Eminent Nigerians reminisce on early days
Since the British national flag, the Union Jack, was lowered on October 1, 1960, heralding the hoisting of Nigeria’s green and white flag, the historic date has remained engraved in the psyche of every Nigerian born before and after the momentous era.
Famously christened October 1, Independence Day, the date has become a ritual of some sort. Like other countries, Nigerians have never failed to reckon with the date and have devotedly kept faith with the annual ceremony, celebrating it with great zeal and festive passion.
Between 1960 and early 1980s, the anniversary assumed the scale of a national carnival and was anticipated and observed with unparalleled nationalistic devotion throughout the country. It was then something of a birthday, highlighted loudly by sumptuous parties.
Until recently, Independence Day celebration was a colourful event marked across the country with great enthusiasm and commitment. The expectations were palpable and infectious. From states capitals to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, a kaleidoscope of lively parades mounted by the military and paramilitary outfits were on display.
At the Eagles Square, Abuja and elsewhere, the parades constituted the canvass on which rhetoric and vapid speeches were freely rendered. In this emptiness of speeches emanated some form of false hope to despairing citizenry. It was with such impatience, blighted loyalty and misappropriated patriotism that Nigerians eagerly looked ahead to the annual ritual. It was a national birthday celebrated with festivities.
But lately, the celebration is beginning to fade into a distant memory with commemoration drums receding progressively into a dead silence and dancing feet of the hitherto enthusiastic Nigerians suddenly going insipidly numb and cold with a craving sense of nostalgia.
Reasons for celebration
In his acceptance speech as Prime Minister of the independent nation state called Nigeria, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa had offered reasons for the celebration: “This is a wonderful day, and it is all the more wonderful because we have awaited it with increasing impatience, compelled to watch one country after another overtaking us on the road when we had so nearly reached our goal. But now, we have acquired our rightful status, and I feel sure that history will show that the building of our nation proceeded at the wisest pace: it has been thorough, and Nigeria now stands well-built upon firm foundations.”
Birthed into nationhood without any bloodletting or destruction, there was absolutely nothing to reconstruct in the post-independent Nigeria. Nigerians began an uninterrupted six years of celebration from 1960 to 1966.
But soon after, it would appear glaringly to the founding fathers and generations to come that independence implied a great deal more than self-government. The very firm foundation that the Prime Minister had bragged about was already showing signs of wooziness. Tafawa Balewa had this to say: “This great country, which has now emerged without bitterness or bloodshed, finds that she must at once be ready to deal with grave local and international issues.”
Punctuated celebration
Gravest local issues occasioned by leadership challenges were lurking in the corner. Before long, a federated nation found itself being tested to its utmost. It was tottering on the brink. A brand new Nigeria, barely six years in its infancy, was waiting to implode. And for nearly four years, there was a hiatus as the annual celebration was temporarily put on hold, no thanks to the military overthrow of the embryonic civilian leadership and the attendant civil war from July 6th, 1967 to January15th, 1970.
By 1970 when the civil war dust finally settled, Nigerians were again in party mood, and on October 1, 1970, the annual ritual was back in full swing. A lot of water had passed through the bridge. But the storm was soon over and there has been no interruption since then as virtually every Nigerian, students, old and young, upper and middle classes leave nothing to chance to be part of the independence anniversary.
Question mark on celebration
For many Nigerians, the import of the Independence Day celebration had laid in the fact that it bound all within and outside the country to a single umbilical cord. That was then. But it remains doubtful whether the same claim is still plausible today.
While many still reminisce with a high sense of nostalgia and wish to reenact the good old days of independence anniversary celebration because it reminds them of the uniqueness of the occasion, for many a Nigerian, they wish rather that there was no such gesture as independence from the colonialists because Nigeria has become worse than the British left it. Squandered opportunities, blighted vision and leaden footedness of the leadership were some of the indicators that the journey was far from started. There was an admixture of cynicism and veiled hope.
It was pessimism derived from the dreadful and depressing scenes of Nigeria’s contemporary adversities. Before independence, the question had always been: When would the inequity, tyranny, injustice and inhumanity of colonial overlords end?
But today, 52 years down the line, Nigeria can best be described as a beleaguered nation, with the questions: When would the trying times and pangs of post-independence Nigeria be over? When are we going to reap the much-talked about dividends of democracy? And can the hands of the time be turned back? Can the middle class be reinvented? These and many more questions confront us as a people.
