CSO raises concern, sets to reawaken nationalism, patriotism culture amongst Nigerians

A group, the Patriotism Awareness Forum (PAF), has expressed worries over what it observed as the negative and debilitating effects of the increasing dearth of patriotism among Nigerian citizens.

The Civil Society Organization (CSO) said it came into being as a civil society effort to correct the anomaly by re-awakening the patriotism of citizens through a planned and deliberate process of critically highlighting the positive developments in the country by Nigerians both locally and in the Diaspora.

The group made this disclosure on Saturday in a statement jointly signed by its Convener, Comrade Nelson Ekujumi and Co-Convener, Peter Claver Oparah, observing that over the years, many Nigerians had been seduced to see and project only negatives about the country and forcefully highlight these negatives to the detriment of the many positives the country and her citizens had experienced.

PAF expressed sadness that these highlighted negatives had greatly impacted Nigeria and Nigerians in the international community as, according to it, other nations and peoples had come to see Nigeria and her people “only from the negative prisms as projected majorly by some misguided and unpatriotic elements.”

The group sadly noted that notwithstanding these shortcomings, the government had also contributed by neglecting the critical art of engaging the people and deliberately promoting patriotism among the citizenry.

“Worried by the negative and debilitating effects of the increasing dearth of patriotism among Nigerian citizens, the Patriotism Awareness Forum (PAF) has been birthed as a civil society effort to re-awaken the patriotism of Nigerians through a planned and deliberate process of critically highlighting the positive developments in Nigeria and by Nigerians both locally and in the Diaspora.

“We observe that over the years, many Nigerians have been seduced to see and project only negatives about their country and forcefully highlight these negatives to the detriment of the many positives Nigeria and Nigerians have experienced.

“PAF sadly notes that these highlighted negatives have greatly impacted Nigeria and Nigerians in the international community as other nations and peoples have come to see Nigeria and Nigerians only from the negative prisms as projected majorly by some misguided and unpatriotic elements,” PAF stated.

“We, however, note that while the citizenry promote these self-deprecatory blacklisting, the government has also contributed by neglecting the critical art of engaging the people and deliberately promoting patriotism among the citizenry,” it added.

“PAF, therefore, has been formed to promote the positives in Nigeria through the process of getting the government, the citizens and of course corporate players in Nigeria to buy into the task of re-awakening the patriotic instincts of Nigeria to stop the negative perceptions of Nigeria and Nigerians in the international community and highlight the many positive developments in Nigeria,” it further added.

The group said it was resolved to engage the Government, its departments and agencies; the Citizenry, Corporate Organizations, NGOs, Groups, Individuals, the Media and all other Stakeholders in order to accomplish the task set before itself, adding that it was not unaware that this national assignment of reawakening the people’s consciousness to the beauty and many positives of the country would not be a walk in the park exercise.

It vowed its determination and commitment “to projecting our fatherland in the right light before ourselves and the global community.”

“We want to use this medium to solicit the buy-in of every Nigerian to this difficult but achievable project that will rev up the worth of Nigeria and Nigerians.

“For the purpose of driving this project, our motto is ‘Think Nigeria,’ we hope to convince every Nigerian to think Nigeria and come along with us to re-awaken the patriotic zeal of all Nigerians for our individual and collective benefits,” PAF counselled.