NATIONALISM is a belief, creed or political ideology that involves an individual identifying with, or becoming attached to one’s nation. Nationalism involves national identify, by contrast with the related construct of patriotism, which involves the social conditioning and personal behaviours that support a state’s decisions and actions.
While, patriotism is, generally speaking, cultural attachment to one’s homeland or devotion to one’s country. The word patriotism is closely related to the word nationalism.
As a citizen of Nigeria, each time I recite the national pledge, I usually find new sense of obligations and responsibilities to this great nation! The National pledge which says: “I pledge to Nigeria my country, to be faithful, loyal and honest. To serve Nigeria with all my strength, to defend her unity and uphold her honour and glory, so help me God”. The words contained in the national pledge are simple, but, very powerful and significant to every citizen of this country. They are the words that form the basis for our co-existence as one people, with common dreams and aspirations in a united, indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation called Nigeria. But the alarming actions and behaviours of some Nigerians against the glue that hold us together have really called for the proper definition of the word “patriotism”. According to John McCain, the man President Obama defeated in the 2008 US presidential election, “Patriotism means more than holding your hand over of your heart during the national anthem. It means more than walking into a voting booth every four years and pulling a lever. “Patriotism is a love and a duty, a love of country expressed in good citizenship (Nationalism). Patriotism and nationalism or good citizenship are intertwined and to give credence to this, McCain said: Patriotism and citizenship should not only motivate the conduct of public officials but also thrive in the communal spaces where government is absent”. Patriotism is a countless acts of love, kindness and courage that have no witness or heraldry; it is specifically commendable, because, there are recorded. If we all have the spirit of patriotism insurgency would not be an issue in our country.
With the outrageous terrorist attacks by Boko Haram on the government, people and institutions in the Northern Nigeria, it has really called for a common sense question: “Where is the spirit of patriotism in our actions?” Where is patriotism, when your action brings shame and embarrassments to Nigeria, when we all wait for the government to provide everything for us, when politics is only for personal interest no longer the interest of the nation and it citizens, instead of upholding her honour and glory. We all do not have justifications for our ill actions towards our country. If conscience was an open wound only the truth can heal it, where then is the conscience when our country keeps dying because of our selfish actions and activities.
A good citizen and a patriot must honour the duties and obligations ascribed to him by the constitution. A true patriot must be faithful and loyal to the constituted authorities and not opposing every government policies and proposing nothing. A true patriot is not one who finds faults with our country and does nothing to correct them. A good citizen must heed the warning of Mahatma Gandhi to his country men and women about the eight deadly monsters. They are: wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, politics without principle, and right without responsibility. As Nigerians we must start to see our country as a property in our hands and we must all embrace and appreciate such reality.
There is an enduring promise which Nigeria holds for everyone. It is the promise that says, you can be whatever you want to become, if only your intensions are genuine, and are found within the frame works of the law. Therefore, hooliganism and oddity has no place in our country and can never be a substitute to our aged long cherished idles and values.
In building the Nigeria of our dreams all hands must be involved and be on deck. And the teaching of patriotism as a subject must be taken real seriously both in elementary and higher institutions across the country.
Also patriotic deeds of individuals should be openly rewarded and publicized all over the country so as to encourage others to be patriotic. Patriotism should be incorporated as one of the requirement a candidate must fulfill before he or she is cleared to stand for any elective position in the country.
The civil societies should also be more assertive by investigating and reporting any false claim by any politician about his or her patriotic deeds or services to the fatherland.
If the authorities heed and implement this, then Nigeria would be producing patriotic leaders that meet the statement late Vaclan Havel, former President of Czech Republic made in one of his books about one’s duty to politics. He said “In all circumstances, try to be decent, just, tolerant, and understanding, and at the same time try to resist corruption and deception”. When our leaders become patriotic and corruption free, it will naturally flow to the citizens and Nigeria will be a better place for us all.