With less than 48 hours to another Independence Day anniversary, it is apparent that like last year’s, it is going to be yet another birthday without a party for Nigeria at 52.
Feelers to this had emerged when the Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, earlier this month announced that the 52nd Independence anniversary would be low-key. Rolling out the activities lined up for 2012 Independence Day, Moro said the low-key nature of the celebration was a reflection of the mood of the country.
He said the decision was in tandem with President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda.
Moro said: “The transformation agenda is like an athletic race; you do not begin to celebrate until you have touched the tape. The world is troubled and the economy is on the downward trend, especially in Europe. We are not excluded from this, as we have critical challenges in almost every sphere of our daily lives. For a responsive government, it will not be a glamorous anniversary at the expense of the need of its people.
“In tune with the national mood on reflection of our national life to correct the anomalies, rather than committing huge resources to the celebration, we want to commit that to Nigerians deserving of peace, security and stable means to livelihood,” he said.
For the second year running, the Federal Government is declaring a low-key Independence Day anniversary. As if the challenges identified by the Minister were not in existence in 2010, the Federal Government, in sharp contradiction, had set aside a humongous N10 billion for Nigeria’s golden jubilee. But for public outcry and the National Assembly’s stance on the issue, the memory of that event would have lingered long as the most expensive anywhere in the world.
Fortuitously, the 2010 event was tragically marred by multiple bomb blasts close to the anniversary venue. Ten people were reportedly blasted to their early graves. The country has since been literally at war with itself with multiple challenges of the Boko Haram menace, dare-devil armed robbery activities and flooding in most parts of the North.
This development has prompted conclusions that for the first time, the government has for once decided to put its money where its mouth is.
But while the Federal Government’s austere position appears laudable, there are concerns that the FG’s new position may have been informed by the intractable security quagmire which it has found increasingly insurmountable.
The FG’s informed position is a worthwhile and non-negotiable price to pay, if anything, to manage the nation’s security which has thoroughly frayed at the seams. But there is no denying the fact that the thrills and frills of the anniversary will be missed as Nigerians continue to ponder over the fast fading glory of the October 1, Independence Day celebration.
Reminiscences on yesteryears
We were excited and hopeful
–Balarabe Musa, CNPP Chairman
Independence Day anniversary, during my time, was very exciting. I was already mature, having been born in 1936. That means I was 36 years old at the time of Nigerian independence. I was also politically conscious as a member of the Northern Element Progressive Union (NEPU), even though I was a civil servant.
I was aware of the meaning of Nigeria’s Independence. We were excited and hopeful. We believed then in the leaders, even though they were conservative. The leaders were credible and that gave us hope. Despite that there were diverse political groupings, there was still cohesion among the politicians and we knew that there would be progress for Nigeria. There was no doubt that our expectations of a better Nigeria were met by at least 50 per cent.
The early period of Nigeria’s independence placed more emphasis on achievement than political party activities. We had political leaders we could identify with. Political leaders like the late Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Aminu Kano, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Osadebe. The credibility of these great leaders could not be challenged.
The mood and spirit of October 1 Independence celebration was very high. Everybody including school children and civil servants was always upbeat ahead of the festivity. We all participated in the anniversary.
The reason for the high was that Nigerians had confidence in the government and leadership. I might not have participated directly, but I was always at the venue to watch proceedings. It was like a carnival and very colourful. It was exciting to behold. Participation then used to be selective.
What is missing today is the lack of participation by Nigerians because they have lost confidence in both the system and the leadership. What we have now is limited to the civil servants who, even when they participate, do so half-heartedly. The usual mass participation is gone with the bygone days of the First Republic and Second Republic.
We were treated to good lunch
–Chief Ebenezer Babatope, PDP Chieftain
During my time as a student, we used to take it very seriously and we attended all activities marking the celebration of the event. I was a student at Ifaki Grammar School, Ekiti, now Ekiti State. We used to go for a march-past at Ido-Ekiti, which was the headquarters of the local government where my secondary school was situated. We were smartly and impeccably dressed. The mood was celebratory and at the end of the march-past, we were treated to sumptuous lunch. We felt happy that we were finally free from the vice grips of the colonial rule.
But when I got into the university, I felt very dejected that we were not able to translate the meaning of the independence into tangible development. And this is very sad that we are still struggling as a nation.
What we are missing today is the company of the founders of this great country called Nigeria. Great men like the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, among others. They did not siphon the resources of the country for their own gains. They believed more in the common good of the country than the leadership that succeeded them. Patriotism was very high in their time. They did not think first of themselves, but of the greater Nigerian state.
