Nigeria @60: A Tale Of A Dying Country

Nigeria @60: A Tale Of A Dying Country As a young man, I repeatedly ask myself this questions: What exactly is Nigeria celebrating at 60year...

Nigeria @60: A Tale Of A Dying Country

As a young man, I repeatedly ask myself this questions: What exactly is Nigeria celebrating at 60years? Is this how it will be when I become an old man?  Just 7 years after Nigeria's independence in 1960, Nigeria went into a civil war that turned into a British supervised genocide against Biafrans. 

A brutal war was fought, and the defending Biafrans lost more than 3.5million people, mostly children. With the integration of Biafra back to Nigeria, one would have thought that 60 years after, Nigeria will be celebrating a prosperous sixty years characterised with infrastructural development and civilisation. But the reverse has been the case.

Nigeria as a country is endowed with natural wealth and resources. They have for more than 60 years drilled oil, yet Nigeria remains the poverty capital of the world. Other nations like Dubai, UAE and Saudi Arabia that discovered same oil have turned their respective countries into first world countries. While Nigeria for the past 60 years, can't even boast of ordinary steady electricity supply.

What exactly is Nigeria celebrating? Is it insecurity ravaging the country or what? Today, both the military, police and secret services are working to protect the Fulani herdsmen and offer them logistics. Fulani herdsmen have killed more than 1,600 people in the last 6 months, yet not even one single person amongst them has been arrested and brought to justice. They are occupying and renaming villages of those they attacked.

Will Nigeria be celebrating the recruitment of Boko Haram terrorists into the Army? Or is it the bombing of the IDP camp by Nigeria Airforce? Nigeria is a country of looters. A country where the government claim to feed with billions of Naira, school children already living in their respective homes during Covid-19 lockdown. 

A country whose politicians claim to have shared billions as palliative, whereas in actual sense, they simply enriched themselves. Nigeria breeds the worse of politicians in the whole world. Nigeria's political office holders are one of the highest paid in the world, with billions as allowances. Yet it doesn't stop them from looting the country dry. Nigeria politicians borrow money from foreign nations and loot almost all.

The people are meant to suffer it all. The government have refused to cut down their extravagant lifestyles. They rather tax the people. Today, there is nothing you do without enriching the government. Even if you are making calls, you are as well paying VAT. 

You are paying in or withdrawing money from the bank, you are paying the Nigeria government some commissions. People are debited right left and center. Upon all these, they heartlessly increased fuel prize and electricity tariff. This is coming from a government whose policies have strangulated many companies and businesses, and forced millions to lose their jobs.

In Nigeria, bandits are killing people on a daily basis. Kidnapping is now a normal story. News of hundreds of deaths doesn't perturb us again. It is now normal to hear of the killing of 300 people in one night by the Fulani herdsmen. 

The worst is that the people have all been cowed into silent submission. No one is talking. The government has either suppressed or bought over those that should be talking. Those that refused to be bought have been so harassed to the extent that they all are afraid to speak out. DSS is always there to invite and question people for criticising the government. 

The level of poverty in the land has turned the people into 'mumu' for the politicians. Gone are the days you hear about protest from the people. The students unions have been bought. The Labour unions are now toothless bulldogs. The government is ready to spend huge money to buy people to their side, than use the money to work for the people.

As a young man, I want you to think about Nigeria and ask yourself if there is any good thing that is worth celebrating about Nigeria at 60years. Is it the arbitrary arrest and shooting of peaceful protesters? Or the injustice and marginalization going on in Nigeria? Or is it the borrowing of our entire future by men in their 70s and 80s? What actually are you celebrating?

In all honesty, we should be thinking of how to end Nigeria peacefully. A country that has no single thing to celebrate at 60years, should not be existing. All of them supporting 'One Nigeria' are either the same politicians that have killed Nigeria, their relatives, puppets or circle of friends.

We all should join Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB and Oduduwa people to Sit At Home come 1st October, because there is absolutely nothing to celebrate about a dying country. We are better apart, than managing an unworkable contraption.

Written By Elochukwu Ohagi

(A Philosopher, Teacher And Activist)

Edited By Paul Ihechi Alagba

For Family Writers Press International

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