Hurrah! 64 years looks good on you? Your roads very slippery, sloppy with potholes. Hunger, poverty and deprivation looming large, giving everyone, especially the poor masses the blow and punch of their lives.
64 years? Good and better! Anything to cheer and cling glasses for?
You are more than 64years. Well over it by your years of existence. 64years an independence age. Not real age. More like a civil service age, not like civil servants,who on their own, out of greed, selfishness and inordinate desires reduce their’ in service.
1914 Age of amalgamation. You still remember 1967 to 1970? Certainly you wouldn’t want to remember those years. Gruesome, gory with marks of agony, so indelible in many hearts. A pogrom!
The reason for some of the issues and challenges we have as Nigerians are not far from the events and activities of these years (1967-1970)
You remember 2019? The joy and jubilation that heralded it? We thought we could be better off by the entrance of democracy. Hmmm! See where it has dumped us and the various pains and agonies inflicted, caged, suffocating every Dick and Harry, making it difficult for one to breathe. Democrazy or democracy?
1804-1808: The Fulani Jihad led by Usman dan Fodio you remember?
1851-1867: The British colonial presence in Nigeria. You remember too? It began with the establishment of trading posts by the Royal Niger Company.
1900: The British officially established the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and the Northern Nigeria Protectorate, laying the groundwork for the amalgamation.
It is obvious you existed before all these years. You existed far before 1960. You are an ancient of days.
64 years! Just an independence age, given to you by those who purportedly discovered you even when you existed hundreds of years before their sojourn to your space. Ridiculous!
They claimed to have discovered you in primitivity, shone light of civilization to you, changed everything about you for their selfish interest and made your identity, values and culture look archaic, crude and inferior. Better or worse for it?
You fell for it and today how do you feel? Liberated or still caged? Happy or saddened?
64 years of mixed reactions is what we celebrate. Independence or neo colonialism? 64 years of self development or self destruction? 64 years of freedom or fiefdom?. 64 years of liberation but still caged. 64 years of motion without movement. 64 years of still sucking and crawling.
64 years looks good on you? With the commensurate development and success? 64 years ago Nigeria was filled with values not need. On the table of international economic table Nigeria was coming with values not needs. She was the Queen of value, not need. She was a voice in the global space then because of her values. Today, after 64 years what values does she bring on the the table? Non! No value anywhere, displaying needs and going cup in hands begging @64.
How old is Dangote? How old is Otedola? They seem more successful and fulfilled in their age, an age bracket not far from Nigeria independence age. Why should it be that? Where is your success? Vague or obvious?
From Abubakar to Azikiwe, Awolowo to Tafawa , Enahoro to Macaulay and Ahmodu down to all the leaders that ever bestrode the leadership horse of Nigeria, none was without a skeleton in their cupboards though a mole hill compared to mountains of skeletons of our present leaders; who steal and siphone with impunity and barefacedness.
Corruption has been there in the system. But not as endemic as it is today. 64 years of independence has been a journey from obscurity to obscurity. From bad to worse, from pains to agony, from hunger to penury, from insecurity to banditry.
64 years in 2024 is a year of Arithmetical positive implications. It is a year that holds a lot of hope in hopelessness. A year of greatness in grumpiness. A year of fruitfulness in fruitlessness. A year of surplus in wilderness. 64 is your age? 6+4=10. 6-4=2. 2+10=12 Word that has twelve letter word = Restorations. So Restorations is a package for Nigeria @64 . At 64 years Nigeria will enter into her Restorations phase.
A phase for R.E.S.T.O.R.A.T.I.O.N.S( Return Every Stolen Things, Obtain reconciliation According To Items One nefariously Stole/ Stashed)
Nigeria @64 is a year the poor masses would reconcile with those who have stolen and stashed Nigeria resources, at the level they would be the ready to return those stolen items.
It is a year the thieves in our political space would have the desire for R.E.S.T.O.R.A.T.I.O.N.S.
64 Years is a year of hopefulness going forward.
Happy independence anniversary Nigeria and Nigerians. 64years, retrospectively may not have given Nigerians moments to cheer up . But going forward, R.E.S.T.O.R.A.T.I.O.N.S are assured.
Dr.Jarlath Uche Opara Jarlathuche@gmail.com