It was like another Christmas
–Chief Chekwas Okorie, ex-Chairman of APGA
Very soon, I will be 60 and that means that I am older than independent Nigeria. Frankly speaking, during my time, it was like another Christmas. The mood was comparable to Christmas. Children had their parents buy things for them as if it was Christmas. That was when Independent anniversary was at its best.
Since we were students, we all looked forward to it and our parents ensured that our uniforms were new. Otherwise, we would not attend because you would not be considered to participate in the parade. It was one of the conditions of being selected for the parade. It was a thing of joy.
It is interesting to note that the government of the time acted within its means. Nigerians took pride in the colours of the Nigerian flag and Nigerians felt protected by their government. Today, the government cannot even protect itself from the terrorists called Boko Haram, much less protecting the people. That is why it is hiding under the canopy of low-key celebration. The government has accepted the fact that it has failed to provide security for the people and itself. And they would rather cocoon themselves in the barricaded walls of Aso Rock.
The government is also afraid of the people seizing the opportunity of the celebration to tell them their feelings about the non-delivery of the dividends of democracy. I do not think that the low-key is aimed at doing a reflection of the fractious economy. Our government is carrying on as if ours is the most buoyant of economies. There is no need to hide under the pretext of being frugal with expenditure.
New uniforms were sown
–Chief Victor Umeh, APGA Chairman
When I was younger, we looked forward to the celebration with great interest. Despite our level of development, Nigerians had faith then in the country called Nigeria. Sadly, it has today turned into a non-event because of poverty and mismanagement. That is why Nigerians no longer look forward to the event with renewed interest and vigour. There is so much despondency and abjection in the land. This feeling is derived from the poor leadership which has plagued Nigeria in the last 25 years. There are many Nigerians including myself who feel that there is nothing worth celebrating anymore.
In those days, school children looked forward to the date and uniforms were specially sown for the occasion. Virtually every student was anxious about the date and their participation in the march-past. The expectation was infectious and palpable. It was a great moment to showcase their spirit of being proud Nigerians.
This same atmosphere has since taken leave of us. Nigerians have lost faith in their leaders and in their own country. The youths do not see any future in the country call Nigeria any longer. There is no valve in anticipating the October 1, to roll by. It is a matter of regret that most of our young people do not have confidence in the leadership they have been bequeathed with. In the last twenty-something years, there is no hope that it will get better soon. Today, Nigerians are in sober mood, wondering where their future lies!
What Nigerians are missing today is a modest country which once brought happiness to those before them with very little income. There was dignity in labour. As a teacher, you could live comfortably and still see your children through school. These values have been eroded or distorted. Corruption and greed have taken hold of the Nigerian state.
There is also the disappearance of the middle class. What obtain today are the extreme rich group and the extreme poor group. This kind of classification cannot encourage the Nigerian spirit of patriotism. There is a sense of abandonment by the Nigerian state. So, even if the government had not declared a low-key celebration, there is nothing to engender a followership spirit in Nigerians anymore.
It was a happy day for young men and women
—Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Afenifere leader
Independence Day was always something beautiful to look forward to. It was a happy day for young men and women of my time. As a matter of fact, we would look forward to it and prepare as if it was a special festival. School children would be gaily-dressed, while the national flag would be made available to us. The truth is that those days were truly beautiful.
But that is no longer the case today. There is nothing to rejoice about. Unfortunately, the day may even come and go without you noticing it. That was not the case in those days. There is corruption and nobody seems to care about government property. In those days, everybody regarded government property as his or her own, and will take care of the property like they would do to their own. But unfortunately, that is no longer the case.
It is a pity there is no hope for a better future. I really sympathise with the younger generation.
As pupils, we got gifts of bread and sardines
—Onyeka Onwenu (MFR)
In my days as a school girl in the 60s, in Port Harcourt, everybody got a food gift such as bread and sardines. We enjoyed that very much. Before 1960, it was called Empire Day and there were parades and sporting competition for schools.
For my generation, Independence was an exciting prospect. The future was promising. I guess we were naïve. We were happy to rid ourselves of our colonial masters. Proud Nigerians we were. We didn’t know our leaders were not quite prepared to run the country.
I think these days, the excitement is gone. With our schools not teaching Nigerian history, the feeling of nationhood is rather weak. Do school children really understand what they are celebrating on October 1? I have my doubt.
