Wednesday, 25 September 2013

Independent Day – Where is the FUTURE? - Maxwell Adegbenro

 
 It is just days to Nigeria’s independence; The brigade drum is set to give us another freedom beat. It is independent day celebration; they say it calls for celebration. What do we celebrate, Impunity or the future ahead of us. The pop of baileys, champagnes, clicks of glasses as the clock ticks ominously in façade of memories. Independence is a celebration of class of people (not elites), provocative glimpse of colors that failed honor, the balloon flying and gun-shot at stadia remain and refreshes the unblemished memory of our national unity.

October 1, 2013 noted and dotted should mark fifty three years of Nigeria’s independence in what some may believe shouldn’t be a rosy celebration. If asked, to be or not is a dignified attitude of belief not as nation parse but as an independent factor, individual whose evaluation model is hell-bent on improved mistakes that have experienced growth, liberation from estranged bigotry of hope.

The quality of mistakes and errors made arose fears of national sanctions since it has become an essential feature of freedom by application of Mahatma Ghandis words ““Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.”

There is no gain saying we have never got it fairer since transition from military to civil rule in 1999, sectors of Nigerias economy that have been impoverished had received a boost of reformation through unsustainable policies triggered by travails of political crisis in the state and policy from skewed political leaders managing affairs, those that are not ripe to be a primary school head-masters let alone managing a ministry.

‘We have broken up from colonialism and the tendencies of colonialism that have kept our true identity, strength, effort, ideals, character, principles and unique style from leading our fortune, destiny and life as a nation.

Richard Sklar’s developed characters of the African continent as a “workshop of democracy,” is certainly sought and considered from an in-depth thoroughness and administrative evaluations backed by assailing policy somersault, and that makes us a perfect example. Nigeria has experimented with different federal, state, and local government systems, learning more about decisions, its needs, resources, and constraints with each experiment. Despite, the charade of democratic activities from political charlatans dominating the sphere of leadership, Nigerian society has retained the memory of military adversary through the many of the fundamental building blocks in democratic polity: the innuendo of victimization, frustrations, vigorous entrepreneurial classes, a broad onstitutional breach and numerous zero tolerance to initiative of improved standard higher education, a lack of dynamic legal community and judiciary, and the lack increasingly, courageous human rights organizations.

Every year, the series of events that frustrate our collective independence celebration hinges on corruption, insecurity, economic and leadership downtrodden. When can we ever get budgetary allocation properly executed with influences on socio economic and cultural growth? When in our political system will our leaders appreciate the interest of the people in entirety without polluting or injecting perkily the Nigeria look of leadership?

I was at a State Library recently in Ekiti couple of days ago when someone (corpers) in a group of three walked up to me for an interview. They wanted to find out, for research, the average opinion of people about Nigeria. I was asked, ‘What does Nigeria mean to me and What is workable in Nigeria?’ And I answered, Nigeria mean a lot and ‘Nothing!’ absolutely is working, not the vast natural resources is efficiently utilized for the growth of the economy since we depend so much on crude oil. Not even the oneness and generosity of peaceful co-existence and love. Unfortunately that didn’t go well with the corpers they were discouraged from going further and since truth must be told, the least of my sincerity about Nigeria deluded them. Does that bury the inquisition of hopeful nation, the possibility of greater state-nation is strongly hopeful of thought that things will definitely turn around for our good and perpetual prosperity as a nation if we are ready to defend the course of unity.

The generic challenges of tribal differences and ethnic war must be retraced. The man like me may not be able to explain how, but can say even at worst situations: We are growing.

With the foregoing spate of development in the state the cardinal- models of development under the presidential system in my opinion are in three ranges.

• Fighting for the sovereignty of nation; Believing in oneness, subverting the obnoxious belief of blaming our woes on ethnic and religious difference. The people must be self-determined for change, and change of freedom can only come in mawkish shape by restoring the loss with collateral sacrifices.

• Fighting against despotic policies and selfish leadership decisions that are unpopular and neither in the interest of the people nor for the good of the people, the land and posterity;

• Fighting to protect basic identity and principles of the people against foreign erosion and bastardization.

