As I celebrate 50 years of my “so called” independence, my mind is so filled with pondering questions lurking at the corner of my heart and down the depth of my throat. I begin asking myself if truly my age is not just mere counting of numbers,at what proportion am I truly fifty? Is it the centralized control of resources, unsolved political murders,unemployment,lack of social amenities ,political instability, true governance that reflect true democracy?
Do I love when all I keep in power are basically thinking of themselves? Is that really governance when my people are dying in slavery and servitude? Are these a reflection of true governance when all my people’s high hopes are dashing right to their faces? Is it democracy or game playing when I sweet talk them with my sugarcoated propagandas for the sakes of their votes when truly I know all my manifestoes and promises are only wishful thinking?
Do I really care when my youths are on the streets wasting their lives away and the young ones can’t find no direction to invest their energies but rather than creating meaningful ways and ventures, I exodus them into the dungeons of arm robbery, abductions, drug abuse and violence. Is there really blood flowing through the veins of my leaders seeing my people dying before their time in poverty and my future hopes massively leave this land so full of promises and creating national brain drain resulting them into effective utilities of the western world.
Do they really care about the misappropriation of public funds that my so called legislooters and executhieves daily divert to their own personal purse and as if that was not enough they host Wrestling contest of shame for the whole world to see fighting over looted resources thereby turning the National Assembly to their own WFC boxing rings. Our future leaders (high school kids) on field trips to the National Assembly rather than taking notes were only met with disappointment with the Chair throwing and ranting of their Hulk Hogan and John Cena representatives who they ought to look up to as role models.
Is it my graduates who went to those universities and polytechnics with constant harassment and threats of handouts, incessant ASUU strikes, ever increasing tuitions but spite the endurance of it all,they were only to be merged with the already flooded streets of fellow unemployed graduates. The good jobs are already occupied by kids of politicians with graduate certificates from Harvard, Wolverhampton, Babcock and the left openings are now left to the fought for between the lady who is ready to source the account with her endowed assets and the lucky brother who have people in the know.
My religious leaders are now jet fliers while their adherents walk miles to their organized conventions to cut high transport fares even though their tithes and prophet offerings fuels the private jets of their religious charlatans. Churches and prayer centers are now available on all street corners increasing side by side with the rate of violence, injustice, corruption, death and crime.
Am I truly a giant of Africa when my graduates are left jobless, my naira worthless and my kids searching for hopes out a future that looks bleak? A giant whose masses daily die of sicknesses and hunger and even their attempt to get visas to South Africa is turned to waec not to talk of being mere impossible to other western countries.
My education system is in great disarray that it is now flooded with teachers that have lost their enthusiasm for teaching but only await the monthly paycheck .There are no more libraries, books to teach kids with, desk and chairs to seat comfortably in,extracurriculum activities, available teachers for all subject and tutorials to help struggling kids which as now given birth to academic decadence and massive failure in Waec and Neco but rather than addressing the situation, their own abdulmutalabs are sent schooling abroad.
Is it the epileptic power supply that keeps my people in constant darkness that they no longer expect but switch on their own agent of air pollution and ear clogging machines so as to create self generated electricity .Diseases, sickness, hunger, poverty, violence, crime, injustice, inequality is now co partners with my people’s daily struggle for survival? My highways are death holes that daily sent people to early graves, joints to the men of the underworlds and duty post of tax collections by the “askaris” in black caps and uniforms who collects toll fees with toll gates built with tires and timber logs.
Many are stucked for years in sojourn, they cannot come home to see their families, bury their aged love ones, see kids graduate college because they have no means of reentering immediately they exit, They constantly live in fear of deportation and the reality of nothing to fall back on if eventually sent back home. They live like people with no roots, serving in factories and plantations, living in slavery and servitude in foreign land, constantly homesick but gripped with fear to returning to a nation which seems to be at a dead end.
What am I celebrated for, is it my heavyweight champions and their show of shame, poor athletics performances at international outings, corruption at its peaks in all spheres, Is it a nation in constant darkness, my neglected people in the Niger Delta, bad governance, election which is selection, unreliable electoral processes, insecurity, child labor and abuse, hospitals with no medical supplies and personnel’s, schools with no standard academic curriculum and furnished libraries, bad roads and highways now houses to arm robbers and the uniform ones in men with green currencies tucked into their pockets.
At this juncture, I prefer reflection to celebration of 50 years after my self acclaimed independence. Where am I heading, how long will I live in the midst of abundance while my people keep living in immense lack and penury? When will I make conduct free and credible elections, when will my tomorrow leaders have a hope and a promising future, when will this nation live in constant and uninterrupted power supply? When will my pensioners live in good health to enjoy their pensioners, when will the young folks have proper education that can contend globally, when will I universities will stop being under lock and key?
A nation at fifty or a stumbling giant, the heart of Africa or the haven of selfish and Godless leaders. When will the untimely death of my people be at bay because on medical attention, when will my people be able to sleep without an eye open in their own homes spite their GUANTANAMO bay DETENTION mounted fences. When will justice come to this land, when will peace finally reign, when will people in Diaspora long for to see the NEW NIGERIA and when will I finally live up to the name as the heartbeat of this continent and truly the giant of Africa?