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Nigeria: 44 wasted
years
By Isioma J. Madike
It was October 1,1960 when
Nigeria of all Regions, tribes, men and women happily lowered the Union
Jack and foisted Nigeria's Green - White - Green flag representing her
full freedom from the Colonial Masters. It was the day Nigerians were
happy to be freed from colonial domination politically, economically and
culturally. Nigeria's destiny was left to her the day the British
colonialists handed over to politicians.
When Nigeria gained
independence, shouts of happiness and joy rented the air. We beat drums,
sang songs, drank and danced and the whole world rejoiced with us. We then
had our own national anthem and we recited "Nigeria we hail the, though
tribes and tongues may differ, in brother-hood we stand". However, it is
unfortunate that today the happiness and joy that rented the air in 1960
is no more. We cannot sing the song of joy again. We cannot dance again or
else it becomes a mockery dance of our wretched lives. Our tribes and
tongues differ and we no longer stand in brother-hood. Since the colonial
masters left us, we have been sailing on the sea politically, economically
and technologically unable to berth.
Now 44 years after independence, we are still a
toddler, a baby still crawling, still being bathed, spoon-fed and
controlled in all aspects of life. It is a pity that the more we are aging
the more childish we remain. It is a pity that the more other nations are
progressing the more backward we are. It is a pity that the more
experience we have the more our tale of woes and sorrows increase
politically, economically and technologically.
When the colonial masters were
leaving, what they had in mind for us was political freedom, economic
survival, technological advancement and intellectual improvement. Thank
God for the likes of Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka that came out
of Nigeria proving to the world our excellence in academics or else we
would have had nothing to prove. In other areas, the military and their
civilian counterparts have trampled upon them like the sprouting seeds
trampled upon and killed - never to grow.
The military that dominated
governance as if it is what they enlisted for in the army and treated it
like their fathers' estate had left nothing to cherish. Moreover, their
civilian counterpart especially the present civilian government has so far
done nothing to suggest that the Nigerian nation state is truly
independent. The tiny civilian clan in government who over the years
collaborated with the military has ruined us economically, siphoning our
oil money abroad while Nigerians are crying of poverty and dying of
neglect.
All past heads of State,
Gowon, Obasanjo, Buhari, Babangida and Abacha have contributed little or
nothing to our development. Gowon governed with immaturity saying "money
is not our problem but how to spend it". He lavished the Nations money
paying the neighboring countries civil servants salaries while Nigerians
were suffering.
General Olusegun Obasanjo
ruined us politically as he mischievously handed over to Alhaji Shehu
Shagari. Till today the election fraud remains part of our problems.
During Shagari's era, uncompleted contracts were paid for inspite of other
irregularities that characterized his government. It was also the period
Chief A.M.A. Akinloye launched his "Champagne" far away in Germany while
Nigerians were suffering at home.
The Buhari/Idiagbon regime
came with iron hands. They could have assisted in bringing sanity into
Nigerians, but they turned deaf ears to the masses, they were insensitive.
The 'just' politicians like late Chief Micheal Adekunle Ajasin
unnecessarily suffered in their hands despite his integrity.
The General Ibrahim Babangida
regime was not better than Adolf Hitler who killed about six million Jews.
Babangida came to destroy Nigeria like locust pest that destroys
farmlands. Like cancer, he destroyed the political arena. Up till now,
there is no cure to our political situation due to his criminal annulment
of the June 12, Presidential election won by the late Chief MKO. Abiola.
Abacha's regime on the other
hand was like the era of emperors Nero and Caligula in ancient Rome,
Abacha virtually killed the nation. His crude method of looting and
governance can never be compared to anything. By the time he died,
Nigerians had already been reduced to walking corpses.
However, the return of Baba
Iyabo from the military 'Khaki' to 'Agbada' has not changed the situation
for the better. Even his imprisonment by Abacha did little to change his
person. He is even worse off now than his military era. Ever since his
return to power in this civilian dispensation, everything according to the
late Afro beat icon - Abami eda has turned "up-side down". Nothing seems
to be working any longer. The political structure gone with the
institutionalization of a one party state; the value of the Naira gone;
unemployment raise to the sky; refineries in perpetual none-working
condition making the attraction of importation of petroleum products the
business of the day. Kerosene for the poor masses now selling at N60 per
litre or more and the anti-corruption crusade Obasanjo claimed is the
bed-rock of this administration is only glorified in the media with just a
few 419 'scape goats' etc. etc.
Nigeria has lost all that the
colonial masters left behind including her best politicians and the best
presidents she never had in persons of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and Chief
MKO Abiola who died fighting for the enthronement of true democracy.
It is high time we
democratized in the true sense of it and be freed from the shackles of the
tiny ruling class that held us hostage for long. Perhaps George W. Bush
and his America should come over to Nigeria to arrest the civilian
terrorist in government and take over the governance for at least 4 years.
This way Nigerians will benefit from the practical ruling experience of
America tutored to be the best democracy the world over, and share from
America's huge budget in combating terrorism in Iraq and the Middle East
since Nigeria has also been under political terrorism since her
independence.
This suggestion is apt when
one considers the fact that we need another independence - political
independence, economic survival, technological advancement and
intellectual improvement from our new indigenous civilian terrorist,
sorry! Colonialist.
� Madike wrote in from Ogba
- Lagos.
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