Nigeria: This is not Independence, We are not ripe for this

More than 50 years ago, precisely October 1, 1960, Nigeria was ‘believed’ to be independent, joy was at the door of every household, even kids that knew little to nothing were elated to celebrate and take part in the funfair. Independence was known to symbolize freedom, greatness, success and all the positives we could ever think of. Who wouldn’t want to be independent anyway? 

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Even an employee wants a freedom from his employer. However, down through the years, this couldn’t be independence or freedom, it’s more of a fiefdom, modern slavery or mental slavery. How far have we moved since we were handed over the steering of our own nation. What exactly have we discovered or invented since we have been on our own. What exactly is our major achievement since we were delivered of direct and indirect British rule.

What exactly is the problem of the most populous black nation. Is it the people or the leaders. One of the characteristics of an average Nigerian is strength and hardwork, but it wouldn’t be complete without adding ‘corrupt’. Every of our good characters are seen to be eroded by the corruption of those in high places and indiscipline of those at the base of the pyramid. An average Nigerian has lost his sense of responsibility for a morsel of bread. 

Do we have to start from election malpractices like rigging, vote buying or we move to inability to maintain public property, the maiming of fellow citizens just to have their properties, interested in the fall of others rather than their rise, misappropriation of public funds by politicians, and finally the most rampant these days, which is tribal bigotry and religious nepotism which has successfully divided the countries like a fault.

Starting from the state of education in Nigeria, it is obvious there is a need for a state of emergency on the sector. It is an irony when those that enjoyed free education are the ones making education unreachable to the masses. Research is quantitatively and qualitatively poor currently in Nigeria. No care or concern about education by the government whatsoever. Since the politicians are able to afford a quality foreign education for their kids, why should that of the nation they rule matter. When you don’t believe and use your own things, nobody will believe in it.

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Discussing technology, Nigeria is lost on the world map. No invention can be attributed to our own country, on the contrary, the Nigerian kids go to other countries and start to do novel things. That only tells us we have a long way to go. Independence is still a mirage. Universities that ought to bridge the gap are still filled with bunch of old theories. Facilities to work in labs are down. No form of encouragement from the government. We still rely on whatever the other part of the world tells us and believe our own little things are inferior. Even those that managed to come up with something are not encouraged but denigrated. Is this part of the world suffering from a curse?

The South-Eastern part of Nigeria is known to contain presumably the most hardworking set of people in Nigeria especially along the business line. Also, they have fought the bitter war which took millions of lives, made people homeless and made wives widows. After several years of the battle, their line of thought and interest has remained the same; Biafra or nothing. While their leaders might not have done much for them, I am of the interest that the country listens to what they want to say, whether that may be the basis of the development needed in the country.

Even the southwest, the so called home of education in Nigeria is not doing quite well after several years of independence. The education standard has fallen, no thanks to those that benefitted from free Awolowo introduced education, went on scholarships but have actually made education very costly for an average Nigerian. If the ‘Whites’ were to love Nigeria truly, they should have seen us through incubation stage before handling us independence. South west is now more concerned about presidency than her own development.

Do we need to speak about the North in general. Their leaders have already chained tem down in feudalism. Almajiri is the order of the day. Meanwhile, they hold the political structure and jugular of Nigeria despite lagging in education. Is the foundation wrong or the structure we built on it. Are we independent at all or we are just independent in slavery.

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At a time in Nigeria, Naira was believed to be stronger than a dollar, a flight from Lagos airport to London was about #17,000 and education was free but this is no more in our own story. If you are lucky enough, you get a dollar at #350, getting a visa to travel alone is a problem enough not to talk of getting a ticket. Everything has gone up like a rocket; we are like sheep without shepherd. There is a saying, ‘A politician looks at the next election, while a statesman looks at the next generation’. Isn’t it obvious there is no statesman currently in Nigeria; all we have are politicians with no ideology. Many of them have no life outside politics and they can’t survive outside it. 

They crisscross from one party to another like prostitutes, and still claim to serve the people while pocketing millions of naira. Of recent, the body of workers strike at will just to drive home their demands and we still claim to be independent. Is that how it is done in saner countries. If politicians that serve their family pocket millions at the end of the month apart from estacodes and the ones they steal, why should the ones that have worked from 8 am – 4 pm every 5 days in a week have to fight to get their money.

What makes all of these funny are the thugs, I mean the people the politicians use to cause mayhem and snatch ballot boxes. Of course there children will be in faraway countries, enjoying best of education, adequate facilities, state of the art health care, while the youths on the street are given guns to fight for them while thy waste their lives. Who could be this dumb to serve his own enemy.

Finally, it is denigrating to see government ministers of China in Russia for a medical check-up not to talk of the president. What if a chip is planted in him to monitor the activities of the president, his activities and the country’s activities. If you claim to be what you are as a president, how could you leave your own country with more than a thousand hospitals you claim to have built or made world class and go to the hospitals developed by other people. What type of message is such government passing across. So the citizens of your country should be left at the mercy of the doctors, nurses, consultants, hospitals you don’t trust to die while you, the number one citizen goes elsewhere for a checkup.


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Definitely, this is not independence and will never be. Referendum is the first way out of these charade and failure of a country. Let us come together and decide how we want to live together. A class of 4 students is easier to manage than a class of 100. Our population should be our strength; but our diversity has become our undoing. With time, it has invariably shown that the 1914 union has done more evil than good. 

Almost every southerner wants out of the union. Why don’t we just sit and discuss how best we can do it for peace to reign. Tribal unsettlings, religious wars, giving out of positions to a particular part of the country with no respect to federal character have done enough evil to the nation. Let the nation come together and discuss the way forward. This is my own little contribution.

This independence came too early, we are not ready and this can never be independence

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