By Rev. Fr. Matthew Eze O

Tears of pain filled my eyes as I looked through the window and saw well-dressed little school boys and girls in Nursery and Primary Schools singing the Nigeria National Anthem. I stood attention quickly with gusto as I heard them echo, “Arise O compatriots!”

Corruption

We’re fighting corruption but it hasn’t been easy – BUHARI

My tears flowed more as I followed them gradually with deep reflection as they chant with joy and happiness each line of that beautiful lyric. I struggled to stand attention till the end of that rendition but my legs could not stand firm. I noticed great weakness and shivering all over.

I struggled to sing with them till the end but at a point I could not continue. How could I have joined till the end? How could I chant that the labour of our heroes past shall not be in vain? How could I chant – to serve with heart and might? With which mouth will I use to sing – One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity?

I was already sitting down before they started the National Pledge because there was no more strength to stand up and say that I pledge to Nigeria my country. There was no more strength to say that I am going to serve Nigeria with all my strength…. and uphold her honour and Glory. But eventually, I found meaning in the last sentence – SO HELP ME GOD. And for this reason, I was strengthened to stand up again to salute my bleeding Nation – Nigeria, where corruption never grows old.

As an undergraduate, I was taught in Psychology the different stages of the Human Development. I should have expected to see also the different stages of National Development and growth whereby a nation attains a high classified stage of corruption and then gets tired, sick, and weak and then dies in principles for renewal and regeneration. Maybe, we are yet to get there as a nation.

The great pillar of the Apostles, St. Peter was right when one early morning beside the Lake of Gennesaret told Christ, “Master, we have laboured all through the Night and caught nothing.” What have we been able to catch since the day of our independence? What problem have we been able to arrest? Before the independence, history showed that what our forefathers and heroes wanted was very clear in their minds.

We wanted to be masters of our own destiny. We wanted to prove to world that thought and believed that at creation we were mere hewers of wood and drawers of water that we are more than that. We wanted to show the entire world with the rest of the African countries that we are not black monkeys.

We wanted to show the entire world that we can build good health care system where our men, women and children will be adequately taken good care of. We wanted to prove to the Europeans that we can construct good transport system with quality roads, rail and air networks. We wanted to prove to the universe that we can feed and depend on our natural and human resources.

We wanted to prove that despite the unfortunate yokes of slavery and colonialism, we can allow the wounds to heal very fast and make black skin great in the history of the world’s civilization. The list can go on and on but the point remains that nothing much has been achieved simply because we live in a nation where corruption never grows old.

Be that as it may, we must continue to chant aloud with gusto our National Anthem and our National Pledge trusting in the help of God and discharging our civic responsibilities. Like St. Peter who after labouring all through the night without catching anything did not throw away his boat and net. He washed them for another day.

Yes, the night was indeed an unlucky night but all hope was not lost. We must continue to trust Our Lord who came in the morning and asked Peter to cast back his net and there was a great catch, so that one day by the special grace of God, it will be said in this nation, “Oh corruption where is thy victory? Where O corruption, is thy sting”.