𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐎𝐌 𝐎𝐑 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐌?- BY YUSHAB ABOLORE AYOMIDE

Today, Nigeria celebrates another independence day, but my heart bleeds with every passing year. The familiar slogans echo through my mind: "Nigeria go better," "Nigeria will be great again." But I'm consumed by doubts.

Was Nigeria ever good? Was it truly great? Or are these just empty promises, a cruel tease? I've grown up hearing those words, but seen only stagnation.

Good, better, best – the sequence haunts me. For something to improve, it must first be good. But Nigeria's narrative seems to begin with "bitter." Our leaders blame the past, while the present festers.

I question my existence, wondering if I was born too early or too late. Did Nigeria's greatness exist only in folklore, a myth crafted by deceitful tongues? Every administration points fingers, shifting responsibility, while our nation crumbles.

We're blessed with abundance – resources, talent, life – yet we live as if we have nothing. Our currency, once strong, now wilts like a wounded flower. Our currency can't even compete in the world currently. The world watches, and I hang my head in shame.

Oh, Nigeria, how did we fall so far? Our freedom feels like free doom, a prison of unfulfilled potential. I yearn for answers, but they evade me.

As I gaze upon our tattered flag, I wonder:

What happened to our dreams?

Where did our greatness go?

When will we break free from this cycle of despair?

My words are but a cry in the wilderness, a drop in an ocean of frustration. Yet, I scream:

"Nigeria, awaken! Your children are tired of the lies."

"Nigeria, rise! Your resources are being squandered."

"Nigeria, remember! Your greatness is not a myth, but a forgotten truth."

But my voice is lost in the void, drowned by the cacophony of broken promises.

Still, I hold onto hope –  my hope, your hope, our hope, a flame that refuses to die.

Perhaps, one day, Nigeria will be more than just a promise.

Perhaps, one day, we'll find our true freedom.

Until then, I'll keep asking if truly October 1st is our 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐎𝐌 𝐎𝐑 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐌?

©️ YUSHAB ABOLORE AYOMIDE

- Nigeria