The road to the abattoir: Assessing Nigeria after 50 years of independence

Akowe John-Duke ‘Selime

Logging In

When Nigeria became an independent country on October 1, 1960, the future of the fledging nation was
bright. World leaders and our colonial masters acknowledged the enormous natural endowment, quality
and quantity of our human resources. It was even predicted that, by the mid seventies, Nigeria would
become a medium ranking World power playing enviable roles in the comity of nations and shouldering
continental responsibilities. Sadly, it is a pitiable pisma disma to state that these expectations of our
colonial masters are ironies. In fact, they are what will call the strangest of strange of paradoxes. This is
because we are confronted with the multiple contradictions and absurdity as Fr. George Ehusani puts it.
However, this essay rethinks the problematik of this nation with rich human and natural resources. It
purposes to reflect on Nigerian after 50 years of independence. Is Nigeria, in actuality on its way to the
abattoir?

Assessing Nigeria After 50 Years Of Independence

Nigeria became 50 years old on 1 October 2010. This time in our history does not call for any
celebrations. Nigeria used to be the giant and pride of Africa, but that was back in the day. Today,
Nigeria’s economy and politics portray sad pictures. The educational system is so bad that Nigerian
students are now trooping to Ghana for tutorship. Those who have looted, stole and destroyed the
country have sent their children and family members abroad for education and comfort. Nigerians who
have genuinely attained economic self-sufficiency also tend to prefer to obtain an education abroad.

It is not only the educational system in Nigeria that has suffered. Almost every aspect of our lives in
Nigeria has suffered tremendous setback in such a way that the overall quality of life for the ordinary
Nigerian is below an acceptable level for a human. In the Niger Delta, where most of Nigeria's revenues
are generated, life is far from being a beauty to behold. National and international conspiracies have
transformed the rich oil fields into killing fields and a valley of death and despair.

Nigeria’s electricity generation is near nil. Millions of Nigerians and thousands of businesses depend on
generators that generate toxic fumes and devastating noise. Nigerian businesses are growing and
developing faster in Ghana than in Nigeria, while the Nigerian environment is now widely used in
documentaries to demonstrate the impact of environmental disasters. We experience rebranding of the
power sectors instead of rebranding their way of providing power. This is a country at 50.

Health care has been so neglected that almost every Nigerian politician travels abroad to seek medical
help. Where should ordinary people go? They have no money and still depend on the dilapidated health
facilities scattered around the country. Foundation once destroyed, what can the just do? They only keep
on acclaiming in their usual language “God dey, nay hin be poor man language”.

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There is a general breakdown in the provision and availability of other basic infrastructure. Water is
scarce and Nigeria made the global news in August of 2010 as a result of deaths related to cholera.
Toilets are primitive in many localities and the level of sanitation is extremely low.

Malaria also remains a threat, especially for children under age four and pregnant women. Nigeria is one
of the last countries in the world with records of polio incidence. While the politicians and corrupt
individuals continue to amass wealth, the majority of the masses - more than 80% - continue to live in
abject poverty.

The politics of Nigeria is the source of our greatest national shame. Somewhere along the line we threw
away merit and replaced it with mediocrity. Tribal politics rose to unassuming heights and corruption ate
deep into the fabric of society. The concept of 'politics of the belly' and the complete absence of morality
in public office ensured that Nigeria fell from grace to grass with lightening speed.

While the other nations of the world, including neighbouring countries like Ghana and Benin, made
progress, Nigeria headed in the opposite direction. Development stagnated as some individuals made
away with the country’s wealth. The military men and the politicians alike stole with impunity and to a
degree never seen before. The most disheartening aspect of the looting of Nigeria is that almost
everyone who stole has gotten away.

In 2011, Nigerians are faced with another presidential election that could be a catastrophe. Nigeria does
not need elections in 2011; Nigeria needs the structures and institutions to deliver free and fair elections
in accordance with international standards. The starting point is a valid forensics-based identity
registration for every Nigerian. We clamour for registration for everyone. Will it work? This question
remains ad infinitum. Nonetheless, we pray for a change.

Fifty years after independence Nigeria’s democracy remains in shambles. While a government will be
wasting N17bn ($110m) on the independence party, millions of Nigerians will continue to live from
hand to mouth, unsure of the next meal. The amount of funds planned for the 'celebration of failures'
was unwarranted. It should have been low-key, a time for sober reflection. We should have used this
golden moment to evaluate where things went wrong and write genuine blueprints of how to emerge
from our present predicament. Moreover, this anniversary should have been dedicated to arresting and
prosecuting all those living large as emperors with the nation's stolen wealth.

It is wrong for Nigeria to celebrate the 50th anniversary of independence in an ostentatious manner
because of the resounding failure of governments since 1960. Arguments against such a shameful
pretense fall on deaf ears. When our highly respected President Jonathan planned independence
celebrations with a budget of N10bn, people complained. They suggested that the money should be used
to procure machines for Nigeria's dilapidated hospitals. Former President Umaru Yar’Adua died of
kidney and heart problems earlier this year. The government of Nigeria should consider the millions of
Nigerians suffering and dying daily due to similar causes.

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The men and women in the Nigerian House of Assembly confirmed the lack of probity in the Nigerian
political space by calling for more money for the independence party. We forget so easily that we live in
a country where scavengers make less than N200 a day and have families to feed. The party money is
not a big deal to those who approved it.

These people who think and act foolishly owe us no apology and no accountability because we did not
vote for them. Our politics is jungle politics, where the fittest survive and win everything. The weak and
the losers lick their wound and beg for favours like the storyline of the novel ‘Lazarus go soon chop fly’
by Tejomola Olaniran. Has anyone even thought of how much a N17bn education fund could avail if it
is not looted?

Even in our sports sector, Nigeria’s performance is nothing to write home about. We have had series of
sport ministers and national team coaches thinking that they would salvage the situation but all of these
have proven abortive. A recent incident is the just concluded FIFA 2010 World Cup at South Africa.
This was the worse of all our World cup outings. Are we gradually heading for doom?

Fifty years after Nigeria attained independence, its aviation industry, which existed even before then, is
still underdeveloped. Nigeria still has a long way to go, as airports still lack standard perimeter fences,
thereby making it easy for unwanted bodies to stray into the tarmac. For instance, there were recent
incidents, including a car that ran into the tarmac of Calabar airport, making straight for the
undercarriage of an Arik Air aircraft already positioned for take-off. Another was the case of an ‘Okada
rider’ who also beat security at the Kaduna airport while taking a Corp member to an Aero aircraft
already positioned for take-off, and that of cows straying into the runway, causing damage to an Air
France aircraft positioned for take-off, were among others that pose danger to safety and an
embarrassment to the nation. This is just one of those anomalies in the aviation industry.

Is All Hope Lost?

Nigeria cannot be rated as being successful as a political entity after 50 years of political independence
from British Colonialism. The country is persistently beset with a myriad of problems which has
hindered meaningful and progressive national development. It is therefore not out of place for Nigerians,
due to our failures in the past, to see this 50 th independence anniversary as the moment for all our leaders
and Nigerians to take a critical and sober look at our mistakes in the past, how it is affecting us presently
(and in the future) and wake up as a truly united nation, reposition ourselves and take our rightful place
as a country that should be admired in the comity of nations. All hope is not lost for Nigeria.

It is in this regard that every citizen of this country should as a matter of national progress chooses to
have a positive change of heart towards our nation Nigeria even as we gravitate into another republic
come 2011. There is the need for us to reinvent and imbibe our personal and national values such as
accountability, honesty, integrity, love, peace and harmony rather than being carried away by the
unbridled quest for materialism and political power at the expense of national development.

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The fight against corruption and bad leadership must begin by we setting up a truly, viable independent
and unbiased electoral commission that will ensure free, fair and credible elections. Besides, serving and
intending public office holders in Nigeria should be made to declare their assets as well as their source,
this will go a long way in rendering all the vices associated with corruption and bad leadership
unattractive.

Furthermore, Nigerians should be allowed free access to information about their political leaders and
government policies for the nation, while a new, stable and vibrant educational system be developed that
will promote positive human and national development.
Logging Off

Nigeria is our home and future, hence it is imperative that we get our priorities right this time by
collectively taking bold steps to bring about positive and lasting changes that will usher the nation into
an era of good leadership and prosperity. From the forgoing therefore, one can capture a picture of a
nation still far from meeting the aspirations of the people in spite of abundance of human and natural
resources. How can you celebrate a nation where people die of hunger, poverty and diseases? Nigeria
has been brought to her knees by successive reckless leaderships that have tended to strong corruption,
which in turn steals the people’s opportunities and their future. However, as I have earlier cited, the onus
falls on us to pick the challenge of making a better Nigeria with the intention of not allowing our
beloved country, Nigeria from toeing the way towards the abattoir.