And It's 50 Years of Questions

If you are not one of those Nigerians who have driven us all to this socio-economic doldrums, then you would also realize there is nothing worth celebrating.

If are not one of those who have become sycophant of circumstance – just to get by, if you don’t want to live a moment that is not glorious in anyway, perhaps you would understand that when 99% of the general population of a nation live unfulfilled lives in a country as rich as ours that questions should be asked.

Today there are fanfares, colorful dresses and feigned smiles. The roads are even painted and dignitaries from all over the world will be arriving to pop Champagne over our shame. Nations that began this journey, like us, half a century ago, some later, will be here; doesn’t it bother us that they will wonder “oh, is this the six largest producer of oil in the world?” 

We are done with fifty year of cover-ups, fifty years of make-believe, fifty year of playing the giant, but now the time has come to truly emerge from depression, to truly leave the club of pretenders! To work at building a nation unlike what we have ever known.

It is evident that Nigeria is a complex nation, and a difficult project but every other nation in the world has a peculiarity, but each has found relevance in the global union of nations, each has found a way of  putting the interest of their nation and its people first in every bilateral deal, in every global discuss. Each has found the level of political commitment required to give its people a better standard of living, so we have no excuse.

I think it would have been more honorable for our government, given the state of things, to have noted this day as a mile-stone in the history of our existence as a nation, but shelving the merriment because there is a lot of work to be done.  

Today, for me, marks the jubilee of my nation, a time when every captor of our people must let go, when the crazy bald heads must hand-over the reins in admittance of their colossal ineptitude. I would prefer a public confession and apology from all the past leaders of this country rather than to have them parade themselves at the eagle square as honored statesmen they barely are.

Because collectively they have failed us all, feathered their own nests while we trembled in the cold; they have taught our good people how to be bad citizens. Made us comfortable in fear and lack; the responsibility lies squarely on their shoulders, and history will forever remember.

To every good Nigerian out there, we are today called, not to celebrate nonexistent achievements, but to appreciate life, not to dream again but to re-evaluate our shared dream and be grateful to God. This is a time to reflect, a time to re-think... a new nation is born, if we believe.