smell of dope…zzzz. Some reach for its higher ilk, cocaine, heroin, codeine and a whole lot more, to mention a few.
If you were thinking I have become unpatriotic to sell Nigerians short, nah! Much as each day plunges us as a Nation deep into quagmire, I will not contribute to its failure deliberately and without purpose. Truth is we indulge in some of these drugs to take away the sorrows of daily living!
Rather, I am using this medium to celebrate all Nigerians home and abroad, hustling and working their socks off to make ends meet. The shoe maker on the street walking in the scorching sun, the gal selling recharge card and sleeping ‘on duty’, school kids going to school without knowing what the future holds for them, the mobile policeman collecting roger even when they create illegal roadblocks across our highways and lead several innocent lives to their graves (God accept their souls, may they rest in peace-those who lost their lives in the unfortunate carnage on Lagos-Ibadan expressway), the sheen of sweat on the faces of the kaya and scavengers who scavenge for valuables in garbage and trash cans. I could go on and on…like a car with a failed brake but we all know that which keeps us going.
Nigerians are a special breed of people. From Aba to Ikwerre, Jimeta, Oturkpo, Kaduna, Zuba, Ghana, Libya, India, Italy, USA, UK, Holland and a whole lot many Countries , even those you could hardly relate to or haven’t heard about, WE remain proud. It’s so unfortunate, some of our brothers and sisters have tainted our image but we still hold our head high!
We were ranked some years ago to be the World’s happiest people despite the myriad of problems plaguing our dear Country. I couldn’t agree more! Our resilience is remarkable. In fact, Waffi man talk say” e go better, e go better na im man take see grey hair” Yet We still succeed where others failed, grow where others were stunted, excelled where others gave up and rose from being a no body to a somebody! Even my great drink acknowledged the naija power!
Hope is our watchword! We cling to it like a lifesaver…In every situation; we find the positive side of it. I am awed by this trait because obviously it resides in our genes, yours humbly not exempted.
As the Irish say, “hope is the physician for every misery”.
This is wishing all my naija brothers and sisters and also to Muslim folks having their Ramadan el Kareem all the best in their spiritual upliftment! Don’t loose hope peeps, we are NIGERIANS! A great people but not yet a great nation to equal our potentials. Be the best you can be…say no to mediocrity!
Am so high!!!
