The
days preceding Nigeria’s independence anniversary celebration are
particularly fertile for critics of the government (most Nigerians that
is). To be clear, there has never been a shortage of public indignation
over the state of the nation. The siting of projects is questioned,
contracts are said to be inflated, public officers are assumed thieves.
Nigeria is ours to plough, to plunder, and to pull down.
Only
the jolly mood accompanying the independence celebration is an occasion
to remind of all that is or has been wrong with the country: Boko
Haram, bullet proof cars scandal, ASUU strike, Apo killings, fuel
subsidy scam, the 53 gold-plated iphones, electoral fraud, and other
real and imagined ailments.
It
would then be asked, what is the occasion? What are we celebrating?
With foreign aid, it is argued that Nigeria is not truly independent and
that the festivity is a ruse, an attempt by corrupt government
officials to get on anniversary celebration committees and award
themselves contracts.
The
ambition of the critic is to douse the celebratory mood, all with a
deep sense of commitment to country. They call for sober reflection, a
period of mourning for lost opportunities to make Nigeria Utopia. Until
we get there, there should be an embargo on collective jubilation. And
the older the country gets, the more sacrilegious the attempt of
starting a carnival.
The
presidential speech writer is in a strait. He can neither deny the
unflattering facts nor admit to them. He needs to generate sufficient
ideas to address the catalogue of public grouses. A presidential speech
is an attempt to tally the triumphs against the failings. It is the
president trying to convince the nation, in spite of overwhelming
evidence to the contrary, that there is course for rejoicing.
‘If
we look back over the years, we can say confidently that there is every
reason to celebrate.’ This quote from President Goodluck Jonathan’s
2013 Independence Day address is a prologue to justifying the occasion.
And he would go on to support his assertion with soggy evidence.
As
activities for the grand finale of the Nigeria centenary celebration
come together this month, the speech writer would once more be in need
of bright new ideas. Though the occasion has peculiar slurs hurled at
it―the questioning of Nigeria’s unity for instance, which frames the
centenary celebration as an illusion― the presidential speech writer,
except he is fatigued, is advised to dust up old independence speeches
and adapt it to current realities.
He
should acknowledge the situations but deny complicity in engendering
it. Corruption is not uncommon in other parts of the world. Nigeria does
not even make top ten on Transparency International’s 2013 corruption
perception index. Take solace in the universality of unrest. Terrorism
is a worldwide challenge and a natural disaster about which nothing can
be done; well, except prayers.
Use
the phrase ‘Fellow Nigerians’ randomly. It is assuring. It imbues with
patriotism the marginalised (most Nigerians) who have begun to doubt
their nationality, and are wondering if they are not Nigerians, seeing
as they are yet to get a portion of the national cake.
Take
a cue from President Obama; whip up empathy with mention of the dreams
and labours of our founding fathers, as he does about service men.
Count our blessings: our perseverance, our vast natural resources, our enterprise, our teeming youth population, etc.
Admit
that Nigeria is a work in progress, that we are not there yet, but we
are not where we used to be. Buttress this claim with examples of the
administration’s achievements: the economy has improved, we have created
over five million new jobs, power supply has significantly improved
across the country, and so on. Give credit to Nigerians (teachers,
artisans, market women, farmers, civil servants).
Insist
that Nigeria’s ‘unity’ is the greatest thing that could ever happen to
any group of diverse people. Because we are forty, we are at the fools
age, still living, because it is our diamond jubilee, because it is the
eve of our centenary, it is our centenary, it is post centenary and we
are still together despite the problems bedevilling us...
Make promises. Reiterate previous promises. Reiterate the administration’s commitment to fulfilling these promises.
By Ladi Opaluwa
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