While Nigerians mourn...
It is another anniversary! Yea! Let's recall some soldiers from the (boko haram) war front to come and parade for us. Let's cut cakes, release pigeons and give inspiring speeches, after all we have come a long way. Let inspiring messages flood social media and newspapers. “55 years no be beans”, is it?
What has changed? Why should we celebrate? Have the chibok girls been found? Do we have steady electricity supply(there has been some improvement I must say)?. Why is our economy going down the drain? Remind me, how many jobs have been created?
This article is just to prove that once in a while, we should 'suspend' our dreaming and look reality in the face. Someone compared the huge amount of money spent by previous administrations at anniversaries like this to the 'paltry' 70 million budgeted for this year. And I say, imagine how many kids with holes in their hearts who surgery that amount can pay for?
Our president just returned from a 'holiday' well deserved at the UN with imperialist nations and other countries. By other countries I refer to the likes of Kenya's Kenyatta, Zimbabwe's Mugabe (his 'we are not gays' shout makes me remember with nostalgia the days of pan africanism, but I digress) etc. Is there anything new that was said this time that we haven't heard before? Each year, they gather to recycle promises like war stories without actually DOING something.
We should mourn - I am serious. On October 1st next year,a public holiday should be declared, but this time it should be called 'national mourning day'. For the millions of youths still jobless (we await the presidential explanation on the fate of the 2000 recently recruited immigration officers, men who have faced the odds for the job - having left all other engagements behind, only to be dispersed forthwith like primary school children), again I digress. For the Chibok girls who may/may never be seen again; for the Nigerians being killed daily by rampaging herdsmen, 'accidental discharges from our military men and police officers, for my younger brother who couldn't get admission in Nigeria because he didn't have 'long legs', for my doctor friend who has not been paid his salary since joining the federal civil service, for our statesman,Olu Falae, who was embarrassed(being kidnapped is embarrassing for a great man who retired from politics to farm). For my breast feeding neighbor who is about to be evicted because she does not have the rent(her husband a soldier died in maiduguri). You can add yours.
My name is Akanimo Eyibio(@preciouseyibio), I am from Akwa Ibom state. Mme ndakaanda!
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