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?
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