By Kayode Awojobi
A trip down to memory lane, on this day, the nooks and crannies of this great nation was filled with utmost jubilation and celebration based on the independence granted by the British Colonialists. The nation was granted autonomy which entails the power to carry out governance on her own without any external force. Indeed, it was a day of joy and absolute gladness both in the life of young and old in the entire nation and those in diaspora.
The speech delivered by the Governor General, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe arose the hope of Nigerians with the assurance that sooner or later, there will surely be a radical and unimaginable growth and development that will make the country the best among her counterparts in the world. But has this hope come into reality? Maybe Yes or No, the response is yours to decide.
From time immemorial, reverse has been the case of this nation and the hope of the masses has been dashed for a very long time. It wouldn’t be a wrong question to ask, if Nigeria’s Independence has been a curse or a blessing because countries that were given independence at about the same time with Nigeria have moved forward and are taking apex position when it comes to economy, education, health, science and technology and host of others. However, our dear country after 60 years of gaining independence is still parabulating in the same level it used to be.
Factually, of all walks of life, if there is anything that Nigeria is unanimous about, it is the fact that Nigeria has a stunted growth. Countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and many others that were at the same developmental level with Nigeria in the 60s during the peak of decolonization process have since gone ahead on the human, material, infrastructural development scales. In contrast, Nigeria the most populated black nation in the entire world appears to be on a steady decline and delay.
It wouldn’t be a wrong connotation, if I posits in this piece that based on the scenario that surrounds this nation at this time that, “our right senses have left and only the wrong ones are right”. Indeed, you don’t need any soothsayer or fortuneteller to tell you the fate of this nation. Speaking on the governing strategies of our dear nation, majority of those at the helms of affairs in this nation after 60 years of independence are highly ranked set of rascal either knowingly or unknowingly. When today’s political class are compared to those in the 60s and 70s, who aims is to loot the commonwealth instead of working towards national growth and development that will benefit the entire citizen of the nation.
Several years after the advent of our dear independence, the nation’s health sector is still in shambles, a nation like Nigeria should always be applauded when it comes to health sector, but reverse is the case. Our social amenities are noting to write home about, majority of roads that surrounds this nation can now be likened to death trap which indeed is a big slap on our face. Electricity has given way to darkness, nonetheless, there are cases of hike in price and estimated billing.
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 progressive and forward looking nation of the world. As we celebrate our 60th year of independence, our leaders should start converting their ambition to various sectors to workable and result-oriented socio-economic policy and programme that will turn the economy around at the shortest time possible.
On this note, I wish fellow patriotic Nigerians both home and abroad, a Happy Independence Day celebration, but, where do we go from here?
