A DIAMOND WITH NO LIGHT TO REFLECT.

Independent is to COMPLETELY have freedom to make decisions or to take control of your affairs without any oppression from whosoever, neither the medium which granted nor the person who gave the independent. That was the situation on the first of October 1960, where citizens were jubiliating with vigor of freedom across the country. children born on that day where Mark as symbol of goodwill in some household. Leaders who fought for the cause were raised and look upon as first class citizen of the nation. Years started passing by down inevitably, what sounds as independent in the lips of all and sundry, realistically became in dependent rather than independent. Leaders who fought for the caused started getting their name fixated with a thorn of malady called corruption. The atmosphere was filled with regret from all nooks and crannies, asking questions which has no answers. Was it a mistake?, was it too early?, are we not matured enough to govern our selves?, did slavery comes to us wearing a mask of independent that we failed to look closely?, these where the questions running through the minds of the citizen at that time and prolly up till date.

Traveling back in time, the year first of January 1914, a man who was the governor of the northern and southern protectorate signed a document for the consolidation of this two colony, that man was lord Fredrick lugard. It was for the hope to reduce administrative work by combining them together. lugard described this in his infamous description of the consolidation where he describes it as a marriage between the "rich wife of substance and means"  (the south) and the "poor husband"  (the north) would lead to a happy life for both of them. From beginning a sense of separatism was created among each region by lugard. forty six years went by and it was 1960, independent was given. The mark of anniversary was sealed. When independence was given on the  October first in  1960,tribalism was a powerful force. Nigerians were forced with the challenge of trying to form a sense of Nigeria belonging and  identity, most people started relating to their ethnic group before relating to be a Nigerian as we still have it today .
This diversity travels from history down the isle lane of future history, causing an endemic violence.Despite it's country enormous wealth in minerals resources, intellects and its enormous oil reserves the populace are poor and also their become victims of rampant corruption. In the midst of this dysphoria each ethnic battling for supremacy. The military intervene just as it was the norms across most African countries at that time.
January 1966 came, the first coup d’etat was initiated and it was welcomed by citizens who hope it will be the beginning of a better Nigeria their were hoping for. But it didn't end there, lots of conspiracy started clouding in the minds of some citizens, it became clear that the majority of the coup leaders where the igbos ethnic and the hausas where victims of the casualties. A bigger problem was born yet again that will lead to years of civil war in the country, a horrible moment in the history of Nigeria. Who could have thought merely after gaining freedom from the colonizers the country will be in a war against itself, I will tell u who "the colonizers of course" yes, Nigeria is a very huge project which started long before the Berlin conference of 1884 Where all the Europeans sat on a dinner table and shared the meal among themselves, that meal was Africa and the fat portion of the meal was Nigeria. Let's leave that story for another time.
Nigerians passes through lots of stages design by the so called colonizers, from
Colonized, to neo colonialism, to imperialism. The next stage is pretty clear.
One hundred and six years after amalgamation, Nigeria is still grappling with separatist movement.

Governance in today’s Nigeria is such that has portrayed and presented a mockery of the widely acclaimed symptom of good governance; democracy
the official governmental practice has been hijacked by remorseless apologies to the extent that citizens now experience despair instead of hope, insecurity instead of security, tragic and untimely death instead of long life and high life expectancy, illusion instead of expectation, deficits instead of dividends, political selection instead of election etc. thus the Nigerian political landscape seem headed for disaster. Some of the country’s political leaders have stripped
naked the rules of civil engagement, jettisoned the constitution and have allowed cacophony to hold sway. The instructive statement by Lord Acton that: “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” seem to have fallen on deaf ears with reference to the Nigerian polity. It's a way of a life. Their will never get tire of it, just like u can't ask someone if he or she is tired of breathing.

