Our stand- Nigeria at 56: A country laid waste by its leaders

Nigeria is 56 years old today!

The history of our journey to political freedom need not be rehashed here. It is a tale that has been repeatedly told.

What is instructive is that every year, since October 1, 1960, we have gleefully regaled ourselves in self-deceit, making merry where we ought to be sober.

Fifty-six years after a concocted independence, Nigeria remains a classic story of stunted growth, a country laid waste by myopic vision fostered on her by a corrupt generation of ethnic champions masquerading as leaders and nationalists.

Indeed, five and half decades after the British lowered the Union Jack and left the stage, we are not any different from an old man who is just learning to walk.

It is a big shame that, at 56, we are in economic recession in the midst of abundance. By every measure, we are poorly ranked amongst other countries on basic indices of human development and growth.

Simply put, we have contracted economic kwashiorkor visited on us by a depraved gang of looters whose unholy act can best be described as insanity of the worst kind.

At 56, we have lost our vision! If, indeed, any was ever crafted, we have failed to honestly execute same for the very simple reason that our leaders had been blinded by greed. We are not at all amused by the orchestrated and selfish fight for power that has left real governance unattended to.

We are a people weighed down by surmountable challenges and tossed around by the vagaries of an unclear mission. Our destination is yet unclear as we remain unconvinced and undecided on whether to live together as a people or part ways. Some say we have never been more divided than we are today!

Read also: Dogara, not security invaded my office to destroy evidence, Jibrin alleges

Sadly, at 56, we are still deeply engrossed on how not to sacrifice merit on the alter of federal character principle or quota system. We practice nepotism even in the highest places and show no regards for competitive spirit.

At 56, our country sits on a time-bomb manufactured by years of absolute neglect of a rapidly growing youthful but jobless population who are willing to deploy violence as a legitimate means of gainful existence.

Worse still, more than 50 years after, our leadership recruitment process remains mostly tainted and highly manipulative, with little or no concerns for cultivation of strong societal values and follower-ship.

Today, we call for a total sober reflection on the challenges confronting Nigeria.

Away from excessive dependence on oil, we see great opportunities in a knowledge-based economy and call for a rapid revolution in the education sector as a long term strategy to reclaim the commanding heights of our economy.

We advise, with a sense of urgency, that the leadership of the different arms of government, especially the executive and legislature, at both federal and state levels cease the unwarranted distractions that have thrown governance to the dogs.

We strongly call for a revisitation of the salient points in the last National Confab Report as we believe that having them form a fresh basis for any constitutional review or amendments will help engender, among the constituents, a spirit of fairness, equality and justice.

We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to lead from the front, showing himself an exceptional model in sacrifice built on integrity and strict adherence to rule of law.

Finally, we warn that a revolution is imminent if successive governments continue to pool wool over the eyes of Nigerian masses and or take them for a ride.

…A RipplesNigeria editorial.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now