What Are Your Thoughts Towards Your Adopted Country?

Many Africans left the shore of their father land to come to Europe; some to seek better life and others fled persecution or war. Whatever may have led to our leaving Africa, may not be what is important to us today. What is now significant is how we have represented our continent in our various adopted countries in Europe.

Most of us came alone or with our families but today we have multiplied by either getting married and having children and grand children. We have acquired the Nationalities of our adopted countries and can proudly say we are either Dutch, Spanish, German, Swede or French.

Today some of us claim to regret and even harbor grudge for our adopted countries claiming that they are the cause of our mismanage leadership in Africa that has led to hunger, starvation and war. The grudge is so much that even when our adopted countries are involved in international football matches, we wish they will lose to their opponents. We support anything that stand against this country that open their doors for us and gave us the opportunity to be better people.

I came into this country in 1995 after fleeing political persecution. I could only raise the money to cover the trip after my late mother sold our home. I finally landed in Schiphol with $5 and sought political asylum at the airport. I was immediately taken to an asylum camp where I was given clothes, food and basic weekly financial allowance. This is a service my country Nigeria cannot even give to their own graduate students let alone Foreigners!

In this country I met my wife (A Nigerian) and today our marriage is blessed with 4 handsome boys. In this country I took up my activism campaign and floated my own foundation called Hope for Niger Delta Campaign (HNDC). In this country I exercised my freedom of Speech and learnt how a country can be governed with respect to the Rule of Law. In this country I saw how a society can function with the help of government policy.

Let me not forget the purpose of this short write up. Some of us have spent many years in our adopted countries but still believe that we have not arrived at our final bus stop. Some in Europe still want their sojourn to end in the United State or Canada whereas they have settled without knowing except if someone will challenge me that “settle” is still far from spending many years and raising children in one country.

I realized that the reason why we Africans have not been able to utilize our full God given potential or gift is because we find blames in our adopted countries and the people within it. We have become myopic in thinking thereby bringing limitations on ourselves. The Bible says “pray for the PEACE and PROSPARITY of the LAND to wish I have brought you in EXILE, for if it is good in the land, it shall surely be good for you”.

How do you enjoy the benefit in a country when you don’t believe in that country? How do you reap from a country when you refuse to sow into the country? How do you expect your adopted country to love you when you deliberately find reasons to hate your adopted country? How can you seek joy in a country you hate?

CONCLUSION:

To my fellow Africans in Europe of Diaspora, my advice for you is to love your adopted country and the people no matter how the situation affects you. Whatever you go through in your adopted country can even be worse in your home country. Think positive about your adopted country and you shall find your rightful place and peace. Most of all, let us be good ambassadors of Africa in our adopted countries and abstain from crimes that can destroy our tomorrow. Thank you all!!!