NEWISSUES
1st October, the Independence Day of Nigeria, used to mean something. In past two decades, and more, it has continued to lose its meaning. Only the political class celebrate. At least, it is a holiday, and there is a form of celebration in Abuja. The Abuja celebration is usually because of the hundreds of billions that would be budgetted for selected few that would get the contract. It is the same in the states too. Generally, the Nigerian people have not been part of the celebration of independence for a long time. The labour of our heroes past is now in vain. We no longer have heroes. Nigeria has been hijacked by a group of people who see Nigeria as a personal business to enrich themselves, families and friends, than a country to build through building what will build the people and making a great nation.
This year’s independence will be marred by protest here and there, termed “hunger protest,” or as some younger people prefer it, “Revolution”. The Tinubu’s administration and the past government of Buhari are terrified of that word.
The truth is that when people over the years have continued to say that there is nothing to celebrate when government people celebrate, this year young men and women want to protest the battered economy that has left the country in despair as many people can no longer afford three square meal daily, cannot afford electricity bills, and worse they cannot even afford to go about their usual businesses because of the incessant rise in fuel price that affects the price of transportation and virtually everything. The federal government does not seem to understand the plight of the people and completely lacks empathy. President Tinubu looks very confused and lacks genuineness. Reports of using power to improve his business and enriching the family business controlled now by his children who really want to be some sort of celebrities does not seem to bother the president. The shameless nonchallance around Tinubu is really making the nation helplessly hopeless. It is the hopelessness that is driving many people out of the country to settle in foreign nations.
This independence amidst protest tells the story of Nigeria at the moment. There is no need advising people in government, there will not listen. Government in Nigeria is all about making money (looting) somehow by everybody. The beneficiaries of the looting are not willing to change anything. They are also now resorting to denying peaceful protesters their democractic rights to protest. This is part of the reasons why so many groups are now arming themselves to fight back, for instance, the Biafran agitators.
Government should not deny the people the right to protest. It is democratic.
By George Onmonya Daniel, Editor-in-Chief
