OCTOBER 1ST 1960;* *WHY IT WAS A POLITICAL SUCCESS BUT AN ECONOMIC FAILURE- THE BASIS FOR CELEBRATING 56 YEARS OF ECONOMIC SLAVERY, CORRUPTION, POVERTY, HUNGER AND EDUCATIONAL BACKWARDNESS IN NIGERIA!*
*LESSONS TO THE BIAFRAN AGITATORS AND WHAT MUST BE DONE*


Political liberty Without Economic equality is a fraud to Deceive the People"*

October 1st 1960, the oppressed masses of Nigeria gained independence from the imperial-colonialists. As much as the gory struggle for freedom would have today, 1st October 2016 been worthy of celebration, Nigerians, with the aggregated socio-economic and political reality are rather caught up in a mood of sober reflections on the current state of the country. As the situation is rather not in any way better off the colonial nor perhaps nothing less comparable to the slavery era, we can not but see the indepence of Nigeria as an opportunist independence of the mere ruling elite as we trace back the lane of history.

The 1960 indepence was a political success but an economic failure as justified by the economic crises ever since then. The then Nigerian freedom fighters acted well and in fact, we salute the doggedness of the late forerunners at the struggle for independence, it was indeed, a step forward. Their two steps backwards however, was their failure to see the force that drives the economy that is , the means of survival which vests in the hands of the labouring masses, the workers. We must note that the essence of the British colonialists to take over and rule Nigeria by force and through the seduction of the Nigerian Monarchs prior the independence era was a greedy quest for cheap labour which they sought from the blacks or better put the African countries which to be factual, everything connected to this revolves round the means of production for the needs of mankind but however at the subjugation and exploitation of the labour of the majority in order to achieve profits for the rich of minority which included the colonialists and even the African monarchs. It was upon these that the then educationally trained individuals of Nigeria, Obafemi Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Funmilayo Ransom kuti, Ojukwu among others who were able to bag education abroad was not done out of generosity of the colonialists but they rather saw the need to educate laborers so as to hasten communication and skills which would automatically make production easier and faster and in turn made accumulation of wealth and capital faster for the British imperialists. However unfortunate it was, these individuals out of foreign exposure and passion for their suffering citizens deemed fit to clamour for freedom to independently govern themselves and control their production as Nigeria was already fast becoming politically strong but economically exploited. The failure from when Nigeria began to suffer was the failure of the independence to be built among the rank and file of the masses who toiled and laboured hard. The leading freedom fighters after independence rather saw themselves as heroes and placed themselves above the people whom their being heroes and leaders depended on in the earlier stance. The economic control and political governance then became a game of family relations among the ruling elites, neglecting the immense contribution of the labouring masses and creators of the Nation's wealth.With this, the division into class of interests among the peolple into the ruled and rulers, the rich and the poor, the oppressed and the oppressors came into existence. Forceful take over by the strong military personel fell in the scene as ethnic bigotry also came into play since then till today.

As it stands, mass of Nigerians lament despite the lies of democracy, the prison-like economic hardhsips which subjugate us on daily basis. For what difference does it make if not still slavery of the people when workers are denied of salaries and wages while the government live big on our sweat and labour? What comparism could it be with if not slavery when the ruling elites chase the poor out of the reach of quality education but encourages building of private institutions for their children and the rich? Where is the independence when the youths are wasting in potentials and perpetuating crimes due to joblessness and unemployable economy while the children of the politicians fly abroad to study and come back to dominate the best job opportunities?
Fellow Nigerians, the failure of all nationalists in AFRICAN countries has always been the failure to give economic power to the working people, but has rather been a representative democracy of the rich where economic policies to favour the pockets of the elites are made at the expense of the labouring majority. It is as a result of this that all African struggle for independence and equity such as Africanism and others led by leaders with though good hearts have always been struggles and revolutions which still brought the rich into power and we fall back to same backward economic state of corruption, poverty, hunger and poor standard of living.

*DEAR BIAFRAN AGITATORS,*
Your plight is felt and known, the injustice to mass of Nigerians by the ruling elite is not sectarian nor is it to the South East Nigerians, West or Northerners alone. It is an organized conspiracy of these ruling elite from all the geo political zones of Nigeria as we have all representatives of all the Nigerian geo political Zones in the National Assembly. The demand for secession out of Nigeria by the Biafran agitators would have been correct if only they are not trading on the same path of mistakes of the past African agitators. Lessons to be learnt are from the Africanism agitators and the origin of Nigerian independence and aftermath. It is must be noted that freedom is not just about the geographical belongings neither is it the political rights gained, but how economically free is the people and how organized is the means and control of production among the working people themselves, this forms the basis of all social problems and pre-existing societies. Revolution is encouraged if it is the revolution by the people and not a revolution which brings back just the elite into authority as this will draw the people two steps backwards and return to a worse and catastrophic situation. No revolution is worth it if it can not defend itself!

*WHAT MUST BE DONE*
History has shown to us how material conditions which necessitate production which then brings about governance, culture and all connected superstructures that comes after is vested in the labour power of human. This places human labour as a domininion over nature and all occurrences, and shows that for every problem, the solutions also vest in the ability of man to explore nature through his labour. On this bases, the societal crises of who and who controls this means of production is not an issue to be debated but an already provided justification that human must control what he works for. For this reason, if logic is not to be stabbed in the head, it is by the dominance of the working masses themselves over what they produce that will bring justice to sufferings of man kind which comes as a result of the hoarding and accumulation of wealth and capital at the expense of those who produce them. By this we say, that it is when the commanding heights of the economy to include the back bone of the country economy, Oil, Agriculture, Education, etc are placed under democratic control of the working people that the country can experience economic development and better standard of living of the people to chase out hunger and poverty. Human being will not fight himself as the workers will not fight against themselves nor make policies that will create hunger and poverty for the working people. It is only those who practically do nothing that will make policies to favour themselves and make them to attack the working class so as to boost their continous flow of wealth which they have not worked for, as we have them in the Nigerian Senate and similar parliaments and government houses all around the countries of the World where the people are being oppressed.
The fight for true independence is yet to come, it is a united struggle of the working people!
We shall Overcome!

*OLONINIRAN GBENGA VON writes from Obafemi Awolowo University where corruption perpetuated by the university authority has also eaten deep in the university system at the immense detriments of students and staff's living and learning conditions. He is a member of PACESETTERS MOVEMENT AND THE COMMITTEE FOR THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, CDHR*

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Pfft

Az

I won't be surprised if police starts arresting people that wear any other colour other than green and white. #buharisregime

Nothing is actually worth celebrating in Nigeria. well, except for my life

the problem of nigeria started the day we got independent. we were not matured,still not matured and wonder if we will ever be matured to rule our selves. even if oyibo thief our resources we would have been better of than now that we steal our resources and take it to develop there place ...