Valley of baca

Dear Nigeria,

It is with sweaty palms I write, not in fear of what will come but what has already happened. We are at loss but how can you sympathize when you have failed to distinguish our cries from the perpetuators who yell wolf.
We carry the tags you gave us, evolving as we pledge the hypocritical words that once fertilized your land, the same land we now cast our knees and plead on. We are your YOUTHS, and we were promised the seat of leadership to a tomorrow that will never come.

I admit I am young and know very little of the darkness that engulfs this system, but I refuse to shut my eyes and turn the other way because I’ve come to learn indefinitely that your citizenship is like forbidden love; the more you adapt the harder it becomes.
63 years and It wouldn’t shock you to know that your dream is now a façade, reduced to nursey rhymes and marching in songs at school assemblies, your Anthem reiterated as empty voices echo crimes even the oppressed our guilty of. So, I ask you our mother land, shouldn’t we be called foolish? For halting wherever we may be, in respect to the call of an ode we know not of its origin? Or laughed at, for stiffening our hands by our side in salute to the joke of peace and unity we vowed to keep? Or even chastised, for chanting the same verses with no significant change? For what is insanity if not repeating the same thing and expecting a different result?

I just began this journey and already have horrid tales to tell the next generation of forbidden lovers. Tell them that they have been deceived into futile patriotism. I’ll tell them how the prequel of my ROAD TO YOUTH ended in dead brothers and sisters, wrapped in your glorious flag and deuced with the entirety of what we surrendered to your cause; our blood, sweat and tears all wasted. On hearing this they will fight enlightenment because they have been nurtured to idolize your leaders past, represented as the poster boys of dignitaries in our textbooks and saints with framed portraits hung in every office. Your next forbidden lovers will weaken after find out their heroes are the number one public enemies. Sadly, they will adapt like they’re expected to and will be released into the system to defend the “love” of a country that knows not their names, and only then will they recognize their designated roles as collateral damage and henchmen to push your leader’s agenda.

This is a letter of call to action in no disrespect, but in all intent of my words. For I am a youth only striving to make YOU better again.

Your forbidden lover,
NONSO.SONYA