Nigeria is made up of three major tribal groups: Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba-having over 250 ethnic groups. The country was really christened ‘Niger-area’ by Flora Shaw who later got married to Sir Frederick Lord Luggard, the first governor general of the Northern and Southern Protectorate. Our nation have been administered under a number of constitution namely; Richard’s, McPherson’s and Lyttleton’s . These pre-independent constitutions have tacitly form the core of Nigeria’s federalism. Nigeria currently has a population of over 120million people and occupies an area of about 924,000sq.km.It occupies about 14% of the West African region, [though it has about 80% of the region’s population]. Nigeria won her Independence in 1960 and became a republic in 1963.Shortly after she had her Independence everything was glowing and live was heavenly, probably then, our leaders were serving the nation as they ought to. Though, they were amassing a little wealth for their families, not as it is today where they steal exhaustively from government coffer to guarantee the live of many more generations of the yet unborn.
Nigeria was well respected after her birth by the outside world due to the teeming knowledge and ample adroit that abound in it. Her confrontation on France while other African nations held there arms akimbo. They were all watching like taciturn on the bombing of Sahara desert on the pretext of testing a missile boosted Her ego and sent the entire world agog. Nigeria earned for herself a name “Giant of Africa” She did lived up to it for a while, slumped and came back a few years ago. Some of the things that earned her high status were the fight for the Independence and emancipation of other African countries such as Mozambique, Angola, Sierra Leone and the twenty-seven South-Africans detained alongside Dr. Nelson Mandela. She has always being at the forefront of the condemnation of apartheid in South Africa.
All these never went into her head but what tainted her escutcheon was of more internal than external. The greed for and the unwavering of power by the first civilian government at the center and even at the regions; give the military an untenable excuse to take over. The one that widened and almost made the sore incurable, facilitating an expanse disintegration of our beloved nation was the civil war of 1967 to 1970.This really shrunk the nation tacitly. Although, its effect was not felt then if felt very minute but it hitherto lingers; the money would have been used on developmental projects were spent on acquisition of ammunitions, rifles, grenades, cork and shoots. Gowon warred with the impression that He who desists to fight when he ought to did to fight another day. No matter how long he run, he will one day take his courage in both hands.
By virtue of this fact, the bargaining strength of Naira, has became unparallel to other foreign currencies. As a result, ”ebi de” hunger struck people yet aware of the sounding danger despite the guffaw not until late 1980 and early 1990.The sound is now too audible for anyone to deny it being heard. It then came to peoples’ mind that the rein is in a wrong hand. The swine has been given a gold to keep and they have shown how good they are at keeping treasures. If they had lived up to the expectations of the populace and speak with unified voice, selfless service to the nation perhaps, Khaki-men would not have gotten a taste of how to rule. Anyway, I am not surprised they misruled the country. They are the niggardly fed whose cloths get stained at the table of riches. They are the waif and straws whom at the sight of an extempore’ abode lost their heads. I heard Abacha and his aides were storing monies in barns! A person who is a seemingly unreachable, untouchable ember.‘o gbona bi elewon sonpona ‘. He died an uncelebrated death like a fowl. What an awesome God we serve……….
The journey to the resuscitation of Nigeria could be likened to that of the Israelites through the wilderness to the Canaan-land. A lot of Prophets came, preached and sermonized. Some of them were maimed in the process a number killed but a few are still alive. I implore you brethren don’t be afraid of those who kills the body but not the soul. Reviewing a bit of Babangida era a regime tagged to be engrained with human right abuse, corruption at it worst-presentably christened 419(advanced fee fraud), killing and other nefarious acts. Actually, it should not worthy to be remembered but it can’t be erased off our heads. Dele Giwa’s murder, a numerous number of soldiers and civilians who were outspoken on the bastardization of the economy, human rights abuse and the country at large. An expansion to the Babangida flaws and aggrandizements was the Abacha rule and he got choked in the act later on. Abacha, a foolish aged mimic of his predecessor out-grew Babangida in respect to devilish -acts. He planned several bombings feigning it to be those who were against his government. He also managed several assassinations, which only a few were water off the dock’s back. Among such is the attempt on Pa Abraham Adesanya. He showed them he is a core Yoruba man indeed. Nevertheless, a lot of illustrious Nigerians fell by his (Abacha’s) disgruntled, unreasonable, Dutch courage killers’ gun. Amongst were Alhaja Suliat Adedeji, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Ken Sao Wiwa, and seven Ogonis. Yar Adua was poisoned to death, ample reputable journalist and reporters were killed and many more. The nation’s present president escaped had a thin-hair breadth escape.
It is a sincere truth that, no evil deed can go unpunished. Any evil done by man will be redressed, if not now, then certainly later, if not by man, then certainly by God for the victory of evil over God can only be temporary. -Dele Giwa(1984). More so, the Bible acclaims that, the quantity you have taken to measure for others shall be used for you too. Nemesis really caught up with Abacha and he was paid back in his coin. Naturally, a man’s death diminishes but his didn’t. What shall people say of you after your demise? You need to think. Remember, We shall pass through this world but once, if there is any peace we can make for our present and future generations, let us not defer it; lets do it now for we shall not pass through this way anymore. We are happier in now presently in-spite of the thick and thin. Nigeria has regained her stride and seat in the league-of-nations. Not long ago, we launched a satellite into the space, the first of it kind in Africa. The government is re-enlivening our comatose-economy, through the privatization of the nation public sector. Our so-called leaders are the gainers. And if time is not taken poverty is being freshened up and it could bombard this nation massively. Our leaders does love to relinquish power, they love being at the corridor of power. They are tacitly buying the shares to our "heritage", the public corporations. They always love being the viper that dictates the tune. They love their followers to put on the foolish look coined “Maradona-style”, he slaps you with money and all grievances inside you dies off and a foolish laughter follows.
