The Insight by Lateef Adewole
“Sixty years of nationhood provides an opportunity to ask ourselves questions on the extent to which we have sustained the aspirations of our founding fathers. Where did we do the right things? Are we on course? If not, where did we stray and how can we remedy and retrace our steps?” – President Muhammadu Buhari
Firstly, let me use this auspicious occasion to felicitate with fellow Nigerians on our Diamond Jubilee Independence Anniversary. My congratulations go President Buhari who is the leader of the country at this time. I watched the colourful celebration at Eagle Square, Abuja, on Thursday, October the first. The parades, the artistic displays, the cultural dances and exhibitions, the different acrobatic, balletic, and sportic performances were awesome. The unique display by the Airforce with their three fighter jets oozing out coloured smoke to mimic our national flag’s colours of green-white-green was exciting to watch.
That was a joyous moment and one would wish everyday is like that. Unfortunately, as we say; “everyday no be Christmas”. All Nigerians deserve celebration and to be happy. If not for anything, for the grace of being alive alone at this time in the year. This year remains the most tumultuous one in the past hundred years, with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic which brought the world to its kneels. The global infections now stands at 34.5 million people with a death toll of 1.02 million and recovery of 25.9 million as I write.
Nigeria has her own share, with about 59,127 infections, 50,593 recovery and 1,112 deaths as at this morning. This figure is excluding all other kinds of calamities that have befallen and or still befalling the country which has led to countless deaths of innocent citizens, such as other diseases, boko haram killings. Bandit attacks, kidnappings, armed robberies, floods and so on. Therefore, why won’t we, who are alive be joyous and show gratitude to the Almighty for keeping us till date? We pray for the repose of those who died one way or another.
So, irrespective of the current challenges that may be facing us as individuals or collectively as a country, there is always a silver lining. “Bi o ti wu ki oru le ru to, imole yio pada wa bo”. Congratulations to all of us. Happy 60th Independence Anniversary.
In Nigeria today, I categorise myself into the third generation of people alive. The first being those who are 75 years and above. Second are in their 55 to 75 years. While the third are in the range of 40 to 55 years of age. This is where I belong. And as young as I am right now, I have seen a bit of glorious Nigeria in my life time. This makes me to constantly ask myself this question: “who stole my country?”.
I have witnessed on numerous occasions, debates about the greatness of a nation. When a statement like; “Nigeria will be great again” is made, I see how some people vehemently disagree and queried whoever made such assertion if Nigeria was ever great before and when? Sincerely, the first time I witnessed that scenario, I was caught off-guard. It pushed me into serious retrospection and I reflected on our past and I could not come to a categorical conclusion.
The arguments were always that, at no point in the past can we really claim greatness of our country in all ramifications.
Frequently presented examples are the likes of Singapore. The socio-political and economic transformation of that country during the revolutionary period of Lee Kuan Yew, which transformed that small country from a “third world to first” (the title of one of his books), is what could be referred to as greatness.
The indisputable example of greatness of a nation is China. Other countries like India at a time, South Korea, Japan, Dubai, and so on, are examples which the antagonists of “Nigeria’s past greatness” usually cite and they have valid points.
However, in my ruminations and deep thoughts, I realised that as a bad as things might have gotten to presently, we have had some times in the past that were not so gloomy. Well, some might also argue that I was looking at it from the prism of what prevailed in the Western region whenever I talk about 1979 to 1983. But I believe that other regions were not really far off at that time too.
Or, was it not in this same country we attended free public schools, which were far better than private schools, however bad the standards might have been? In fact, someone like me, who came from a humble background, might not have been educated if school fees were like what is obtainable today. I had free education from Western Nigeria at elementary level. We were given free textbooks, notebooks, writing materials, and all. We only needed to sew uniforms and be fed by our parents for us to be educated.
It was the same to some extent at the secondary level with little fees introduced some years later after the democratic government of second republic was toppled. I could go from one higher institution to another, even forfeited a programme at HND2 level in The Polytechnic, Ibadan and left for another degree in The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), only because the school fees then were extremely cheap. I don’t think I paid up to 5000 naira in total as tuition fees for the whole of my university education. Isn’t that incredible? Let’s not talk about the second generation, who were “pampered” as university students.
They ate so well that when their full chicken ration for their meal was reduced to half, they rioted. Their meal cost per day was increased from 1.50 to 2.0 naira. Their clothes were dry-cleaned for them, hot tea and cold drinks flowed through taps. Their time was when companies chased after students who were about to graduate. Many final year students would already have had two or more employment letters on their desks even before they finished their final year examinations. It was in this same Nigeria. Immediately they started working, they were given brand new cars. Some, included houses as official quarters. Life couldn’t have been more blissful. We in my age group did not enjoy those luxuries. We struggled for everything after those early rosy years.
