Nigeria At 61: Nothing To Celebrate, Plenty To Amend

In the year 2021, as Nigeria attains the age of 61 this Friday October, there is absolutely nothing to celebrate by Nigerians, rather, it is time to be sober and reflect on the situation in which we have found ourselves; with the present insecurity, economic woe and tribal agitations as well as calls for self-determination across the country, it is obvious that all is not well with the nation.

The faults should be laid at the doorsteps of our past and present leaders who failed to live up to expectations and see themselves as national leaders rather than parochial, sectional or nepotistic champions.

It is with deepest sense of sincerity and patriotism that we should accept that Nigeria is already a failed nation at 61years and there is absolutely nothing to celebrate. It is time for a new beginning.

In 1967 when Lagos state was created, Dubai was a desert, much unknown. But today, Dubai is the world’s first tourist’s destination. This achievement was made possible by deep thinking, foresight and vision of the leadership of Dubai.

At 61, we cannot boast of adequate power supply to drive our industry and economy, no good electoral processes, independent legislature, judiciary or human rights protection system. Our fledgling democracy is threatened on daily basis. There is gross bad governance, no rule of law and justice, insecurity coupled with corruption. The government has failed to protect lives and property of its citizens.

Nigerians are being kidnapped, maimed and killed by terrorists and criminals and these criminals walk freely on our roads and forests as if we are in a banana republic. The labours of our heroes past have been left to waste. This is absolutely not the Nigeria our forefathers bequeathed to us.

Foreign investors are being chased away by deliberate wrong government policies and legislations. Our naira is now on free fall. Nigeria needs a messiah that will save it from total collapse. We have never had it so bad; there is corruption in high places, excessive foreign borrowings with nothing to show for it except in the bank accounts of looters.

All right-thinking Nigerians, top religious leaders and economists, captains of industry, labour leaders and genuine political leaders, academics and others, should come out to support the government to fashion a new way forward for Nigeria. The government should stop seeing its critics as enemies, but rather as partners in progress because we all have a stake in the Nigerian project.

The government should address the messages and not the messengers. This is the time to heal old wounds and deal with the various agitations and not fight the agitators. The Federal government should release all the various ethnic agitators like Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho, dialogue with them and as a matter of urgency, declare killer Fulani herdsmen and bandits as terrorists groups.

Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, Lagos.