Today, October 1, 2019, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country will mark another Independence day. It does however promise to be another dour celebration, another day to remind ourselves what a disappointment the country has been to its citizens, the black race
and mankind in general.
In writing about Nigeria’s Independence Day, one is bound to carefully choose his word to avoid obfuscation and misinterpretation. I will avoid the use of words such as “celebration,” “merry,” “joyful” and all their synonyms in this presentation.
In the real sense of it, there are no reasons to use any of these words when describing or talking about Nigeria. It is hard to describe Nigeria as a country. Obafemi Awolowo- a frontline pre-independence leader did in a 1947 book call Nigeria “a mere geographical expression.” It is unlikely the
late chief would have any reason to change his mind today if woken up from his grave to assess the state of things in the country.
Chief Awolowo would not only be disappointed in what Nigeria has become. He will weep to see his beloved Yorubaland today. He would be shocked to learn that a 100g loaf of bread and N100 notes now determine who wins or loses an election in a land he laboured so hard to bring to the attention of the global community.
Awolowo would be disgusted to learn that in Osun and Ekiti states, no one mentions payment of salaries again while the pensioners are allowed to starve to death. He would not be happy with the happenings in several parts of the South West where political thugs determine who wins an election. The late leader would be sad that sound ideals have been abandoned in South West politics as charlatans, self seekers and dishonest elements dictate the pace of the region’s political progress. Pa Awolowo would be embarrassed that education in the region has fallen from its lofty heights of the 50s and 60s to what it is today. The region’s infrastructure is decrepit and there appears to be no fundamental philosophy underpinning the region’s leadership.
Obafemi Awolowo would not be the only one disappointed with what today’s politicians and leaders have turned Nigeria into.
Michael Okpara- Premier of Eastern Nigeria between 1959 and 1966 would be disgusted with the state of things in Igboland, the abandonment of the palm oil plantations, the state of the University of Nigeria Nsukka which he largely mobilised resources for its building and how like in several other parts of Nigeria, charlatans and yes- men have taken over the leadership of the Igbo race.
Okpara will be very sad at what Umuahia- his home town and now the Abia state capital has become. Okpara will be distressed that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has turned Umuahia into an industrial refuse dump. Sir Okpara will be sad with Umuahia’s status as the least developed state capital in the whole of Easter Nigeria.
Chief M. I. Okpara will be unhappy that unemployment is forcing millions of Igbo youths into seeking economic asylum in far-flung corners of the world. It will disgust Okpara that several Igbo leaders in Abuja are only seeking to advance their political and economic interests while very little thought is spared for the progress of the motherland.
Will Ahmadu Bello be happy with what has become of his beloved “North?” Certainly not. Those who followed Nigerian politics in the pre-independence era would recall that Sir Ahmadu Bello passed an opportunity to become Nigeria’s first Prime Minister and chose instead to midwife development across northern Nigeria.
He built a sense of political and economic solidarity in the region and sought to bring rapid development in the north. The position of northern Nigeria today as the region with the highest incidence of poverty, illiteracy, prevalence of avoidable diseases and a playfield of criminals were the very things Sir Ahmadu Bello worked very hard to eliminate.
It was never Sarduana’s plan to see the north lag behind other regions in development by any index. He pushed several northern youths into the army and offered scholarships to a lot more. Today, all of those legacies have been erased and with the constant squabbles amongst northern leaders and political elites, the creation of a Core North- Middle Belt dichotomy,Muslim-Christian leadership divide and several other categorizations that were not there in the days of the Sarduana, his dream of “one United North” has since been thrown out the window.
Ahmadu Bello would be shocked that bandits, terrorists and night marauders have continued to make life unbearable for millions of people across the north and the Nigerian government under the leadership of Muhammadu Buhari (one of the beneficiaries of his extensive social/military programmes) appears helpless in dealing with a problem that has further worsened the economic and social standing of the region in global affairs.