The same quality services were available to us at the hospitals. General hospitals were the best. Who would even go to private hospitals then to risk their lives? Likewise in other parts of our lives. Power was bad but not like this. There were roads, old, narrower but well built and properly maintained, unlike the “super highways” of today that have become death traps from negligence. Naira was stronger than many currencies, including the “almighty dollar”. Pound sterling was slightly higher. Economy was good. Food, shelter, and other basic needs were affordable.
“Ti omo ko ba ba itan, yio ba aroba”. The reference point in our national life still remains some years pre-independence and few years after independence, precisely 1951, when self-rule was allowed by the colonialists up to 1966 when the first republic was truncated. This was the era that the people alive who I put as first generation usual regale of. Whenever they recall those years, it is always with nostalgia.
Isn’t it a big shame for the leadership in the South-West of today (4th republic) if what we still benchmark developments against is the time that late Chief Awolowo was the Premier of Western region? What about the South East and the North? People still talk about developments during the time of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Sir Ahmadu Bello, when such developments of 60 years or more should have become inconsequential when juxtaposed with the strides of years after, but alas!
The worst is that, it is these two earlier generations who benefitted immensely from the goodness of this country, that are also responsible for the destruction of the country and have put us in this mess that we are in. Some early starters of my generation might also be guilty. But largely from personal experience, and my point of view, I have struggled for everything I had to achieve from later part of my secondary to higher institutions and searching for jobs. It was like “war”. Now, things have fallen apart. The generations following mine have lost hope in the country. They are giving up already.
Isn’t it the same country that one could travel across the country by road even at night without fear of being kidnapped, killed or violently robbed? Where farmers are not apprehensive to go to their farms? Where despite our diversity, we often unite on many issues? Isn’t this the same country that peace once reigned among different ethnic groups which encouraged many to travel and settle down in any part of the country without feeling unsafe? Who stole my country?
Now that we are here, are we going to remain like this forever? Truly, our situation is not all gloomy. We have attained many developmental strides as a country but we are not where we are supposed to be, given our endowments, both natural and human. Few countries in the world can boast of our God-given endowments. In resources on the earth’s surface, and underground, inside water bodies and beneath. The climate and weather conditions which are favourable for human and animal habitation, as well as for agriculture, coupled with fertile soils across the length and breadth of the country.
Human resources are our biggest and most valuable assets. We are not only the most populous black country on earth, the citizens are outstanding in many spheres. Home and abroad, our people display their brilliance, intellects, talents, resilience, and creativity. Nigeria is a country overflowing with gifted and talented people. Our citizens rule the world wherever they are given any chance in any field of endeavour, be it academics, sciences, medicine, Engineering, research, sports, entertainment, politics, entrepreneurship, and so on.
But with all of these, what have we achieved as a country? Nigeria wastes her assets. Citizens never have opportunities to fully attain or showcase their potentials, until many left the shores of the country. Many have died with their talents. And our country and all of us are losers for it.
The root causes of all of these are leadership and governance structure. Like the statement of President Buhari quoted above, whatever anomaly that characterised the first republic, it was still referred to as the golden era of Nigeria. If so, why can’t we go back there or at least, revisit it, pick what worked then and apply to our present. The military coup of 1966 and subsequent coups destroyed our democratic structure.
The competition among regions which drove developments at the time was killed with the collapse of that parliamentary system of government which operated in the country with four interrelated autonomous regions. The foisted federal system since 1979 which was fashioned after the military unitary system of “command and control” since 1966, has never worked for us. It is encumbered with monumental wastes, corruption and failure prone. Why can’t we revert to a regional system with adjustments to suit the present day situation? Many Nigerians are not asking for balkanisation of the country but we need a structure that will work and serve the people. The country is not working as it is right now. We cannot continue like this.
The citizens also have their blame. What do they expect to get after they sell their souls to the devil during elections? They sell their votes. They trade their destinies for “plates of porridge”. The people are simply reaping what they sow. The followers are as guilty as their leaders. Until we are all ready to choose rightly, true leaders who will serve us, most of whom do not have deep pockets to buy our conscience, we will remain like this. Posterity will judge all of us as a people. Every nation deserves the kind of leaders they get.
In all, there are still much to be grateful for and celebrate as Nigerians and a country. The developments in rail system, telecommunications, entertainment, agriculture, infrastructures, and others, are progresses made. That the country is not “on fire” despite what we are going through in insecurities and economic hardship while brazen stealing of public funds by public officials goes on, is grace. While this is not a call to arms but it is also a wake up call. Nigerians are too complacent, indolent, and becoming “irresponsible” about their plights. People should rise up, demand performance and accountability from their elected and appointed political leaders and public servants. Enough is enough.
Happy 60th Independence Day.
God Bless Nigeria.
Lateef Adewole is a political analyst and social commentator can be reached by email lateefadewole23@gmail.com or via WhatsApp +2348020989095 and @lateef_adewole on Twitter
