Nigeria @50: The joy, the pains and the hopes
Our greatest moment of joy as a nation was perhaps independence itself, although some believe we achieved it so early. I think contrary, no time is too early for a people who seek self determination or independence to be granted same. With the joy of independence and the previous discovery of crude oil four years […]
Our greatest moment of joy as a nation was perhaps independence itself, although some believe we achieved it so early. I think contrary, no time is too early for a people who seek self determination or independence to be granted same. With the joy of independence and the previous discovery of crude oil four years earlier in the now south –south state of Bayelsa a truly agrarian economy complimented by oil exploration has been defined. With our unique blend of cultural, ethnic and religious diversity the unstoppable match to the making of the greatest African nation has been set in motion, the dream of becoming Africans greatest economy seemed realistic and almost unstoppable. At what point then, did we derail from this noble objective? our moments of joy and times in our national stride that would have made a difference were either truncated violently or naturally short lived, throwing the nation into a period of pain, tears and agony a period characterized by little or no economic progress towards what should have been our national objective.
The discovery of oil and the emanated wealth from crude sales and exploration created the political platform for the battle of who controls the greatest wealth of the nation. Crude oil discovery, exploration and refining that should have been our strength and source of joy has become a source of agony to a significant part our people. Greed displayed in its dreaded form of corruption robbed us of the beauty of this nature’s wonderful gift. This greed was so intense as to threaten our oneness as a nation. Military coups detat and counter coup detat before the civil war pointed to a form of greed or the other.
These coups pointed towards Selfish control and cravings for power for personal and sectional interest. The civil war is a consequence of greed, a just but painful price for our diversion from what should have been our national objective and goal. For almost three years we fought, and bleed in war- Nigeria almost bleed to death- but we survived injured, battered and bruised: a condition some had to live with for the rest of their lives. The civil war gave rise to distrust; it also gave rise to the use of a new vocabulary that was not so significant in our national usage- Marginalisation, a word that justifies the new kind of evil. The believe that a person or people are marginalised justifies their action of personal aggrandisement, nepotism or tribalism.
Between 1970 and 1991 Nigerian’s lost some of its finest men and officers in the military to coup detat motivated by a perceived sense of marginalisation and greed. During these dark days in our national history (a period remembered for several political murders, assassinations and elimination) the role played by certain Nigerians can hardly be forgotten.
The truncated Second republic and suspension of our political evolution for another nine to ten years by some actors of our post civil war gladiators was obviously uncalled for, as the worst civilian rule is better than the best military rule. Ken Saro Wiwa would not have been summarily executed under a democratically elected Government. The Niger Delta question would have been better answered before now have our democracy being allowed to thrive since the second republic. Despite the pain caused by misrule, greed and corruption, have the will of the Nigerian people being broken? What glimpse of hope is left?
The hope of any nation is the belief that the dreams of their founding fathers or the modified version of this vision/dream will and can be realised. Possibility of dream realization or time of realization depends on the political and economic will of the people. While country’s like the United States, China, South Africa and lots more may not have attained this dream, the sure have a lot to be grateful for as the tread the path to their dream land. For Nigeria our Golden Jubilee coincides with a great political moment in our national strive.
What becomes of us as a nation, or how far we go towards achieving the Project Nigeria dream is dependent on the political choice we make today. The present political platform is paraded with all manner of gladiators, some of whose misrule, open glorification of corruption and averse towards democracy is still very fresh on our minds. A few cronies of this people might be made rich or richer by electing them back to office but for sure a larger population of the Nigeria people will remain poor or become poorer.
“The days of individual happiness over national happiness is over forever”- anonymous.
Engineer Ehpraim Itodo Abah, writes from Abuja.