Kayode Awojobi
A trip down to the memory lane, on this day, the nooks ad crannies of this great nation was filled with utmost jubilation and celebration, Independence was finally granted by the British Council and Nigeria was now a sovereign nation with her autonomy and colonialism a thing of history. Indeed, it was a day of joy and absolute gladness for both the young and old in the nation and those in the diaspora. The then speech delivered by the ceremonial President Dr. NNamdi Azikwe arose the hope of Nigerians with the assurance that sooner or later, radical and unimaginable growth and development would take place, making the country the best among her counterparts in the world. The reality of this hope is yours to decide.
From time immemorial, the reverse has been the case of our nation, and the hope of the masses dashed for so long a time. It wouldn’t be a wrong question to ask if Nigeria’s Independent has been a curse or a blessing because countries that were given independence at the same time as Nigeria have moved forward and are taking apex position in the economy, education, health, science, and technology and a host of others, but our dear country 60 years of gaining independence still perambulate in the same waters it used to.
Factually, in all walks of life, if there is anything that Nigeria is unanimous about, it is the fact that Nigeria has stunted growth. Countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and many others that were at the same development level as Nigeria in the 60s during the peak of the decolonization process have since gone ahead in human, material, infrastructural and development scales. In contrast, Nigeria the most populated black nation in the world appears to be on a steady decline and delay.
It wouldn’t be a wrong connotation if I posit in this piece that based on the scenario that surrounds this nation at this time, that “ our right senses have left and only the wrongs are right” and indeed, you do not need a soothsayer or fortuneteller to tell you the fate of this nation. Speaking on the governing strategies of our dear nation, the majority of those in the helms of affairs in this nation after 60 years of independence is high ranked set of rascal either knowingly or unknowingly compared to those in the 60s and 70 whose aim is to loot the belongings of the masses instead of working towards national growth and development that will benefit the nation and her inhabitants.
Several years after the advent of our dear independent, the nation’s health sector remains in shambles, a nation like Nigeria should always be applauded when it comes to the health sector, but the reverse is the case. Our social amenities are nothing to write home about, the majority of roads that surrounds this nation can now be likened to a death trap which indeed is a big slap on our face, talking of our electricity, this has also turned to nothings as we now dwell in darkness with the hike in price.
Nigeria has been stagnant for too long and it is high time we all and most especially those in leadership turned a new leaf and take our dear country to her rightful position in the comity of the progressive and forward-looking nation of the world as we celebrate our 60th year of independence. Our leaders should start converting their concern to various sectors to workable and result-oriented socio-economic policies and programmes that will turn the economy around in the shortest time possible.
On this note, I wish my fellow patriotic Nigerians both home and abroad happy independence day, but, where do we go from here?.
