There was dance and pageantry when Nigeria achieved her independence on October 1, 1960. The founding fathers – Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Ahmadu Bello and others fought relentlessly for the independence of our great nation, NIGERIA. Fifty- nine years ago, the joy was in the air, there was food for secondary school students to eat at no cost and to their full. What were we celebrating then? We were celebrating the transfer of power from the whites to our own people. We were celebrating the end of milking of our resources by foreigners; we celebrated the state of being free from any form of enslavement.
Life was easy, people trusted the government and in fact the government worked for the people. My grandfather told me it would be announced on radio and television if there would be any power outage.
Oh Nigeria what’s wrong now?
It was said, a secondary school leaver’s tie would be touching the ground as a result of veneration attached to achieving such academic feat.
Graduates, they said, didn’t beg for jobs, unlike now when upon graduation one has to ask oneself if he or she has taken the right decision or not by going to school instead of learning a trade. The economy was good and our very own naira competed with the dollar.
If our grand fathers and mothers celebrated our independence, surely, they had a cause to do so! Today, Fifty nine years after our state of being independent, do we have any cause to celebrate? What are we celebrating now?
Hunger? Poverty? Insecurity?
In recent times, we are only being sent messages of hope from our government. We believed them, but sooner, we lose hope. But can we lose hope completely in NIGERIA? No.
Our fathers always wished we the younger generations witnessed the post-independence era (60s &70s), when NIGERIA was NIGERIA. When the dividends of good governance, good economy, better life and independence was paid to the citizenry. Only if we witnessed it, we will know how far Nigeria has degenerated.
What are we celebrating? Independence?
Are we free from insecurity? Are we free from hunger? Are we actually free from depending on the whites? No, but we won’t lose hope.
It’s now saddening to see an administration who rode to power on the back of a relentless call for change/revolution/seismic shift is now incarcerating those doing so now. Should we be happy? When our senators budget humongous sums running into billions for luxury cars. What are we celebrating when our policies do not favour the masses?
At fifty nine years old, we are still where we are. Our fathers never dreamt of a Nigeria of divisiveness; Nigeria as a world poverty capital; an unsecured Nigeria, and a country without respect and rights for its citizens.
Some countries who gained independence after Nigeria have much more to celebrate and showcase. And at fifty nine we are still trying to get things right.
Our problem is our government and we the people. The government only gets closer to us on the eve of elections, deceive us, buy us and incarcerate some of us and we the people believe them, hail them ( for absolutely doing nothing) and still put them in power again.
Nigeria at fifty nine and we are still infants in development and dependent on foreign loans and succour. At fifty nine and we are having roads on potholes (considering the deplorable condition of our roads).
At fifty nine, our policies do not have a human face. Recently the CBN announced a cashless policy plan which advertently or inadvertently aims at making life more unbearable for its citizens, kill entrepreneurs and resource persons. The colonial government rules to exploit and milk us but our very own indigenous government rules to exterminate us (Ijoba amunisin si ijoba amunipa).
At fifty nine, where’s the pension of retired civil/public servants that laboured for good 35years?
At fifty nine, where are the jobs for youths and graduates?
At fifty nine, where’s the enabling environment for entrepreneurs and investors?
At fifty nine, where’s the free education?
At fifty nine, where’s the safe environment for us devoid of Boko Haram and kidnappers?
Until we find answers/solutions to the interrogatives above, we should be timid about our independent statehood celebration.