Chinua Achebe
…counting down to Nigeria’s Independence day
18 QUOTES TO CELEBRATE NIGERIA’S INDEPENDENCE DAY
“Nigeria is what it is because its leaders are not what they should be.” – Chinua Achebe
“Looking at faces of people, one gets the feeling there’s a lot of work to be done.” – Wole Soyinka
“The magician and the politician have much in common: they both have to draw our attention away from what they are really doing.” – Ben Okri
“They have not always elected the best leaders, particularly after a long period in which they have not used this facility of free election. You tend to lose the habit.” – Chinua Achebe
Many politicians are in the habit of laying it down as a self-evident proposition that no people ought to be free till they are fit to use their freedom. The maxim is worthy of the fool in the old story who resolved not to go into the water till he had learned to swim. Thomas Macaulay
We are free, truly free, when we don’t need to rent our arms to anybody in order to be able to lift a piece of bread to our mouths. Ricardo Flores Magon
It is the love of country that has lighted and that keeps glowing the holy fire of patriotism. J. Horace McFarland
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty. John F. Kennedy
“I have one advice to give to our politicians. If they have decided to destroy our national unity, then they should summon a round-table conference to decide how our national assets should be divided before they seal their doom by satisfying their lust for office. I make this suggestion because it is better for us and many admirers abroad that we should disintegrate in peace and not in pieces. Should the politicians fail to heed this warning, then I will venture the prediction that the experience of the Democratic Republic of the Congo will be a child’s play if ever it comes to our turn to play such a tragic role.” — Nnamdi Azikiwe, December 1964, “A Dawn Address” As reported in Kirk Greene’s book (page 21]
Nnamdi Azikiwe
“People go to Africa and confirm what they already have in their heads and so they fail to see what is there in front of them. This is what people have come to expect. It’s not viewed as a serious continent. It’s a place of strange, bizarre and illogical things, where people don’t do what common sense demands.” – Chinua Achebe
“Nigeria is not a nation. It is a mere geographical expression. There are no ‘Nigerians’ in the same sense as there are ‘English,’ ‘Welsh,’ or ‘French.’ The word ‘Nigerian’ is merely a distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria and those who do not.” [From Path to Nigerian Freedom by Obafemi Awolowo]
Obafemi Awolowo
“We plan our lives according to a dream that came to us in our childhood, and we find that life alters our plans. And yet, at the end, from a rare height, we also see that our dream was our fate. It’s just that providence had other ideas as to how we would get there. Destiny plans a different route, or turns the dream around, as if it were a riddle, and fulfills the dream in ways we couldn’t have expected.” – Ben Okri
“The worst realities of our age are manufactured realities. It is therefore our task, as creative participants in the universe, to re dream our world. The fact of possessing imagination means that everything can be re dreamed. Each reality can have it” – Ben Okri
Ben Okri
“One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised.” – Chinua Achebe
“Democracy is not something you put away for ten years, and then in the 11th year you wake up and start practicing again. We have to begin to learn to rule ourselves again.” – Chinua Achebe
“The only thing we have learnt from experience is that we learn nothing from experience.” – Chinua Achebe
“Let’s say there are prospects for a new Nigeria, but I don’t think we have a new Nigeria yet.” – Wole Soyinka
Wole Soyinka
“Nigeria can no longer remain a potential” – Jide Salu
Click for the latest Entertainment News
I don’t live a life of suspect but of a respect that is why I so much cherish great men who have contributed immensely to the foundation of literature. Of course, literature is the reflection of the society at large. I am too proud to have my head down before great men; they really worked harder in their time and now they enjoy the fruits of their labours.
LikeLike
We delight in the beauty of butterfly, but rarely admits the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.
LikeLike
We are where we are today because of what we do; nothing is worth celebrating without answering the question; what have we achieved before and after the independence?
LikeLike
hmmn! quite interesting
LikeLike
right from when I was a child,till date,I hear people say Nigeria is land flowing with mild & honey.yet,her citizens has neva felt the impact.
In 2 days time we will be celebrating 53yrs.
what have we truely ahieved?
LikeLike
Wow! What a nice quotes
LikeLike
Let’s joint hands together in order to get the remedies to our bottleneck.
LikeLike
Whats up! I simply want to give a huge thumbs up for the good data you’ve gotten right here on this post.
