Okey Maduforo 
Nigeria will mark its 62 years of attainment of Independence with mixed feelings considering the fact that from all indications it has become an underachiever in all ramifications. Nigeria is a nation greatly reputed for having abundant human and natural resources needed to make it a super power in the comity of nations, most importantly because it is the largest black nation on earth. On this day 62 years ago, the colonialists after decades of agitation by Nigeria’s founding fathers for self-rule relinquished authority to Nigerians who have since then been in charge of its (the country’s) affairs. Many argue that the situation has not in any way different from what it was at Independence but has indeed gone worse as a result of the numerous challenges that the country has continued to grapple with.
From huge promise in 1960, Nigeria has move from one crisis to the other until finding itself now faces with existential threats Nigeria started its journey on a shaky path when the numerous contradictions of its emergence began to dog its path when the political leaders found it difficult to operate the emocratic system that was bequeathed to them by the departing colonialists. This eventually led the truncation of the First Republic as it became very difficult for the conduct of periodic elections needed for smooth transition of power and the attendant crisis led to the takeover by the military in 1966.
That led to a series of military coups, counters coups as well as failed coups leading to marked political instability until the advent of the current Fourth Republic in 1999 after two failed experiments in 1979 and 1993. The nation continued its tottering move but the experience of the last seven years or thereabouts has further led to widening the nation’s fault lines.
Meanwhile, First Republic Minister of Aviation, Chief Mbazuruike Amaechi has blamed the predicament of Nigeria on poor leadership, lamenting that at 62 the country is yet to come out of the woods According to Amaechi, the crop of leadership the country had produced since its Independence has been bedeviled by nepotism and religious bigotry. “We fought for the Independence of this country and we had that dream and expectations that by now Nigeria would be self-sustaining economically and homogeneous politically but what we have today is 62 years of leadership marked by military juntas and corrupt civilian governments.”
“Today those issues that had held our country down have remained our bane which include nepotism, religious bigotry and sectionalism by our successive leaders” “We got involved in a civil war which was caused by the incidence of sectionalism where a section of the country witnessed one of the highest holocausts after that of the Jews and instead of the war binding us together as it was announced by the then military regime which is reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction it further deepened our woes,” he said. Amaechi, however, posited that the coming general election is yet another opportunity for the country to get it right. ”
The election is coming up next year and we still have the chance to get it right through electing populist and purposeful leadership that can sal-vage this country and give the upcoming generation hope for a better tomorrow. “Nigeria needs a kind of leadership that will reconcile all tribes and shades of interests and also one that is devoid of primordial sentiments and not those old and spent forces that are angling to become President of Nigeria,” he said.
