Today is yet another 1st of October; another day of celebration in Nigeria. For fifty four good years we have celebrated freedom from imperialists. For fifty four good years we have wasted our time in celebrating the achievement of others. For fifty years we celebrated achievements of purposeful leaders like Azikiwe. Men who gave their all to fight for a free Nigeria. They fought and won, handed the nation to us and all we have done for fifty four good years is celebrate their achievement yearly. What have we really done that deserves celebrating? Make this nation great we haven’t; unite its people we haven’t; provide security we haven’t; feed the poor and needy we haven’t. What have we done for this country that deserves accolades?
Year in year out, people with little knowledge of the real worth of this nation present us with their favorite lines of we have a lot to celebrate and the fact that we are still together as a nation. Like their dream for this nation is to see it disintegrate into parts. What are really these lots we have to celebrate?
For fifty four years we have celebrated poor health care system every year, high maternal mortality rate, poor access to safe and clean drinking water, high death rates from negligence and death traps called hospitals. Surely these are lots to celebrate.
For fifty four years we have celebrated a progressively retrogressive educational system. An educational system that once produced brilliant Nigerians worthy of emulation; brilliant men whose fellows contrived and connived to retrograde a once progressive educational system. For fifty four years they have celebrated their ‘great’ job of never allowing our education graduate from its nursery class.
For fifty four years we have celebrated enslavement of our brothers and sisters. Keeping them in abject poverty, unemployment and degrading state of livelihood. In this period, we ensured they never get out of the slave barriers we have kept them in by shutting the mouth of the people who could stand for them.
For fifty four years we have celebrated the wanton killings of our families, friends and countrymen. It started with the coups to oppressive soldiers, ethnic conflicts to religious conflicts, police ‘accidental discharge’ to victims of robbers. Now we have kidnappers in the Niger Delta and Boko Haram in the North East. These are the lots we have to celebrate.
For fifty four years we have celebrated the deterioration of our judicial system. Deterioration from a once upright one to a market judiciary. A judicial system where justice can be bought and sold any time one desires like a fish in the fish market in my ghetto.
For fifty four years we have celebrated a life in total darkness. We have celebrated a nation powered by generator sets. We have celebrated this darkness for fifty four years, celebrating our inability to provide stable electricity for our people. Yes and this is a lot to celebrate.
For fifty four years we have celebrated a propaganda media, a publicity media, a political media, a brown-envelope media. A media that is so sectional to the extent newspapers have become regional voices and mouth pieces of political godfathers. A media that has failed woefully to educate the young. A media that has failed in its primary function of disseminating balanced and accurate information. I am sure these lots are also worth celebrating.
For fifty four years we have joined them in celebrating the achievement of heroes past while they loot this nation dry. We have celebrated and slept for fifty four years while they sent their kids abroad for quality education; while go for medical checkups abroad and rub it all in our faces by creating mutual suspicion and hatred amongst us.
For fifty four years we stay celebrating nothing really. And today October 1st 2014 again we engage in another unnecessary celebration while our daughters are held captive by Boko Haram. How many days has it been again? Because sincerely I have lost count. Just the way I am sure we have no record of people who have met untimely death in the hands of the blood thirsty terrorists. Yes we have a lot to celebrate.
On these fifty four years of celebration I can go on and on but I think I should pause here. But please some of us are tired of celebrating people’s achievement for fifty four years. Some of us want to see justice. Some of us want to see enviable democratic institutions. Some of us want to see a Nigeria for all and not a Nigeria for cronies of political godfathers. Some of us are tired of hearing graduates are not employable when you haven’t yet provided the jobs that should employ them. Some of us are tired reading of 10 years experience for entry level jobs. Some of us are getting tired of a nation that isn’t sure if there is anything to celebrate.
I urge Nigerians to continue to celebrate. Yes! Continue to celebrate. Because Dubai celebrated without action, because Malaysia celebrated without action, because Singapore celebrated without action, because South Africa is still celebrating the achievement of the Mandela generation without working for a better nation today and for future generations yet unborn.
Unfortunately my countrymen, Malaysia won’t have been the education hub it is today if they had stayed celebrating like we are doing. I am not sure there is a single tertiary institution in Malaysia today where you would not find a Nigeria. If Dubai had stayed celebrating, I am very sure they won’t become one of the best and biggest tourists’ destinations the world knows today. If Singapore had stayed celebrating, it won’t witness this level of unprecedented development it is currently witnessing.
Sadly, Nigerians only compare themselves with other nations when they search for consolation. That is when you hear them saying things like it took even America this and that number of years. But when it is time to punish large scale corruption, you won’t hear or see any comparism with any nation. These lots we have celebrated.
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