ARTICLE ' HAPPY COCKTAIL TO NIGERIA '

Nigeria. The greatest black nation on the face of the earth and the giant of Africa, having moved a step further to a century of existence, has much to be proud of and so much more to weep for. On October 1, 2020, Nigerians will be celebrating six decades of independence, a celebration that would be approached with a cocktail of feelings ranging from pride, happiness and patriotism to disappointment, grief and indifference. 

While we celebrate our unity for staying together in an impossible union for over half a century, we are not unmindful of the horrors of the civil war that threatened this unity. We therefore mourn the martyrs of this bloody event, from both sides, and acknowledge the effect it has on the country and its citizens to this day.

While we celebrate our diversity and rich cultures, we are not unmindful of the differences this has come with and the use of these differences by extreme and intolerant elements to stir discord, hatred and enmity amongst us. We therefore, in the same vain, grieve the ethnic and religious conflicts we have experienced and increasingly continue to experience across the country, and mourn the innocent victims of these unfortunate events.

While we celebrate our riches  as a nation endowed with enormous size and resources, both human and mineral, we are not unmindful of our failure to optimally utilize these resources to build an economically strong and viable nation. We therefore sympathize with one another in this failure. 

While we celebrate our identity as citizens of the greatest black nation on the planet, we are not unmindful of the the crimes and indiscretions perpetrated by Nigerians abroad. We therefore, resent the obvious fact that being a Nigerian is no longer a thing of fancy abroad as it used to be.

While we celebrate our great minds and Nigerians whom have distinguished themselves in their various fields of learning both here and abroad and while we pride in our Nobel Prize in Literature, we are not unmindful of the fact that Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world, a number far more than the entire population of many countries. 

While pride in having the richest black man in the world, we are not unmindful that a substantial part of our population are poor, hungry and unemployed. We therefore sympathize with one another for being citizens of the poverty capital of the world.

While we celebrate the labour of our heroes’ past, we are not unmindful that the fruits of that labour have been prematurely plucked and stolen by our leaders. We therefore sympathize with one another for fate of bad leadership we have been condemned to. 

While we rejoice in our democracy we are not unmindful of its abuse by power and those wielding it and its shortcomings especially in a complex entity like ours. We therefore remember all those times that it was abruptly truncated by the military and the effects of those juntas on today’s Nigeria. 

We gulp in this cocktail as we place our sights and minds on the hope of a better day. Nigeria has already proven all theorizers and prophets of doom wrong by continuing to exist in spite of the tension that it envelopes. 

The next thing for the country is to focus on solving its own problems, by itself, and planning for a well secured future and restive years ahead as she continues to age. Optimism in our nation’s future is not easily had considering history and so much we have seen. I believe, however, that Nigeria performs wonders at its lowest ebb and when backed to a corner. Now more than ever describes that situation and we look forward to experiencing the Nigerian miracle as we envision a century of greatness and much promise.

Happy Independence Nigeria !

A. A. Abiodun SEN.

Kwara State University.

(A proud Nigerian)