59 years: Nigeria as a struggling nation

As Nigeria celebrated 59 years of independence, the country is still going through difficult and hard situation, especially in the phase of security, economy and national unity.

In 1960, Nigeria got independence which drew the attention of international and national spectators, especially on the issue of unity of the country looking at the multi-cultural and religious nature of Nigeria. Many Nigerians both in and out of the country celebrated the moment with the open mind that the nation will experience radical transformation and development.

Six years after independence, the country went through various challenges, most notable being January is, 1966 when the then elected British–modelled government was truncated by a coup’ d’état at a point the structure of governance had barely developed. The consequences of the military intervention led to an unfortunate civil war from 1966 to 1970 which led to the death of thousands of Nigerians.

After a series of several military interruptions during different republics, the country returned to  civilian administration in 1999 and since then has been six general elections. Recently, the country celebrated 20 years of uninterrupted democracy. But this is with lots of issues despite the fact that the electoral process is improving; there is electoral violence, desperation from politicians, electoral logistic irregularities, poor organization, vote-buying and security compromise during electioneering.

Worse still, even with the blessing of democracy, Nigerian politicians are only interested in representing their personal needs rather than having the interest of the nation at heart. They achieve their optimum goal of dividing the country along religious and ethnic lines. The election is no longer base on the capacity and ability of the person to deliver; most Nigerians are more interested in seeing their kinsmen on the corridors of power. No wonder now that appointments into different ministries, departments, and agencies of government are based on where one comes from with religious consideration rather than merit.

The level of insecurity has made Nigerians to no longer trust one another, even though the Muhammadu Buhari administration has done well in containing the Boko Haram menace in the NorthEast, there is a serious problem in handling the cases of those involved in the act and how to chart the way forward to prevent a re-occurrence of such calamity.

The Nigerian economy is one step forward, two steps backwards with over 90.8 million Nigerians living below the poverty line. Industries are no longer functioning, foreign investors are afraid to invest their resources and the level of unemployment is becoming a threat to our national security.

With all these challenges or problems, the country is still struggling to survive. To the best of my knowledge, I have never seen a country like Nigeria that crossed the Rubicon and still experiences grave challenges and it’s still alive and united. This means that there is light at the end of the tunnel and a brighter future ahead. Nigerians should understand the wisdom of God who put us together in one country despite our differences.

The interest of the nation should  always be foremost in whatever we do. Let us align our interests along with the national interest. The government should provide a conducive atmosphere for participatory and inclusive governance.

 

Idris Mohammed,

Abuja.