Just finished listening to Ben Murray Bruce on his common sense revolution series. I do agree with him most times. But on his latest message about Nigerians being equal or as good as the Westerners, I disagree. BMB made reference to Nigerians being the most educated immigrants in the US and earn more than average income in the US, the UK authorities declaring a Nigerian family as the smartest in the UK because of the exploits of the kids in breaking UK educational records, a Nigerian man and woman being the richest black man and woman in the World, highlighting Nigeria's role in the emancipation of South African with Mandela and Mbeki having lived in Nigeria. Also mentioned Jeliani who designed one of the Chevy model cars as well as Benin Kingdom having street lights from palm oil before colonialism etc. All these are facts. But for him to say Nigerians should be proud of Nigeria already accepts the fact that the Europeans, nay British people, are superior to Nigerians. Therefore, Ben Murray Bruce did not make sense there. It is only a superior that creates an inferior and the inferior happy and proud that the superior created and defined him. The superior (people, country or power) created and defined Nigeria and Nigerians without the consent of the people and the people (Nigerians) are happy to go by the identity given to them by their superiors instead of redefining themselves to suit their yearning and aspiration. Name change and system change may be key to asserting their indigenous African identity and originality. Zimbabwe changed from Rhodesia (given by colonial masters) to Zimbabwe. Ghana changed from Gold Coast (given by the colonial masters) to Ghana.
Whatever new name Nigeria adopts (to shake away relics of colonial mentality) will be a first step towards her greatness.
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