Mark Twain maintains that “there are two days in a person’s life, the day he is born and the day he discovers why.” Human beings are created and born in specific locations for specific purposes, which they have to fulfil so as to be fulfilled. The missions of our various lives come from the socio-industrial situation around the place of our birth: poverty or riches, suffering or growth. Humans evaluate their circumstances to see if they are sent to work IN, FOR or FROM the place of their birth. This brings us to consider: Why was I born Nigerian?
When a football manager introduces a player in a match, he assigns a specific position and role to the player. If the player fails to fulfil the purpose for which he was introduced in the match, he will not be fulfilled with himself as footballer. If a player scores own goals or fails to create chances for his team to score and win, he is indirectly playing for the opponent. Even if a player is able to dribble all the opponents while his team is losing, he will not be fulfilled as a team-player. A player’s fulfilment in a team is directly proportional to his contribution to the success of his team.
Humans in a society can be compared to players in a football club. Just like players being substituted in a football team, people die and leave the society, while others are being born into the society. As football managers introduce players to specific locations for specific purposes, so does God introduce humans in specific societies/communities at birth for specific purposes. The earlier we understand the purpose for which we are introduced in a society, the better we adjust to attain fulfilment. As football clubs aim at success by winning matches, societies aim at success by manifesting their productivity and social responsibility (as products, services, groomed environment and noble ways of life) to the world.
This manifestation can also be called social justice as the fair administration for proper distribution of opportunities and privileges in a society.[1][2][3] And social injustice is a situation where opportunities are restricted within an elite-class. In a situation of social injustice, some people benefit excessively, while many others suffer and die. Whether we fall among the victims or beneficiaries of injustice, we find our fulfilment as members of a society by contributing to its manifestation, and not by crossing over from victims to beneficiaries/deserters.
If you find yourself in the beneficiary wing of social injustice, you choose whether to continue enjoying the benefits or to work for social justice. If you find yourself in the victims’ wing, you choose whether to break-into the beneficiary wing, remain in the victims’ wing, run to exile or work for social justice.
Presently, many Nigerians regret being born in Nigeria. Many are eager to escape or renounce their citizenship and to join other nationalities. Some struggle to convince themselves that they do not have a duty to Nigeria, since ‘Nigeria-does-not-care’. Even in countries of self-imposed-exile, they painfully deny their origins, just like Peter denied Jesus in his trying times. They finally settle for contributing to their countries of exile, after all, anywhere you are, is still a place.
Yes, anywhere you run to is a place, yet everywhere you are is not your place of primary assignment. Anybody whose wellbeing you choose to promote is human, but not all of them are your natural responsibility. If God had desired your primary contribution in that land of exile, you may have been born to them. But God chose that you be born Nigerian, and you have to work for growth in Nigeria, otherwise you will need more defence mechanisms to survive the self-accusation for deserting your place of primary assignment. There are manifestations of injustice in different sectors of Nigeria and your own ethnic community, where you can help: education, industry, family, health, trade, security, agriculture, religion and welfare.
Our contribution to social justice is the yardstick for measuring our effect on earth when we are gone. It is the Christian yardstick for making heaven, for when I was sick, hungry, naked and homeless,[4] you helped me. It is also among the Muslims’ yardstick for Jannah, for Allah Loveth those who do good.[5] “So give what is due to kindred, the needy, and the wayfarer, that is best for those who seek the countenance of Allah.”[6]
Nigerians, who find themselves in the beneficiary wing of injustice, but desire inner-peace must begin to work for social justice. Many Nigerians who have travelled out for better chances of survival can still contribute to social justice in Nigeria by supporting genuine movements for social justice. Why were you born Nigerian? You were born Nigerian to contribute to the establishment and practice of social justice in Nigeria.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice. Extracted on 09-09-2017
[2] https://www.pachamama.org/social-justice/what-is-social-justice. Extracted on 09-09-2017
[3] http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/social-justice.html. Extracted on 09-09-2017
[4] Matthew 25:31-46
[5] Al-Baqarah 195
[6] Ar-Rum 38