By Cynthia Mbamalu
It
has become a tradition to bemoan the state of the nation every Independence
Anniversary. Well, we have the facts to confirm our mourning. I can imagine the
chants of freedoms and dance of independence on the 1st of October,
1960; it must have been an amazing feeling.
53
years down the line, the freedom our parents and heroes danced about is another
illusion we dream will become a reality one day. I want to take a survey from a
cross section of Nigeria by asking; “What does freedom mean to you?”
I
will quickly share my thoughts on what freedom means to me:
Some
days back, while returning from work in a taxi, I observed the increase in the
number of children running after cars to sell sachet water (pure water) and
some struggling to clean the windscreen of cars held up in the traffic even to
the blatant refusal of many drivers. This is not an alien sight to many
Nigerians and some years back I would have been more empathetic to the plight
of these young boys but today my empathy was mixed with fear.
Yes,
great fear for the future, fear with the thought that these children pose a
major threat to our security and future as a Nation. The fact that their
innocence is susceptible to anything, anything at all and that one of them may
just be a time bomb waiting to explode. The fact that they had no choice in
choosing their socio-economic condition neither did they wrong their creator.
As
I return home the news is that ASUU and Federal Government have once again hit
a deadlock. And newspaper review goes on about the poor state of our
universities. I mean I should know that, being a product of a Federal
University. The problem was not just peculiar to the universities because we
had falling standards in the education sector.
Unity
Schools are no longer what they used to be and if you cannot manage the
dilapidated condition then get ready to empty your account and probably go
borrowing to send your child to a private school. The worse of all is the fact
that we still have many out of school children, with UNICEF’s estimate putting
it at 10.5 million children. My mind cannot fathom the great rick posed to our
existence as a nation if we have a critical mass of young Nigerians without
basic education.
Yes,
we are independent but in our supposed unity, we find it difficult to trust the
family next door because they are probably from a different ethnic group or
religious orientation. If it is not a hate speech about one ethnic group, it is
about a different religious denomination or about a different social class. We
spread so much hate that I begin to wonder if independence means being
continually fettered by limited sentiments.
While
I watched the presidential media chat some days ago, I listened with keen
interest not because the questions to be asked were new to me or that I
expected the feeling of euphoria after the replies were given but because I
have a right to hope for a glimmer of hope. So questions were asked on
different issues; security, cost of governance, corruption, education-ASUU,
employment, economy, citizen’s participation, elections, etc. I wanted answers
but I think I got replies and easy maneuvers around the main issues.
Freedom
to me means the faith in a government that really cares for the security and
welfare of the people, the belief that my human rights are guaranteed and that
someone is accountable when they are violated, the assurance that living
amongst a people of different tribal, religious or economic background does not
automatically make me a prey, the ability to rejoice in our independence
without wondering if I jinxed my children’s future by being Nigerian.
I
can define freedom in different expressions, but the more I do, the more I
begin to doubt the truth in our independence.
Are
we really a free people?
O
God of creation, direct our noble cause… may we build a nation where peace and
justice shall reign.
Happy
Independence Day!
Cynthia Mbamalu is Research
and Programs Manager of Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement
(YIAGA).
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