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Saturday 1 October 2011

Happy 51st birthday Nigeria .. xx

Happy birthday my beloved Nigeria.

I love you to bits and pieces. I see all your flaws clearly but you'll always be my country, my homeland, the land of my ancestors.

Many today will weep and wail and gnash their teeth over you. I REFUSE to do that. Today I want to celebrate you. Your continued existence is a divine miracle.

Beautiful land, blessed by GOD, with blessings of the earth, awesome weather, hardy people, liquid gold.

Most of your 51 years have been painful ones. Raped, plundered, ravaged by those who are meant to care for you - your own leaders. You have suffered through numerous coups, a devastating civil war, injustice, greedy corrupt leaders, entrenched endemic corruption, the break-down of law & order, a society where most structures have collapsed BUT amazingly through all this, you have remained standing. Most societies that have experienced even one or two of these disasters have collapsed, been destroyed permanently, broken up into little pieces, but not you.

You smile patiently and hope for a better day. You fall but you keep rising, you never ever give up. Stripped and humiliated, you refuse to be stressed, depressed, broken, crushed. You are the boxer in the ring who is being battered by his opponent, eyes swollen, lips puffy, swaying, shuffling about blindly, barely able to stand, but still gamely at the sound of the bell lurching out for each round, doggedly refusing to give up, steadfastly ignoring & pushing away the towel everyone says you should throw in.

Birthed in hope, but growing up into sorrow, your wealth plundered, your people cheated, trampled upon and abused, your children (the hope of tomorrow) crushed & beaten, ignorance and superstition holding sway, religious leaders who loot the wealth and souls of the congregations they are meant to comfort & enrich, but despite all this, your people have inherited your optimistic spirit, an enduring believe tomorrow will be a better day.

You have not yet lived up to your potential but you are a walking medical miracle. Deliberately infected with the AIDS of a crushing foreign debt and stricken by the cancer of corruption, your continued survival continues to baffle the world as you have not wasted away into nothing. The doctors of the WEST declared 25 years ago that your debilitating diseases would kill you within 5 years, your political leaders bought your coffin and planned your funeral, but you have shocked them all by refusing to follow their script. You are the patient who REFUSES to die.

Happy happy happy 51st birthday Nigeria. May your next 51 years be happy, prosperous, fruitful ones. I wish you long life & prosperity, leaders who care, the end of corruption, the real fear of GOD, social justice, tenacious reformers, an independent judiciary, intellectuals who care about the masses, an elite that gives back, the dawning of a brand NEW day.

GOD bless you my love. May HIS mercy, grace and favour ALWAYS be extended to you.

Love you loads & loads .. xx


6 comments:

tgbolade said...

A wonderful piece, she (Nigeria) deserves people like you that believes in her rising.

Noir said...

Hi Tg,

Thank you for your very kind words. Lovely to have you on here. : )

Ejiro Okagbare said...

Happy birthday my darling beloved homeland. I know you love me too as you always welcome me back - no matter how long I stay away and neglect you. I'll be back for good next year to help you become even greater.

Noir said...

Yahhhhyyyyyy!!! You are reading & commenting! Awesome ..so touched. Love love & love your words. Yup, the welcome Naija gives is amazing. She needs ALL our love and support. xx

Anonymous said...

Very captivating and full of imagery.... I love it ;-)

Noir said...

Anonymous ... awwwww, thank you very much. So nice of you read this and leave such a kind comment. Appreciated as always .. x