A misnomer our leaders often use. Think of what you can do for your country and not what your country can do for you, a common misnomer Nigerians often use. In Nigeria, it has become a common practice to borrow and use any assertion whether or not it suit our context but in as much as it is asserted by the whites. I can bet that not many Nigerians who use the now popular phrase think of what you can do for your country and not what your country can do for you does not knows the etymology or the rationale behind the making of that statement ipso facto using it ad ignorantiam. Even our so called political leaders are finding it most suitable as an excuse for under-performance. But before we justify whether or not the phrase is a misnomer in the Nigerian context we must first have a grasp of the functions of a state and that of a citizen. Primary functions of a state include inter alia; 1. Maintenance of law order. 2. Protection of live and property. 3. Provision of basic amenities. 4. Regulation of the ecomonoy, etc. The citizens in the other hand have the following functions among others to perform; 1. Respect and conduct their affairs within the ambit of law. 2. Payment of taxes. 3. Protect public properties. 4. Renders services to the state,e.g the armed forces,NYSC,etc. 5. Respect constituted authorities,etc. Given the above demarcation between functions expected of a state and the citizen,we can then juxtapose and see who is performing well or not and stop mixing up responsibities. The situation in Nigeria today is such that the state can no longer protect lives and properties as evident in the incessant killings and hostage taking in the country. The state can no longer provide basic amenities,the roads are in deplorable condition, Power situation in the country remain epileptic causing many companies like Dunlop and Machelin to relocate to neighbouring countries. Education in the country is in a pitiful state. Hospitals are without facilities. The economy is import dependent and in a great state of uncertainty. Now on the duties of the citizens,i know that Nigerians are law abiding citizens,they are ever ready to blow the whistle, does not engage in act of vandalism, pay their taxes when due, as the government dont complain of tax evasion. From the foregoing, is it not clear that the citizens are doing their part to the country while the country is failing on its part? Now comparing US and Nigeria scenerios vis-a-vis the phrase. Etymologically, the phrase was contained in the inaugural speech by the the assasinated US president Jonh F. Kennedy in 1961. Here Kennedy was talking of a country that(was) is leading in all aspect of development or as one of my lecturers would put it highly-developed because having attained all forms of earthly development are now sending men to explore other planets. However in Nigeria,we have fallen from the ladder of a developing nation to that of under-developing where 80% of the citizens can aptly fit into what Walter Rodney refered to as the wretched of the earth. Kennedy was talking of a country that can stand up and fight for ordinary citizenry even it means violating deplomatic laws. But as we speak, majority of Nigerians are languishing in various prisons across the globe. JFK was refering to a country that has social packages for all age bracket of its citizens. And not a country that 70% of its graduates are unemployed if not unemployable. Since the US was living up to its expectations, JFK had to urged its citizens in his speech that they should think of what they can do for US and not what US can do for them because it was doing what it ought to do. The big question now is, is our country doing what it ought to do? Obviously no and since the answer is not in the affirmative,the phrase is a misnomer in the Nigerian context. To sum up,i think as our leaders have started blaming past leaders for the countrys misfortune, we may soon here something like talk of what you did for your country and not what we are doing for it.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 11:05:29 +0000
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