MY INDEPENDENCE BROADCAST… By Dotun George
At this defining moment in the history of Nigeria, when we are celebrating 55th year of our independence from our slave and colonial master. One part of me rejoices and another part of me cries, why? Because of where we are coming from, where we are now and the hope for the future that is just coming a bit brighter. Unfortunately, Nigeria at 55, she was taken captive by conspiracy of deception, oppression, corruption, bad leadership and injustice. She needs liberation, freedom and independence of thought, action and reasons. 2015 became a watershed in the history of Nigeria, the year Nigerians from the South, North, East and West decided to break the yoke of oppression and reposition Nigeria and her leadership, it looks very impossible but right before our eyes, we all saw it happened. Today as a nation we are grateful to God, who change the course of event and redirect Nigeria from perdition and precipice.
A lot of questions are fighting for expression inside of me, are we really or truly free, has anything change over the past 55 years of independence? Nigeria is yet to create her own variant of democracy informed by our own norms, culture, systems of belief, values etc. It is not my joy to start exposing the problems of Nigeria and expose the inadequacy and failures of the past leadership in Nigeria, frankly all the leaders Nigeria produced in the last 55 years had done a great havoc to this nation with the exception of few. But I believe in solving a problem, we must agree on the causes of our problems. More often than not, the problem of Nigeria development process is usually reduced to that of leadership.
The frequent political changes have brought inconsistency to our education polities. The military regime and Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan administration had done evil to education by allowing perpetual closure of our higher Institution and voting a very small percentage of the national annual budget to education. Our academic certificate does not attract any value in the international community. There is an urgent need for a stable education policy, a responsible generation like ours must make sacrifice for their future.
There is high level of poverty in this land, lack of the basic facilities of life, poverty of independent thought and actions, poverty of vision and direction among our leaders, we appear not to know who we are, what we are worth and where we wish to go from here. The literacy statistics shows than we have high level of illiterates now than we have in 1960 because the Nigerian government since 1979 had done a great disservice to this country by progressively uneducated Nigerian children.
Today the minimum wage in Nigeria is N18,000 the questions I kept on asking people is still the same, show me any one who can successfully live with this minimum wage without stealing, begging for more or borrowing at the expense of his own future economy?
In 55 year of existence what can we do to improve our lot as individual and as a nation? We need a very strong national philosophy (Philosophy that will guide every citizen like America, all of them are guided, propelled by their national philosophy), national orientation (This very important because Nigerians have been conditioned to certain lifestyle like corruption, nepotism, cheating, etc that needs change) and direction.
We all need discipline, probity, integrity, hardwork, accountability and righteousness to build a new nation. Hardwork does not kill; it is laziness that kills the mind and the body. Hardwork is the essential to the building of a solid foundation for self, family and country. Hardwork is a cure for fraud, cheating, examination leakages, certificate rackets, secret cults and failure in life.
Discipline encompasses modesty, thoughtfulness, community living, punctuality, duty, leadership and followership, obedience, cooperation and discussion. We all need a self control.
Let us all be honest in accounting for actions and activities. Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach. Where are you? and what are you doing? If you say because others do it you will follow others to do evil? You are a jellyfish then. Avoid immoral shortcuts to achieve goals. Avoid cheating in class, in home, in class election and examinations. Then you will grow up to be a trusted, trust-worthy and reliable individual at home, at work, school and within the community. You will grow up to be respected person.
Money cannot buy everything. Resist the urge to join people in praising corrupt people and more importantly resist the temptation of following them. If all of us can start doing all this little thing there will be change in our society and it is this change people from the society that will later emerge has our leaders in all sphere of government. It is not too late for Nigeria to reverse the ill of the past
All Nigerians are expected to be a activist in our own way, pursuing actions to a logical conclusion towards; good governance, exposing what is wrong, Industrial commitments, crying against instances of injustice, teaching/educating the people to be self-sufficient, re-orientate the mind positively, working behind the scenes to promote enhanced political leadership, promoting Political/Human Rights activism and using the media to propagate meaning leadership
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