I'm like, "What?" Wahala dey o. I mean, I the whole thing is silly. I respect Mrs. Dora Akunyili. That's Dr. Professor Dora Akunyili to be exact. (You know Naija people and their titles. Lol). From a project I've been working on for a while, I know that she has done a lot for the country. She has helped remove a lot of fake drugs from the market. She also spoke out at a critical time earlier this year. Her words were instrumental in the peaceful continuation of power in Nigeria, when Goodluck Jonathan took the presidential seat instead of a military takeover. But COME ON! Really now.........?
As a Nigerian born in the United States, I see the word Naija as a cool way to refer to the country and it's people. There's nothing negative about it. But apparently, Dr. Professor knows better than me and all the people who use the word. Just read this article on the matter. But my question is, how can you tell people what to call themselves?
In a country where so many things are going wrong, the government should be happy that people can still find something to feel good about: a name coined by only-God-knows-who, but that cuts across ethnicities and status. She's afraid that this 'corrupt' verison of Nigeria is unpatriotic. "We have to stop this word because it is catching up with the young," Prof. Akunyili said, according to the article. Catching up??? Hahahahaha.... It has spread profusely. Even for America, self, I dey take and begin to use am. I am the
Naija American Girl
and that will never change.
Abeg, the woman should sit down for there and try to find a real problem to solve, not an imagined one. Or maybe because Nigeria's problems are so great she decided to settle for a smaller task. But I'm not feelin' it.
That's what I think of the supposed condemnation of 'Naija.' Abeg o.
Your face says it all, lol. I'm with you, she lost it on this one.
ReplyDeletelaughs @ your pix...u don vex well! well!..i wondered sef ooo, abegi, make she lef matter jor.
ReplyDeleteLol. For real na. No weapon fashioned against the word 'Naija' shall prosper. Hahahaha....
ReplyDeletei think she should look
ReplyDeletefor a real problem too
instead of chasing shadows.
You're too cute (love the pics)!
ReplyDeleteI'm not changing my blog name any time soon either! I just have to get my non-Naija friends to pronounce the word properly (most think it's pronounced 'naya').
I know wot u mean the word naija has undergone some serious hardship but the crazy thing is I'm not nigerian but I lived dare fo a really long tym that it became my home and all the things they say are at times exaggerations of things they know nothing about, I loved living in naija and there was more fun that problems! So abeg let them back of!
ReplyDeletehttp://themessenger-bag.blogspot.com
GNG >>> Thanks (pics). Yeah, "Naija" is not going anywhere! Lol....
ReplyDeleteABIGAIL NY >>> I mean, if non-Nigerians have attached as much fondness to the word as Nigerians, it's really pointless to "condemn" it.
I think the term Naija is such a non-issue. It seems like boredom to me,
ReplyDelete