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‘Political Independence: Our Journey From The Sixties’

July 11, 2010

For what is independence if not to free a people from the tyranny? And what indeed should be the pre-eminent considerations in any independence struggle if not to re-establish the basic tenets of freedom, hope, human rights and prosperity to a downtrodden society? The sovereignty and dignity of any country lies in its people, not in belly-embellishment politicians.

For what is independence if not to free a people from the tyranny? And what indeed should be the pre-eminent considerations in any independence struggle if not to re-establish the basic tenets of freedom, hope, human rights and prosperity to a downtrodden society? The sovereignty and dignity of any country lies in its people, not in belly-embellishment politicians.
Our independence in 1960 was met with adulation by our people as a rescue from the clutches of colonial Britain, with message of hope. However, that hope and dreams was short lived in what will probably be the greatest act of betrayal, sabotage and disruption of the entire people…followed fast was June 12, the military wasted no time to destroying the dashing hope and aspirations of a young nation with the most debilitating and abhorrent system of corrupt, visionless and authoritarian dictatorship of the successive governments that subsequently infected our political lifeline to the point of hard reverse.

50 years later, Nigeria remains in the firm grip of dehumanizing, selfish bunch of unpatriotic laggards that was supposed to have freed our country from tyranny and improved our human condition .Instead, leadership, in their choice of standard is opposite… corruption which has cost our treasury over Trillions Dollars, as well as millions of  innocent lives.

For the past fifty sovereign years our people have endured political victimization, economic stagnation and rampant human rights violations. They can not speak freely or enjoy basic amenities-i.e., steady electricity, running water or healthcare. Annihilation of entire communities for the quest of oil at the expense of our fellow citizens’ lives. The list goes on.

Today the question must be asked: Has history absolve the struggle for independence? Or are Nigerians better off today than they were under colonial power? The sad and obvious conclusion is that as far as most Nigerians are concerned, our struggle is still far from over. The main purpose of decapitation of then our young republic was the acquisition and consolidation of power for gang of imperialists and cohorts while being a miserable failure in meeting the needs of our people.

The evil slavery and colonial past, so bandied about by some of our intelligentsia as the reason for our political and economical backwardness, is a logical claim to make but flimsy to the magnitude of our problems. The poverty and lack of progress in our country had more to do with the poor choice of economic governance and political greed than the slavery and colonialism.

Although often misguided in our government methods, the eminent human rights champions has never consciously exhibited anything but the best of intensions towards the leaders and the institutions of governance and, no one with modicum of fair play could draw the conclusion that freedom of speech, good governance and prosperity these noble patriots’ championing are deleterious to the best interest of Nigerians. And yet, they have been made to pay unnecessary price-police harassments, arrests and detentions-for championing calls for betterment of our people and the country they so much love and cherish.

If Nigeria is to maximize it developmental potentials and utilize the tremendous human resources that resides in our people, then the obvious progression of events now facing us will have to be a re-shaping of the federal system. Strict adherence to federal system with economical and political autonomy…which will certainly set the whole populace rejuvenated with a renew enthusiasm and creative thinking that would, undoubtedly lead us to unparallel economic growth and political harmony.

So far, this vital element of building a strong democratic and economic sustainability where every citizen would have a stake has not commenced. This process should, and will inevitably lead us to a strong democratically and economically solid new Nigeria. The path to this ultimate goal might prove to be a difficult proposition and requires courage and political will and broader consensus-possibly referendum.

The only choice of the strict federal system is the dilemma now facing us-Nigerians. There is really nowhere else to go at this time. It will mean an eventual ceding some economical and political powers to the states, in pursuit of a workable political system-economic growth. This may be a price that our current administration might not be willing to pay on the short term to avert foreseeing doom.

And ultimately, be it sooner or in time to come, this generation will demand a change of direction for our beloved country-where future generations of Abubakar and Obinna and Shegun will see each other as Nigerians with a shared national destiny. Until that time, the struggle continues.


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