YOU'RE HAVING A LAUGH!

Here we go again! Another 'perfect' opportunity has presented itself for the thieving elite to pat themselves on the back for the successful completion of another bountiful year. Time for another knees-up, indeed. It is always the perfect time to renew alliances and forge new ones in the deadly common pursuit of illicit riches at the expense of the remaining 99.9% of the population. They'll all arrive in their bulletproof and armour-plated cars and private jets, resplendent in their brand new babarigas and listen, or pretend to listen, to the unfailingly uninspiring speeches by their partners-in-crime. Tens of millions of Naira will again be expended on the worthless celebration of independence. Call me a spoilsport if you like, but how can one fail to see the poignancy of these annual reminders of stagnation and hopelessness?

It's true our nation is independent, but are its citizens? Don't the words of Edmund Burke ring true when he said "To drive men from independence to live on alms, is itself great cruelty."? What exactly is there to write home about in 52 years of self-rule? Was the great Chinua Achebe wrong when he concluded that Nigeria has become a 'cesspool of corruption'? In case it escapes anyone's notice, the recently released figures by the World Bank show that $400 billion (yes, US dollars!) has been looted from our treasury since independence. To put it in perspective, the knaves that made up, and still make up, the so-called ruling class have stolen the equivalent of the entire economy of Sweden, in just 50 years. And you expect me to be jubilant at reaching this shameful milestone? You're having a laugh!

Wasn't independence meant to ensure that we hold our destiny in our own hands; to have absolute control over our nation's resources? Isn't it the purpose of government to use these resources justly and fairly to cater for the needs of the people it governs? Didn't people die just so that this great nation of ours would embrace democracy and enjoy its undoubted benefits? I can't but recall the words of Anna Garlin Spencer, "The essence of democracy is its assurance that every human being should so respect himself and should be so respected in his own personality that he should have the opportunity equal to that of every other human being to 'show what he was meant to become'." How our special type of democracy bears any semblance to this is beyond me. Even in China, one of the most powerful in its Politburo, Bo Xilai, was expelled from the Communist Party so that he may stand trial for corruption and abuse of office. This was even as his wife had already been incarcerated for the murder of a British man. How many blatant cases of corrupt practices and shameful abuses of office have been severely punished in our country? Can't you see that our independence is not worth celebrating?
The debilitating effects of unchecked corruption are there for all to see, as is the reluctance to decisively deal with this scourge. Again, I repeat, it all started before the idea-less and sleepy Jonathan became President, but it has got exponentially worse. There will be speeches today; speeches praising his efforts and promising a bright future. But Nigerians can no longer be fooled, and he knows his time is almost up, along with his cartel of destiny destroyers and hope-quenchers.
As much as I'd like to say 'Happy Birthday, Nigeria', I simply couldn't because it's not a happy one.  No use pretending it is. Not while the vast majority of Nigerians are hungry and thirsty for meaningful change.
One day soon, I hope all of Nigeria will be able to stand up in unison and in truth and sing 'Happy Birthday' to this great nation of ours.