The Labour of Our Heroes Past | Peace Everest

The labours of 

our heroes past,

shall never be in

vain......."

Their is an ancient saying, "whatever is born of a snake cannot be anything but long", it is however glaring that this is not so with Nigeria, as there has been a rather unusual case of a snake giving birth to a maggot. Our founding fathers were known for their wisdom and courage, they were men of sound judgement, who stood boldly against adversity and patriotically by our nation, but then when the comparison between the passion of our founding fathers towards the construction of a better Nigeria and that of ours is made, it leaves us with an enormous question hanging over our heads: What happened to this generation? How did the almighty giant of Africa cower like a weakling in the face of the whirlwind? Doesn't the blood that flows through our veins remind us of whose loins we were birth from? 

Many years back, we saw how our founding fathers fought bravely against colonialism, because they detested the demeaning treatment of the whites towards us, which as a result led to the killing, incarceration and exile of these men, yet it is ironical that we've come to imbibe the attributes of the same forces our fathers fought against, all as a result of our oblivion of the gravity and nature of their fight.

It is rather distressing to note that the dreams our founding fathers had for Nigeria has deflated, hence, it is not out of place to say that " the labours of our heroes past has been rendered futile".

Let us also remind ourselves, fellow Nigerians, that it is the same individuals who we staked our nation's hope and integrity to, who callously loot, embezzle and defraud the nation of her treasures, thus, increasing the level of poverty, suffering and pain of her citizens thereby paving way for underdevelopment. This same individuals hide under the umbrella of "fighting corruption" but ironically, they stride into the realms of power, accuse their predecessor of massive plunder and ruins only to turn around and do even worse! Yet, they go as far as blaming their incompetence on the failures of the past government.

Let's remind ourselves of all the uninvestigated cases of the felonies of corrupt elites that has been reported under this government, which is enough to open our eyes to the bias nature and dubious ally of the self acclaimed "hope of the common man" with individuals who lack commitment to national values, especially as they try to sweep their treachery under the carpet.

It's now an open secret in Nigeria that spilling of innocent blood has now become a trend amongst us, and it's more surprising to learn that these incessant killings are carried out by same persons who are meant to guard the lives they deprive many of. As if these are not enough challenges already, the streets of our nation are frequently littered with fresh batch of people who are rendered shelterless and displaced by the actions of a group of animalistic and vicious individuals who take pleasure in the suffering of their fellow humans.

What do we say about the habitual abduction of students, the inter-tribal rivalry which has threatened the peace and tranquility our fathers envisioned for our nation, the youthful dreams that has been dashed by the vultures of this nation who come in the guise of doves. 

It is on this consideration that I cast my wails in torment and beat my chest in grief, as I ponder on the numerous distressing questions I'm yet to receive answers to; for how long shall we continue to wear masks that grins and lies? For how long shall the misty clouds continue to envelope the sunshine of the beautiful visions of the country of our dreams? How long shall we go on enduring this gloomy night that has refused to pave way for the morning to kiss our land?

How do we tell our little ones that their fathers who were sent to the frontline will never return to their warm embrace because they were abandoned by the nation they risked their life and family for? What future does our nation hold for her people? When shall the pains and tribulations end so beautiful smiles of satisfaction can spread across the faces of our loved ones? 

Just when?

Indeed! There was a country named "Nigeria", it died many years ago.

Bio:

Ugwuegbu Peace Everest is a writer, teacher, public speaker in training and student.

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