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Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development, FENRAD celebrates with Nigerians on the occasion of the sixty-third anniversary of Nigeria’s flag independence won on October One, 1960.
Today, three score and three years ago, through the collective efforts of the founding fathers, the Union Jack was lowered and in its place, the green and white triband flag of Nigeria was hoisted at Lagos, marking an end to colonialism. On October 1, 1963, exactly 60 years ago, Nigeria became a republic, making October One a remarkable date in the nation’s calendar.
It is still sad to note that decades after Nigeria became a self-governing entity the nation still suffers perennial leadership problem, having undergone military coups d’état and regimes, civil war, republics and interim national government (ING). Nigeria has not fared well, whether as an independent state or as a republic. Today, the same leadership problem still faces the nation amid rising food and price inflation, unemployment (over 40%), making our present condition after 63 years of independent existence worse than our yesterdays since the 1960s and the decades after. While the nation, with vast potentials, was tipped for glory as the hope of the black man, today Nigeria muddles through.
FENRAD watched with mixed feelings the broadcast of the president’s Independence Day speech While the little over 30-paragraph speech was terse and straight to the point, there were still gray areas. The president, for example, promised that average and low-salary workers would earn additional ₦25,000 monthly, much is left desired concerning workers in which salary grade levels (SGL) the president meant and what the fate of private employees would be going forward. This brings us exactly where we are: that subsidy removal shouldn’t have been carried out outright. Following the petrol subsidy removal, as announced in his inaugural address, the president had to plead with Nigerians to bear and make bold sacrifices in more than two subsequent national addresses. More Nigerians have become poor/er following losses borne during ‘cashless policy’ earlier in the year, even as household finances continue to shrink. It is for this reason that FENRAD considers as ill-advised and ill-timed the petrol subsidy removal, which, by the way, ought to have been gradual and phased.
While the nation celebrates her independence anniversary, the organized labour and her affiliate unions still threaten to embark on a nationwide strike, regardless of a subsisting restraining court order. FENRAD obtained and read the emotional message from the organized labour and her affiliates. It was sad that the reflective message reminded the nation of her retrogressive march to nationhood through floundering, stumbling and staggering. The fact that a nation which once owned a national carrier (Nigeria Airways), shipping line with vessels, refineries and industries has nothing of the sort today is deeply annoying. We regret that more than six decades after Nigeria earned the status of an independent entity; elections still reflect those of the ‘penkelemesi’ years with the judiciary and the press still not independent. This, to us, is not the way to go. There can be a change, and for the better.
It is on this note that FENRAD calls on the federal government, as led by President Bola Tinubu, to always ensure that the interest of the masses is considered first in all government’s policies. It is better to remind Nigerians of the progress made and feats so far recorded than assure them of a better tomorrow in the midst of excruciating hardships, just like the president’s speeches following subsidy removal have done. Granted, in the course of the journey to greatness, hard choices, and sometimes hard times, may arise. But a situation where the National Assembly bags ₦70 billion palliative fund and the judiciary some ₦35 billion palliative fund with nothing except promises to the working class is highly discriminatory and must be frowned upon. This inequity can never renew the hope of Nigerians at a time like this. FENRAD calls on President Bola Tinubu to look into the agitations of the unions and be intentional about resolving to the letter all outstanding industrial disputes in a way that guarantees a win-win outcome for every Nigerian. FENRAD believes it is in the president’s interest to walk this path.
Lastly, again, FENRAD facilitate Nigerians and salute the sacrifices of our heroes past, including our gallant soldiers who lost their lives so that this nation may survive. We urge the government of the day to adopt a pro-poor and pro-people agenda, if it intends to renew all hopes.
Happy Independence Day to the people and government of Nigeria!
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Signed
Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor
Executive Director
Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD Nigeria
