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I don’t know how easy a decision it is for those
Nigerians who have renounced Nigeria. I
guess some did it out of ignorance, some out of conviction, some out of
annoyance or anger for the land. Perhaps every Nigerian would repudiate Nigeria
if there is any single chance to do so. I have heard stories about Nigerians
swearing to throw away their passports immediately they reached America or
Europe or any other dream lands. Pity for the ignorant as well as for the
frustrated soul. I am involved.
Nigerians have sought salvation in mass emigration. In
doing so many have realised their dream which would have been infeasible had
they stayed behind. Philip Emeagwali who was described by former American
President Bill Clinton as Bill Gates of Africa, and Rotimi Adebari who was
elected Mayor of Portlaoise Town Council in Ireland are two formidable
examples. I don’t want to dwell on the circumstances or controversies
surrounding their departure from their native land – for now.
In accepting his new office, Adebari said: "Who would ever have thought
when I first came to this country (Ireland) seven years ago that I would ever
be elected first citizen of the great town of Portlaoise? In my own country
today I don’t think I’d be accepted in the way I am here today”.
Adebari’s
speech might be emotional but there’s truth in what he posited. I believe
almost every Nigerian that seeks greener pastures elsewhere would associate
with Adebari’s assertion. These people think their land has a way of killing
hope. It is a land where dignity and virtue are be-mocked. It is a land where
it is virtually impossible for an honest person to hold a political office. It
is a land a few people have bought to the peril of many. It is a land cursed by
its own sons and daughters. They rape the land yet they are honoured. They rob
with impunity yet they walk the street with pride of a locust.
This might
be the reason why most Nigerians left their land for Europe,
America, Asia,
Australia
and even some other African countries like
Libya,
Egypt,
Ghana and so
on. They must find alternative; they must escape in order to take care of
themselves and their families. They must sojourn abroad to be, to be someone. Boys
and girls, men and women, educated/educated illiterates and uneducated
passionately believe it must be better in Oyinbo’s land. They need to cry
their frustration somewhere else. They must leave – perhaps to protest the
injustice that is pervasive and radiates everywhere in their land.
But emigration
is different from abandoning one’s motherland. Going somewhere else to better
one’s lot is quite different from renouncing one’s fatherland. But this is now
the fad among Nigerians in the Diaspora. Once they reached Europe or
America or
Asia,
becoming dual citizenship or renouncing their nationality is first on their
agenda. They need another passport different from the green one that had always
caused them embarrassment. Nigerians must hide under someone else’s identity in
order to live; in order to feel human. They are proud to be European or
American or Asian citizens. Blame them make I dey hear una
Nigerians
normally achieved their new status by seeking asylum, marrying the citizen of
their new fatherland or as a highly skilled immigrant. They would boast they
are now European or American citizens therefore no one can treat them anyhow.
There is a case of a Nigerian who prefers to be called European since he has become
naturalised European and has European passport. This Nigerian likes boasting
that heaven will fall should anything unpleasant happen to him in
Nigeria. Well,
he may be right since European government value the lives of its citizens.
Perhaps
it’s not their fault since Nigerian constitution recognises dual citizenship.
Perhaps it is possible now to serve two masters. Perhaps I shouldn’t make
mountain out of molehill since many Nigerians have two to four wives and claim
to love their wives equally. What happens then should the two countries in
which one has dual citizenship go to war against each other, and one has to
fight? Which country are you going to fight for? It is a critical decision
considering the fact that one must have sworn to the oath of allegiance before
acquiring the other citizenship.
The issue
is further complicated in the last April elections when a Nigerian who has dual
citizenship had to go to court before he could contest for a political post,
because of his dual citizenship. Although the court ruled in his favour, why
did he need to go to court in the first instance? As far as I am concerned,
Nigeria should
end dual citizenship. Let its citizens choose her or other better country. The
only exception should be our children who are born overseas. Let only them
enjoy dual citizenship.
I am of
the opinion that the much awaited revolution could have started had Nigerians
have no other place to run to. Those Nigerians who are capable of turning
things around have all become another country’s citizens. Although they still
throw punches from their new motherland, it is not the same as if they were to retain
the green passport. Hum, they don’t want to suffer the indignity of carrying
the Nigerian green passport. Obviously their minds are already divided. Besides,
who is going to boost the image of
Nigeria if good Nigerians have all changed
their identity? This is one of my concerns.
Even in
Germany where
dual citizenship is not permitted most Nigerians still throw away their
Nigerian passports for German passports. Now they must go to the Nigerian
embassy to get visa before they could visit their former country. Nigerians, in
their bid to becoming a European or American or Asian citizens, often forget
about something so important.
For
example, a Nigerian who claimed asylum and was granted would soon rush to his
or her embassy for assistance. These “political refugees” are ignorant of the
fact that the law forbids them to seek assistance in their former embassy,
which they had claimed wanted to persecute them. Or is it a case of false
persecution? I wonder why it is so easy for Nigerians to throw away their
Nigerian passports. What argument would they offer since being a resident in
Europe or
America
gives them almost the same rights as the citizens?
It comes
down to one thing: Nigerians are not proud of who they are. They may shout
nationalism or patriotism from on top of the Statue of Liberty or other foreign
Statues, the fact remains they are ashamed of
Nigeria. I am going to say here
that they are lazy to fight to make their own country but quick to associate
with a country already made. But does this really make them European or
American?
It goes to
tell you that Nigerians are not ready to fight for
Nigeria. It goes to tell you that
Nigeria is
being mocked by many of its sons and daughters all over the world. It goes to
tell you that most Nigerians do not think of
Nigeria as a nation. It goes to
tell you the truth about our present situation. Therefore, I am of the opinion
that those of us who have renounced our Nigerian citizenship should not be
earmarked for any sensitive position in
Nigeria.
Here is my
reason. A Nigerian who is quick to change his or her nationality when he was
nobody is highly prone to mortgage its people to his or her other country when
the need be. To be fair to these Nigerians, they may be allowed to hold a
non-sensitive position at the local level but never at state and federal
levels. It beats my mind how our constitution allows dual citizenship in a
fragile nation as ours. It is highly important to encourage true patriotism by
preventing Nigerians from acquiring another citizenship.
What does
this portend? It shows that Nigerians are not being geared toward loving their
country. It shows that
Nigeria
was not founded to be a nation to be proud of. This, I suppose, makes it very
easy for Nigerians to acquire another citizenship. Nigerians’ rush to acquire
European or American or Asian citizenship is part of the reasons that have progressed
our backwardness – ala super brain drain. Tell me who is going to physically
fight the dirt.
I hope people
like Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka have not abandoned their country by
becoming dual citizenship. If these two giants of hope have done so, then they will
have helped nurture the innate ambition of the owners of
Nigeria who
knew from the beginning that the best way to rule is to force the intellectuals
to renounce their country.
Copyright
20007 mysmallvoice@yahoo.com
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Authors 
Posted by Robot| 26.12.2007 11:32