Nigeria at 60: Politicians can celebrate, not peasants

The Union Jack was lowered about 60years ago at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos and all hopes were as tall as Cocoa House in Ibadan, but 60years after, all hopes are being lost like our precious Dapchi and Chibok girls. My job here is not to praise either the current or previous governments; those who are being given crumbs that fall from the corridors of power to do that are doing a ‘good’ job.

Employing the tool of hindsight, I wish the Union Jack was not lowered when it was done so, because we have demonstrated over the years that we cannot responsibly and adeptly lead ourselves. As a matter of fact, in a context of nation building and governance, I doubt very much if the Black-man can lead himself! Leadership in Nigeria is used to amass and stockpile wealth. And when you stand to speak against the ills that daily romance us as a people, leadership positions are going to be used to silence you. What I am addressing here predates the administration of President Buhari.

On the condition that British folks had waited for forty (40) more years, they would have helped us to develop Nigeria. Zungeru was the first capital of Nigeria and while Lord FD Lugard was leading from there, there was constant supply of electricity. Why is it that in 60years we cannot replicate what they were able to do when they were on our soil? I lived on the Plateau for more than four (4) years. At Dorowa, Barkin Ladi, apart from NEPA in those days, there was NESCO. I am not sure if it is still in existence. NESCO was planted by those White folks—who were on the Plateau for business for decades, extracting some natural resources, depleting their land. When they were going, they left NESCO behind and throughout my stay at that part of the state; NESCO was more reliable than NEPA! We were having light for about twenty (20) hours daily!

Before I left Dorowa, I went to check one of the power stations of NESCO and I saw that it was almost in ruins. On the condition that the White folks were still here, they would have maintained it, supplying electric power to the people for twenty-four (24) hours daily. Why is it that in 60years, we cannot replicate what Fredrick Lugard did and those who planted NESCO on the Plateau? God has trusted us with so much as a people, but we have so much squandered it all through blindness and greediness. Over the years, we have been using our rare intelligence to defraud ourselves, instead of using them to better our own lot. This is extremely sad.

Since the birth of Nigeria in 1960, poor (poor in ideas, character and vision) people (who are yet to be liberated from the impact of slavery) have been leading us and you know that when poor folks lead, they over reward themselves. You serve a state as a governor for eight (8) and amongst other unreasonable things, apart from collecting security vote and other perks of office that governors in America do not have access to, two (2) mansions are going to be built for you at choice locations while a peasant serves Nigeria for 35years and he or she leaves for his or her home with nothing! I opine that politicians are celebrating Nigeria being sixty (60) years, because Nigerians are the easiest people to govern on earth. All you need do is to divide them along politics (that has no ideology) religion and ethnic.

In 60years, we have succeeded in making our sons and daughters hate our country. Nigeria used to be their pride. Go on social media and see the way our children now talk about the former giant of Africa. You will see an army of a disappointed generation. They daily vent their anger and frustration. It is thoughtless to blame them, because the reason they have come to hate with passion a nation they once loved is because our political-leaders do not love Nigeria. Everyone is in the corridors of power to get, not to give. Can you show me one politician—who is only in power for peasants? Not even PMB!

Patriotism cannot be found in our offices and on our streets as long as it is not in the corridors of power. Can you show me a patriotic-politician in the corridors of power today? Can we have just one? I think not. Some folks are everywhere screaming that they want to pull out of Nigeria. I share their pain and frustration, but pulling out of Nigeria is not the solution to their problems. Take for instance, if Yoruba pulls out of Nigeria today, who are those that will govern “Oduduwa Republic”? Are they going to be imported from Jupiter? Are they not going to be the same people governing you now? If Biafra Republic pulls out today, it is not going to bring an end to their suffering and frustration in that part of the country. In-fact, it will increase and multiply their woes! We need to admit that we are just a bunch of wicked, greedy and selfish folks, who hate and detest ourselves!

As I begin to coast home, I am not really interested in whether the anniversary logo was plagiarized or not. And I am not interested in who handled the contract and at what cost. I am old enough to know that nothing is done in the corridors of power out of love for the people; everything is done to satisfy self and feed greed. Gone are the days when an ‘ordinary’ Nigerian ended up designing our flag, today, you must know some politicians before you can get anything done. Away from all that, what we need is not an anniversary logo, what we need is all our flags flying at half-mast!

What precisely are we celebrating, that politicians are rich and ludicrously being rewarded—when we are daily being told that the nation is poor? Have you forgotten that some of our secondary-girls were kidnapped on our soil and sold into slavery? And till this moment, they are not free yet. If they were your children, would you celebrate? Do you expect their parents to also roll out drums on the 1st of October, dancing naked with you? Also, at 60, about 90% of our people are living in abject poverty and millions of them are sleeping in varied IDP Camps. They cannot return to their homes, because we cannot protect them. Politicians can celebrate, but the truth it; peasants have nothing to celebrate!