Following the episode of the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria doing what could be e0r to get to the roots of the #BringBackOurGirls palaver, it is very disheartening and disgraceful for Nig erians to go on the Internet and all over the globe deriding her so called and so perceived grammatical errors. I have never in my entire life ever seen such a thing as this. Well let us put it succinctly Nigeria is not yet a Nation but a country. We all pull in different directions and have no national identity that is intertwined with our common roots and destiny. I have visited many countries on this African continent and have never noticed the divisions despite the multi tribal colouration of the people.
I remember growing up and learning to speak pidgin English and oh it was exhilaration to discover it was purely Nigerian and we are the creators of such crossover piece of the Queens English to suit our own understanding. The world marvelled and it was fun to see the foreigners desire to speak our pidgin English.
We were once ruled in this country by the Hausa fulani whos,e diction was very strange to our ears and we tolerated them and were at peace with it. I therefore refuse to see anything wrong in the mother of the nation speaking in the language that best suits her at the moment and which allows even the lowest in the society to grasp her communication. A phrase like "Chei na only you waka come" and "dia ris God oo" is purely Nigerian and absolutely does not call for ridicule of any sort. It also goes to show that the First Lady is a simple down to earth Nigerian mother and woman with no airs at all.
Let it be known that Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan is the wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and consequently the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. She is the mother of the nation whether the President is liked or not or whether she is liked or not. We had proper customs and traditions and certain moral etiques that we all grew up with irrespective of our tribes or religious leanings or even intellectual accomplishments. No child goes out to say that the soup her own mother cooked is not sweet no matter if that child has tasted better soup in the neighbors house. It is like the story of Ham who saw his father Noah drunk and lying on the bed naked and instead of looking away and covering it decides to deride his own father by calling to his own brothers Shem and Japhet to come behold the same thing.
We have serious hatred and bitterness flowing like a poisonous stream into the soul of every Nigerian. I choose to believe that it is the result of the decadent years of government misrule and every one was cowed in a certain way and there was no form of expression. We have been traumatised as a people, misruled by the Oligarchy stationed in the northern axis, we were mercilessly plundered and made to have no worth at all. They gave us nothing to be proud of as a people. They took our common wealth and made it their personal inheritance and spoils of the conquest over us all. These are the people who glory in making us fourth class citizens in the world while their family and offspring's live and dine among the first class of the world. For instance President Goodluck Jonathan conducted the wedding of his daughter within the confines of the country but Abubakar Atiku took his son's wedding to where else but Dubai. This same man wants to rule Nigeria but flew all his guests and spent a fortune in enhancing the economy of another country when compared to the budget of his son's wedding. These are what we see and do not comment on.
I have said it before and I will say it again that President Goodluck Jonathan did not bring us all to where we are now as a people and as a Nation. He can not be made a scape goat for all the sins of misrule, misgovernance, nepotism, corruption and institutional decays around us. He has met brick wall upon brick wall trying to get us as a people and as a Nation to where we should be in the 21st century. The "establishment" or "the northern declaration" as they know themselves to be called have withstood and frustrated every move that will totally undermine their years of subjugation of the people. I know perfectly well what I say here.
I clearly understand the frustration and anger of our people. I clearly understand the impatience. Like the proverbial tortoise that was cast into a pit and had remained in that pit for a very long time quietly and when it realises that they had come with ropes to fetch it out began to scream impatiently that the people should hurry up and not waste its time that the stench of the pit is unbearable. I was born and bred in Nigeria and no one understands the pain and anger that courses down my soul every now and then. I have prayed earnestly and passionately for Nigeria and I have had many prophetic visions to that effect and I stand here to say that we all as a people must all stand before God in oneness and make earnest and sincere supplications and ask for a change of heart. We are not ready to be blessed. We are the first in the world to betray our own people and to take any advantage wherever we see fit. We have all lacked true hearts before God and before our fellow men. I recall now the issue of the abandoned property. I recall many unresolved murders and assassinations. I recall Choba, Odi, Zaki Biam, and the other towns and communities that were wiped out because they dared to cry out. We all never cared because it did not concern us. We can never become a people until we learn that injury done to one is injury done to all. Where are the NGO's who see genocide and are scared stiff to cry out to the world simply because it does not affect their tribe? We are simply a people living within a certain geographical confines. We are not yet bound to one another by the cord of one mutual value and one destiny. We are all delighted in pulling in different directions every man for himself.
We delight and perfect the act of the "pull him down syndrome". We have not yet become our brothers keeper. Like Cain we boldly say "am I my brothers keeper". What is wrong in the First Lady choosing to speak in pidgin assuming these women to be locals? When will we have those who rule us learn to speak to us in the language they feel best to communicate to the people? If the First Lady were to visit the remotest village or community and there find local and uneducated women, would she be effective speaking flawless Queens English to them? For goodness sake, irrespective of her qualifications or age, she is the mother of the nation and should be honored and respected. Would any of you see his or her mother speak faulty grammar and then goes about town making jest of her own mother? Who among us will not defend our parents even when it seems they are not as fluent as we are? What would we do if other nations try to deride our own First Lady? Are we not to rise up in passionate defence of that office and of whosoever occupies it. Oh Nigerians, get off this evil train of hatred of the President and who occupies that post. What does the Holy Writ tell us about respecting those in authority and praying for them? There is no doubt that not all men have faith and there are those who will condemn this post according to the inclinations of their own hearts.
The journey to nationhood is not easy and we have not yet approached that road until we all sit and discuss all no-go areas and issues that has polarised us as a people. Some of our people are seething inside. Some of us are broken, devastated, suppressed and oppressed beyond words. If you have not seen anything in your spirit, I have seen a lot and I am full of the Spirit of the Lord to declare what I have seen.
I wish that one day the President will speak to the nation in pidgin English. I wish that a law is passed allowing our parliamentarian to freely express themselves in pidgin or any language they feel comfortable with. I wish the governors start communicating to their own people in the language they will best be understood. I get sick in my bowels seeing a governor address in American or Queens English a local community full of the aged and those who can best be addressed and served in their own mother tongue.
My dear compatriots the First Lady did and acted as the occasion demanded period!
- Apostle Patrice Yehuda
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