NASIR DAMBATTA captures the divergent opinions of the citizenry at Nigeria’s 54th Independence anniversary amidst huge challenges of insecurity, economic downturn, fever-pitch preparations for the 2015 general elections and allied matters
The celebration of the nation’s 54th Independence anniversary this time has again come with a potpourri of opinions, given the litany of woes that appear like maggots in the Apple called Nigeria. Perhaps the difference between the present and previous independence is the growing wave of insecurity occasioned by an expanding insurgency, which analysts argue is constitutes the biggest challenge to the nation’s corporate existence. Closely connected to the rampaging insurgency is the rising wave of urban crimes like kidnapping and highway robberies across the nation. There is the growing consensus that the rise in urban crimes is associated with the level of poverty, which is now going on with frightening impunity in the land.
However, there are prominent Nigerians who believe that the citizenry truly have cause to roll out the drums with fanfare for Nigeria’s 54th birthday. Leading the pack is the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) which expressed optimism that barring all odds the nation’s unity is intact. Chairman of the Forum and Niger State governor, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, in a statement through his Chief Press secretary, Israel Ebije, expressed strong hope in the indivisibility of the nation, regardless of insinuations to the contrary across the nation. The statement read in part: “Let me congratulate Nigerians as we celebrate our 54th independence. It is my wish that we celebrate more independence in peace, harmony and prosperity. We need a country where our people can really call their home.
“We want a country where we can be independent from personal or group interests but united towards achieving common goal and aspiration as one Nigeria. While we have challenges of insecurity amidst fears of disintegration, we must realise that Nigeria has prospect; Nigeria has considerable international presence regardless of our challenges today. Believe me, so many nationals wish they were Nigerians.”
Speaking on behalf of the NGF, governor Babangida added: “It is therefore my sincere prayers that Nigerians should mark this Independence Day celebration in the spirit of reconciliation. We must work towards healing wounds triggered by politics, religion and ethnicity. We need true reconciliation to work together as an indivisible entity. We shouldn’t just mark this year’s independence just for its ceremonial value but for the sake of encouraging ourselves that Nigeria is indeed a country worth fighting for; a country of patriotic citizenry and a country we are proud of. ”
The upper chamber of the National Assembly is not left out of ventilating the lawmaker’s position on the nation’s 54th anniversary. Senate President David Mark while speaking against the backdrop of the 2015 general elections as Nigeria clocked 54 has this to say: “As stakeholders, we must therefore restrain ourselves from inflammatory and treasonable statements or actions. Our collective or individual ambitions are subordinate to the national interest. We must therefore, always consider the primacy of our national interest. After all, it is a trite fact that for us to even actualize our various political visions, our nation must first exist.”
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Kaduna State chapter underscored the role of peace in promoting societal development, while urging the populace not exploit religious or ethnic fault-lines for selfish gains, as doing so has dare consequences for the nation’s democracy. Speaking through Bishop of Zaria Catholic Diocese, George Dodo, and CAN noted that “Nigeria is a political unit made up of over two hundred ethnic nationalities and diverse religious groups. The cooperation of these ethnic nationalities and religious groups is important for its existence and survival as a nation. Unity and peaceful cooperation among these groups is important. Frequent crises and violence among these groups will only lead to divisive politics and loss of confidence in the system. This in turn, will stunt the progress of the state and nation and indeed affect the consolidation of our democracy.”
Former Military Administrator of Kaduna State and vocal human rights activist, Colonel Dangiwa Umar joined other compatriots in cautioning Nigerians against the promotion of mutual suspicion and hatred. He also admonished the citizenry to constitute themselves into a bulwark against bad governance and official corruption and allow religion to serve as a source of strength rather than an instrument of dividing the people. Said he: “We must love ourselves, we must fight hate and we must do same on bigotry and extremism. We must fight corruption and demand good leadership, we must respect religions and sensitivities all Nigerians hold and work on things that will unite and bring about development. God is with us and giving us opportunities to rebuild Nigeria.”
As for the Southern part of the country, Abia State governor, Theodore Orji while giving thumbs up to the nation’s security agencies on the war against insurgency, also strongly shares sentiments of other prominent Nigerians on the indissolubility of the country.
Unlike other Nigerians who spoke earlier, Governor Orji called on the insurgents to embrace dialogue and give peace a chance. He then stressed that if the insurgents lay down their arms and embrace the spirit of dialogue it would have been “a mark of respect for the sacrifices of Nigeria’s nationalists who fought for independence and unity of Nigeria”.
On the whole, Nigeria’s 54th anniversary celebration this time has flung open a gate of hope on the indissolubility of the nation, if the optimism expressed by prominent Nigerians is anything to go by. They seem united in the belief that even though the nation is capable of surmounting its unity and development challenges, all stakeholders need to close ranks by being proactive, rather than paying lip-service to issues that are germane to attainment of national goals. For sure, the divergent opinions of prominent Nigerians on the state of the nation as it sails close to the 2015 general elections speak volumes on the pervasive fears about the future. It is only hoped that their various admissions of the decay in the system, namely bad governance, insurgency and unprecedented official corruption would not continue to veer the nation off its course.
