HAPPY INDEPENDENCE NIGERIA: BUT ARE WE REALLY FREE?

“Those who won our independence…valued liberty as an end and as a means. They believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty”…Louis D. Brandeis

We are all the same

From time immemorial, the world over has constantly witnessed incessant battles for supremacy over regions in order to establish dominance which is a major feature of control of world power. As an ultimate act of survival, the side which wields more strength especially through military and political might automatically use their exploitative clout to control new nations, indirectly expanding their territories and benefiting from foreign booty.

The natural inclination of man to exercise control over seemingly weaker ones spurred the attempt by some nations to rise against others with every available prowess to be in command of the rest of the world, this was however met with another directly proportional orientation of resistance and by implication culminating into the world wars that have been carefully recorded in the archives of our precious history. This further goes on to prove that we are all susceptible to an ordinary ground; we are victims of a common circumstances as we are products of our environment.

“Unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean man does not lose his being in the society in which he lives. Man’s life is independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone but for the development of himself”…B.R. Ambedkar

Salute

Who doesn’t love sports? In fact the many feats achieved by various people ranging from academic pursuits to musical renditions and many more enviable accomplishments of man add loads of beautiful colours to life, giving us a reason to aspire for a good life and idolize great men that are worthy of reverence.

Some men became even greater when they summoned the courage to face the apparent oppressors of their land otherwise known as the colonialists. In as much the compulsory migrants taught a lot of creative lessons to the areas that they conquer, something was still very evidently missing, freedom.

“When I discover who I am. I’ll be free”…Ralph Ellison

Discovery

Perhaps the greatest thing that can happen to a man is for him to discover himself. There is no greater feeling in the world than for a man to find out who he really is and what he was born into this mysterious and sometimes complicated world to do, that according to a school of thought is where true freedom and the secret to independence lies.

This is why developed nations have laid more emphasis on grooming young generations to become specialists in their chosen fields and hone their crafts and talents in order to create optimal value.

 “At the bottom of education, at the bottom of politics, even at the bottom of religion, there must be race for our economic independence”…Booker T. Washington

Independence

When nations celebrate their independence, the faces of the citizens light up even to the already lighted up and beautiful scenery of celebration, with some throwing caution to the air, and almost crossing the line of festivity. 

While some simply stay up in their closets and attempt a sober reflection upon the emotional history which consumed the remains of the true heroes that gallantly stood for what they believed which ultimately cost them their lives, with their names ringing beyond time, giving untold pride and courage to their descendants like the pedigree of a champion dog.

Independence has indeed taken a new shape and it is usually taken out of context by a mediocre few as we approach a new world order, independence has become so systemic, evolving to a whole new level.

Yes the world is indeed a global village with the easy international interaction through trade and other forms of benefits which we obtain from each other, but the territorial rifts still generously abound.

“Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds”…Franklin D. Roosevelt

It is clearly the turn of a new millennium and the world has never been more insecure, yet it has also never been this interesting; jam packed with possibilities and so much more potentials. 

Wars have been temporarily put aside, except for the restive minds with little understanding. 

Territories are however still being expanded economically, with the wise conquering but the imprudent bowing down to pressure due to lack of courage, enslavement to mediocrity or weakness to battle corruption.

The prospects of the future have never been this clear especially as the rest of the world gradually comes to terms with the fact that life is what we make of it and not as a result of political and religious sentiments.

This is a clock ticking wake up call to Nigeria as she celebrates her 55^th independence anniversary, are we truly free from our very prominent Achilles' heel which includes mediocrity and corruption? Perhaps one day we shall reunite with ourselves, only time will tell.

Thank you.

Akin Abimbola (akinzogee@yahoo.com)

Sources:

Google

Wikipedia

Time

Goodreads

Brainy quote

Persuasion