Independence Day is an official national holiday in Nigeria, and it is celebrated on 1st of October, it reminds us of Nigeria’s independence from British rule on 1st of October 1960, today for most Nigerians this only reminds them of the pain brought upon them by our leaders and rather than celebrate victory they detest our existing system.
Many years ago some Nigerian soldiers sacrificed their lives while defending the territorial integrity of the country and protecting the citizens, the families of these fallen heroes are still in anguish and it is even more painful that after the deaths of their loved ones they still find themselves in a system like this and the motives of our leaders has changed from protecting the citizens to inflicting pains on them. What happened to the nation only interested in the common good?
I woke up this morning to a beautiful graphics design from a friend wishing me a happy independence, my friend took his time to create that design, I saw he sent it personally to me and also to different platforms we belonged to, I avoided those pictures but I needed to send a message on one of the platforms, I didn’t want my friend to feel ignored, so I had to put some fire emoji under his post.
I respect my friend, I appreciate his work, I love his creativity but sincerely that fire sign was for my friends creativity not because I am happy about Nigeria; I am not happy and I am still sad and angry about Nigeria.
I guess, if you can see my heart then, the fire under the post could also stand as a fire set to consume bad leaders and to consume that bloody flag of 20th October, the flag that has the blood of innocent civilians fighting for their rights and for justice to reign.
We struggled for so long to gain independence and be free from external traitors only to be held in the shackles by our own leaders, Maybe I didn’t want to hurt my friends feelings by not saying a thing about his design but I had another friend who was ready to clear everyone who wish him a happy independence, and he immediately sent the bloody flag to the page with a statement and expressed this pain; Nothing exciting about the independence, Nigeria is a failed nation, let us stop deceiving ourselves writing happy Independence Day when we ain’t truly happy, may the souls of fallen heroes Rest In Peace, Amen. The 20-10-20 massacre, all the lives lost needs to be accounted for.
The killing on the 20th of October 2020 is still new, police brutality is still a case, justice still hasn’t been gotten, families of victims with hearts bleeding are still hoping that justice will be served. My friend still laments about the death of her brother Chijioke, who was brutally killed by the so-called police man in Anambra state. She laments daily about her brother’s death and many others who lost their family members, loved ones and friends to our corrupt system and bad leaders.
In 1953 when Anthony Enahoro moved the motion for Nigeria’s independence which was eventually granted in 1960 after several political setbacks and defeats in parliament, the mission was accomplished, the same action some youths and well meaning Nigerians undertook that caused them their lives under the leadership of fellow Nigerians.
All over social media, I see angry Nigerians who already made it clear to their contacts not to make the mistake of wishing them a happy independence because what are we even happy about in this country? Poverty is on the increase, insecurity is still a thing to be worried about, bad governance, corruption and injustice.
So tell us what we should be happy about? We are not even free in our own country, sometimes, it feels as though we should go back to the times when our colonial masters were in control, yes even though they extorted us and made it hard for us, we saw growth and development but what do we see in our nation after the independence in 1960? Nothing but prejudices, greed and killings. It is better to be held in captivity by a stranger but to live with the realization that your own people have placed you in a cage and this is very disheartening.
We want to celebrate independence when we are truly independent, we want to celebrate independence in peace and not fear, we want to celebrate independence in unity and not division, we want a nation where we can freely go about our activities without the fear of not seeing the break of light, we want to celebrate growth and not poverty, we clamor for a nation free from bad leaders, we want justice for our fallen heroes. Is it too much to ask for?
This still remains the best for me today but are our leaders paying attention to these words in ourNational anthem? “Arise, O Compatriots, Nigeria’s call obey
to serve our Fatherland, with love and strength and faith. The labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain, to serve with heart and might one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity”.
Today I celebrate our heritage and the struggles of our heroes’ past as we fight for justice and pray for peace and unity upon our nation. Until then the agitation for a better Nigeria continues. ALUTA CONTINUA; VICTORIA ASCERTA!
God help us