In those days when we had a prostrate-economy there was a lot of men of the pen’s right abuse. They were jailed without trial even with the fiery sound lawyers employed, doyens in the wig and gown profession to stand in their defense. We had a sporadic journalist imprisonment during Buhari/Idiagbon Regime also. A lot of them became gaol-bird for see-and-not-keep-mouth-shut attitude. What a shame! The gene of journalist mistreat is yet faded even with this profess maturing democracy. Recently, some journalist was harassed in Lagos: Mrs Funmi Komolafe, Mr Rotimi Ajayi and Gbenga Oshodi all of the Vanguard newspaper, during the coverage of an NLC strikes by the Nigerian Police. They were horse whipped and beaten with the gun-built. Likewise, the beaten-up of some NTA reporters sometimes middle 2003 by the Vice-president’s mope. And, another on an expressway in the outskirt of Abuja, when another set of NTA reporters went to cover an accident. They returned to their studio covering themselves in place as victim of the gun-totting policemen. This incessant harassment led to the dampening of life of a top-notch pedigree journalist, Chief Editor News watch Magazine, Dele Giwa through a Pandora box in 1986.
It takes us into an a la mode’-assassination! Giwa’s death signaled the beginning. My people no longer value death. To them it is trifle-a thing that could be used to settle scores easily and conveniently. I thought it would be reduced if not submerged with democracy now having a firmer root in the country. An ample number of people had fallen through this wicked behavior even under the democratic dispensation. Nevertheless, the hoisters are never relenting, still on the prowl looking for people with lives to catch away with. Who will stop them? You need to act quickly. You might be their next victim and why not join in thwarting their efforts now. Could taking other people be the only solution to ironing out our differences and making our grievances known? Uncle Bola’s, former Attorney General of the entire federation’s life was successfully pulled out of him. The case is still crawling in the court without any progress being made as years pass by. What is the fate of Olanipekun(SAN), Barnabas Igwe and his wife, Marshal Harry though his killers have been caught? Wouldn’t their case hit the rock-commoners beside Late Chief Bola Ige. Will their killers be brought to book? This is fast becoming a really threatening menace. It is spreading its tentacles from the political circle to other sectors: labor, education, health, and co to mention a few. Assassination has become the order of the day in educational sector even with the rave of cultists. The one that left people gaping was the recent exploit in the Health sector. In 2001, a medical doctor, Dr Bayo Akinremi who worked in a government-owned hospital in Ibadan Oyo State was murdered brutally. The widespread kidnapping and ritual killing is not left out, neither can it be undervalued.
Should the piggledy higgledy be excusably hung on the level of poverty? It is no longer news that penury has eaten deep into the fabrics of the entire Nigerian society and, this has been responsible for ugly countless of its citizens’ behavioral attitudes. The level at which my people wallop in poverty is highly unimaginable-it is as if it were foreign-made cake. Can you imagine an above sixty years old man begging a taxi driver for a free ride! My country has a shabby treatment to offer her long-served citizenry to appreciate their services. If there is one why are numerous aged people begging for alms on our streets. I am not surprised anyway we have no plans for our able-bodied youth, a lot unemployed graduates roaming the streets how much more an old fellow. Presently, we have two cadres of people in Nigeria: the rich and the poor. Formerly, we had three clear groups up till a decade ago: the rich, the average and the poor. More so, those who were regarded as poor were not dead poor as it is today. No matter the tax system and other measures being put to use there will still be a gap between the rich and the poor, even in the advanced nations like USA, UK, Canada and France this persist. The only difference is that this goes into our heads but it doesn’t in their own case. In my great country, a rich person enjoys unnecessary display of riches. Senator Okadigbo as example, when he was the Senate President asserted he spent 100 Million Naira on Ileya conviviality. Haba! Was he feeding the gnomic and the dead in his town? It is a gross impropriety and avarice a learned like him would have displayed. These monies could have been invested in societal developments or donated for charity. Another was the Anambra State imbroglio where a law enforcer assumed being a law-breaker. A whole police AIG aided and abetted a civilian coup de tat against Anambra State governor, Dr. Chris Ngige. A few weeks after the set-up was blown AIG Raphael Ige kicked the bucket. Could his death be a natural one?
As a matter of fact, Nigerians need a rethink. We ought to realize that, it is the people who reside in a country that makes the country whatever it is either bad or good. We must also know that for this country of ours to thrive vibrantly once more, you and I have roles to play regardless of our status; be you old or young, rich or poor, educated or not- Nigeria belongs to all of us. Certainly, more than any other time in history, mankind faces crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness and the other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly. I pray God provide visionaries whose visions could defer improvement and not a mere change to situations. By and by I hope Nigerian leaders will soon graduate from being a politicians, rather they will assume the level of state men. A state man thinks of the generations to come, a politician the forth-coming election. It high time Nigerians had a nationalist bites, collective allegiance, unity and the heart to serve this nation. My people should stop painting Nigeria bad among and in other countries through their skirmishes. Don’t ever think of becoming a pen robber neither should believe being an armed robber is the only way out. I believe NIGERIA will be great again, renew her debased status and triumph again despite all seemingly insurmountable odds. Let us breed a one nation without ethnicity, strive, favour, fear and hatred. God bless our nation.