As we were about to sing the national anthem in church this morning, nostalgic feelings of the assembly ground in my primary school came over me. Back in those days, the national anthem rendition usually signaled the end of a sometimes very lengthy assembly sessions and as we are wont to, we had to comport ourselves for this final ritual of the day starter. If you were caught up anywhere other than on your ‘line’, you’d to remain rooted to whatever spot you found yourself till the rendition was over. It was not a military but such was the importance attached to the national anthem, if you misbehaved during that session, it was quickest way to start your day wrong.
But even at that age, singing the national anthem wasn’t just a ritual by our handlers . We were being imbued with the import of the words we muttered daily. As we learnt, in history classes, of those heroes past we sang about our hearts were filling with hope and pride for our nation. We learnt of their chivalry, selfless service, courageous fight against oppression and suppression from our colonial masters. We learnt of their nation building efforts, you understand these ones were building not just for themselves but for generations unborn. They founded schools, hospitals, built world class infrastructure and established thriving businesses. Who didn’t want to be like the Awos, the Ziks, the Balewas? The call to the service of our fatherland constantly rang in our minds.
As we sang again this morning to the God of creation, it was with a deep yearning that we’ll find once again those words we’ve torn out of the fabric of our national life. Truth, honesty, nobility, justice. Scan the horizon of our national landscape today and those virtues are hard to find. This malaise is not just in our leaders, it’s in you and I. We’ve collectively failed this nation. It’s the wholesale abandonment of these values that has signaled the commencement of the cancerous rot we now experience.
The task of building a great nation where peace and justice reigns is a collective. It’s not their job, it’s ours and until each and every one of us begin to play our parts, we will not achieve this noble objective. We must tire of this rot. The heroes are thinning out. Where are the fighters for justice, the honest and savvy business builders and leaders, the forthright and truthful clergy, the educationist – patient builders of our tomorrow’s leaders? Where are the artistes, musical and theatrical who will arouse in us greatness and nobility? If you surmise that we have them now or have them enough in this country today, then rest on your oars and prepare the mediocre stories you’ll tell your children. If not, let me urge you to greatness, let me encourage you to continue in the pursuit of this noble cause.
It’s up to you and I to build this nation. At the very least, by living the values espoused by our founding fathers; truth, justice, love, strength, faith, then we’re actively beginning to re-weave the fabrics of this nation’s greatness. You can even do better, teach another to live these values. For our sakes and those of our children yet unborn, we must rescue our nation from the paths of ruin in which we currently totter. Let us re-trace the steps of those who built this nation afore and abandon the paths of selfish hill-top mansion builders. Ah, may the labours of heroes past not be in vain.
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Kayode Olawale is a graduate of Accounting from the University of Ado-Ekiti. He resides in Lagos and writes in his spare time
