The Nigerian government lastSunday released a list of 100 persons that have been named as winners of
Nigeria’s Centenary Honours Award and topping the list are the names of those that
forcefully killed, siphoned our economy, enslaved us and took away our able
bodied men and women. The people are no other than:
1.
Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II;
2.
Frederick John Dealtry Lugard;
3.
Dame Flora Louise Shaw, Lady Lugard.
Though I have reservation about centenary
celebration because of trillions of naira that will be wasted on it in a country
hundreds of people including school children and women are raped and killed due
to insecurity in Northern Nigeria, more than 60% of youths are unemployed,
corruption on the increase, and arguably no government parastatal is performing
70% of its capability. However if it must be celebrated, I think it should be
more of a sober reflection than flamboyant celebration and honouring of people.
It should be a time we think about the existence of this entity called Nigeria
and the way forward.
I don’t have much against the
government honouring people that have contributed positively to the cause of Nigeria
but how can we celebrate and honour people that systematically enslaved us in
our fatherland, took away our able bodied men and women including rights to
govern ourselves and siphoned our economy practically for just selfish
interest.
What is wrong with President
Jonathan’s advisers? Or is it now a thing of joy that we were robbed by the
British? The world is laughing at us…..what a shame.
Why will we honour those that
forcefully imposed their will on us and contributed to a large extent to
structural problem that is facing our country which has consumed millions of
innocent people; all because of the greed of the British to exploit and siphon the
economy of Africa. It is even JUST, to have a representative of British government
every year during our independence celebration to apologise for the inhumane practices
they meted on Nigeria which has contributed to a large extent the
underdevelopment of the country.
Instead of using this opportunity
to reflect on where we are, where we are supposed to be, and look at the way
forward, our government is busy wasting our scarce resources and making a fool
of the dignity of lives that were wasted in the cause of our independence by
honouring the perpetrators of the crime (Colonisation).
