Independence Day all over the world is celebrated with an insightful reflection on a country’s political, social and economic liberation from the control of another country. It is a celebration of a newness and at every year which it is marked, it calls for a check on the calendar and diary to inquire; so far, how far?
Speeches, ceremonies, fireworks, parties, prayer services, sermons, picnics, carnivals and rallies would oft be held – all purposely or flippantly celebrating the history, government, economy and taking stock of the journey so far.
Independence Day is a similitude of a person’s birthday: it signifies the birth of a sovereign entity, the coming to being of a nation-state out of a hitherto chrysalis state. And most often, the labour that precedes the birth of a nation state comes with a struggle – bloody in some unfortunate case; tough, rough and a fray in others. On whichever road the birth came through, liberation calls for celebration.
But Nigeria’s independence may not mean a big deal to many Nigerians, save the fact that it remains a cherished holiday that liberates the middle-class and civil servants from the shackles of work and sundry demands. Its significance has been downplayed; with little or no patriotic patronage for this day which happens to be the precursor of almost everything that we hold dear in the sacrosanct entity of the nation of Nigeria today.
Nigeria gained its independence from its colonial masters – Britain – 55 years ago, amidst prospects – notwithstanding disagreements that reared their heads among the then regional leaders as to when was “practicable” for a date of independence. Today, that is history. Since that historic event of October 1, 1960, our prospects have been better told than seen: we have danced to the tune of different leaders who set out their agendas that were best seen on paper than known in reality; we have been the victims of civil strife and internal animosities; the state of the nation has been threatened by interests – justly and unconscionably – of persons who have felt dissatisfied by the nation’s treatment of their interests.
From civilian rule to military rule, and to civil rule, and back to military rule, the helm of our nation’s leadership has vacillated from here to there before fate brought us to the threshold of civilian rule which we have been married to for the past 16 years. The expectations of the rebirth of a democratic era that took place on May 29, 1999 were high. It was the third time since independence that we were going to taste the fruits of democracy.
Nigerians and even the whole world envisioned in this rebirth the herald of a bright future for the country, one that would throw us into the comity of the world’s leading economies; the re-attainment of our axiomatic role as a centric power bloc in Africa and a major player in world politics. That election saw the emergence of former President Olusegun Obasanjo returned as President of Nigeria, who ruled for eight years under the umbrella of the People’s Democratic Party. The late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua was elected President thereafter but died two years into his tenure and was unfortunate not to see to the actualization of his 7 Point Agenda for Nigeria, leaving behind his Deputy, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who was thereafter elected in 2011 as Nigeria’s President promising Nigerian’s a breath of fresh air.
Dr. Goodluck Jonathan eventually lost to Nigeria’s current President, Muhammadu Buhari, in the keenly contested battle of CHANGE and CONTINUITY of the 2015 elections after it seemed that former President Goodluck Jonathan had failed to deliver on his promises of fresh air; and to stem the insurgency in the North East and after corruption had been more honoured in its elevation than it had suffered in its abasement.
Like I noted in my letter to President Muhammadu Buhari penned at the fore of the election victory, Nigerians voted him as a ‘messiah to rescue us … [from] the monstrous corruption whose distasteful bite on our system has brought our economy and social fabric to a hemorrhage’; to revive a dwindling economy, to provide security of lives and property, to vivify our rusty international relations, to plug leaking revenues, to fix up the frail transport and education sectors, among others.
The vote of confidence bestowed on President Buhari was premised on his known stand and unalloyed position on corruption, and as we have come to appreciate it: the formidable and hardboiled body language of Mr. President. The question may then arise, what makes our 55th Independence celebration – the 16th since our last taste of military rule – different and more auspicious than ever? With a new rider on the saddle, would this be just another October 1st celebration where Nigerians would cluster in their numbers to party without appreciation of the cause; while working class professionals would see it as another day off to rest from work pressures?
The hope that was fostered in Nigeria on the 29th of May 2015 provides a non placet answer to the above questions! And the strides of Mr. President since the 29th of May further strengthen the avouchment of President Buhari as a man set on a mission to give significance to October 1st to Nigerians: that the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain!
