Lamentations Of A Nigerian Youth On Independence Day

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 year’s 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 our being a free born and not a slave to any stranger.

Life was easy, people trusted the government and infact 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.

(They say) Graduates didn’t beg to apply for jobs unlike these days when graduates are forced to ask themselves if they had taken the right step by going to school. The economy was good and our very own Naira competes with the dollar.

If our grand fathers and mothers celebrates our independence back then surely, they have 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?

Over years in recent times, we are only being sent message of hope from our indigenous government. we believed them, later we lose hope. But can we lose hope completely on 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, love good economy, better life and independence was payed 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 a Administration which rode to power on the back of untiring and relentless call for change/revolution/seismic shift  now incarcerating those doing so now. Should we be happy? When our senators budget an humongous sum of five billion and five hundred million naira for cars! Ha!!! What are we celebrating when our policies doesn’t favour the masses?.

At fifty- nine years, 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 citizenry.

Some countries that are younger than Nigeria have much more to celebrate and show- case than this country. And at fifty- nine we are still here trying to get things right!.

Our problem is our government and we the people. Yes! The government only gets closer to us on the eve of election, deceive us, buys us and incarcerate some of us and we the people believe them, hail them( for absolutely doing nothing) and still put them into power again!.

Nigeria at fifty- nine and we are still infants in development and dependent on foreign loans and succor. 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 human face. Recently the CBN announced a cash less 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.

At fifty- nine, where’s the pension of retired civil/public servants that laboured for good 35years?.

At fifty- nine, where’s 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 of our independent statehood celebration.

-Olawale, an undergraduate, wrote in from Ibadan.

Disclaimer: This article is entirely the opinion of the writer and does not represent the views of The Whistler.