A long time ago, an American President closed his inaugural speech with the statement, "ask not what my country can do for me. Ask, what can I do for my country". As beautiful as this showstopper maybe, it's just a mere statement that can be appreciated in countries where the government really cares about the daily bread of its masses.

Since the electioneering campaigns that brought Tinubu to power, we've heard more beautiful Speeches well drafted with deliberate rhetorical considerations, all pointing out that we all need to have the habit of sacrificing for our dear country to make Nigeria great. Who wasn't convinced??? Who wasn't carried away by the "I won't let you down" campaigns??? Who wasn't drunk with the belief that utopian Nigeria is just a few steps away???

But is it really that sacrifices aren't being made? The sacrifices made by the masses are too enormous to count. *The peak of it is coming out during election to vote for the leadership they trust to take them out of their calamities. The most insane of it is justifying every government missteps with the belief that the government knows better and all they do is for the masses' interest, even when it's obvious that they will only suffer more. The most touching of it is people praying for the health of the nation believing that that's the only thing they can hold onto.

Now, what have those elected into office done? They keep imposing taxes on the people. They removed subsidy from some of the basic things the masses are holding onto. They are striving hard to privatise the Education system which they enjoyed almost for free if not free. They impose loans on future leaders of this country. The political elite have really done a lot!!!

And now, "what can the country do for me" and "what can I do for my country" are both useless questions meant the era and the land which those questions first originated. In fact, in the real sense, the country is incapable of doing anything. What can "lines drawn on the sand", glorified and deitified with symbols we call national identity do? Of course nothing!!! If a country were to be capable of something, it has to be human. And if a country is human, it's its masses. Now, why not begin asking, "What have we, the masses done for this country?" and “What have they, the political office holders done for this country?”

Hasn't it been obvious for a very long time that the pains and suffering of the masses has not been for the benefit of the country? Hasn't it been obvious that the suffering of the masses has only been for the benefit of 1 president, his vice with his ministers; 36 governors, their deputies and their commissioners; 109 members of the senate, 360 members of the rep; and other political elite, those who call themselves the country with the statement, "ask not what the country can do for me"?

It's therefore on the basis I reiterate once again that patriotism equated with blind loyalty for political elites, patriotism that is seen as total submission to the rash and selfish decision of the political elite is an OPIUM. "And this Patriotism is indeed the opium of the masses!