I dare say Nigerians are the most unpatriotic people you can find anywhere. Reports this week has it that the Adamawa State government, one of the poorest states in Nigeria squandered millions of dollars to send the wife of the governor and wives of the state’s 21 local government chairmen to Turkey. Their mission: to learn some etiquettes which will stand them in good stead to offer their spouses meaningful advice. How ludicrous! This is a state which is at best a glorified local council. Throughout 2024, the state could only manage to generate about N20 billion, the highest since it was created in 1991. The question to ask is, why would a government desirous of lifting up a troubled state like Adamawa embark on fritting away its meagre resources in this frivolous manner? Why would the state governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri dream up an evil scheme like this? Alas, he’s a Nigerian leader! And Nigerian leaders are legendary in the act of self service, they are the very definition of perfidiousness – no iota of patriotism in them.
A Nigerian leader is synonymous with nepotism, mismanagement, embezzlement and outright “looting of the treasury.” The old boy network of looking after his own defines him through and through. A Nigerian leader dismembers his or her nation in stark contrast to a patriot who builds and defends his or her nation. The followers are worse for wear. They are lacking in graces to present their nation in good light. A Nigerian is accustomed to put his or her nation down at the drop of a hat. They use derogatory brush to paint their nation. Meet an Indian or Chinese, no matter what he or she is going through, the highfalutin picture he or she paints would be so convincing that India and China are the perfect idyllic states. “Useless,” “hell,” “zoo” are just some of the appendages a Nigerian applied to his or her nation. They curse, scoff at the nation and praise other climes worse off than Nigeria. How do you bring a curse on yourself and hope it shall be well? The unpatriotic Nigerian doesn’t care.
