“Today, the country seems to have lost its core values and respects in the international space because of the unimaginable and unrepentant character of most politicians, whose conducts are now open-known in corruption, bad leadership, caging of institutions like the Judiciary, Police, and Army while citizens live in fear of the unknown.”
In 2022, Olorogun Miller Obrik Uloho, a prominent Urhobo chief, celebrated his 90th birthday. I was there live to enjoy the serenity and the ambient of the celebrant’s court.
It was Brig. Gen. Dr. Oviemo Ovadje rtd, OFR, that provided the opportunity for me to know the nonagenarian, who later requested that I should come and help him arrange his autobiography. I gladly accepted. Finally, within few months, I was able to help him retype the whole work, edit and publish, titled “ The Strength of An Eagle and Peace of A Dove” , paged 513. It was a tedious academic exercise I undertook to read the work, re-range it and finally got the work done and the revered Wiseman was able to present the book at the celebration of the birthday in December of that year. To the glory of God, his dream came to reality.
This narrative becomes imperative for those who cherish history and record keeping. I was happy that I assisted the old man to get his long time vision out. Certainly, Nations grow when its values on history are preserved.
The writers in Uloho’s book had chronicled how Nigeria was prior to the preparation for the request for self-serving nation:
“Several decades before 1957, and a decade after Nigerians did not require travelling visa to visit or stay in the United Kingdom. The Nigerian international passport of the holder, was stamped at the port of entry and exit, without much formalities but with mutual regards. It was because Nigeria was a colony of the British Empire until 1st October 1960, when Nigeria became an independent Nation. Then from that date, Nigeria mutated immediately into being a member of the Commonwealth Nation, with free entry and exit of her nationals into any of its group of Nations. Many European Countries, also did not require Nigerians to obtain visa from their Embassies in Nigeria, before entering into their countries. For instance, Germany did not request for visa from Nigerians, except our country imposed it on her citizens. There was international mutual regard and respect.”
This analogy was further compounded in another autobiography of the late Elder Vincent Sagua titled, Fisherman, which I also aided to write and publish:
“After coup and countercoup, was the killing of Gen. Aguiyi Ironsi, all that made me at that time not to see any positive plan for developing a country like Nigeria. Indeed, I could not read it or see anything good coming whereas we were expecting a lot from this country, but were disappointed by the attitude and character of our countrymen at the helm of affairs. The elder statesman reiterated however that, Nigeria’s problem was not just leadership, but collective, a system basically designed in a manner not to be at its best, because, for a country to succeed, the elements, the various portions that comes through that country must work together in unity for the purpose of development and peace but in Nigeria, it appears we are not like that, it appears we are in a constant struggles all the time, so we don’t have a common purpose and that has continued till date. As long as the country remains like that we won’t get to where we ought to.”
Today, the country seems to have lost its core values and respects in the international space because of the unimaginable and unrepentant character of most politicians, whose conducts are now open-known in corruption, bad leadership, caging of institutions like the Judiciary, Police, and Army while citizens live in fear of the unknown. History now makes no sense to our leaders, rather history of negativity is made of them. Is it not true today that Nigeria is more divided than even after the January 15, 1966 military coup and eventually the bloody civil in 1967, tagged by some western Newspapers as “unnecessary war. Are we not at war against ourselves today after 58 years of the war? Are we secure today in the country, has kidnapping, banditry, communal clashes, among other heinous crimes stop or even minimal, the answer is no. Nigerians die daily whereas, political class continue to live in glass houses with security guards that should be protecting larger citizens.
Has Nigerians really enjoyed the dividend of democracy since its return in 1999, maybe, to some level- as a result of few patriots who continue to sacrifice themselves in pursuit of democratic tenets.
Is it not general consensus that the National Assembly since the return of democratic rule has always been in the hand pits of the Executive to the detriment of citizens whose mandate they hold in oat? Sadly, justice is bought with the highest bidder, laws are made to favour the rich while education is in shamble, including the abuse of human rights and intimidation against larger part of the Nigerian people. How can a country survive with these attitudes of leaders of no conscience?
Regrettably, at 65, Nigeria is still crawling, still thinking of transformation, rather than innovation, scientific and dynamism, politicians are still promising citizens good road network, water, light, keke and bicycle empowerment, and cash transfer. It is indeed a blind idea and shame in the 21st. century.
The country’s lawmakers both states and national have become toothless bulldogs, jettisoning what benefits the masses but dance the music of the governors and president. Badly again, the country’s debt is now put at N149.293,Trillion, unemployment rate projection still stands at 4.84% according to the NBS, foreign reserve is $42 billion, whereas Nigerians cannot feel the impact of what government is borrowing for. Sincerely, Nigeria’s leaders seem to have lost direction on what leadership is all about.
Finally, the future of Nigeria lies in the hands of its citizens, that means, how they want their country to be run can be determined through the ballots come 2027, they must be ready to put their lives for the survival of democracy, they must be ready to exchange bullets of both peace and violent as may be planned by politicians. Nigeria should mark 67 years with leaders of foresight, empathy and true vision.
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