The hope of tomorrow is determined by the threshold of today success. To succeed, we must learn to improve and learn from our failures. At 52, we talk about a happy independence but everywhere in manacles of colonial powers, we see ourselves as a nation but elude every characteristics of one, we are in a state of complete quagmire with a dislocation of national consciousness of unity, integrity and honest, but we still aspire for better days and greatness without gathering the cornerstones to lay down the foundation of greatness that defines a realistically future of bliss, a future of lofty hope for the generation unborn; a future that defies all ethno-religious carnage, pogroms and institutionalized corrupt practices that exist today. A future where our unity is not seen as an option but borne out of sheer necessity, a future where merit breaks free from the sacrificial alter of mediocrity, a future were the tripartite epithet of religion, regionalism, and tribalism is being knock down the abyss of death knell with love more cultured than sentimentalized and a future were the dream of a boy does not become the surrealism of a reverie as a result of government ineptitude.
Why our leaders clad themselves in the illusory mantra of a giant nation tolling the path of the American dream, they fail to realize that the American dream upon which the American institutional foundation was laid was not built in a day, it took years of war between” the confederacy” and “the Union”, learning from the history of failures to avoid repetition of past mistakes, understanding the fact being united is more advantageous than being divided. This is the strength upon which the American society stands today, priding her to greatness because the future is defined. What is the Nigerian dream? The Nigerian dream is more of an optical illusion, a fata morgana if we are to dwell on the fables and folktales of history. Nigeria was artificially created by a selfish British colonial power with over 250 ethnic groups arbitrarily herded together in a non- consensual union creating an ethnic matrix of complicated labyrinth of revulsion.
The Nigerian dream has been a mirage as none of founding fathers that lived and fought for her independence ever believed its reality, as ethnic and regional politics were given preference to detriment of national unity. This was exemplified by phrase from founding fathers like “mistake of 1914” “a mere geographical expression”. Even the then Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa went on to say that Nigeria existed only on paper and its unity is only a British intention. From the east to west up north it was a tug of war on who to control the centre. Why they preached unity it was far from realistic practice, the Nigeria leaders were more concern with regional consolidation. This was quintessentially epitomized by then ceremonial president Azikiwe boisterous bragging of the educational sophistication and successful commercial adventure of eastern people which inadvertently irked the northerners with a sagged educational background, giving the easterners the leverage of dominating the military and civil service which was not snuggling to the north. In the west it was Akintola and Awololo caught up in the gory sight of fratricide in the tussle of power control.
This was plight under which dream Nigeria was built flowing intravenously in the bloodline of generations moving from decade to decade. At 52, we still exhibit the features of “a toddler fumbling so tragically that practically all our institutions and infrastructures have virtually collapse as a result of corruption that has grown into our national identity”. Our lopsided federal structure is like a stick of match waiting to be detonated. The government has mastered the art of taking the country the edge of an abyss and pulling it back at the last minute. The level of crime is astronomical, poverty is rife and ethno-religious crisis is horrendous. We don’t see ourselves as one but a disintegrated conglomeration with precedence to ethno- cultural or religious affinity. All future prediction from CIA, analysts, prophets and prophetess tell tales of future Nigeria in gloomy doomy land. Until we realize that Nigeria is just a mere geography expression with no institutional structure that define us or fit to lead us to the right path, then any contention of unified Nigeria that exist is just a mere expression of sophistry.