The Daily IIJ

Growing up as a child I never really realized the import of celebrating Nigeria’s independence from her British colonial masters. What I do know though is that we use to look forward to October 1 just like we looked forward to children’s day celebration May 27th.
But I remember it used to be a big deal for my mum (who by the way never went to school but could speak the Queens English more than any one of us then. The secret is that she use to sell things to a lot of foreigners so she got to learn. Nobody believed she never went to school). Mum had sworn that none of her kids will miss not going to school so that explains the passion with which she ensured we had everything needed in school including new books every new session in school.
Mum will make sure I turned up (I was like an only child for 7 years before my kid sister was born) in everything new from my barrette to my sandals including a new school bag even though I did not need it for the match past at the stadium on October 1.
If my mum will be in such a frenzy preparing for October 1 on my behalf you can only imagine our excitement each time we were told we had to stay back after school to practice our match past for the D-Day because of the awards that follow (best dressed school, best coordinate school in terms of the match past etc). For me, the best part use to be the most outstanding and impressive leader of the match past (they use to perform all sorts of wonders with the stick without dropping them). Any school whose leader drops the stick can only imagine the punishment that awaits him when he returns to school the next day.
This was the trend even when I got into secondary school. But the fun dwindled at some point because only a handful of students were selected to do the match past. What qualifies you to be choosen was your neatness (appearance) and smartness (your performance in class) but the fun use to be in the large number that represented the school at the match past.
I truly cannot say when this stopped but I know for some inexplicable reason what we have had in recent past have been “sober reflections” and “low key celebrations”.
While some states in the 36 states that make up Nigeria decide to do individual celebrations, most times the message is lost on the essence of our celebrating our independence.
I forgot to mention that in my secondary school days, we use to write essays about the Nigeria of our dream where we are expected to outline what we hope to see in future, what our contributions will be in taking Nigeria there and the consequence of our failure to contribute to Nigeria’s development. We use to sing the national anthem and recite the pledge with pride waving our green white green flags.
These days I don’t think that still obtains. These days, it is not surprising to ask a child some historical questions and what you get in return is a blank stare. The spirit of patriotism has been killed following the mess some of our public officers are giving us in the name of leadership.
Today, it is common to hear a governor of a state of even a local government chairman  has looted his state treasury and transfer the money to a foreign account some where in Europe, UK and the US.
Some of our roads are dead traps. Our education system is in tatters; our health care system has gone so bad that our government officials travel abroad even for a slight headache.
Some of us no longer believe our governments when the reel out policies statements like “Education for All by 2015″, “Making Nigeria one of the top 20 economies by the year 2020″, “Declaration of emergency in the power sector etc.
Nigeria is 48 today though we have a lot of complains we are glad we are still together. Despite the Niger Delta militancy crisis, despite the frequent insecurity situations, despite our bad image abroad (I must confess it has improved) by the 419-ners and drug peddlers, despite mass failure of our students in public examinations, despite the nag for short cuts rather than respect for the rule of law. But we are still together. We are still making impacts even in international community like our football team winning a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics, our politicians are gradually seeking redress in courts rather than the barbaric way of murdering opponents, some of our students a winning science competitions within and outside the shores of Nigeria and even though the emergency is yet to be declared in the power sector, we have seen some form of stable power supply.
I have driven through the Eagles Square since Monday when the Muslim holidays started and I did not see school children gathered to practice, but to my surprise this morning, few schools turned out for the traditional match past. It was indeed colourful with some Ambassadors of various countries and members of the diplomatic corp present.  There was the unity dance and calistalics display. It is better than nothing though.
We have diverse means of having fun on public holidays though, we will visit recreational parks, movie theaters, ice cream joints, comedy shows (who by the way are exploiting Nigerians with their ridiculous high cost tickets), we will go visiting friends and families, we will chat on phone for as long as we have the credit to do so or we will simply take that long deserve rest we have been longing for bearing in mind work resumes tomorrow.

Well, the day did not just end like that as the Federal Government did something ‘remarkable’. It renamed 77 streets in the Federal Capital Territory after some notable Nigerians and foreigners for their various roles in the development of the modern day Nigeria.

The list, which cuts across all strata of life from the politics to human right activist includes, the former vice president Atiku Abubakar who had a street in the popular Asokoro district named after him.

At least at last our  Nobel Laurel winner, Wole Soyinka, late Chike Obi, Claude Ake were finally recognised with streets names after them.

Also considered for the honour in the list of Diaspora were Bob Marley, Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican activist and African nationalist, Malcom X, Rosa Parks who single-handedly confronted discrimination and Martin Luther King Jnr.
All the same we are happy to have turned 48.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY!