By
Gideon Arinze
Today reminds us of our
epic struggle for self-actualization. It reminds us of our long walk to
freedom-how our founding fathers fought to salvage us from the crippling grip
of white supremacists. It reminds us of our ultimate triumph.
Today reminds us of that
day when we broke the manacles of imperialism, that day when we heaved a great
sigh of relieve. That day when we told ourselves yes we can. It reminds us of
that day when we truly attained the status of nationhood and chose to serve our
fatherland with love, strength and faith.
Sadly, 57 years on,
Nigeria, to put it mildly, remains a toddling giant. With ethnic tension still
rife and political instability at its peak, the future of our dear country
continues to be threatened and we seem to have forgotten in a hurry the
sacrifices of our founding fathers- The busy mornings, the tight afternoons and
the sleepless nights they endured- to give us hope and a future.
Today, there is the
increasing demand by the South East for self-actualization as a result of
perceived marginalization in the nation's political climate- a development
which has gradually crystallized into a global clamour.
In the north east, the
menace of insurgency has continued unabated, crippling educational activities.
Over 2,295 teachers have been killed and 19,000 have been displaced with almost
1,400 schools destroyed with the majority unable to open because of extensive
damage, a report by UNICEF reveals.
The report also revealed
that nearly 1 million children have been displaced by the crisis and 450,000
children under the age of five are expected to suffer from severe acute
malnutrition this year, with cholera outbreak affecting more than 3,900 people,
including over 2450 children.
Most worrisome is the
cruel and calculated increase in the use of children as ‘human bombs’ which has gradually sown a
climate of mistrust among communities in the northeast according to a UN’s
children agency report. the report said that 83 children have been used by the
group to carry out bomb attacks in the north eastern Nigeria, a development
which is four times higher than it was for the entirety of 2016.
The UN estimates that
20,000 people have been killed and at least 1.7 million displaced since the
armed group launched its armed campaign in northeast Nigeria eight years ago.
The security of our nation continues to be threatened.
The north central zone is
not spared the ordeal as activities of herdsmen have led to the death of
countless lives, with Benue, Plateau and Kaduna as hotbeds of such attacks. An
estimated 3,000 people have been killed as a result of attacks by herdsmen.
We can go on and on. The
list is just endless. We are one nation with multifaceted troubles. But these
troubles are not interactable. They only require us to come together and fight
to reclaim our place as the true giant of Africa and not a toddling giant of
Africa.
It is important to note
that our joy at independence was immeasurable, given the pump and circumstance
that surrounded the celebration. Of course, it feels great when you can take
decisions without interference. The number of people in attendance at the
Tafawa Balewa Square, venue of the celebration showed how long we had waited
for that day.
In his speech at
independence, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa who was then the Prime Minister, he
said “ this is a wonderful day and it is all the more wonderful because we have
awaited our independence with increasing impatience, compelled to watch one
country after another overtaking us on the road when we has so nearly reached
our goal. But now, we have acquired our rightful status and I feel sure that
history will show that the building of our nation proceeded at the wisest pace:
it has been thorough and Nigeria now stands well-built upon foundations”
This speech shows how much
our independence was (is) cherished. It shows the dreams our forebears had when
they were fighting to be free. Indeed, they foresaw a bright future. A future
when we all shall live as one despite our ethnic and religious divides.
Now is the time to rise up
and address the multifarious issues which have constituted a huge source of
nightmare to us as a nation and keeps us from attaining our goals. Now is the
time. Now is the times to rise up and ensure that the dreams of our fathers are
achieved. Our security operatives must all the more be dedicated to duty. Those
in government must do well to represent our interest. We the citizens owe them
a duty to wish the well.
From demands for
self-actualization in the South East occasioned by structural imbalances in the country- fewer
number of states and local governments, lesser revenue accruals, political
representation, federal employments and political appointments to activities of
herdsmen and increasing wave of insurgency. All must be addressed.
Beyond the pump and
circumstance that accompanies our independence day celebration, we must recall
to mind the giant strides of our heroes past- how they fought to give us a
sense of belonging.
There is still hope for a
better Nigeria. A Nigeria of dreams.
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