By Dupe Singerr

How old is Nigeria in independence sef (forgive my parlance), that we are killing ourselves with worries and comparing ourselves to countries like America whose independence will be 250 years, next year? As a girl child, I remember watching movies of cowboys on black and white television, showcasing how the new settlers in what is now America had to fight the original owners to forcefully take over their land. I stand to be corrected though.

How was America when she was 65 years in independence? I don’t know and perhaps I am too lazy to find out, but I am so sure that that nation had her own portion of troubles before becoming the beauty of all nations today. How old is China in independence, if she was ever colonized? She must be way ahead of us in age. Here is my own philosophy. The earth is round. And its wheel turns slowly but assuredly. When a nation gets to a point of being a world power or a cynosure of eyes, internationally, she automatically becomes one. When she is traveling on the orbit, she might look like dirt.

I am not a student of history, but we have many world powers that were and are no more. How long a nation becomes great can depend on many factors. The ability of the citizens to maintain status quo may be one factor. Sometimes, the wheel just shifts a nation out of limelight and puts another on limelight. Then, the glory of the former world power dims and that nation can go into utter ruins or even complete extinction. If she is lucky, she won’t be extinct, she will just be in limbo. Has anyone ever meditated on why God made Israel a slave in Egypt for four hundred years and a little above? Shouldn’t we be questioning why a Sovereign God would deliberately make a people slaves in another country for four generations? Oh well, He is Unquestionable!

Do you think that the people didn’t pray for God to shorten the four generations to one or two? One generation is one hundred years. How much prayers could the Israelites pray for God to change His plans and purposes? If you had read the Bible well enough, God had earlier told Abraham that his descendants would be slaves in another nation for four hundred years but after that, He would take them to a land where they would become their own people? What if per chance, it isn’t our own time and season yet? How far will our prayers go then? Were the Jews the most righteous even when they were slaves in Egypt? I don’t think so. The answer to that could easily be found in the documentation of their rebellion against God in the wilderness, on their way out of slavery; to the promised land.

 Are Nigerians the most righteous now, in spite of our different religious agility? I don’t want to preach, but if God preserved Israel through all their rough history, why would we write Nigeria off as no good? Does this mean that we shouldn’t pray for Nigeria? Does this mean we should encourage Nigerians to continue in sins and expect the grace of God to abound? Nay. Afterall, righteousness exalts a nation. I think we are being divinely processed to take our future position in the nations of the earth.

I believe it’s not yet our turn. The wheel hasn’t taken us to that position of world power or whatever good ambition that we have for our country. When the wheel gets us there, nothing can stop us. Then, our sons and daughters will return from all the foreign lands that they have been dispersed to. They will bring all the good things that they have learned in such nations back to us: knowledge in medicine, commerce and industries. When that time comes, anyone will be most proud to be a Nigerian. We will no more be rubbished at airports for being Nigerians. The world will literally stand up for us and give way to us. We will rule the world or at most, our voices will be recognized among the voices of major players in the world. We would look back at when we were 65 years old independence and laugh at our infancy and thank providence for how mature we have become.

Ask the Chinese for their own experience in history. There was a time that no one took China seriously. I believe that the wheel has turned in its orbit to put them in the limelight. Pitiably, our generations may not witness this time, but for the sake of our descendants, we will keep the faith and hold the banner high. We will not use our mouths to curse our land anymore. Instead, we will be parents that look forward to a beautiful life for their descendants, long after they have passed on. We will bless our nation and hope for the best.

Meanwhile, we should be grateful for all the goodness of God on us in spite of all the negative things. Our land still brings food forth for us to eat. We are not in famine. Our education, as bad as it seems is redeemable abroad and has placed Nigerians in good stead all over the world. A Nigerian friend who lives in the United Kingdom but who just visited Nigeria a while ago, after such a long time accused me of not telling him how well Nigeria has grown in infrastructure. He was in absolute awe. As subjective as his analysis might be, shouldn’t we thank God that, in spite of all, the centre is still holding?

We have experienced enough pressure politically to be in different wars, but the providence of God has still kept us together in relative peace. I can’t count all the kindnesses of God to Nigeria in one write-up, but if we don’t know how to be grateful for the little things, how will God do greater things? If we look deeper, we are not the best people on earth. The average Nigerian is corrupt even if he is the lowliest of people. Why we expect the best when we are not so good people need to be meditated on. And this turning wheel turns all the same, if a nation serves God or not. This, I think is because God would not be accused by any people at the end of time for bypassing them. It also showcases God’s large heartedness and He, being a responsible Creator to all peoples. That’s why China is thriving well now even without being overly religious. This won’t excuse a people from not acknowledging the Sovereignty of God but will at least make no one accuse Him of ignoring them.

Let us wait for our time. Sixty five years is too short in the history of the age of independence for us to expect UTOPIA. The fact that we won’t be alive to see it, notwithstanding, is good to hope for the best for our country. There were people who also waited for the emancipation of their nations in the past but who missed it, not because they so wished to, but because they had to bow down to providence and its indices of time and seasons. I love this country die, and I hold the fort for my descendants after I have long gone. My satisfaction will be that I witnessed part of the process that eventually paved the way for them to belong to one of the greatest nations of the world in their own time.

Those who fought for our independence had also played their own roles and bowed to the indices of time and seasons, thankfully so. Abraham, even though was the friend of God, did his own bit in the history of the world and left even when all the promises were not yet fulfilled. No one can be wiser than His Creator. We are just a part of the history that is emerging till this present world is no more. Please don’t give up on Nigeria; you hear? Na beg I dey beg o. I no make yanga o. Abeg, don stone me. I am loyal (pidgin).

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