Economically, it can only be explain in the culture of profligacy arising from the low level of accountability that characterized governmental administration resulting in unbridled corruption, borrowing from the international market, instability of monetary, fiscal and especially investment policy, general climate of political instability, global economic meltdown as well as the problem of limited participation by the public in the formulation of economic policies and the strategies for implementing such policies. These abysmal economic failures culminated in serious infrastructural decay to the extent that most institutions of government were not working to expectation. The country’ road, rail, electricity and  water infrastructure are in a state of decay and total collapse.yet we are celebrating of course.

Personally speaking, the problems of Nigeria is squarely a failure of leadership. Nothing is wrong with the Nigerians character, nothing is wrong with Nigeria land, climate or water, air or anything else. The problem lies on the unwillingness of its leaders to rise to the responsibility. To the challenge of example which are the hallmarks of true leadership, I read a profound book by Professor Chinua achebe, and he said in the book " on the morning after murtala Muhammed seized power in July 1975, public servants in Lagos where found on seat at seven-thirty in the morning. Even the go slow traffic that had defeated every solution and defied every regime, varnish overnight from the streets! Why?, the new ruler's reputation for ruthlessness was sufficient to transform that in the course of only one night. For the character of one man to establish that quantum change in a people's social behavior was nothing less than miraculously. But it's shows that social miracle can happen. Even though, alas that transformation was short lived by the tragic assassination of murtala Muhammed". Learning from history, that will give us an insight that a leader with no-nonsense reputation might induced a favorable climate but for it to be effective it must be followed up with a radical program of social and economic re-organization.

Of course, nobody will recommend ruthlessness as a necessary qualification for Nigerian leadership. On the contrary, Nigeria is not beyond change like most people say. Nigeria can change today if she discovers leadership who have the will, ability and vision. Well , such people are rare in anytime or place but it is the duty of enlighten citizens to lead the way in their discovery and to create an atmosphere conducive for their emergence. A survey was carried out and it was observed that in a group of ten Nigerians, four of the groups conversation falls into a litany of our national deficiencies. The goal is to call on all thoughtful Nigerians to rise up today and reject those habits which crippled our aspirations and inhibit our chances of becoming a modern and attractive country. She is blessed with talented, thoughtful men and women of conscience and a vast number of beautiful minds, so never u let what this bunch of leaders right from your local government area up to the federal level to weigh your positive energy down by their actions and prolific way life of corruption. Have you ever thought about Why is it that all these “patriot” makes so little impact on the life of our Nation? Why do good among us seems so helpless while the worst are full of vile energy?. Whereas it suppose to be the other way round. But here we are today celebrating a diamond anniversary for our dear and innocent Nigeria. Is this worth the celebration?, I guess the answer to that question is relative. But I believe one thing for sure that a hungry belly have no time for celebration, a hungry mind have no time for celebration, a bleeding heart of a  mother who lost her  son unjustly to the people who are "supposed" to be securing the nation have no time for celebration, farmers who gain nothing from the country but on their way to their farms got  slaughtered will have no time again for celebration. Little children dying from starvation and malnutrition whereas some are bump out like an air balloon from corrupt practices, do u think those children have idea of what celebration is going on and it's citizens who are leaving in fear as soon as their step out of their humble abode going about their legitimate source of survival, in fear that Nigeria is not save anymore not even when their are in the hands of any security personnel. With so much more categories of people that you and I know that won't have the vigor of celebrating the anniversary.

Most developed countries that we know today pass through lots of changes and sacrifices from their ancestors for their present generation to enjoy. For a change to occur it must pass through a process and that process is never a soft one, process to sacrifice a lot but the question is if we are to sacrifice a lot for better days for the coming generation should it be limited to some faction of citizens to surfers it and the so called “higher class” are meant to savor through it. This is not sane at all. Very insane,permit me to say that.

Compatriot (if that still exist) just because the systems are bad we should just give up,we must keep striving. let's try and decolonize and revolutionize our mind because government is the collectives efforts of the govern and the governor. Play your part to the max.

IT'S 60 YEARS INDEPENDENT DAY.

_ABUBAKAR SADIQ MAGASHI II_