As the Nigeria clocks 51 years tomorrow, eminent Nigerians have bemoaned the state of the nation, saying there is no cause for celebration.
Speaking with P.M.NEWS, former Presidential candidate, Chief Olu Falae said the nation is at a crossroads and called for serious prayers and fasting for the nation to get out of the quagmire.
“There is no cause for celebration but a call to praying and fasting and supplication to put things right in the nation. With the Boko Haram crisis with us, it calls for prayers.
“Most Nigerians believe that western education is the way forward for the nation but Boko Haram sect saying they don’t want education. There is no way we can stay together and that is why I said we need prayer to move forward,” Falae said.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar called on elected leaders at all levels to move away from rhetoric and sugar-coated pronouncements to concrete action to make the lives of the citizens better.
In his 51st Independence anniversary message to Nigerians released by his media office in Abuja, the former Vice President regretted that more than 50 years of independence and 13 years of current democracy, ordinary Nigerians are still struggling desperately to eke out a living, despite the country’s immense natural and human endowment.
According to Atiku, social volatility, occasioned by hunger, unemployment and despair are serious challenges to security, which elected leaders must treat as matters of national urgency or priority.
He said democracy is a social contract in which the voters expect service delivery from their leaders while discharging their own obligations to the state as citizens.
The former PDP presidential aspirant explained that the level of poverty is inconsistent with Nigeria’s huge resources and the huge expectations of better life that come with democratic governance.
Quoting the Chinese philosopher Confucius, Atiku said “in a country well-governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of but, in a nation badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.”
Nigerian Bar Association’s former President, Rotimi Akeredolu stated that there is no cause to celebrate.
“We have made so much and have little to show for it. I don’t think we need to celebrate; lots of our assets have been wasted and there is no development in the nation.”
Former Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa said: “it is true that virtually every aspect of the state of the nation is negative and there is no concrete sign of change without a fundamental revolutionary change, either political or social and by any means.
“The negative state of the nation directly arose from the socio-economic system controlling all development in the country and the inevitable political leadership arising from the system.”
According to him, “the system is based on self interest as opposed to public interest first and enlightened self interest second. The two are directly responsible for the present disabling level of corruption, stealing and criminal waste of public resources.
“The process of any corrective measures by the state and the public is made impossible by the enormous power of the corrupt leadership. We should remember that the relativity sustained and stable development of Nigeria during the colonial time, the First Republic and during two military regimes arose from more concern and concentration on public interest first and self interest second.
“The correct solution the problems of Nigeria historically and in the face of current reality in the world and Nigeria today is socialist reconstruction of Nigeria, starting with the leading role of the state to ensure peace, equality, dignity of the human person and progress.”
Publicity Secretary, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Lagos State chapter, Mr. Joe Igbokwe said “we need to appreciate God that despite the monumental challenges facing us as a country, we are still together as one people.
“But we must take notice that we have kept this country together with huge sorrows, tears and blood. While the majority work to keep Nigeria one work during the day and go to bed in the night, the minority work 24/7 to tear the economy apart.
“I challenge the majority who want to keep Nigeria as one indivisible entity to learn the tricks of the destroyers of Nigeria by working 24/7 too. Our diversity should be our gain and not limitation. These internal contradictions can be managed to produce the best results in Africa.
“Our leaders must go home to do their jobs as fathers and mothers. Hopeless is the nation whose leaders are children.”
National President, Campaign for Democracy, CD, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin said there is no cause to celebrate because life expectancy in the nation had dropped, adding that “there is no security of life and property.
There is poverty increase while the power sector has collapsed.
“The president is not assertive as there is no attempt to bring those who committed crime to book. Corruption is on the rise; ASUU is on strike. We have to sit up.”
A lawmaker, representing Kosofe Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Dayo Bush-Alebiosu also bemoaned the state of the nation, such as the series of bombing and killings, saying that there is nothing to celebrate.
According to the founder Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, Comrade Debo Adeniran, there is no cause to celebrate, but “we have cause to mourn. If we celebrate, we are pissing on the grave of those people who have lost their lives so far.”
A lawmaker in the House of Representatives, representing Epe Federal Constituency of Lagos, Hon. Lanre Odubote, however, said there is something to celebrate about, saying for the mere fact that the military had left power was a reason to celebrate.
He added that since the nation had been able to hold a free and fair election since the botched 12 June, 1993 election, there is a reason to celebrate, adding that what the nation should focus on now is how to ensure fiscal federalism.
Elder statesman, Ayo Opadokun was very bitter when confronted with the question whether the nation should celebrate at 51.
“We are not only at a crossroads, but Nigeria is running fast towards the precipice and going under.
“Those of us God used to fight for the democracy have seen nothing. The level of misery and agony in Nigeria is unbearable. The political leaders have undermined the collective interest of the people. The level of corruption has gone up.
“The constitution provides that the National Assembly should be a good check on the executive but the legislators are more daring in corruption; corruption is so pervasive. Nigeria has $230 billion since Obasanjo’s regime and now but where is the evidence to show for it? We have decayed infrastructure, no education, no roads and yet, we have earned so much.
“The economy is gone under. I know that lots of people die because they cannot provide N500 to buy drugs. If Nigeria should go under, those political leaders should know that they cannot survive it.”
Deputy Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Taiwo Kolawole, said he did not believe there is any reason why the country should celebrate when there are myriads of problems facing the country unsolved.
Kolawole said: “We are faced with series of problems that are too serious to permit any celebration.”
According to him, the nation is faced with insecurity of life and property, poor power supply, unemployment and many other challenges.
“Instead of Mr. President addressing the problem of epileptic power supply, he is focusing on six-year single term. Also, the 2011 budget is yet to be implemented when we have few months to the end of the year. What this means is that the government has not done enough to justify the budget it has rolled out.”
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