With Nigeria at 60, what can we do?

I have sat up most nights as the cymbals of celebration are drummed across the nation and far afield in the diaspora. To be sixty is worthy of celebration but I am concerned about where we go with this title of a sixty-year-old nation. Of course we must salute the nation and its entire people therein but our reflection must now be deeper than it has ever been and our smiles must be wide but not as wide as it could have been. Let us pause a little and draw some parallels that may not necessarily be perfect.

A sixty-year-old man or woman is expected to know who they are and walk like senior citizens and be celebrated by their children. Usually a huge party. I worry that we have the party and it has been huge but many Nigerian children, many nationals are throwing stones at their 60-year-old father.

First, a nation is symbolic. A nation is only as good as her citizens. So let us unpack that a little bit. I am concerned by those things that undo us and they may not be huge but they add up. And in my writings in this column, I have vented, spoken, written, cajoled and sometimes I have yelled.

Nigeria is elastic at each point and something saves us divinely but bad people cannot get ahead forever. One day soon, they will all be washed away. Let us stand by our nation. At 60, Nigeria needs honest, hardworking men and women to stand up for her

So whose fault is it that we break traffic lights and someone might die? So whose fault is it that we are sorting marks for students of higher institutions? So whose fault is it that we hide files until we are given money? So whose fault is it that we are selling COVID results to travellers? So whose fault is it that we are sleeping with our friend’s children and selling our children into prostitution? It’s hard to imagine that the nation on its own committed these atrocities. We are so quick at finger pointing and forget that the remaining four fingers are pointing at us. When we hire persons who are not qualified for a position knowingly, we have diminished Nigeria. When we do sex for marks in schools, we have knifed Nigeria.

When we help ourselves to the till and ensure that all contracts in our establishment are offered to our cousins and our in-laws, we have reduced Nigeria and when we do the things we shouldn’t we have literally murdered Nigeria. But the slow bleeding of the nation did not start today; we took a beautiful country and brought it to its knees. But more importantly the culprits from generation to generation are the ones shouting foul when their backyards are stinking. I believe that most Nigerians behaving badly should really become actors and actresses in a blockbuster movie that should outsell the best blockbuster movie ever produced.

Institutions in scandals, drama of abduction, rape everywhere, fake doctors, embezzled monies, sex in high places and other related matters. Yahoo is alive and well and I hear there is now Yahoo plus, add a little juju and you can never be caught. Hushpuppies and hush mummies everywhere. As a screenplay writer and storyteller, there is a huge movie here but one that reverses the gains of our independence and our forebears and patriots. They are turning in their graves. It is truly bizarre and unbelievable. We ask where our leaders come from. They are from us, within us, created by us. So what do we do now?

Universal values remain the same worldwide. Honesty, propriety, selflessness, hard work, empathy and all other related values. A man who was never concerned about values as a regular citizen will escalate bad behaviour if he gets into office. Mark you, it’s the same man or woman with all those bad qualities that will now move into a powerful position carrying that baggage in whatever position they find themselves.

The other day someone online was lamenting that a well-known thug got into a powerful position in his state. We are brilliant at complaining but when it’s time to do our civic duty we sell our rights for two pence and it is that two pence that we have for four years. We have criminals who enable bad leadership then they join panels and speak high English about bad leadership. I am at my wits end. Monies are used to buy all sorts of things, from jobs to scores to positions and character is slowly taking a back seat in the Nation. Corruption has eaten deep into our body politic from official spaces to private spaces that one does not know where to turn for relief.

In a conversation with a young protégé of mine, she lamented that it’s hard to stay true to good values in Nigeria because her contemporaries who are breaking the law seem to be getting along. I counselled her that she should remain forthright. I know how she feels. I see it every day. It’s the most amazing state of affairs. Hard workers seem to get the short end of the stick. It has happened to me in my little corner and lazy people with the right connects go on to get the promotions.

Something is desperately wrong with a nation who allows this to happen. I told my protégé that it will be better because I believe in Nigeria. I believe that a few idiots among us cannot continue to do our nation in and a time will come when true Patriots with no ulterior motive will stand up to be counted. Sometimes I see preachers who shout “a better Nigeria” from rooftops end up disappointing those who look up to them. We find they have huge skeletons in their cupboards. Too many pretenders to the throne.

Nigeria is elastic at each point and something saves us divinely but bad people cannot get ahead forever. One day soon, they will all be washed away. Let us stand by our nation. At 60, Nigeria needs honest, hardworking men and women to stand up for her. We need to change our ways and do the right thing and the President’s launch of the National ethics and integrity policy is a good move. Implementation will be the most important arm of that build-up of returning to our age old values. Having moderated several webinars in the run up to the independence celebration and after, I know that Nigerians are hungry for a change. But it is the duty of all of us. One and all.

Happy Birthday Nigeria. I love our food, our clothes, our community, the brilliance of my people. I will stay by my country but we need to work hard at keeping our 60-year-old father healthy for his grandchildren and posterity. It is possible!