Nigeria at 58 is worth celebrating if only it’s the celebration of our existence as a nation not as an independent nation after we were held by a fellow nation whom we claimed to be stronger. Also looking at the level of our development in this nation has compared to our human and National resources and the high level of mismanagement and maladministration.
I would have loved us as a nation to celebrate the amalgamation of the northern and southern protectorate in 1914, because it would have showed a perfect picture of Nigeria in unity.
The beginning of Nigeria dependency and foreign impoverishment
In the 18th century after the wake of industrialization in Britain in the 17 century with massive prediction of good and services through the steem engine came another development concept called ‘Colonialism’ after the birth of an economic system called ‘capitalism’ against the developing socialism a prototype of advance communism. All this brought about foreign colonies seeking and exploring metropole to serve as the dump site of goods produce in excess in Europe and Nigeria being the raw material satellite of palm produce, cocoa, groundnut etc and humans as industrial merchandise through European save trade. Though Nigerian scholars and apologist claims Nigerian wouldn’t have gained independence in 1960 if they had discovered oil before 1960.
The first blow was struck with our transformation into a subject people by people of another culture. Sooner or later when they came they showed Their true colour of coming to the shores of Africa, initially it was the Portuguese that first came to Nigeria and they came into Benin first and they met the then oba of Benin.
They changed Their policies and showed Their true colour but when we resisted we were subdued by weapons of mass destruction and superior arm forces. We were declared a subject people with no right to have any say in the economy and later, governance of our society.
For up to about fifty years, the British government made our laws and administered them over is the way it pleased them. For that period, Nigerian people who had Their own system of government were disenfranchised. We had no say on the way we were governed and this was the greatest political impoverishment, irrespective of status in society or natural endowment. The kings were banished, the intellectuals imprisoned and the traders cheated as well as they committed an act against humanity.
The assault did not stop at our political rights, as our social values and culture were undervalued and condemned. We had to divorce our cultures and ethics values to wear a civilized European look.
We lost a lot of rights and wise social philosophies in the process and became the poorer relatives of EuroAmerican culture and civilization. We lost our self esteem in our society because of the diminished importance our duty rolls imposed by aliens from other countries.
As a consequences, social status became the recognized position of an individual or group in our society.
The class stratification was born. The political ruling class came first if only because they were the custodians of authority in society, the came the commercial class of businessmen followed by the academic calls in an hierarchical order.
We became poorer as a result of our dependency on the European and foreign colonial policies which was not compatible with existing social structure of Nigeria
Independence and nationhood
In the wake of Nigeria independence which started in the early 1950s with much Progress in the 1957 Congress held at ibadan towards the decolonization of Nigeria. A nation dearie and mal-oriented people is a poor and disadvantaged nation in the making. Independence and new nationhood was to supposed to arrested this decay and decline in our socio-cultural value but reverse is the case because 58 years after independence we can’t tell or see any significant development in liue with development in our colonial masters nation.
So, instead of an Era of re enrichment of the lives of the people of this nation starting at independence as was expected, the process of systematic impoverishment continued and the post independence trend has created the group of poor nation of the world in Nigeria. The dream of the glorious dawn of freedom has become a night mare
THE DEPENDENT INDEPENDENT NATION
It might surprise you to hear that Nigeria is truly dependent based on the fact that we gain independence in 1960 buy adverse is the case as we are still very far away from independent as we are a dependent independent nation by the virtue of our dependency on the first world and sovereignty.
Independence came suddenly to the colonies as neither the colonial powers nor Their victim prepared for the sudden end.
To establish a meaning full communication, the foreign language had to be imposed. To make colonial subjects subservient and dependent, a feeling of cultural inferiority had to be implanted into our minds. Its so obvious as how our native language as turned to a vernacular and the European language as the confirm language, even the president or any public office holders address the public in English language its only some selected public office holders who speak in native language while addressing the public, I can remember vividly that Kwame nkrumah a one time president of Ghana who was said to have always been addressing Ghanaians in native language.
The way we are currently so dependent on the developed worlds in terms of produce good and technological equipment in the current age of our independence is dependency.
Finally we have our sovereignty by virtue of our independence in 1960 is more of a political or colonial language but how we are being subjected and subjugated under international communities like the United Nation, UNICEF, world Bank, international criminal court, International Money rituals funds and neo colonialism etc are just in clear definition of our dependency. As result of all theses, the colonialist still controls our economic and political policies from Their respective countries.
I will like to end by giving some illustration to our colonialist “how would you feel if you are rich and your friend goes to party to dine with you in rag, wont you feel ashamed?”
To my fellow Nigerian “A child can dine with elders if he gets his hands washed” “That you are poor doesn’t make you the lunatic in the market” let us all ignore the merriment of celebrating independence but agitate towards good governance and adopt ultimate democracy to realize total and absolute development of our dear nation Nigeria
Written by Shokoya Olakunle Adeboye (social philosopher of Africa)
[email protected]
08131130914
About the Author
Shokoya olakunle is a fresh graduate of sociology, from Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago IWOYE, he’s public writer with different publications to his name, he has written several articles for publication.
He’s a socio political analyst who has several political write up to his name and as well as knowledge in contemporary modern politics
He’s a renowned qualified social researcher having conducted several research for publications and development of the Social world, he’s the founder and chief Researcher of the Social philosopher Research Institute
