Despite all odds, Nigeria would be celebrating her 60th anniversary on October 1, hence defiling various speculations and calls for break-up by some people, groups, analysts and even other developed nations who felt Nigeria’s independence was immature and not beneficial to Nigerians.
Though there are agitations by different groups demanding that Nigeria should either be restructured or broken up to allow for an independent nation to emerge from it, nonetheless, Nigeria is still under one entity as a nation not without various challenges in the past and present.
Traveling a little bit back into how the journey of Independence started on the 1st of October 1960, it is obvious that circumstances that led to Nigeria’s Independence were not without various agitations and struggles by some past leaders who felt that Nigeria was old enough to manage her affairs without the interference of the Colonial masters.
However, some people believe that those who struggled for the Independence of Nigeria from the hands of the colonial rulers did so out of selfishness and not out of a well-thought vision or plans for life after Independence, either right or wrong, they have their reasons and arguments to back such opinion.
FLASHBACK: The story of Nigeria’s 60th Independence anniversary won’t be complete without looking into how it all started.
In 1914, the Southern Nigeria Protectorate was combined with the Northern Nigeria Protectorate to create the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. By the late 1950s, the call for independence of territories in Africa and the decline of the British Empire led Nigeria’s independence on 1 October 1960.
Jaja Wachuku received Nigeria’s instrument of Independence, also known as Freedom Charter, on 1 October 1960, from Princess Alexandra of Kent.
Also, the talks about Nigeria’s Independence won’t be complete without mentioning the name of some Nationalists who fought for it including the likes of Nnamdi Azikwe, Herbert Macauley, Ahmadu Bello, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Obafemi Awolowo and Anthony Enahoro, the first Nigerian to move the notion for Nigeria’s Independence in 1953.
Others are Ladoke Akintola and Oladipo Davies who all fought to ensure that Nigeria gained her independence.
However, it is imperative to ponder over if Nigeria is truly independent as claimed given the various challenges bedevilling the nation and its citizen, ranging from political, economic, security to social challenges.
Many Nigerian youths have become so desperate to travel out of the country due to the frustration they face, also in their pursuit for a better life, many youths have left the shore of the country to seek greener pasture in other countries not minding the risk involved.
“Nigeria Waxing Stronger Despite Doom Predictions”_ Hon. Adeogun
Speaking on Nigeria’s 60th Independence anniversary, the lawmaker representing Akoko South East/South West Federal Constituency in the
House of Representatives, Honourable Adejoro Adeogun has opined that Nigeria keeps waxing stronger despite the doom predictions by some people and Nations. During an exclusive interview with Everyevery.ng, the lawmaker compared Nigeria to a child with sickle cell anemia who celebrates 60th birthday amidst death speculations.
“We can compare Nigeria to a child with sickle cell anaemia that everybody says, this child would die young, the Child celebrates 30 years and everyone says he can’t live longer than 40 years and at 50 years, they say the child would be dead at 55 but at 60, the child is still alive”
He stressed that Nigerians gets stronger every day and stay together despite the various negative predictions noting that Nigerians have not allowed doomsayers to have their ways.
When he was asked if Nigeria’s 60th independence anniversary is worth celebrating, the lawmaker said Nigerians have reasons to celebrate given the fact that they have the freedom to choose the leaders that govern their affairs.
He stated that Nigerians would have a better understanding of the worth of the Nation’s independence if they are to compare what it feels like to live in apartheid, South Africa.
The Lawmaker said though there are some loopholes and many things that Nigeria is yet to achieve as a country, nonetheless, Nigerians have the things some other people are craving for which according to him is the freedom to choose their leaders.
According to him, Nigerian has done well in certain areas particularly in the area of human resources as he referred to a documentary stating that Nigerians are the most educated among the ethnicities in the
The United States of America.
“The problem has been in just one area and the problem is that our leadership hasn’t moved at the pace as the ordinary Nigerian. So, it is not about Nigeria as a country not doing well, it is not about the citizens not doing well, is that we haven’t produced leaders that have been able to match the pace of our aspirations.”
He noted that Nigeria as a country has recorded improvement in every area despite the challenges facing the Nation.
“In 1967 to 1970, Nigeria fought a civil war, the fact that we can live from 1970 till today and there is no other civil war is an improvement. We’ve had to battle the insurgency of Boko Haram and we survived it as a Nation, that is an improvement in the area of security.
In the area of infrastructure, there were days, when the best road in Nigeria was Ikorodu road, there was a time when the best building in Akure was Laco House, we are improving.
Meanwhile, the Lawmaker said Nigeria can do better by focusing on continuous and neverending improvement instead of assuming that Nigeria is not improving as a nation.
You will recall that Nobel Laurette, Professor Wole Soyinka had earlier warned that Nigeria is edging close to extinction given the different happenings in the country under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
Also, former President, Olusegun Obasanjo had stated that Nigeria is more divided under the President Buhari administration as he also described Nigeria as a failed nation.
On the occasion of Nigeria’s 60th Independence, it is important to ask if re-colonization is an option.
What Nigerians Are Saying About Nigeria’s 60th Independence
Mr Garuba, a resident of Abuja said “People in the rural areas are suffering, Nigeria is like a baby that has refused to grow, the only thing Nigerians see is different promises from the government. Nigerians are great people, the government only need to make sure that people in rural areas benefit from the dividends of democracy.”
Another Abuja resident, Mr Yahaya said “Things are not going well in Nigeria, President Buhari needs to look into re-opening the borders in the country. Also, the government should look into reducing the cost of fertilizers for farmers to have access to buying it to ensure food security.
All been said and done, governance is about the people, hence the need for people at the helms of affairs to look into the plight of the masses to put an end to the agitations in different quarters.
