Flag of Nigeria. Vector illustration
Nigeria at 64
By Julius Oweh
Nigeria has the unique but dubious distinction as a nation blessed with rich human and natural resources but plagued with leadership deficit.
Apart from the brief illuminating rule of the First Republic,
every successive government became descend into anarchy and chaos
Soldiers and politicians see the country as a conquered place for pillaging and primitive accumulation of wealth.
Service to the nation is more of lip service and we celebrate 64 years of independence,
hunger and poverty is the trademark of the nation.
And this was the theme worked by the Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori in his independence message. Oborevwori said with piercing irony that Nigerians are hungry and hopeless. This is the tragedy of a nation where the wealth are in few hands and in the lingo of born again Christians, the rest of us are gnashing our teeth.
Independence day is supposed to be occasion for celebration and stock taking. Today petrol is N1000 per litre and the Naira, our currency is worthless against the almighty dollar. I remember my days as a student in Akoka, 60k could fetch one dollar. Foreign students and lecturers were flocking to our universities. Young Nigerians were not interested in schooling in Europe and America. Today reverse is the situation as one dollar can get you almost two thousand Naira. You hit your head against wall, where we got it wrong.
I am not very good in the esoteric language of economics but when 50 thousand Naira cannot take care of a family of five, something fundamentally must be wrong with the nation economy.
I would take the case of our four non functioning refineries. Nigeria is blessed with crude oil and gas and if well managed, no Nigerians would suffer from want. The wealth of this nation in the best and practiced hands of managers could guarantee adequate food, health care, housing and education for every Nigerian. But our leaders are more interested in lining their pockets for self, family, friends and cronies.
Why are our refineries not work and why should an oil producing nation be importing refined petroleum products even from countries that do not have crude oil? Is it not a shame that one man built refinery and the impotent NNPC is dictating who should buy petroleum products from Dangote Refinery?
Something is wrong with the nation.
The dirge and lamentation shall continue as long as the method of recruitment of leaders continue. All the political parties are guilty. Even as common and ordinary as a councillor, you must rig the election. A council chairman must be loyal to the governor and state party chairman to be selected. Those who cannot conduct free and fair council election blame INEC for rigging of elections. If we want the nation to change, we must start with ourselves. Our leaders are bad, but most Nigerians if put in leadership position would adorn the toga of aloofness and dictatorship.
But the moral burden is on those in leadership position to be better than us and minister to our welfare and happiness through the instrumentality of our commonwealth.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori are my focus today. Tinubu at Eagle Square without getting handover note from President Muhammadu Buhari said fuel subsidy was gone. Minutes later, unpatriotic Nigerians jerked up the pump prize of petrol. Despite Labour half attempt at strike, Nigerians are today passing through hell. Many of my patriots go to bed hungry. This is what our elected leaders are making us to pass through.
At the state level, my governor is talking of MORE agenda with nothing visible on the group. Most of the achievements of the government are found in the media space.
As we celebrate 64 years of misrule and pains, Nigerians must take their country back. This grosteque and nightmarish image of man child depending of ‘feeding bottle’ federalism must stop. Sitting on the fence and fingers shaking would not take us anyway. All the same, happy independence day.
