54TH INDEPENDENCE; MY REASON TO CELEBRATE by Steven Atogi. (1st October, 2014) Today marks the 54th independence of our country Nigeria. I have taken time to share some opinions of individuals on my timeline. Many are looking forward for my take on the mood of this day. Despite the murky clime of the nation state, I found two figures worthy of recognition and they are my reason to be in celebratory mood. They are; Sir Herbert Macaulay(Nigerian Father of Nationalism) and Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe(Father of Pan-Africanism). In the history of Nigerian statesmanship, I learnt great lessons from three figures; the Nationalist and the Pan-Africanist stated above with the addition of General Sani Abacha(The Tyrant). I do not intend to reduce the reputation of the Nationalist and Pan-Africanist by including the Tyrant here. Herbert Macaulay taught me, to be conscious of patriotism and Self-rule. The ability to manage our affairs without external interference sovereignty. We cant really score the rulership of yesteryears or today as a people who have sovereignty. Our leaders are interdependence on foreign aids. It is accultured in the consciousness of the people now to view anything indigenous as unworthy or worthless. We are now doing the job of the colonialists. We disparage our culture, adopted all that is foreign, be it moral or immoral. Nnamdi Azikiwe, popularly referred to as the Zik of Africa, taught me not to be selfish, primitive or callous. Rather, that one should be his brothers keeper. Zik through the nationalist and former Minister of Aviation in the first republic, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi hid the foremost South African nationalist and former president of South Africa, Chief Nelson Mandela for six months in Nigeria to evade his arrest by officials of the apartheid regime in that country, at then. We can go on and on of his pan-African struggle. At home he was with Macaulay full time on the struggle for independence. It is rumoured that he is the one that persuaded Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Belewa and other Northern bigwigs to accept independence. There is hearsay also that he agreed to the northern demand to be the ones to be ruling as their sole option for acceptance of independence with the South. This led him and Macaulay to merger their party with Bello and Belewas Northern Peoples Party(NPP) then accepted independence from Britain. For this, contemporary youths of South-South especially Igbo stock see him as the one who betrayed this generation and deprived them of aspiring to the highest sit of power, due to his diehard independence pursuit. He is also accused of building development on other peoples land while leaving his own abandoned. That, if Obafemi Awolowo did not pursued him from the Western House of Assembly, with tribal politics, he wouldnt have scampered back to Enugu(East). Zik didnt wanted to leave Cameroon behind thus his party National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroon(NCNC). He is said to be the inventor of the One Nigeria mantra, which was grossly abused in 1967-1970. The latter resulted to Cameroon owing our oil rich Bakassi land, oppressing indigenes with dehumanizing treatments and compeling them to renounce their nationality. Well, this is the interesting part. I have criticized Abacha for long, until I pick conspicuous lessons from him than merely criticizing. General Sani Abacha made me to know that there is excess money in this country. Surplus wealth that we need not borrow but we can sustain a good economy. Because of his ruthlessness, the international community banned the country from participating in businesses abroad and other deprivations and sactions. One hero he eliminated was the environmental activist and writer, the intellect of the Ogoni stock, Kenule Saro-Wiwa. His execution brought world wide condemnation to Abacha and his coupist regime. Despite international sactions, Abacha bullshit the West and sustained the economy without borrowing. Even when Gadaffi of Libya wanted to implement his Islamic agenda on Nigeria, a tyrant muslim like Abacha stopped him. His wife is credited with the saying that, they will never be as poor as Dangote(richest man in Africa) even though government had seized some quantity of their wealth. Till date Abachas loot is not fully recovered while the international community have taken their share. Imagine how rich Nigeria is? At then, the price of a barrel of oil was less than what it is now in the international market. Currently, about a $100 per barrel, yet federal and state government are in borrowing competition, from neocolonial agencies like IMF, World Bank etc. I believe if Abacha was alive today, he would have been parading a saint and democrat like his fellow coupist Buhari. He would have bought people to wash off his bad image and confer on him messiah status. He would have wined and dined with all the countrys bigwigs like IBB, OBJ and co. Unfortunately, he is gone and the dead cant defend himself. He cant higher apologist to rise to his defense. In 1989, IBB hosted the Abuja Declaration with $21 billion donation to OIC. (google Abuja Declaration) to confirm. A grand conspiracy to Islamize Nigeria and eradicate any other religion. Nigeria was incorporated into the Organization of Islamic States(OIC) then and our currencies hitherto bears Arabic inscriptions. This was a plan that Abacha stopped Gadaffi from accomplishing but our political maradona IBB initiated it. All because of sectional domination persistent interest. Sanusi also came up with Islamic Banking, even against sincere individuals and a pretentious government warning not to go with such policy. Jonathan appointed the judge who headed Abachas kangaroo court and convicted Ken Saro-Wiwa, a high court judge in 2012. You needed to see my reaction when I read it in the newspaper. My furioriousity was fierce. But you know, when the bigwig act wrongly, the echoing praises from apologists overshadow my concerned voice, among the few of me. Abacha was awarded centenary award which made Wole Soyinka declined to accept it. His son till date rub-minds and still put head in oil deal that involved Dan Etete. I think the last time I checked they were still in settlement stage. What do we activists know about what goes on in government backyard, except to analyse any public display they mock us with? Sir Macaulay and Dr.Azikiwe are my sole reason to be proud of this day. Even the Youth Revolution is gloomy. Many reluctant youths with partisan, ethnic, religious and sectional views. They hold it dearly like a treasure even though it is unhealthy for the country. I implore all Nigerian youths, home and abroad to have a rethink, put on national consciousness and join hands in unison and we can salvage motherland. At least let us put forth a better nation for posterity. Let us turn away from imbibing the failure footsteps of our rulers. If we believe we can change Nigeria for the better, We Can! Nothing will a determined mind not achieve. We must shake off the trend towards apathy and complacency in our country. Apathy leaves our youth open to bad ideas and complacency leads to doing nothing towards finding a solution for the issues which are plaguing our beleaguered country. This day, we should have a national reflection on our minds. What we hold for the future of Nigeria, a blessing or a curse? The former the best for all, lets live in peace. Lets take our national motto unity and faith, peace and progress into serious consideration. We should be positive minded so we can transform our nation into greatness. Happy Independence Day fellow Nigerians! Steven Atogi (Activist, Natl President,PDVM) @StevenAtogi stevenatogi@ymail
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 22:39:55 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015