Nigeria At 60: A Sixty Year Old Child Crawling Is Worrisome _ Written by Seyi Oyetunbi

Nigeria At 60: A Sixty Year Old Child Crawling Is Worrisome

Any human crawling at age sixty is not medically fit to deal with life.
Nigeria, the most populous African country gained her independence from colonial rule sixty years ago, making it the genesis of self rule that was predicted to be the beginning of her greatness. Sixty years of Nigeria independence has really been tempestuous; from the short lived democracy to a brutish military rule and finally to the democracy laced with gigantic corruption and abuse of power. If there is any progress we have made as a country, it is on areas that are mind-troubling.

It is on record that the sixty year old Nigeria, presided by Major General Muhammadu Buhari ranks 3rd on the Global Terrorism Index. The self acclaimed giant of Africa is ranked above India to be the World Poverty Capital with 87million in abject poverty. Nigeria of today ranks 146 most corrupt country out of 180 countries considered. Nigeria has a life expectancy ranking of 178 out of 192 ranked countries. The current life expectancy for Nigeria is 54.49 years. Nigeria is ranked 148 out of 164 in the overall Prosperity Index rankings. Nigeria currently has 10.5million out of school kids. Nigeria’s health care system ranked 187 out of 195 countries. Considering some germane indexes, Harvard University was not too wrong for adopting Nigeria as a case study for failed state. If a sixty year old still crawls, any celebration in respect of his birthday anniversary is a waste of resources and a crystal mockery.

Nigeria has lived all her life in deep regret, continuous setback, dilemma and avoidable political crisis due to sinisters at the helm of affairs from the time of her birth up till date. The question begging for an answer is how or why should a country with vast natural endowment suffer this level of dysfunctionality?
If indeed you love Nigeria as the only country we can call ours, it then becomes pertinent to objectively do an x-ray to know where she’s headed to. We cannot keep pretending and get blackmailed into celebrating a failed nation under the leadership of ineptitudes at different levels of government.

Until we can be sure that the country is on a progressive path, every October 1st should be declared a National Day of Rage. It should be more about fury over why nothing seems to work in a country rich in natural resources like ours. Politicians steal in billions aside earnings of six figures, let nobody tell you it is fine to be poor in Nigeria; nature favours our economy after all. What manner of disorder will keep a child crawling for sixty years?

Don’t get carried away by the unwarranted jamboree of the failed Nigeria at sixty. We need to reposition this country for a lofty height. Nigeria may have gained her independence from British rule, yet it is apparent her leaders have mapped out plans for the led to suffer for “600 years.” Until the country gets up on her feet as the giant of Africa, we must have our placards up for a resistance to be fooled into celebrating a disaster. A sixty year old child crawling is worrisome.

Seyi Oyetunbi

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