Free As a Bird?

I once had a brief but passionate affair with Nigerian History, I strongly believed a closer look at the triumphs, and defeats of yesteryears could arouse the spirit of national pride.
Then I became a victim of the existing system that has lost its sense of sobriety and I realized that sometimes you only respect the past if its offspring of the present is not prodigal.

The celebration of the nation’s Independence Day this month sent me on a quest that has lured me back into our long lost affair, to take a closer look at the events of the Nigerian independence.

Somewhere, like in a dark corner of a rusted shelf I found a treasure worth my adventure.

It reminded me of an old picture hanging on the wall of the school hall in high school (wonders if its still there) with pride as if its saying ‘see who we know’. It also reminded me of a constant question in quiz competitions in my primary school, " who was the first woman to drive a car in Nigeria’’?

I found Funmilayo Ransome Kuti!

Am wrapping a theme of true independence around the month of October, drawing great inspiration from a Legend whose courage has made a model, and posing a challenge for my generation of women.

An egalitarian, afrocentric feminist, at a time when women were expected to be restricted to their traditional roles, she was an activist at the forefront of anti colonial struggle for Nigeria’s independence, challenging the multiple oppression facing women of her days and contending the myopic vision of those they called leaders.
She defied the myth of male superiority and dared to challenge the wisdom that existed, she rebelled against the society that is as multi opinionated as the countless faces that make it up! Not by mere words but by her deeds that publicly declared her praise.

Space would not allow an in-depth summary of her life and times or of her strengths and weaknesses but it sure will allow a lesson from it.

Our generation of women has been defined by the discovery of our wings, we soar high as far has our imaginations can take us, embellishing our walk with the desire to define.

We have the opportunities and resources our grandmas’ generation or even our mothers’ did not have when they were our age.

We send our minds on an adventure around the global village but do we merge our heritage with the beckoning of the future and have we found ourselves an expression therein?

Pardon me to say, Nigeria’s Independence pathetically has no reflection in its operating systems, it has not guaranteed an equal full measure of liberty to all, slavery defines it more!

To be truly free is to be able to take responsibility not only for ourselves but also in leading and contributing towards improving the welfare of our communities and eventually the nation at large, learning to labor and serve in freedom.

This a call to be aware and to be involved in the development of our communities (classrooms, neighborhoods, offices, market, etc) when we recognize a need to be met and a space to be filled do we offer what we can and join the train of a campaign for positive progressions?

We keep traveling on the journey of life, because there are too many places we have not seen yet, but when we leave where we are today, who will remember us and for what are we going to be remembered for

Free as a bird? Yes, that defines the generation of today’s woman, but only a flight on a clear wind soars as high as ever, positive changes in the society embellishes our freedom.

Quote of This Edition
"Thy spirit of independence, let me share! Lord of the Lion-heart and eagle-eye, thy steps I follow with my bosom bare nor heed the storm that howls along the sky- Tobias George Smollett, Ode to Independence (l. 1)

Task For This Edition
Think of three things you want to be remembered for in all of the communities you belong to today, and work towards making it a reality.