NIGERIA TODAY

NIGERIA TODAY

SOME YEARS BACK NIGERIA WAS TAGGED THE GIANT OF AFRICA NOT BECAUSE OF HER CREATIVITY BUT BECAUSE OF ITS ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE TO THE WORLD WHICH IS SEEN IN HER MAJOR COMMODITY “’CRUDE OIL’’. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS SO BLESSED COUNTRY HAS ABOUT 87% OF HER CITIZENRY WALLOWING IN ABJECT POVERTY. LEADERS WERE NOW KNOW BY THE KIND OF CARS, AFFLUENCE AND ILL-GOTTEN WEALTH WHICH THEY PARADE AND USE IN INTIMIDATING ANYONE WHO QUESTIONS THEIR ACTIVITIES.SOON IT GOT TO A HEIGHT IN A NATION AS OURS THAT FOR YOU TO ASCEND TO POLITICAL POWER YOU MUST BE SOMEONE WHO CAN CHURN OUT HUGE SUMS OF MONEY TO BRIBE THE SO-CALLED HIGH AND MIGHTY.

IT GOT TO A POINT THAT FOR ONE TO HOLD POLITICAL POSITION,HE MUST BE A KILLER OR MAIMER.THE RULING CLASS TOOK EVERYTHING FROM THE PEASANT ONES AT HOME RANGING FROM BASIC AMENITIES WHICH OUGHT TO BE THEIR BASIC RIGHT TO THEIR FREEDOM,EDUCATION BECAME SO EXPENSIVE AND FOOD REMAINED A MIRAGE TO THE COMMON MAN.

ONE MAY ASK .WHERE DID WE GET IT WRONG AS A PEOPLE?IT DID NOT START TODAY.LET ME TAKE YOU ABACK TO SOME LINES IN THE INDEPENDENCE SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER TAFAWA BALEWA WHO RECEIVED  LEADERSHIP SYMBOLS OF OUR COUNTRY WHEN DECLARED.

    ‘’TODAY IS INDEPENDENCE DAY.THE FIRST OF OCTOBER 1960 IS THE DATE TO WHICH FOR TWO YEARS,NIGERIANS HAS BEEN EAGERLY LOOKING FORWARD.AT LAST,OUR GREAT DAY HAS ARRIVED AND NIGERIA IS NOW INDEED AN INDEPENDENT SOVEREIGN NATION……. AND IT GIVES ME STRENGTH AND COURAGE AS I DEDICATE MY LIFE TO THE SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY…………IT IS ALL THE WONDERFUL BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN COMPELLED TO WATCH ONE COUNTRY AFTER ANOTHER OVERTAKING US ON THE ROAD WHEN WE HAD SO NEARLY REACHED OUR GOAL………………IT HAS BEEN THOROUGH AND NIGERIA NOW STANDS BUILT UPON FIRM FOUNDATIONS………..WE ,THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF NIGERIA,CONCENTRATED ON PROVING THAT WE WERE FULLY CAPABLE OF MANAGING OUR OWN AFFAIRS BOTH INTERNALLY AND AS A NATION.HOWEVER,WE WERE NOT TO BE ALLOWED THE SELFISH LUXURY OF FOCUSING OUR INTERESTS ON OUR OWN HOMES………THIS IS A GREAT COUNTRY WHICH HAS NOW EMERGED WITHOUT BITTERNESS AND BLOODSHED,FINDS THAT SHE MUST AT ONCE BE READY TO DEAL WITH GRAVE INTERNATIONAL ISSUES…………..WE ARE CALLED UPON IMMEDIATELY TO SHOW THAT OUR CLAIMS TO RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT ARE WELL-FOUNDED.....’’

NOW LETS TRY TO DISSECT THE WORDS OF THE THEN PRIME MINISTER WHO RECEIVED OUR SYMBOL OF INDEPENDENCE FROM THE QUEEN FIRST HAND.

          ‘’……AT LAST, OUR GREAT DAY HAS ARRIVED AND NIGERIA IS NOW INDEED AN  INDEPENDENT SOVEREIGN NATION’’.

CAN ONE NOT SAY THAT NIGERIA GAINED INDEPENDENCE BUT LACKED SOVEREIGNTY SINCE THE NIGERIAN LEADERS COULD NOT SUSTAIN NOR IMPROVE THE NATION THAT WAS HANDED THEM?IN NOT A LONG TIME AFTER INDEPENDENCE,THEIR GREED,SCHEMING FOR POWER GOT EXPOSED AND IN NOT LES THAN 6(SIX) YEARS,THERE WAS A COUP LED BY MAJ. GEN. AGUIYI IRONSI.

           --------TO BE CONTINUED

                                                                                                                EMEKUME VINCENT