HOPE!
President Buhari set off on promises hinged on the tripartite angles of providing security, fighting corruption and engendering youth employment through a stimulation of the economy.
The President upon being sworn-in gave breath to the first leg of his promises when in his swearing-in speech directed that the Military Command Centre for the fight against Boko Haram be moved to Maiduguri at the heart of the war. Now, that was a basic move wanting an order from the right leadership, and President Buhari did not wait to show his leadership and military prowess there. Thereafter he met with the then service chiefs, who he later changed to press-up able, war-ready and troop-leading Generals. These moves have stemmed hopes among the communities of North-Eastern Nigeria; hopes not just from believing in the resumé capabilities of these Generals but from a posteriori ostensible results from the warfront and sundry: from the re-capturing of hitherto held Boko Haram camps and territories, to the communal cooperation of the Multinational Joint Task force with $21 million released for the establishment of the headquarters of the force, to the evident boost of morale among the troops, to the steady return of economic activities in some hitherto abandoned towns, to promised technical and material support by World leaders to fight the terrorists to an end.
These hopes are indeed not founded on the reverie of changed leadership but on the palpable victory that has been self-evident in the war against the insurgents in the North Eastern parts of Nigeria. The President has given a 3 months period – which ends in December – in which the war must be won.
The President’s stance on corruption has been long known and appreciated – even by those on the other side – his disposition has not been put to a contest that it ever bowed with its tail between its legs.
A beauty in good leadership is watching its positive effect trickle down. That is why corporate governance principles in the public sector code today advocate for top-bottom approach to accountability, disclosure and positive ethos among the board and the Ministers with the knowledge that once these sacred values are imbibed in the hierarchy they would flow – like a spring – down to the lower echelon. And that is what Nigerians have today appreciated as the body language of Mr. President. That enduring ethos of incorruptibility has somewhat started a revolution in government ministries, departments and agencies. All of a sudden, but not without the knowledge of the new Sheriff in town, electric power supply has increased around the country – with over 4,600 Megawatts now being generated. I count it joy that our country today can boast in a fortified and unimpeachable hope that corruption has found a genuine adversary who is bent on uprooting it from the Nigerian system.
The promises of the Buhari administration to provide a meal a day for Nigerian pupils in primary schools and the payment of N5,000 monthly to 25 million Nigerians is still in the by-and-by; and assuredly, when the 2016 budget is presented by the President, it would be accordingly catered for. Looking forward to these masses oriented packages are a reflection of a reborn Nigeria worth celebrating come October 1, 2015!
These hopes are not based on obsequious belief in the persona and capabilities of President Buhari; but they are funded on two indefatigable substances of humanity: Truth and Tangibility!
The war against Boko Haram is indeed being won; Nigeria’s international relations has been bolstered to attract unprecedented Foreign Direct Investment in our economy, and even to support our security personnel; the economy stands strong and exuberant even after having been left battered by the previous administration and starved by dwindling oil prices – our foreign reserves fell from $49 Billion to $27 Billion within November 2013 and April 2015 even when our earnings from crude oil were at the windfalls. This same reserves shot up to $31 Billion in the first 2 months of President Buhari’s coming into power – despite oil being sold at an all time low of $43 to $47.
Many more plans in the kitty are yet to materialize and it is just over a hundred days plus: indeed better days are ahead, and it can be surmised that the 2016 budget that would be submitted by President Buhari would be a catalyst and the next phase for President Buhari to focus on infrastructure, revamp of key sectors and other activities that would engender sustainable growth and job creation in Nigeria.
Truly so, there is a cause to celebrate: October 1st 2015 is not just any other holiday but a day to celebrate Nigeria’s propitious comeback to the stage of world leadership and a state with the interest of the masses truly represented. President Buhari is on the path to CHANGE Nigeria for the better. And these self-evident truths show that Nigeria’s future is not bleak as it may have seemed a year ago. Talk about a new Sheriff who means business and give me a reason to adorn my green agbada come 1st of October!
. Wojuola is lawyer and Editor-in-Chief of LOL! Magazine. He writes from Abuja.
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