Adeyemi Okediran
The ageing mother Africa clocks 59 years today!
Reminiscing on the affairs and what has been achieved to date, it’s unfortunate I couldn’t opt for my Nationality before my birth.
The system keep deteriorating day in time out as a results of unhealthy governance injected by the flurried citizen. It’s demoralizing seeing a whole heroine falling just like the goofing giant at the war front.
Nigeria is a blessed nation occupied by the wicked souls on earth known as politicians who have turned developments into science discoveries and studies. Since 1960, the nation remains under-developed with so much to be desired and with lots of potential.
There is a little doubt that we’ve got bright spots in Nigeria where democracy seems to be thriving and such bright spots are typically found in handpicked state within the federation but it’s not withal Uhuru for democracy in Nigeria as a sizable portion of the federation continues to be beneath the grip of malevolent dictators masquerading as democrats.
Hitherto, the Nigerian political caucus was on the verge of walking on a decent piece of ground to a healthy democracy before they changed their quest for self elevation.
We are accustomed to seeing awful things as traditional means of living and no hope in sight to form the great country we hope for.
It’s no longer a rumour that the official travel document of Nigeria, the most inhabited country in Africa exposes the holder to further scrutiny and in some cases harassment all over the world. It wasn’t like this years past as Nigerians were highly revered.
What has changed?
Let me walk you down the memory lane, when things were similar to what the founding fathers fought for.
To understand African country you wish to understand wherever it comes from in 1900
Nigeria started as a business deal for the British between a company and also the government. Incidentally, the Nigeria Company continues to be around today better-known by a distinct name Unilever; actually, there is one extra detail of note. In other to require over the territory from the Niger Company; the British government paid 865000 cowries, an enormous quantity in 1900. The British didn’t travel all over the globe just to unfold democracy, but that’s not the story.
Being a man of many tribes, many languages, a man of various bills and different people, it opened her to several challenges and this cannot be overemphasized.
Most countries are borne out of shared ideas and common identity. Nigeria was merely created to satisfy a business requirement, that of supplying merchandise and services to United Kingdom. With that at drop, it absolutely was no surprise that after 50 years of colony, rule Nigerians.
The founding fathers went to United Kingdom as delegate of the National council of Nigeria and also the Cameroons chosen by our people. In other to demand for a more democratic constitution to modify laws affecting our lands, minerals and chips and to request the British government to grant us a lot of political responsibility and to enable us play key part in the management of our affairs with no frame work of the British Empire.
These were the very distinguished Nigerians that the world was initially exposed to, they were proud, extremely smart on a mission both for Nigeria and for Africans. They granted interviews and gave speeches in full Agbada and people took them seriously. They wanted self-government, civil rights and equal right; they needed to master their own destiny. but it had been Africans all over Africa.
By 1950s it had been clear to the colonial master that Africans will no longer tolerate inequality in their own country. Most of the African elites as they continue to do nowadays, have sent their children abroad to make sure those students get pleasure from western education and exposure. These Africans in the Diaspora enjoyed a sense of solidarity which was bolstered by the races’ treatment they received. They met up frequently and organize series of African meeting which was tagged “THE PAN Africa CONFERENCE”
The fifth Pan African Conference was held in Manchester on 15th – 20th October, 1945.
Decisions taken at the conference led to liberation of African countries. That event sponsored numerous men who will proceed to become political leader in their countries. They included, Kwame Nkrumah who went to lead Republic of Ghana, Jomo Republic of Kenyatta who went to lead Kenya, Dr. Hastings Banda who went to lead Nyasaland, Peter Abraham who was a South African novelist and went on to become a prominent member of the ANC, judge Padmul.
One of the most influential PAN AFRICAN figures of the 20th century and two important Nigerians, JAJA WACHUKU and OBAFEMI AWOLOWO. The main resolution of the 5th PAN AFRICAN Conference is to complain, appeal and arraign, we’ll make the world hear the facts of our condition. We will fight in every means we are able to for freedom, democracy, and social betterment. Despite the impressive delegates’ lesson. The conference wasn’t meaningfully quoted by the press.
When you compare the Nigeria state of affairs to those of other African nations things didn’t look so unhealthy, we weren’t independent like Republic of Ghana, we weren’t in an exceedingly same trait as South Africa. Our main export of cocoa, groundnut and palm oil, have contributed to massive commercialism altruistic. The British were step by step giving power and by the time the Queen came calling in 1956, we had representations in our own House of Representatives, and we at least on the route to self-government.
Reverse is the case when we have about 145 converts of our commonwealth to non-public wealth and majority of the ousted 99 celebrates them. We’re the architect of our suffering and until we have a rethink on how we address issues destitute of sensational biases, we would not twig right.
Our hopes were high at that point due to the resources at hand with the hope of embarking on a sleek government. However, what we’ve got now could be the alternative of what we desired; these lofty hopes were dotted in a prodigious twinkling of a watch, because the country lumbers from one crisis to the other.
We all keep praying for spick-and-span Nigeria, most times, I do have to rethink if God will come down and build things right, we’ve got all it takes to make a honest government. However, reverse is the case, we exclusively need few of us who will build things right and not the multitude that entails innumerable beguilers, and partiality regarding the betterment of this Nation!
This is image of an ideal state of affairs, sadly, the realities negates this sense.
On this special day here’s wishing our dreams of a new tomorrow come true! May our Independence Day be filled with patriotic spirit!
Happy Birthday Nigeria! Celebrating our independence, celebrating our freedom!
We celebrate bravery of our fathers and their gift of freedom. Long may our flag wave!

