Nigeria’s Independence: 63 Years And Counting, Are We Truly Free?

Today reminds Nigerians of the day our founding fathers’ dream for independence was granted by colonial Britain. On a day like this, we are filled with the compulsion of looking back to where we are coming from in the last three scores and three years. Not only did we inhale the promise of a new dawn for a country; we became the inheritors of a new nation that was full of expectations, blessed with both human and natural resources.

On the day, Nigerians had the hope of being free from the oppression and dictation from the whites. However, Nigeria as a sovereign state today lack the political will to do things on her own. The country solely relies on foreign interventions in most of her policies as we still follow the British way of doing things.

Kudos must be given to the titans in the struggle for independence. People like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Herbert Marcurley and Tafawa Balewa among others. These are selfless leaders who stood their ground to see that the country is free from the colonialists.

It’s obvious that the present day leaders have derailed from the solid foundation laid by these Nationalists in their quest for a better Nigeria that works for all.

It’s saddening that an independent country like Nigeria still finds ways to stablise her economy 63 years after. The country still imports majority of her needs. We have dropped from a producing country to a consumption one.

The country still relies on neighbouring and foreign countries to feed her people. According to experts, the continued devaluation of the Naira depicts the present situation of the country.

Before Independence, Nigeria was known as a major exporter of raw materials to foreign countries, a situation that gave the British sleepless nights on how to milk the country more before giving independence.

As a free nation, Nigeria citizens are still not free from oppression of security forces. Extortion, unjust arrests and human rights violation have bedeviled the country.

Also, the media which is the fourth estate of the realm are not free in some cases to do their job. Media practitioners have faced various form of harassment and intimidation from different sections of the society. The Freedom of Information Act enacted into the law in 2011 by the Goodluck Jonathan administration has not been effective as Journalists find it difficult to access public information which means Nigeria is a free state in the book but not in reality.

As Nigeria celebrates its 63rd independence anniversary today, hundreds of kidnapped citizens are still unwilling guests of criminal groups. The present tragedy lies in the government’s inability to rescue victims of brigandage and other non-state actors engaged in violence against peace-loving citizens. If bandits can organise rescue operations for their members in prisons, Nigerians are wondering why security forces are incapable of rising up to the task of smoking these criminals from their holes and bringing them to justice.

Corruption has grown wings and is heavily protected. Our Tertiary Education is in a comatose. There’s infrastructural deficit in on our campuses while the government is helpless in addressing this. Students also find it difficult to get quality education they deserve.

As Nigerians observe today in solemnity, citizens must embark on a reflection that addresses inequalities and injustices that have pervaded our country. We need a national leadership that combines the passion of the Sardaunan Sokoto; the humility of Prime Minister Balewa; the intellectual insight of Chief Obafemi Awolowo; the cosmopolitan nature of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe; the statecraft of IBB and ruthlessness of General Abacha against enemies of Nigeria, both within and without. Nigerian citizens under a democracy must not be deluded into believing that political leadership must be feared and not challenged.

• Yusuf Oketola