Happy Birthday Nigeria! Today is the independence day of Nigeria. The independence of the most populous black nation in 1960 was a breakthrough for the whole African continent. It was a victory that earned victories for other nations, including an end to apartheid in South Africa.
Since the emergence of self-rule, Nigeria has been subjected to several forms of torture that made it look better in the hands of the colonial masters. It has suffered exploitation in the hands of foreigners and rape from its own people. Nigeria has never had stable electricity all these years neither has the oil producing nation successfully run its own refinery. The nation cannot boast of dominion in the export of any goods to the world in spite of its richness in many resources. Despite its self-acclaimed military prowess and leadership, insecurity has always been a household name making a victim of all its citizens. Christians have suffered greatly from targeted terrorism attack by islamist terrorist organizations such as ISWAP, Boko Haram and extremists that slaughter Christian believers with their mouths and knives all in the name of blasphemy. Of all the problems that has plagued this amalgamated country, the root is said to be corruption and leadership failure.
That means, the problem of Nigeria like many other African and third world nations is like a tree with many branches and just one stem. That singular stem or root is “leadership problem”. Any country that runs a democracy with a regular periodic election has the best human government system available but when the election process is under sabotage, it will only be a cycle of oppression and exploitation. Today, what Nigeria and some other African nations need is electoral reform. A system where votes duly and fully count. A system where electoral tribunals has no job to do after the elections. A system where the electorates become the umpire of the governance. A system where politicians seek the vote of the populace and not the favour of the godfathers. Nigerians and other African nations should arise and call for a reformed electoral process now even as we face another election year. God bless Nigeria, God bless Africa and God bless the whole world.
May the Communion of the Holy Spirit be with you.
©SADOZ