This picture is the old view of Oshodi Lagos, the present view is more appealing though, but its not what i want to use. Source: Google |
Nigeria at 54…
Faced with so many challenges;
Leadership challenges…
Economic challenges…
Social cultural challenges… among many challenges…
Despite the killings and challenges
Nigeria, my father’s land challenges us…
When will the youths see themselves as strength of
nation…?
When will myopic and sentiment exit our politics…?
When will corruption and poverty be the things of
the past…?
Mother is calling out and crying out!!!
Calling us to provide solutions to these challenges…
All hail the giant of Africa…at 54
If
I am right, it was Tafawa Balewa who said on the eve of independence: “When our pages in history are written, and
our place in posterity is sealed...Let it be said that we were a generation of
the fearless but not heartless, let it be mentioned that we were cruel to
injustice and committed to complete justice, that we strived for a better world
to thrive, and struggled for a greater future for tomorrow...That as youths, we
were heralds of change and carriers of tomorrow's dreams...” The above
speech I presume was altered about 57 years ago, when our
heroes past were busy
fighting for the emancipation of an independent Nigeria; where are the youths
to carry the destiny of this country many years after that speech was given? Instead
of agreeing with the dreams of these past nationalist and creating a viable,
corrupt-free and developed country, the youths are busy castigating the fight
for an independent Nigeria and wish they were still under the British rule…
Nigeria, the
site of many ancient kingdoms and empires, Nigeria has its origins in the
British colonization during the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries
where it emerged from the combination of two neighboring British protectorates:
the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate.
During the colonial period, the
British set up administrative and legal structures whilst retaining traditional
chiefdoms. The most populous Black Country achieved independence in 1960, but
plunged into civil war several years later. It has since alternated between
democratically-elected civilian governments and military dictatorships, with
its 2011 presidential elections being viewed as the first to be conducted
reasonably freely and fairly.
Nigeria is a Federal Republic modeled
after the United States, with executive power exercised by the president. It is
influenced by the Westminster System model in the composition and management of
the upper and lower houses of the bicameral legislature.
Ethnocentrism, tribalism,
religious persecution, and prebendalism have affected Nigerian politics both
prior and subsequent to her independence in 1960. Kin-selective altruism has
made its way into Nigerian politics, resulting in tribalism efforts to
concentrate Federal power to a particular region of their interests.
Despite the abundance of natural
resources in Nigeria, she is yet to develop industries that could convert them
to global use.
Nigeria is often referred to as
the “Giant of Africa,” but that is majorly due to its large population. With
approximately 174 million inhabitants, Nigeria is the most populous country in
Africa and the seventh most populous country in the world.
Even though Nigeria’s economy
(Gross Domestic Product) became the largest in Africa in the year she is
celebrating her independence, not much is reflected in the lives of her
citizens. For example, electricity is yet to stabilize in many parts of the
country; water in many Nigeria’s communities is a source of worry; many lives
are lost daily on poor roads; and corruption in both the low and high places is
not a secret topic.
Millions of Nigerians have
emigrated at times of economic hardship, primarily to Europe, North America and
Australia. It is estimated that over a million Nigerians have emigrated to the
United States and constitute the Nigerian-American populace.
Her human rights record remains
poor and government officials at all levels continue to commit serious abuses.
According to the US Department
of State, the most significant human rights problems are: extrajudicial
killings and use of excessive force by security forces, impunity for abuses by
security forces, arbitrary arrests, prolonged pretrial detention, judicial
corruption and executive influence on the judiciary, rape, among other issues.
The health care system is
continuously faced with a shortage of doctors, known as ‘brain drain,’ due to
the fact that skilled Nigerian doctors emigrate to North America and Europe. In
1995, it was estimated that 21,000 Nigerian doctors were practicing in the
United States alone, which is about the same as the number of doctors working
in the Nigerian public service, a sign of a country that has failed in its
healthcare system.
It is truism that at almost the
same time that Nigeria gained independence from the United Kingdom on October
1, 1960, several other countries also achieved the same deed. For instance,
Cyprus, (August 16, 1960 but celebrates her independence on October 1, 1960,
the same day with Nigeria), an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea…
Malaysia (August 31, 1957), a
Southeast Asian country, is only about three years older than Nigeria...Singapore
(August 9, 1965) is Nigeria’s ‘younger sister’ by five years. It seceded from
the Malaysian Federation. However, 54 years after, while some of these
countries have got global reputations for their improved economies through manufacturing
and export of their products, Nigeria still seems to rely on other countries of
the world for her survival, that is a fault and loophole that need to be fixed
and filled.
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