What is the kidney of Nigeria? What are the lungs of Nigeria? What is the liver of Nigeria? What is the eye of Nigeria? What is the ear of Nigeria? What is the skin of Nigeria? What is the nose of Nigeria? What is the tongue of Nigeria? What are the feet of Nigeria and what are the hands of Nigeria?

For in a sense, the country called Nigeria does not consist of one part, but of many limbs and organs. If the feet say, “Because we are not the hand, we are not a part of the body,” are they not on the contrary still part of the body? If the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” is it not on the contrary still a part of the body?

If the whole Nigeria were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole Nigeria were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

Some people may argue otherwise but it is obvious that we have the best balance of endowment and resources the way we are naturally arranged. No other part is superior to the combined strength of the rest. God has made us so. If all of Nigeria were a single faith, ethnic group or social economic status, where would the rest of the country be?

But now as things really are there are many parts, different groups and categories, but a single country. So that all the parts that make up the country called Nigeria may have the same concern for one another. If one part suffers, all the other parts share the suffering and when one part is honoured, the other parts rejoice with it.

Adapted