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Nigeria and its Dual Citizenship Citizens By Hakeem Babalola
I don’t know how easy a decision it is for those Nigerians who have renounced Nigeria. I guess some did it out of ignorance, some out of conviction, some out of annoyance or anger for the land. Perhaps every Nigerian would repudiate Nigeria if there is any single chance to do so. I have heard stories about Nigerians swearing to throw away their passports immediately they reached America or Europe or any other dream lands. Pity for the ignorant as well as for the frustrated soul.
Nigerians have sought salvation in mass emigration. In doing so many have realised their dream which would have been infeasible had they stayed behind. Philip Emeagwali who was described by former American President Bill Clinton as Bill Gates of Africa, and Rotimi Adebari who was elected Mayor of Portlaoise Town Council in Ireland are two formidable examples. I don’t want to dwell on the circumstances or controversies surrounding their departure from their native land – for now.
In accepting his new office, Adebari said: "Who would ever have thought when I first came to this country (Ireland) seven years ago that I would ever be elected first citizen of the great town of Portlaoise? In my own country today I don’t think I’d be accepted in the way I am here today”.
Adebari’s speech might be emotional but there’s truth in what he posited. I believe almost every Nigerian that seeks greener pastures elsewhere would associate with Adebari’s assertion. These people think their land has a way of killing hope. It is a land where dignity and virtue are be-mocked. It is a land where it is virtually impossible for an honest person to hold a political office. It is a land a few people have bought to the peril of many. It is a land cursed by its own sons and daughters. They rape the land yet they are honoured. They rob with impunity yet they walk the street with pride of a locust.
This might be the reason why most Nigerians left their land for Europe, America, Asia, Australia and even some other African countries like Libya, Egypt, Ghana and so on. They must find alternative; they must escape in order to take care of themselves and their families. They must sojourn abroad to be, to be someone. Boys and girls, men and women, educated/educated illiterates and uneducated passionately believe it must be better in Oyinbo’s land. They need to cry their frustration somewhere else. They must leave – perhaps to protest the injustice that is pervasive and radiates everywhere in their land.
But emigration is different from abandoning one’s motherland. Going somewhere else to better one’s lot is quite different from renouncing one’s fatherland. But this is now the fad among Nigerians in the Diaspora. Once they reached Europe or America or Asia, becoming dual citizenship or renouncing their nationality is first on their agenda. They need another passport different from the green one that had always caused them embarrassment. Nigerians must hide under someone else’s identity in order to live; in order to feel human. They are proud to be European or American or Asian citizens. Blame them make I dey hear una
Nigerians normally achieved their new status by seeking asylum, marrying the citizen of their new fatherland or as a highly skilled immigrant. They would boast they are now European or American citizens therefore no one can treat them anyhow. There is a case of a Nigerian who prefers to be called European since he has become naturalised European and has European passport. This Nigerian likes boasting that heaven will fall should anything unpleasant happen to him in Nigeria. Well, he may be right since European government value the lives of its citizens.
Perhaps it’s not their fault since Nigerian constitution recognises dual citizenship. Perhaps it is possible now to serve two masters. Perhaps I shouldn’t make mountain out of molehill since many Nigerians have two to four wives and claims to love their wives equally. What happens then should the two countries in which one has dual citizenship go to war against each other, and one has to fight? Which country are you going to fight for? It is a critical decision considering the fact that one must have sworn to the oath of allegiance before acquiring the other citizenship.
The issue is further complicated in the last April elections when a Nigerian who has dual citizenship had to go to court before he could contest for a political post, because of his dual citizenship. Although the court ruled in his favour, why did he need to go to court in the first instance? As far as I am concerned, Nigeria should end dual citizenship. Let its citizens choose her or other better country. The only exception should be our children who are born overseas. Let only them enjoy dual citizenship.
I am of the opinion that the much awaited revolution could have started had Nigerians have no other place to run to. Those Nigerians who are capable of turning things around have all become another country’s citizens. Although they still throw punches from their new motherland, it is not the same as if they were to retain the green passport. Hum, they don’t want to suffer the indignity of carrying the Nigerian green passport. Obviously their minds are already divided. Besides, who is going to boost the image of Nigeria if good Nigerians have all changed their identity? This is one of my concerns.
Even in Germany where dual citizenship is not permitted most Nigerians still throw away their Nigerian passports for German passports. Now they must go to the Nigerian embassy to get visa before they could visit their former country. Nigerians, in their bid to becoming a European or American or Asian citizens, often forget about something so important.
For example, a Nigerian who claimed asylum and was granted would soon rush to his or her embassy for assistance. These “political refugees” are ignorant of the fact that the law forbids them to seek assistance in their former embassy, which they had claimed wanted to persecute them. Or is it a case of false persecution? I wonder why it is so easy for Nigerians to throw away their Nigerian passports. What argument would they offer since being a resident in Europe or America gives them almost the same rights as the citizens?
It comes down to one thing: Nigerians are not proud of who they are. They may shout nationalism or patriotism from on top of the Statue of Liberty or other foreign Statues, the fact remains they are ashamed of Nigeria. I am going to say here that they are lazy to fight to make their own country but quick to associate with a country already made. But does this really make them European or American?
It goes to tell you that Nigerians are not ready to fight for Nigeria. It goes to tell you that Nigeria is being mocked by many of its sons and daughters all over the world. It goes to tell you that most Nigerians do not think of Nigeria as a nation. It goes to tell you the truth about our present situation. Therefore, I am of the opinion that those of us who have renounced their Nigerian citizenship should not be earmarked for any sensitive position in Nigeria.
Here is my reason. A Nigerian who is quick to change his or her nationality when he was nobody is highly prone to mortgage its people to his or her other country when the need be. To be fair to these Nigerians, they may be allowed to hold a non-sensitive position at the local level but never at state and federal levels. It beats my mind how our constitution allows dual citizenship in a fragile nation as ours. It is highly important to encourage true patriotism by preventing Nigerians from acquiring another citizenship.
What does this portend? It shows that Nigerians are not being geared toward loving their country. It shows that Nigeria was not founded to be a nation to be proud of. This, I suppose, makes it very easy for Nigerians to acquire another citizenship. Nigerians’ rush to acquire European or American or Asian citizenship is part of the reasons that have progressed our backwardness – ala super brain drain. Tell me who is going to physically fight the dirt.
I hope people like Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka have not abandoned their country by becoming dual citizenship. If these two giants of hope have done so, then they will have helped nurture the innate ambition of the owners of Nigeria who knew from the beginning that the best way to rule is to force the intellectuals to renounce their country.
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