Considering all the numerous problems bearing its fangs on mother Nigeria, coming hard on all of its people residing in the four corners of the geographical space – mostly self-afflicted, one may be quick to, though unpatriotically, dump the green passport. If not anything else, the security challenges damaging the profile of the country where kidnappers are having a field day in the South-East, militants are maiming and killing in the South-South, Cultists and political jobbers have taken over state security apparatuses in the South-West causing serious havoc to all real and perceived enemies, and in the North, Boko Haram and other religious extremists have successfully infiltrated all strata of government, bombing to hell whoever opposes their beliefs and ideologies.
Considering all the numerous problems bearing its fangs on mother Nigeria, coming hard on all of its people residing in the four corners of the geographical space – mostly self-afflicted, one may be quick to, though unpatriotically, dump the green passport. If not anything else, the security challenges damaging the profile of the country where kidnappers are having a field day in the South-East, militants are maiming and killing in the South-South, Cultists and political jobbers have taken over state security apparatuses in the South-West causing serious havoc to all real and perceived enemies, and in the North, Boko Haram and other religious extremists have successfully infiltrated all strata of government, bombing to hell whoever opposes their beliefs and ideologies.
With all these and a hundred and one other such unfortunate realities, it is becoming a very common fad for Nigerians to dump their green passports once they land in Europe, America, or Asia. The scenes we see daily where some Nigerians prefers to be Singaporean or Malaysian citizens is not only unbelievable, it would have been considered a taboo three decades ago; that is how much our sense of pride has diminished; that is how desperate our young ones have become to ‘jet out’ and find greener pastures. So sad indeed! Where countries like Austria, St Kitts, Dominica, offer the ‘passport for cash’ policies, and others such as USA, UK, and their likes alternatively offer the ‘Investor Visa,’ rich Nigerians (mostly corrupt politicians, government officials and their children) line these embassies to pay as much as £200,000 ($392,000) to acquire new citizenships; others not so lucky to have access to the public till alternatively file for political asylum; others conduct ‘marriages of convenience’ with natives of European and American countries; yet other highly skilled professionals sell their knowledge (and conscience) to a foreign country for a passport while their once beloved country, Nigeria is dying of chronic brain drain. I have heard and seen countless Nigerians in the UK and other places claiming to love their country to a fault, wishing things were right for them to go home, bla bla bla; ask them if they would fight for Nigeria against their newly ‘acquired’ country if there is a war between both nations and the story changes. How truly are these ‘converted nationals’ in love with their native lands, do they still owe any allegiance to the largest black nation in the world? Why parade yourself as a European or American at international airports even though you were born in Nigeria by Nigerian parents, and are thick-black in the skin? Is it the shame, the fear of losing some flimsy favours, or a total lack of self-esteem? I think the latter is the case. It is so terrible with some of these our folks who, at the slightest opportunity, repudiate and renounce the green passport just to, like Esau, ‘eat of a morsel of porridge;’ they denounce and sell off their original nationality in the twinkling of an eye without any recourse to the future or memories of the past; some even go as far as cooking up cock and bull stories just to support their claim for political asylum.
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Yes, Nigeria is in a terrible condition right now, yes, there are monumental problems ranging from corruption to injustice, and high-level thievery of our commonwealth; there is the security and infrastructural challenges; the academic and social inadequacies, etc.; the question is: which country does not have all these or even more; are those challenges utterly endemic and totally irreversible that one would dump his/her allegiance and seek citizenship elsewhere? Sadly, and unfortunately so, the Nigerian constitution recognizes multiple citizenship just as many other countries of the world – but experience has shown that that clause in the 1999 constitution is to its own detriment. The travails of Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state before and after winning elections in 2011 because of his dual citizenship is still fresh in the polity. The number of people born in Nigeria but living abroad and flying a foreign passport other than the green one is quite alarming. More unfortunately, many of these are highly skilled and educated in their various fields of endeavours. The Track and Field events of the last three Olympic Games have seen many Nigerian-born athletes do wonders and win medals for their newly naturalized countries. It is common knowledge that hundreds of Nigerian-born scholars help shape the academic life of foreign countries, totally neglecting theirs; some have been known to fight and die in the American-led wars in the Middle East in the last 10 years, (something they may never consider for their fatherland).
This is just one part of the whole sad story. This is a clarion call to nationalism, to patriotism, and loyalty; it is a call to put the motherland first in all our thoughts and doings even though in another man’s land; it is a call for Nigerian-born professionals, scholars, and the rest to put Nigeria first in their choices of service and duty. I am not saying residing where work or school has led one to is totally bad, I am however saying that there is a need to place our priorities right; to be reminded that allegiance to one’s birthplace is not only commendable, it is a duty – and an important one at that; I am reminding them all that a secondary Oath of Allegiance is just what it is – secondary. I love my country, I urge you to love it too. Because without a combined effort from Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora, the country may just continue to languish in poverty and backwardness pricking our consciences day and night – and believe you me, the human conscience is a powerful thing to toy with! I am a Nigerian to the marrows, I owe my motherland my allegiance; what about you?
Oluwaseun Babajide is the CEO & Founder of Sbabzy.com You can contact him on [email protected] or add him on twitter @sbabzycom
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The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of SaharaReporters
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