Reflections on 62nd independence anniversary

On Saturday, Nigeria celebrated the 62nd anniversary of independence from Great Britain. On Oct. 1, 1960, the colonising power reluctantly returned power to Nigerians after hundreds of years.

This followed enormous pressure from Nigerian indigenous political leaders such as Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, among other independence struggle icons too numerous to mention.

The expectation that came with independence was huge. So, every anniversary offers an opportunity for Nigerians to reflect on the journey so far and this year was not an exception.

With the return to democratic rule, expectations of, and pressure on the nation's political leaders have never been so high. The age of social media has further put pressure on those in government.

The masses that hitherto seemed to have no voice and channel to communicate their frustrations to those in authority have found their voice and means to do so

Reactions from Nigerians as they celebrated this year's edition are mixed. While many say Nigeria has lived up to expectations, others are of the opinion that more still needs to be done.

Today, Nigeria faces security challenges: a rise in unemployment, double-digit inflation, and the need to upgrade transport infrastructure, among others.

However, Imo governor, Hope Uzodinma remains positive, saying Nigeria has made progress over the past 62 years and has the potential to do even better.

He said to achieve greater heights, Nigerians must have faith in the country and contribute their quota towards its prosperity.

"We must take time to study how countries overcame their challenges and deplore proactive approaches in confronting the challenges of our time," he said

His Kwara counterpart AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq shares the same view.

In his own Independence Message, the governor described Nigeria as a nation that has continued to rise in spite of its challenges.

He said some of those challenges such as insecurity and unemployment were not peculiar to Nigeria but also happening in many countries across the world.

The Vanguard Against Drug Abuse (VGDA), a Non-Governmental Organisation, urged youths to be patriotic and to use their energy to contribute to the development of the nation.

The president of the group, Dr Hope Omeiza in an independence message to youths said Nigeria was still a work in progress and called on young people to take responsibility for their future.

In an interview with the Newsmen, Gombe State Commissioner for Health, Dr Habu Dahiru said the health sector had made impressive progress since 1960.

One of the areas of progress, he said, is access to health care through the introduction of national health insurance.

"In the late 1960s and 1970s, we didn't have NHIS. We relied on out-of-pocket expenses to fund our health and well-being. It was a difficult situation even to the working class," he said.

One of the areas in which Nigeria has made massive improvements is education. From just one university in 1948 to more than one hundred universities in 2022, and several thousands of primary and post-primary institutions, the education sector has witnessed phenomenal growth.

Though many have argued that the quality of the products of these institutions has dropped in recent years, others think that trade conflict-induced disruptions in the academic calendar are a concern.

One of the unions in the sector is the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) whose strike action has entered its 8th month.

Predictably, Johnson Eze, a student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, said he is not satisfied with the performance of the country after 62 years of independence.

"We are celebrating a bastardised education system in Nigeria. Our leaders do not believe in our education. That is why they send their children and wards overseas and allow our education system to die.

"I have nothing to celebrate. Maybe, I will celebrate my house rent piling up while I never occupied the room because of ASUU strike and refusal of the federal government to fund our education system," he was quoted as saying by the media.

An NGO, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), in a statement by Auwal Musa, its Executive Director, urged government to rise to the challenges that have hindered Nigeria from developing as fast as it should.

"There should be sincere efforts by relevant authorities to address pervasive insecurity, unemployment, and poverty with a strong emphasis on true federalism and Local Government Autonomy to attract impactful democratic dividend and sustainable development to the grassroots," he said.

A human rights activist, Mr Deji Adeyanju called for more efforts from the Muhahmmadu Buhari-led administration in its fight against corruption particularly among the political class.

He said: "The new colonial masters of Nigeria – the political class – are only interested in looting and destroying the educational, health, and other sectors while sending their kids abroad to school and go to the best hospitals abroad."

Mr Ambrose Aisabor, a retired Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police was quoted by the media as saying that 'there is nothing to celebrate" after 62 years of independence.

"What are we going to celebrate? Is it economic hardship or insecurity? Is it the infrastructure that is not on ground? Or is it daily kidnapping and killing all over the country? We just have to thank God that we are alive," he said.

In his independence message to the country – his last as an elected president – Buhari said his administration was cognisant of the challenges facing the citizenry and is taking measures to find lasting solutions to them.

"In order to address insecurity, we worked methodically in reducing insurgency in the Northeast, militancy in the Niger Delta, ethnic and religious tensions in some sections of Nigeria, along with other problems threatening our country.

"Our efforts in re-setting the economy manifested in Nigeria exiting two economic recessions by very practical and realistic monetary and fiscal measures to ensure effective public financial management.

"In addition, the effective implementation of the Treasury Single Account and cutting down on the cost of governance also facilitated early exits from the recessions," the president told the nation.