Some citizens in the North Central and Taraba State have expressed divergent views over the current state of the nation, as the country celebrates its 61st Independence anniversary.
A section of the stakeholders observed that the nation had recorded many achievements in the 61 years of its independence, in spite of the challenges it faced over the period.
Others feel that not much has been achieved when compared with the myriad of problems still bedeviling the country after six decades of independence.
They made the observations in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria in Jalingo, Minna, Jos and Lafia, among other cities in the zone, on the occasion of the nation’s 61st independence anniversary.
David Kente, a Taraba top politician and philanthropist, said Nigeria had made a lot of progress but still lagged behind in many areas of human endeavour in her 61 years of Independence.
Kente, who is also a board member of the North East Development Commission, observed that in terms of population Nigeria had grown rapidly and had undoubtedly remained the giant of Africa.
“It has also maintained a leading position as the continent’s economic power in spite of the challenge being posed by countries such as Ghana and South Africa,” he said.
Dalhatu Sangari, on his part, identified the inability of the nation to address the challenges to its economic growth in the last 61 years as one of the major impediments to its growth.
Sangari, who is a political economist, university teacher and a member of the Board of Trustees of the All Progressives Congress, said that if the country was able to address its power sector challenge, the economic growth would have been tremendous.
“Globally the power sector is key to industrial development and economic growth. Nigeria’s inability to target and get things right in the power sector 61 years after independence is a source of great concern to the country’s economic development,” he said.
Hajiya Aishatu Ardo, a university teacher and an entrepreneur, also said Nigeria had made some gains in the areas of education, infrastructure and the economy.
Ardo, however, said that more needed to be done, especially in the fight against corruption, insecurity and power sector reform.
Power, in particular, she said, was fundamental in moving the country’s economy forward.
Ben Adaji, a veteran journalist based in Jalingo said that Nigeria had experienced growth but with little development.
Adaji also said that the nation had experienced population growth which was one of the indices in measuring economic growth.
He also described the increasing revenue generation and allocation which had kept increasing since independence as another parameter in measuring economic growth.
Adaji, however, observed that Nigeria was still battling with basic necessities of life at 61, wondering when the country would address such challenges and face technological advancement.
Mary Mashi, president, National Council for Women Societies, Nasarawa State chapter, on her part, congratulated Nigeria at 61 and said though the country’s growth had been slow, it had been steady.
Mashi lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for the efforts made by his administration to improve the socio-economic situation of Nigerians and called on Nigerians to give him more support instead of criticising him.
“For me, I think Nigeria is growing steadily and has tried. I say kudos to the country and Nasarawa State at 25. I also want Nigerians to give President Buhari all the support he needs to move this country forward.
“He is really trying but we are in the end time, which is why things are very difficult now despite all his efforts. The only thing we can do is to put him in prayers and not to accuse him. Let us support him so that God will help him and continue to help Nigeria,” she said.
Idris Ojoko, chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Nasarawa State chapter, also said so far progress had been made but that a lot still needed to be done, especially in the area of security.
“Why I said so far so good is because Nigeria is not at standstill. Some progress is being made but we expect more progress to have been made. If you look at the issue of security, it should be cardinal.
Monday Nanza, a former administrator, Akun Development Area, commended the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration for committing more resources to diversify the economy.
“The journey so far since independence is good, the country is progressing. President Muhammadu Bihari has invested and is still investing more in the agriculture sector, among other sectors, as this has created many jobs, boosted socio-economic activities and the standard of living of our people.
“Let us continue to join hands with the government at all levels to enable it to succeed,” Nanza said.
In Niger, Salihu Niworu of Ibrahim Babangida University Lapai, said the nation had witnessed a lot of political growth since independence.
Niworu, who is with the department of political science of the university, explained that Nigeria as a nation had witnessed tremendous development since independence instead of holistic development that had permeating effect on all sectors of the society.
“Development is a multi-dimensional concept depending on the perspective you view it. However, one can say that growth has been taking place in Nigeria since independence instead of holistic development that has permeating effect on all sectors of the society,” he said.
He added that since independence, there had been an increase in the number of airports, seaports, hospitals, schools, sports facilities and more numbers of human capital, but with insignificant impact on the growing population of the country when compared with her peers in third world countries of Asia and Latin America.
He explained that provision of various infrastructures across the country demonstrated the fact that a lot of development had been recorded.
Similarly, Bashir Yankuzo of the department of educational science, Federal University of Technology, Minna, says the fact that the country has remained one in spite of the challenges it has faced over the period, is a remarkable achievement.
Yankuzo said that the nation’s cooperate existence must be celebrated by all.
“However, it is evidently clear that patriotism rather than increasing, is fading among the citizens as compared to previous years,” he said.
He said it was sad that there were still people whom were calling for the division of the country, in spite of the bad experiences of the civil war.
Meanwhile, Titus Alams, former Speaker, Plateau House of Assembly, says the country has grown in quantity and not in quality since independence, hence the need for improvement by all stakeholders and in all sectors.
“Anybody that has reached 61 years must know that he has grown, and if at 61 we begin to complain of certain things, that are not right. We must be mature, have a change of attitude and leave a legacy for the incoming generation.
“If at 61, we feel we have not done well then we must begin to do well, because as it is now Nigeria has done well in quantity and not in quality, we therefore need to do better,” Alams said.
He, therefore, urged Nigerians to be more committed to nation building.
But for a politician in Benue, Vershima Nyitse, he said Nigeria as a country had not fared better 61 years after it got its independence.
Nyitse said that the country was still crawling after several years of independence.
“At 61 Nigeria needs to have fared better. Before now, Nigeria was known and called ‘Giant of Africa’ because it was far ahead of most of the African countries but now even small African countries are far ahead of us,” he said.
(NAN)
