By Ohanele casca, 08134192508
Arise o compatriot Nigeria Calls Obey … I pledge to Nigeria my country to be faithful, loyal and honest. Yes as a Nigerian, I must be honest to myself, to my fellow country men and to posterity.
Nigeria as a “country” is 53 years old and as a product of the colonial master, will be 100 years as an unwilling glued entity.
This year’s independence anniversary to many Nigerians is being celebrated with mixed feelings.
For me, I have come to see Nigeria as a full grown man at 53 who has many uncared for children. Nigeria as a man of 53 is yet to build a house, is yet to have a family, is yet to find its direction and infact has been sailing in a rudderless ship.
As a man at 53 the world expected that Nigeria with all the wealth at its disposal should have been where every member of the family will be proud to associate with.
From the North to the South, there have been discordant tunes on the way forward. Religious intolerance, political instability, ethnic crisis, class struggle, alienation of the poor by the rich, corruption and selfishness by members of the supposed family, Nigeria.
Nigeria at 53, a man with many children, gotten illegitimately from different women numbering more than 540 tribes.
These unwilling mothers forced into the family way by the colonial masters had children that were taught not to see the other children from other wives as belonging to the same man Nigeria. For many years, these strange children have come to see themselves not as compatriots but as rivals. With that scenario, the selfish among them who find themselves in positions of authority, capitalize on the perceived hatred to sow the seed of discord and use divide and rule to make the situation of Nigerian children worse.
Today, the children of Nigeria cannot attend good and quality schools. They are faced with sub standard schools, poor infrastructure and uncertainty as strike actions and closure of school have been the experience of Nigeria children as their father celebrates 53rd birthday.
Nigeria is an old man with no peace in the family. Religion that is suppose to be the facilitator of peace and mutual respect, has become the weapon of destruction.
Brothers can no longer have an understanding just because of religion that are imported with the coming of foreigners.
From the North, there is killing of innocent people in the name of Allah, in the South, there is kidnapping of fellow human beings for the sake of money. Life has no more value in Nigeria, what an old man of 53 with an unstable home and poor leadership.
Nigeria at 53, we still give what we do not have to other countries.
Nigeria distribute electric power to neighbouring countries but finds it difficult to fix the power needs of its citizen. Corruption is a norm in Nigeria. It is unofficially the in thing for corrupt people to be placed in positions of authority. In such scenario, what we get is nothing but perfection of corruption.
It is in Nigeria that a governor claims he is helping a state. What an Irony? An elected official do not see his position as a privilege and as a call to service by his people. He sees the wealth of a state as his personal property and estate hence how he uses the common wealth of the state is translated to mean helping the people and not rendering service.
Nigeria at 53, things have gone worse from the way they were some few years back except for physical structure scattered here and there with no direct positive impact on the well being of Nigerians We need not to be reminded of the era when Nigerians studying abroad were sent money from Nigeria, when being a graduate was a thing of pride and not the beginning of frustration.
Nigeria at 53, the wealth of the nation have disappeared into private pockets. Politicians now call the shot with ill gotten wealth. Members of the National Assembly allocate to themselves salaries without thinking about the welfare of other Nigerians.
Nigeria at 53, still young with no enviable achievements. In the area of sports we have not lived up to expectations.
In the area of Agriculture, we are still a baby being fed with imported foods.
If we continue to brood over our almost hopeless situation we will all continue in the same mistake.
The quick solution lies in the fact that every Nigerian must accept that he or she is part of the problem.
From the president to the ordinary citizen, we must decide to do something about our plight as a nation.
People irrespective of political party affiliations must see themselves as partners in progress and not to play politics with every issue. As we mark one Hundred years of the amalgamation of North and South of Nigeria, Nigeria as a man of 53 must call all the illegitimate wives for a round table discussion for them to determine whether they want to be his wives and with what conditions that they are ready to co exist as one family.
This dialogue is a must if Nigeria is willing to celebrate another birthday as a united nation. I must congratulate Nigerians though for their resilience, for suffering and smiling all these years in an attempt to find a nation. I want to congratulate my colleagues in the media for sacrifices they make uncovering the hidden truth and thereby strengthening our polity and fundamental right of freedom of speech.
I congratulate, our president, our governors, elected officials and charge than to put hands on deck to give a sense of belonging to this old man of 53, Nigeria.
