Nigeria celebrated her 61st anniversary as an independent country last week. However, in some quarters, within the same country there were protests or marked silence in disatisfaction against the country's leadership. For some, the phrase, "Independence Day" should be replaced with "National Day" because the former reminds us more about colonial shackles of which we have not been totally free from. It makes some sense to me, but that's a story for another day. In any case, the big question was, should Nigeria - considering her resistance to growth - have celebrated her 61st Independence anniversary? I would give a cold 'yes', and that is because, aside being stubbornly optimistic, it is a miracle to me that Nigeria is still standing as one nation especially under President Buhari. Not so long ago, there were prognostications based on certain indices that Nigeria would disintegrate before 2015, but here we are, still together. Even though Nigeria has met the criteria of failed countries, it is still standing. Isn't that something to be thankful for?
Of course, we know, it would amount to a lie if we claim that Nigeria is happily standing or standing strong. Rather, I would like to think that Nigeria is miraculously standing or awkwardly standing in a way that it could fall. When we see the kinds of corruption, violence, and nefarious atrocities committed all over the land we should be able to tell that the time is ticking against us.
For example, IPOB ordered all Nigerian flags around the east to be brought down on Independence Day and there was a wide-spread compliance to that effect such that even banks had to lower their flags in eastern Nigeria. We already know how some Mondays within the same land had been converted into sit-at-home days by the same IPOB. This gives one the idea that a parallel government runs in the east. Perhaps I would be satisfied if it were just a parallel government, but when I consider the kind of fear IPOB instills I become more afraid for Nigeria because videos have surfaced of unknown gunmen (cheered by onlookers) playing football with human heads. Heads of people who defied their orders (note that "unknown gunmen" eastern version of armed bandits). What about the gruesome murder of Dr. Chike Akunyili, who had just vehemently condemned the activities of IPOB in Anambra State? What about the Anglican Priest in Nkwerre who suffered the same fate for being vocal against them? And before you come with your whataboutist ideas, remember that when you feed a snake in order to hunt down rats, you will become the next prey when the rats are gone.
We have seen how the north had pampered Boko Haram and armed bandits. Now the same north remains the victim of their mayhem. Currently, the losses suffered by the north seem uncountable. Now is the time for easterners to rise up to contain the excesses of IPOB or whatever it calls itself because the consequences might be far more than we bargained for. Buhari's government should also be given a large chunk of the blame because of its failure to negotiate with people of the south east, contain activities of bandits around the area, and for its consistent nepotism. These are enough to invoke rage, but certainly not enough to use terror for protection or even agitation.
A simple way out, in my opinion, is for the Government to declare that the next President should come from the south (SE, SW or SS) and some of the energy erstwhile used in protest could be converted to a lobbying drive. Unfortunately, the north chose to use her footsoldiers (Northern Governors and Traditional rulers) to convene a meeting in Kaduna and declare that the next President should come from the north. Apart from fueling agitations in the south, that declaration further dims the hope of Nigerians because the north had given her best leader, but look at us now? No other leader in the north attracts cult-like followership like Buhari. Still the north bears most of the ugly statistics ascribed to Buhari's government. When the north boasts of her number, she also factors in the constellation of minorities within her region which are not necessarily in agreement with her disposition. Therefore, when Hakeem Baba Ahmed says, "we have the number" he knows they actually don't. Also, at the said meeting, Northern Governors agreed to keep remitting their VAT to the Federal Government until the supreme court rules that States must be in control of their VAT. Oshey! Obviously, financial independence is what some states do not want.
I sincerely pray that 2023 will find Nigeria in one piece.
See you next week!
#FreeLeahSharibu
#SecureNigeria
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