NIGERIA: NOT YET INDEPENDENT

Many citizens have lost hope in this nation, but I haven’t; I believe that Nigeria is a great nation, although not a very good one. Nigeria is celebrating her 57^th year anniversary, but we are not proud as there is nothing tangible to show for it. Many Nations of the world gained independent alongside with us yet, we can’t stand them right now, even some gained after us and they are now competing among the most developed nations in the world. There are many countries that are still behind us, but we should not compete with our flaws.

These may be enough reasons to give up on one’s fatherland, but no one else can shoulder the responsibilities. Often times I wondered if Nigeria is actually independent, but I just got my answers: Nigeria is independent, but Nigerians are not; there is a difference between a country gaining independent and her citizens obtaining freedom. Then we can’t tag Nigeria as “independent” when her people are not. The citizens still wallow in problems of slave trade, although not physical, because people are crying, their voices are heard but nothing is ever done except it benefits the leaders. They claim to be practicing democracy, but this is obviously not the government by the people, although we voted them in.

We have misjudged politicians for leaders as well as politics for leadership. A politician ventures into governance for his own personal benefit, but a leader does for his people. I am sorry to say, we have very few leaders in Nigeria and as time passes by, most leaders become politicians, because they were leaders, they were not known, they could not lie, they could not kill and they had conscience. Now they have changed having forgotten that “Politics is an investment, leadership is a voluntary service.”

Education, power supply, employment, technology and others are basic amenities a nation should possess. Nigeria does possess all these, but all to put shames on her. Our heroes had dreams for these nation, they had done so much in giving Nigeria a bright future, but God knows how everything just turned around worse.

Nigeria has more than five percent of the world’s mineral deposit, yet this doesn’t reflect in her. This is simply because our leaders see all these resources as theirs and us as slaves. They do what they want and go scot free, even though most are wrong. Nigerians have no to voice too, in fact we have given up on God’s miracle too. Some people never believed in prayer while some that pray never do that with seriousness.

Oh God of creation, direct our noble cause

Guide our leaders right

Help our youths the truth to know

In love and honesty to grow

And living just and true

Great lofty heights attain

To build a nation where peace and justice shall reign

Let us recite this daily and have it in mind that Nigeria will get better someday, I see a better Nigeria when Citizens start clamoring for their rights and freedom rather than clamoring for change. When each man sees others as his responsibilities, and not the governments’ when the rich don’t live just to keep acquiring wealth and where the poor hasn’t lost hop in himself. When we pray for Nigeria every time and forsake all our bad attitudes.

GOD BLESS NIGERIA...

Written by: Ajibade Quazeem