NIGERIA became politically independent of British Monarch 1st October, 1960, and on October 8, 1960 she made her first appearance on the international arena when she joined “United Nations General Assembly and became the 99th member-nation of the organization. Nigeria’s foreign policy is “non-alignment in foreign relations”, As a member of comity of nations, Nigeria is represented on many committees and commissions of the United Nations :- committee of Twenty-One Disarmament Committee, UNESCO, UNICEF, WHO and UNTAD. Nigeria also belongs to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (JRBD) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as well as the International Development Association, (IDA) Perhaps, where Nigeria has made the greatest achievement since independence is in her activities in the Organization of African Unity (OAT now African Union (AU) as a founder member, mediator and a living spirit behind the organization.
Nigeria is also a member of the British commonwealth of Nations. Nigeria has diplomatic relations with countries in Europe, Africa, America and Asia.
BUDGET
Budget is the road map to our future. It outlines government revenue and expenditure for a given fiscal year. Health Care and Education nowadays take the lion’s share of a budget because they help to stimulate the growth rate of the economy. “He who has health has hope and he who has hope has everything”. (Arabian Proverb) “Education makes people easy to lead but difficult to drive, easy to govern but impossible to enslave”, (Henry Peter Brougham). Since Health Care and Education are ingredients for the rapid growth rate of the economy, could the sick or the uneducated and unskilled contribute to the growth rate of the economy? The answer depends on whom you ask. Recently, some governments have added power to the list-( power to keep the industries running.) Health Care, Education and Power are therefore necessary ingredients for the rapid growth rate of the economy. The importance of education cannot be overemphasized. It is required in the performance of basic responsibility even service in the armed forces.
THE ECONOMY 1999
For the first time in four pears the budget was read on schedule. The Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar read the budget which he tagged “Budget of Realism. He said the 1998 fiscal year was a year of mixed economic blessing. Our foreign reserves stood at US $7.6 billion at the end of November 1998. The year witnessed some measure of macro economic stability and consolidation of economic gains attained in 1996 and 1997. The economy, however suffered some setbacks, which adversely affected the implementation of the 1998 budget and the realization of the set target. The global decline in the international crude oil prices in our OPEC quota and the temporary closure of oil wells in the Niger Delta led to a sharp reduction in government foreign exchange earnings from crude oil.
Nigeria problems caused by independence
How free is really free? Does sovereignty mean true independence? That is an important question we should ask ourselves. True, we are the world’s most populous democracy and we elect our own representatives. We have guaranteed fundamental rights that are safeguarded by our constitution. But are we really free?
Like Jean-Jacques Rousseau ’s famous quote,“Man was born free; and everywhere he is in chains.”
That is the irony of our lives. We believe we are free individuals, but we create our own little customs and social restraints and end up being bound by them. One can argue that yes, we are free because we create these “social restraints” and that ability in itself won’t be possible unless we are independent. Yes, but did we become independent so that we can enslave ourselves?
Aristotle famously quoted that “Man is a social animal”. We all need society. We need company. No matter how much we deny or lie to ourselves, the truth is, no one would prefer living their life in solitude. This means we should understand that the same applies to others just as much as it does to ourselves.
Acceptance is liberating. To accept another individual, make him feel more included than ostracized is true freedom. Our nation was colonized, subjugated and exploited for more than 200 years. Why are we, despite having attained freedom, imparting the same treatment to our fellow countrymen?
The very foundation of colonialism and imperial subjugation was based on the premises of difference. They were white, we weren’t. They had a different kind of society, so did we. They considered themselves superior and subjugated us, but we fought and won our freedom. Does this mean our fellow countrymen have to struggle for acceptance? Is that why we attained independence?
Despite being labeled as the Giant of Africa, the general feeling in Nigeria, and the world, is that Africa’s most populous nation could do much better, given her natural resources and potential.
In the years after her independence, Nigeria was regarded as a land flowing with milk and honey but nowadays Nigerians search for greener pastures abroad. The situation has degenerated and gotten so worse that some Nigerians wish the colonial masters would come back to rule the nation.
Since Nigeria gained freedom from Britain, the country has been grappling with several problems without finding a lasting solution to it. Some of them are:
Corruption
Corruption is a huge problem Nigeria has been fighting with since independence. It started with government officials and has gradually eaten deep into every other area of the economy. It’s very rare to see a government official who isn’t corrupt nowadays.
Currently, Nigeria ranks very high in the league of corrupt nations, and as stated by ex British Prime Minister David Cameron, Nigeria is a “fantastically corrupt” country with corrupt leaders. This problem has been there since independence and has gotten worse.
President Muhammadu Buhari has put up a fight against the monster but only time will tell if the war will be won. Plus he probably has just four years to achieve this.
Impunity of Leaders
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Once in power, Nigerian leaders at the federal, state and local government levels feel invincible and disregard the rule of law, whenever they can. Leaders bend rules to their wishes and damn the consequences. The judiciary arm of the government has been toothless and only clamp down on the average citizens while top government officials who break the law are left to wander free.
Internal Strife
Nigeria is an amalgam of over 300 ethnic tribes. For some reasons, these tribes haven’t found a way to co-exist peacefully, despite having decades of experience. Most people firstly pledge allegiance to their tribe before admitting they’re Nigerians. As a result, square pegs have gone into round holes and needless squabbles have degenerated into full-blown war between communities. Tribalism reigns in Nigeria and it plays a great part in the country’s current quagmire.
Worsening Economy
Things have gotten worse for the Nigerian masses over the decades. The country’s economy has been deteriorating over the years with the hope that things will get better getting fainter. The country’s infrastructure which should stimulate economic growth is in shambles and little is done to reverse the case.
Administrative Inefficiency
One of Nigeria’s biggest problems is its lack of good leadership. Nigeria has barely managed to rule itself efficiently or achieve political stability since it gained independence 56 years ago. The Nigerian civil service has depreciated over the years and is now riddled with corruption and ineptitude. Due to tribalism and other ills, appointments into offices are based on nepotism instead of pragmatism. As a result, unqualified candidates are put in important positions and the result is what we have today.
Over Dependence on oil
This problem started in the 70’s when oil was discovered in the Niger Delta. Nigeria depends solely on oil as its source of revenue, abandoned agriculture and refused to seek other means of making money. Coupled with corruption and a non-saving culture, the country’s economy went into recession following the drop in the price of crude oil.
Finally, independence has brought us as a nation To be over dependence for material resources and basic needs of life for survival of our nation as a sovereign state.
Written by
ADEGBOYEGA LATEEF OLAMIEKAN
UNDERGRADUATE of political science, STUDENT OF OLABISI ONABANJO UNIVERSITY
[email protected]
08181477493/08135951612
Edited by Shokoya Olakunle (social philosopher of Africa)
