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By Fred Itua, Abuja
“Today is Independence Day. The first of October 1960 is a date to which for two years every Nigerian has been eagerly looking forward. At last, our great day has arrived, and Nigeria is now indeed an independent sovereign nation.
“Words cannot adequately express my joy and pride at being the Nigerian citizen privileged to accept from Her Royal Highness these Constitutional Instruments which are the symbols of Nigeria’s Independence. It is a unique privilege, which I shall remember forever, and it gives me strength and courage as I dedicate my life to the service of our country.
“This is a wonderful day, and it is all the more wonderful because we have awaited it with increasing impatience, compelled to watch one country after another overtaking us on the road when we had so nearly reached our goal. But now we have acquired our rightful status, and I feel sure that history will show that the building of our nation proceeded at the wisest pace: it has been thorough, and Nigeria now stands well-built upon firm foundations.”
On the 1st of October, 1960, Nigeria’s first and only Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa, offered the above conciliatory words, when the country attained its independence.
About 62 years later, Nigeria in the eye of the global community, is still regarded as ‘God’s attempt at the impossible.’
While pundits and successive leaders have blamed Nigeria’s fault-lines on the military interregnum, others have rightly situated them at the feet of a faulty foundation upon which the country is rooted.
With the general elections barely five months away, there are mixed feelings on the possible outcome of the polls. For hope bearers, they’re pushing a narrative that the old must give way to the new.
The old brigade, who pundits have described as “entitled career politicians”, are unwilling to leave the stage, despite the cold tunes emanating from a tired audience.
With dashed hopes and thousands of Nigerians exiting the country in search of imaginary green pastures, many people hold the view that next year’s general elections, will birth a major shift in the country- a step forward or a perpetual condemnation to the past.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, despite the teething challenges, believes that the future holds a promising note for Nigeria and Nigerians.
Osinbajo said: “Brethren, we stand at the gate of a new nation, and we see its light shining bright; a nation of God’s promises, a nation of opportunities, equity and justice; a secure and prosperous nation, a nation of laws and righteousness.”
“Even if what we see today seems bleak and dark, we are confident that God, who owns heaven and the earth, will fulfil his promises concerning the land.
“Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord has spoken to the House of Israel; all came to pass.
“I pronounce concerning this nation that not a word will fail regarding any good thing which the Lord has spoken of Nigeria. All will come to pass in Jesus’ name.”
Dr Enemhinye Socrates Ehigiator, a Law teacher and legal practitioner, in his comments, said Nigeria got it wrong from inception. The Law lecturer said First Republic politicians were corrupt and power-drunk.
He explained that actions of politicians in the 1960s, prompted the military to make an incursion into our politics. “Furthermore, military rule yet again took a better part of our years as an independent nation.
“Truth be told, a Military administration could ordinarily organise a Transition programme and have a successful handover of government to a civilian administration. Let’s take Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar administration, that successfully midwifed a Transition programme in 11months.”
Going forward, he suggested that “the major problems of the Nigerian nation are corruption, tribalism, favouritism, nepotism etc. All these can be addressed, if we vote the right people into offices.”
Historian and Development Communication Expert, Mr Augustine Ibhagbosoria Eigbe, said Nigeria had the opportunity to set the country on a right trajectory in 1999, when the Military vacated the shores of power.
“When Nigeria returned to democratic civilian rule in 1999 after the different military incursions into politics and governance since her independence, there was an opportunity to set the tone for a new Nigeria under a civilian dispensation,” he noted.
Eigbe partly blamed the country’s problem on the country’s rigid Constitution, which he said doesn’t promote development. He said the Constitution confers excessive powers on the Executive, at the detriment of the Legislature and the Judiciary.
He said: “However, the 1999 constitution as it were and as amended thereafter, has had fault lines that have been clogs in the wheels of the nation’s progress.
“The major negative impact of this precarious power situation was that it created a top-down approach that opened a wide gap between the government and the citizens whereby they were mostly not carried along in governance. And where there’s no genuine participation of the people in matters that affect their lives, there’s the likelihood of lack of transparency and accountability by the administrators.
“In moving forward to put Nigeria on the right path of growth and development, conscious efforts should be made to review the constitution to ensure that participatory democracy is enthroned in the country – that’s the down-top approach whereby power will reside in the hands of the citizens to genuinely participate in issues as they relate to their lives and welfare.”
For the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) President, Daniel Okoh, “the wicked shall not rule Nigeria.”
He said though the country had 23 years of uninterrupted democracy, he lamented that it is still struggling and grappling with many issues of collective concern.
He said: “We are bedevilled by insecurity, kidnapping, unnecessary killing and decapitation of innocent citizens, diminishing value of human life and social injustice that has put many in distress and has made many citizens angry.
“For many, it appears that the wicked is winning all, taking all and enjoying all. Many are worried and even afraid that the wicked is about to take over the rulership of the land as we witness desecration of worship places, violent threat to the seat of political power, cheating, blatant stealing of our oil, flagrant degradation of our human environment, denial, betrayal, rejection and outright exclusion in many areas of our existence as a nation.”
