Regina Otokpa 
As Nigeria celebrates 63 years of independence, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused some past leaders of running the country’s greatness and hope of becoming a better nation down with their corrupt and inept attitude. President of the NLC, President Joe Ajaero, in an Independence message released on yesterday in Abuja, regretted that Nigeria which was once respected and admired as a giant lounging towards becoming one of the greatest economies in the world, was today struggling with the adverse results of “series of missteps, mismanagement, and missed opportunities.”
According to him, rather than progress sustainably, Nigeria has continued to decline to becoming the poverty capital of the world and an import driven country unable to harness her God given resources for the betterment of her citizens. He said: “Our nation with all its flaws at conception possessed a great potential to be amongst the best economies of the world.
It had the promise of a nation destined to be prosperous and continually developing. At independence, it began to demonstrate the signs that it was going to fulfill these expectations, especially with all the giant strides being recorded in all the regions that made up the country.
There was a healthy competition amongst the diverse regions for progress with pacesetting and record-breaking achievements all around the nation. “When Nigeria gained independence on October 1st, 1960, the world watched in awe as a nation endowed with abundant human and natural resources took its place on the global stage.
With a thriving agricultural sector, burgeoning industries, and a diverse and vibrant populace, Nigeria held immense promise. The spirit of unity and hope that characterized those early years was palpable, and it seemed that we were poised for greatness.
“The famous groundnut pyramids became the symbol of a prosperous north while the famous Cocoa House standing on the Cocoa output and the Western Television showed the readiness of the Western region to outpace others with the Eastern region demonstrating its prowess in Palm produce and its rich technological start-ups. It was indeed a nation poised for greatness as the sky beckons.
“Our Hospitals and Educational institutions were top notch as royalties thronged our shores for medical treatments while Asian and other African students found home in our citadels of learning. We had a nation that could feed, house and cloth her people; a nation whose citizens lived in prosperity and enjoyed a life that was comparable to that possible in all parts of the globe.
“Our currency, which was originally the British Pounds and was changed in 1973 to the Naira, was stronger than the U$ Dollars but was at par with the British Pounds. Going abroad for studies or to live was not attractive and foreign nationals thronged our shores for greener pasture. Social infrastructure was efficiently maintained and the public utilities remained functional.
