The National Day of every country is unarguably its foremost day. Whether freedom was obtained on a silver platter or through violent agitations and inevitable resort to armed struggle with the metropolitan forces, the annual observance differs remarkably from any other day set aside in a particular geopolitical entity. The bifurcation of lived experiences of the people however points to a celebratory or the melancholic note of an anniversary. An exhilarating mood is justified by the citizens’ reminiscences of a day which gave them identity and progress, unlike pervasive pathos that emanates from a regretful collective existence spawning occasional questioning of an ill-fated citizenship.
It’s a serious matter that an annual increment of my country’s age always generates a spasm of sadness to my mind. For more than 40 years, I have been observing the interminable retrogressive course of our dear country. Endowed in many ways and previously envied in some parts of the global North, a combination of factors had mired Nigeria’s route to enviable development course, unlike its peers which equally emerged from ashes of colonialism and recognizably earned admiration for their national accomplishments within the intervening period of six decades.
In all, my perception of our heritage of poor leadership, ethnic divides, unhealthy political rivalry, lack of unity, religious extremism in the northern axis, corruption, poor economic system and its progressive impoverishment of the masses, and absence of a common vision needed to drive integration often pushes me into deeper despair on a day I should embrace hope as a companion. So, Nigeria’s attainment of 64 years took on the same colouration of yesteryears as the continual obstruction of its path to development is still forlorn.
Despite the sad reality of our country, the state of unhappiness or alienation is not peculiar to an individual. It transcends the bounds of ethnicity, gender, profession, social class, and religious persuasion because the fear that dominates my mind also occupies a place in the hearts of millions of discerning compatriots who are at a loss as to why Nigeria is growing older in years but achieving very little. The older generations who grasped the variants of its potential at independence often romanticize glimpses of those bygone years.
Apparently confounded by the uncertainty of Nigeria’s trajectory, the late Sunny Okosuns, the Edo State-born revolutionary singer who later chose the path of gospel in the twilight of his musical career, released a masterpiece ”Which Way Nigeria” in 1984. The question that he asked 40 years ago is still germane and unanswered to this day. It’s quite probable if an answer will ever be found to it, in the light of our unending woes. The lyrical rendition of that song not only captures the realistic vision of a committed recording artiste who loved his country so well but also emblematises rare prophecy embedded in an ageless musical composition. Here’s the chorus:
Which way Nigeria/Which way to go/I love my fatherland/I want to know. Then the lyrics: Many years after independence/ We still find it hard to start/ How long will shall we be patient/ Before we reach the promised land?/God bless Nigeria/So Nigeria won’t die…
If Sunny Okosuns was still alive today, one wonders what would have been his musical perspective to the degeneration of Project Nigeria currently grounded by the relay race of poor leadership, which, reflecting the causal effect, has reduced the worth of patriotic fervour in the minds of our compatriots. As of the time he sang that song, this country was relatively prosperous despite being under military administration headed by the then Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. Poverty was barely 14.4 percent compared to 40.7 percent in 2024 and that low figure, which also captured other indices of human development, ensured that today’s pervasive hunger was quite inconceivable, generally speaking. Peace and security was not an issue unlike these days that so many people would leave their homes but unsure of a safe return.
What can we do to bolster our country on the path of recovery? How do we rescue it from the class of politicians who have butchered it from season to season, leaving its carcass that putrefies the citizens? What form of economic system can we devise to enhance citizens’ access to the country’s wealth? How do we solve the mutual suspicions and the no love lost relationship among the diverse groups? How do we reconfigure the leadership system to generate a beneficial governance model needed to grow the country on all fronts?
Even in my prolonged despair, a glimmer of hope still permeates my mind. Yes, we may differ in our viewpoints, but the most important step is the urgency of reforming Nigeria’s electoral system to accord with the global best practices which limit human interference in the process. The emergence of a leader freely chosen by the people in contrast with imposition by godfathers and subsequent endorsement by the judiciary holds the greatest promise to remake Nigeria and make leadership duly accountable to the people. Other issues that border on economic improvement, tackling corruption, and addressing ethnic and sectional inclinations will abate considerably with an exemplary leadership, and not the type Nigeria had been beset with since 2015.
*Tony Eke, a journalist, can be reached via [email protected] or 08035504896(text only).
