As 66 years isn’t a joke in the life of an individual, so it is to a nation. But certainly, what 66 years is in the life of an individual is different from what it is in the life of a nation because the lifespan of a nation is longer than an individual. As such, a nation has abundant opportunity for a change while man certainly has no luxury of time. As a result, while man can be termed a failure at 66, a nation cannot be so regarded.
Knowing full well that many Nigerians have given up on the nation by saying that a failure at 66 is a failure forever, it is important for us at CrowMedia to correct this notion by reminding them and every Nigerian that it is not over yet for Nigeria. As nations evolve, truth be told, the journey of Nigeria from birth in October 1st 1960 when power changed hand and baton of leadership passed from the white man to the black man, has been onerous.
Over the last 66 years, Nigeria has navigated and survived many dark moments primarily because of the shades of leaders thereto produced. In just 66 years, Nigeria has produced infant leaders, wicked leaders, clueless leaders, selfish leaders and many others known to you. Nigeria has produced military leaders, military dictators, civilian leaders and also civilian dictators who have altogether governed the nation in different ways thereby arriving at where we are at 66.
In 66 years, young men have ruled Nigeria, middle aged men have ruled her and older men have also done so with all of them leaving different horrible marks of leadership behind. In 66 years, Nigeria has witnessed shades of conflicts, crisis and war that have threatened her unity many times but the spirit of our founding fathers has kept us together thus far.
Clearly, our founding fathers had goals clearly set out and the right question to ask at 66 is if those goals have been achieved or any sign of achieving them. Of course, the first answer is no because hunger still rules us, corruption, ethnic war and many other challenges as a result of leadership ineptitude without compunction. In fact, with the downward trend of event in Nigeria, one can easily conclude that the nation has failed and every hope lost but with us at CrowMedia, the second answer is yes, we believe it is not over yet for our dear Nigeria.
Officially declared as an independence nation from Great Britain on 4th July, 1776 and won the recognition of the independence with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the United State of America has passed through gradual economic transformation which was solidified by post – World War II between 1945 and 1950 where she produced half of the world’s economic output and fully became a developed nation. This of course did not happen in 66 years but over 150 years with consistency and determination.
As the arrival of democracy in 1999 has so far brought consistency with which Nigeria is expected to achieve development, a collective and continuous determination to retain democracy like the US will no doubt do us much good if we faint not. As well, with our determination to flush out corruption and be more united, CrowMedia believes Nigeria will attain the status of a developed nation in no time.
Already, there is awareness among Nigerians that Nigeria belongs to all of us and that no Nigerian is more Nigerian than the other, there is awareness that leadership is our challenge, there is awareness that leaders are taking Nigerians for granted, there is awareness that Nigeria is not poor and that our natural endowments are enough to kick out hunger and poverty if well harnessed and managed. To us at CrowMedia, these shades of awareness mark the beginning of our liberation because the first step for development is for a man to realise his poor status.
The next stage is to wage war against such indices of stagnation which is the stage that we are now. Such a war which is already gaining momentum in Nigeria, will soon spread across the land and leaders will not have any hiding place or be able to take followers for granted. Nigerians only need to be bolder in this direction to confront and call failed leaders to order or be ready to replace them upon failure in their assignment. With this, they will know they are not there for themselves and will sit up.
As HRH Alhaji Usman, the Ngar Kupi of Garki, recently said in a forum organized by Governance Today Magazine in Abuja to mark Nigeria’s 66th anniversary, let us forgive ourselves and allow justice and fairness to reign. This is another fast lane to development as it will enable us to fight with one spirit.
In 1986, Sydney Granville Elton who lived in Nigeria for 50 years from 1937 to 1987, gave a prophecy concerning Nigeria in 1986 where he said; “Nigeria and Nigerians will be known all over the world for corruption. Your name- Nigeria will stink for corruption but after a while, a new phase will come – a phase of righteousness. People from the nations of earth will hold a Nigerian and say, ‘we want to follow you to your nation to go and learn righteousness.”
Perhaps we are in the first phase of this prophecy with rivers of corruption flowing everywhere, certainly, this is not the end of our beloved Nigeria, the second part about the prosperity of Nigeria will happen soon because Pa Elton’s prophecy about the end of apartheid in South Africa has been fulfilled.
But for this prophecy to be fulfilled, CrowMedia recommends that we forgive ourselves, let ethnic rivalry end, let us hold ourselves and leaders responsible, let every man become a patriot and make Nigeria’s agenda his individual agenda. Let us pray and work, let us not give up, let us continue to fight, let us not give up on Nigeria because the day we give up is the day we die.
God bless Nigeria.
Happy 66th Anniversary.
