SIR: In Nigeria’s suspended national anthem was a particular phrase talking about: “the labours of our heroes past not being in vain,” which brings up the issue of whether or not Nigeria truly had some heroes in the past. Because if and when any nation lands at a crossroad as Nigeria is currently in, there’s the need to examine its trajectory in order to put issues in their proper perspective.  

To begin with, the question of whether Nigeria has heroes or not should not even arise at all because there are so many incontrovertible proofs to show that Nigeria had them in excess and their influence is felt not only within Nigeria but even outside. The question rather should be whether or not Nigeria’s heroes believed and invested in Nigeria and the answer is unarguably NO. 

Nigeria’s heroes were possibly able to predict accurately what the future held for the country early enough and therefore planted most of their investments and offsprings abroad. A close study of the histories of the children and grand children of Nigeria’s founding fathers would always reveal them living and working abroad. Why is that so? The explanation is simple. Anyone in his right senses must have been able to see right from time that Nigeria has no bright future from the onset. Or how would a man who foolishly set aside his best assets and clings tenaciously to his weak points ever make any headway?

Yet that was what Nigeria did when shortly after independence, the best brains well-groomed and best suited for progressive administration of the country were shoved aside and the military who were never meant to rule took over governance which automatically set Nigeria on auto reverse. As soon as that happened, most of the key players in Nigeria’s affairs made new plans and focussed more attention in establishing concrete links with the outer worlds while those who couldn’t read the sad handwriting on the wall believed it was still possible to make a corpse walk continued to hope that things would get better.  

Now, more than six decades after its so-called independence, Nigeria’s eagle has refused to fly like others while all its heroes past and their descendants have their tentacles firmly rooted abroad.

Jide Oyewusi is the coordinator of Ethics Watch International Nigeria.