The cardinals are bore out of the understudy challenges and oriented action plan worthy of delivering the promises and restoring our desires. It will not be puerile or a wasted struggle like the occupy Nigeria war of fuel subsidy removal whose success is marred by violent because individual roles were truncated by diverse interest and continuity. Nigeria is a corruption ridding state, enlisting politicians are in oil cartel. Efforts at dragging them to face the wrath of angry masses failed to enjoy the voluminous solace of the rally in all states in freeing Nigeria from corruption.

like Jim Morrison “The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade in your reality for a role. You trade in your sense for an act. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask. There can’t be any large-scale revolution until there’s a personal revolution, on an individual level. It’s got to happen inside first.” That is spirit of freedom, delivering oneself from the shackle of disbelief.

It becomes a fight because the federated people (politicians) at the helms of affairs are precarious and have taken dominance completely of sectors and systems and when the people under democratic rule become undetermined to seek the general good in them beyond the whimsy electorate in line with the concepts, without undue individualism the future can then be guaranteed. It is a fight because as much as they spend all their time, effort, spirit and material, they still maintain a strong hope for success. The story is history; most times they lose their lives in the struggle even when they know of the possibility. They pre-dedicate their struggle to posterity.

However, it is essentially important to discuss the class of people to entrust our right and interest for. As it stands today, the political platforms in Nigeria is leveling up to a two party system. People Democratic Party and All Progressive Congress Party, APC is a new political class, the fusion of old politicians believed to be progressively distinguished in character and principle. Her formation was characterized by rigorous attempt to water the idea by severe criticism from opposition because of the threat it pose. The party had so much enjoyed the sympathy of Nigeria until now that a fraction of the ruling class suddenly posited to have been beclouded by witty tales of possibility and are tired of trying hard though the excuse is mischievous and unacceptable but we can but accept their template.

Their leader, Atiku and Baraje, angered factional Chairman of PDP claimed to have been marginalized, denigrated from party politics and participation. To me, I call it a question of loyalty in an association that housed corrupt practices. Just when the corruption looked well to Nigerians to have been identified as the reason why PDP is losing support of members, political power was allowed to be rivaled on interest, Rotimi Ameachi, Gov of Rivers State is a stubborn victim of the frivolous agenda at the peril of losing his House, President Jonathan is hell-bent on pursuing his 2015 agenda.

However, the repulsing attitude of Nigeria meaningful end and quickened their readiness to harness the word peaceful change. APC, under the Leadership of Bisi Akande, former Osun State Governor, El-Rufai, Metu, balarabe Musa, Ibrahim Shakarau, Buhari, Tinubu and all the serving APC governors presented a power packed programmes and manifestos. Of importantly and Strong is the quest to fight corruption, if nothing will appeal to the people, corruption a virus trenching and cutting the edge of our resources is a major challenge, dutifully the party is aimed. Example of the depth of this corruption is glaring in the salary scale of House of Assembly, Senate and representative. Also,the Ministry of Petroleum is yet to clear the plethora of fraud allegations that have beclouded its activities, revelations of huge fraud in the Ministry has become a monthly ritual. Ranging from missing bid proceeds right from 2000 to May 2006, through unclear accounting of proceeds from crude oil sales to reckless allocation of lucrative oil acreages to politicians whose only idea of oil business is their link to the Presidency, it has been one fresh case after another in an dministration that prides itself in its anti-corruption campaign.

In lieu the future of our great nation lies in the strength we draw from starvation, poverty and unemployment when some class are busy enriching their pocket.

The future of Nigeria after 53years is vested in the revolving desire to be the change, obliterating the grueling challenges to conform to principle of perception. The future of Nigeria is you, a force of beckons asking questions and holding on to your right. Keeping quiet poses a greater danger if Nigerians will not be ready to settle for the available again comes 2015.

Maxwell Adegbenro is a Public Analyst and JournalistWrites from Ado Ekiti. Follow @MaxAdegbenro @Psermuel

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