I got stung by the thinking bug after reading Azuka Onwuka’s article titled “When A Nation Celebrates Its Worst Side” published on the 14th of May, 2019 in the Punch Newspaper. It quickly dawned on me that what is happening in our country; Nigeria as regards not celebrating the positive side of her citizens is an offshoot of what entails in most homes because every home is a microcosm of the macrocosm; Nigeria.
Many a time, parents do not celebrate the milestones of their children; a spouse rather than celebrate the achievements of the other is jealous to the extent of resenting that particular spouse. In the same vein, siblings turn a blind eye to the achievements of their siblings but are quick to point accusing fingers at flaws as the case may be.
It is only in Nigeria that the maxim “Don’t praise her, it will get into her head” holds sway and I am certain that the progenitor of this statement is a Nigerian. Accept it or not, the maxim is born out of envy, jealousy, resentment and hatred.
For most parents, the birth of a child heralds blessings, joy and good tidings. Every aspect of the baby’s development is celebrated from uttering baby sounds, smiling, sitting, crawling and learning to walk but surprisingly the moment the baby clocks one, the celebration ends.
A child’s ability to obey instructions should be commended, and a child’s ability to be disciplined, organized, speak confidently, be reliable and trustworthy should also be commended rather than ignored. Most times, we notice our children doing better in their school work, helping out with house chores without being instructed to, and exhibiting high moral values, these should not be discarded but celebrated and in the process, you are grooming confident individuals who would launch out into the world-conquering and overcoming their inherent fear and establishing themselves as confident, goal-oriented achievers.
A situation whereby children grow up in a home where the celebration of each family member’s achievement is celebrated no matter how small, they also would grow up to do the same in their own homes and before you know it, it becomes a culture; a national tradition.
It is therefore no surprise that Nigeria is constantly losing her best brains to other climes, our best doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers, sports personnel, bankers etc. leaving for countries where they would be celebrated.
By the way, has the Late Dr Mrs Stella Ameyo Adadevoh; the female warrior, a brave woman who saved Nigeria from being consumed by Ebola in 2016 been nationally celebrated? I leave you to ponder on it.
I agree with Azuka Onwuka 100% and I commend him for that eye-opener of an article. So parents, spouses, siblings, and colleagues who have you celebrated today?