I will be coming back to your weblog for more soon.
LikeLike
I leave a response when I appreciate a post on a
site or I have something to add to the conversation.
Usually it is caused by the sincerness communicated in the article I looked at.
And after this post 17 FAMOUS NIGERIAN QUOTES PLUS 1 NOT
SO FAMOUS�. | Jide Salu’s Diary. I was excited enough to drop a comment :) I do have some questions for you if you do not mind. Could it be only me or do some of the comments appear like they are written by brain dead visitors? :-P And, if you are posting on additional sites, I’d like to keep up with you.
Would you list every one of all your communal sites like your Facebook
page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile?
LikeLike
If Nigerians can be able to fight tribalism nd nepotism, Nigeria will be a better nation, irrespective of the fact that Nigeria is too big to be just a country and too small to have the large resources she has.
LikeLike
The parfect coutier thrives in a world where everything revolves around power and political dexterity.
LikeLike
Nigeria is a sickler that will still be fine.
LikeLike
Nigeria we still be better,if we welcum holy spirit 2 b d alpa and omega of d country.
LikeLike
what a refreshing list! Please lets see more of this
LikeLike
THIS COUNTRY IS GREAT BUT OUR LEADERS AIN’T.
LikeLike
Awesome Words………… I LOVE NIGERIA <3 <3 <3
LikeLike
Nigerian! Be prepared opportunity will come….
LikeLike
I DON’T BELIEVE IN BETTER NIGERIA IF OUR POLITICAL LEADERS CAN’T VIEW OUT HOW TO CONTROL RELIGIOUS MENTALITY IN OUR CUNTRY
LikeLike
In all our transformational bid, if sincerity of purpose is relegated to the background, then we’re certainly pursuing a mirage.
LikeLike
But I still wonder why we are dyin to live since we are livin to die
LikeLike
Until you choose to die for something you believe in, that means it still lacks conviction
LikeLike
when will our leaders live up to expectation? our leaders new we have no nation they pretend it is well even when they where leading us into a dish, they insisted in having a Nigeria, they compromised the future of the nation they intend to build
LikeLike
Any pattern of emotion or behavior that is continually reinforced will become an automatic and conditioned response. Anything we fail to reinforce will eventually dissipate.
LikeLike
the first and the last thing we can do is to eradicte the spirit of bribery and corruption which is the mess that welay the progress of this Nation.
LikeLike
it’s absolutely good for we younger once to hear the word’s of our father’s like this. Keep it up paps.
LikeLike
The problem of Nigeria development do not revolve in ethnicism and corruption only but from the insincerity of our colonial masters who forced us into the mirage of unity in diversity against our traditional diversity in unity.
LikeLike
It is not so much a question of insincerity on the part of the colonial masters as that it was the convenient thing for them to do while they got on with the real business of exploiting out mineral and natural resources. And this was their initial goal to begin with. It was not their business what kind of political system you wanted in or what was good for the people. Just what was good for business.
LikeLike
One basic problem limiting Nigeria’s heritage is that the masses are more brutal than their leaders. Any one who is tribalistical in nature is more corrupt than a frauder. Due to the presence of the so called ethnicsm there exist no unity, cause if an igbo man see nothing good in the hausa and visa vis then teach me how will nigeria grow. Pls. Stop tribalism and let nigeria succeed. Happy 50th birthday
LikeLike
Dear Sick Mother (Nigeria).. WE HAVE HOPE IN A PHYSICIAN, who just gave us a prescription.. ASSURING US OF THE DRUG WE BELIEVE IN.. WHICH IS YOU…change we waits for… Happy Golden Jubilee.
LikeLike
We all have to change ourselves first, then we will be able to change not only Nigeria, but the whole world at large.
LikeLike
i know and i know well that nigeria gonna be a better place only if we can get a good leader.yes,nigeria is a blessed land but who will reavel the dream of nigeria,it is not yet too late for nigeria to make thier best choice of who will change naija but i hope that it shall be well if nijeria can join hand to carry out away corruption.once every one stop putting only in his or her pocket i believe it shall change and ……………………………………
LikeLike
WHAT CAN WE DO TO CHANGE NIGERIA FOR GOOD? I KNOW NIGERIA IS GOING TO BE A BETTER PLACE, THE CHALLENGE IS WHAT TO DO?
LikeLike