Nigeria turns 59 on October 1. The Independence Day, a celebration of freedom from colonial rule is marked with prayers, parades and other events by government at all levels.
Governments of other countries and friends of Nigeria also felicitate with the nation and people on this occasion. But amid the annual celebrations is the realisation that we have not performed optimally despite the enormous human and material resources that our country has been blessed with. Countries that gained Independence about the same time as Nigeria have moved from the classification of Third World to the comity of developed nations, even with limited resources.
Nigerians, after 59 years of Independence, are being fed with foods, clothed with textiles and virtually live on goods produced by those countries.
Nigeria struts distantly behind its peers in the race for economic development.
The Independence Day is supposed to be a day for stock taking. A day to resolve whether we truly understand what it means to be free from colonial rule; whether we are determined to be truly free from being ruled by foreigners; whether after winning the freedom to rule ourselves, we are willing and capable to do so.
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Unfortunately, the annual celebrations have yet to be utilised to rally the citizenry to contemplate these ideals.
For the majority of the citizens, the idea of celebrating Independence Day holds no significance in their everyday lives.
Many Nigerians regard October 1, as any other day. Apart from civil servants and private-sector workers who observe the work-free day, many others continue the struggle for survival by tending to their businesses or trades on that day. The more the governments reel out the yearly Independence Day goodwill messages, calling for peace, tolerance and obedience to law and order, the more frustrated, desperate and lawless the citizens, particularly the younger generation, become.
Calls by the leaders on the citizens to emulate the founding fathers’ love for the country and being reminded of the nation’s vast endowments make little or no meaning to Nigerians, who see no positive change year after year of same exhortations and promises.
Fifty-nine years after Independence, what many Nigerians grew up to know and are still grappling with are poor and inadequate infrastructure. Our roads are bad, hospitals ill-equipped and educational institutions with outdated facilities and curricula.
Thousands who graduate from our tertiary schools realise that the nation has not adequately prepared them for life in a rapidly changing world.
More and more Nigerian youths now see good future for themselves only in crimes and Nigeria is better known abroad, not for hard work, ingenuity and enterprise of many of her citizens but by the vices perpetrated by the despondent ones.
The tragedy lies not in the knowledge that all this is happening, but in the fact that it is a festering wound that our elite and political leaders treat with levity.
Fifty-nine years after Independence and 49 years after the Civil War, Nigeria is not yet a united country. The country is even now more divided along religious and ethnic lines than it was at Independence. We still see ourselves more as from ethnic regions than as Nigerians. And lamentably, there is hardly any effort being taken to give all sections of the country a sense of belonging to foster national unity.
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While our political leaders preach nationalism to the people, their lives and conducts only reflect lack of vision, inordinate ambition and greed.
It is not farfetched to suggest that Nigerians, rather than continuing to watch the leadership commemorate a yearly Independence anniversary that brings no positive change to their lives, should seek a true independence from the stranglehold of selfish political leaders.
Enough of the meaningless celebration of freedom from colonial rule that has left the country in the captivity of trial and error leaders.
Nigeria truly needs deliverance from bondage and inept leadership. Countries that have pursued the path to greatness have had their visionary leaderships, using landmark days to set yearly themes and goals for their citizens.
How lovely would it be declaring the year preceding the 60th anniversary of Independence as the ‘Year of Unity of Purpose’ and to shepherd the citizenry towards the like-mindedness that would spur the nation to excellence? When would we have a National Day to set agenda and pep the citizens towards greatness, as the political leadership lacks the genuine purpose and verve to lead a population as diverse and endowed as ours?