AT 53, Nigeria LIVES IN SWAMP OF DISASTERS

     Recently, the country celebrated her independence, since 1960 when the nation had gained freedom from the British colonialist; it is now ethos for the country to roll out every year in remembrance of her first day as sovereign country – worth celebrating. So far, the journey in the past up to the present moment, Nigeria, giant of Africa, it is a pity to say the country at fifty-three is even crawling like baby.

    As sovereign nation, we need to rule ourselves. Leadership at the initial ground started with ethnic base governance when each region in the country ruled by self-government headed by premier, prime minister at the centre. The system started well, Nigerians projected nothing less than greener pasture, therefore, the next fifty years when the nation top hills, the path of being slavery would erase from the minds. Nevertheless, the battle for tribalism runs in the mind of Nigerian leaders. It is not really the fervent interest to develop the whole country but to make regions belonging to each premier grows shoulder than the others – the regions was competitive enough to tell the truth. Premiers like Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikwe, Amadu Bello, who steered the wheel of the state, strived hard to remodel regions they had been to control. No one under their shade could complain hardship lest bad governance.

    Unfortunately, the nation that was so happy to gain independence, now suffering from bad leadership. Bad leadership is even vilest than that of colonialism, it was whites against blacks before. What can we call blacks maltreating blacks? The nation is doomed. ‘Thing fall apart,’ leadership turns to battlefield, many lives at stake at the expense of others. Everyone struggles to share national cake, in the process; innocent lives pass away just because one is fighting for power. What is the judgment? It started with coup de tat six years after the independence, swiftly turned to civil war, at this point more than enough lives perished and people remained continued their livelihood in penury. So many stars who were ready to serve the country buried under the shade of those who rule the land. ‘But the beautiful ones are not yet born.’

 Corruption has worn different colors. Nigeria is surely living in the swamp of disasters. You can expect a citizen of this country burying public funds in the pocket, many saved abroad while remaining used to threaten the life of those who defy their illegal actions. Corruption is not only on the neck of rulers, it runs in the blood of ruled too. At every doorstep, there is emblem of venality – they are ambassadors of doom, looming the deck of nation while people upstairs are out-of-the-way. Regrettably, people endanger their lives to venture in drug trafficking, looming of oil pipelines, internet fraud even money ritual is part of the list. However, ‘the gods are not to blame!’

 The nation is facing serious challenges. Insecurity is highly torrential; terrorism is intact, armed robbery as well kidnapping. In a nation that blessed with both human and natural resources, you cannot sleep and place your head on the pillow. The worst part of it is that many people live from this mess ravaging the country. Who are human carnivores? They live on the pains of suffered ones, continuing to enjoy at the other end of life. However, we cannot center blames on them, if government had eagerly quenched the needs of the state maybe this might not be so appalling like this, but thing continues to be going on this way without manifestation of positive changes.

  Unemployment, the insalubrious disease of the country, the city pregnant jobless graduates and hopelessness rules the air. Despite the fact that students across the country struggle every year to have their careers, the nation desist to pay much attention to their illness. They are all capable enough to compete with their colleagues at home and abroad. Unfortunately, there is no any drastic change from the government to heal the nation from this idleness.

  However, we are independent and our nation is free from external interference in the affairs of the state, but the country continues living in suffocating sweat for decades. It is by nature that a child continues to grow up every day even if it is not nurture by breast-feeding. For Nigeria now at fifty-three, five decades after the independent from external rulers, it still crawls like a baby. Who will heal the NATION?