Later Niger Delta activists like the late Ken Saro-Wiwa substituted Isaac Boro’s gun for a pen and peaceful international campaign and protests. These are the genuine activists of the people of the Niger Delta. They believed in their people and their people had faith in them and they worked and died for their people. The dream and aspiration lives on.

The later day activists and so-called militants of the Niger Delta are the creation of the rogue elements in the executive arm of government both in the state and federal levels, especially within the security organisations of the state. Oil bunkering was introduced by these elements, because of their privileged positions and greed, decided to establish two parallel methods of selling Nigerian crude oil legitimately for the
government which is often unaccounted for and illegitimately for themselves. These rogue elements provided a situation of insecurity in the region by arming militias. They instilled fear in the region to sustain this illicit business and impressed on oil companies that they had to cooperate in the process by opening their taps also for stolen crude. The security agencies went further to train some of these militias abroad under the pretence they required the militias as undercover agents necessary for the security of the Niger Delta. The business grew bigger and produced millionaire security officers and militias. Their civilian collaborators in politics enlisted these elements into the political process and some of these militias acted as thugs during elections and helped to massively rig these elections. These militias were intended, above all, to turn their guns against their own people of the Niger Delta. This they did for some time but when the game was up and realising they were up in arms against their people they adopted the ideologies of the people, which is to say, they now support true federalism and resource control.

For us and indeed other Africans the UN was seen as an embodiment of the collective hopes and aspirations of men and women and everywhere for a world free of war, free of want and free of injustice.

I commend efforts by the helpless and powerless secretary generals like Kofi Annan to give the world body a new lease of life because there was critical issues, such as global poverty, international peace-keeping, regional economic integration, the environment and climate change challenges, migration and refugees as well as global health problems for which there could be no lasting solution without intensification of international co-operation.

In order to preserve and sustain the relevance of the UN to Africa and the developing world, the world economic powers and powers that be in the UN security council must eliminate the present reality in which a large section of humanity is economically exploited and politically under-represented.

The dearth of expected international support despite bold steps at economic reforms had amounted to increasing impoverishment, marginalization and alienation of the African continent.

I can recall two years ago, Ghanaians trooped out in hundreds of thousands to celebrate the golden jubilee of their nationhood because they had every reason to rejoice. The leadership there is only building on a foundation laid by the founding fathers like Kwame Nkurumah. They have their problems, but they know they are on course. I read recently that the head of the Ghanaian electoral body will be coming over with a special envoy to Abuja to show our leaders how they midwifed two successive and internationally acclaimed civilian-to-civilian power transition programmes.

Barack Obama and other world leaders believe Ghana is an example that Nigeria should emulate. An attestation is his recent state visit to Ghana and Ghana’s prominence at the UN last week in New York while our President chooses to go to Saudi Arabia on a purported state visit. Ghana’s democracy, education system, social infrastructure network are now pushed in our faces as representing the kind of standards we should have. Citizens and companies in Nigeria are relocating to Ghana. For us, the grass is greener on the other side, but while the neighbours watered theirs, we left ours to waste.

How is the mighty falling? I was a little school boy when I used to see young Ghanaians carrying big bags looking for work on Nigerian streets as cobblers etc. The then Nigerian government ordered them to leave which gave rise to Ghana-must-go. Unfortunately, it might soon be Nigeria-must-go on the other side.

It is not as if Nigeria was short of visionary leaders like Ghana, but those parading as our leaders have been short on ideas to build on the lofty ideals of the older generation. What has happened to the country of Ahmadu Bello, Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Anthony Enahoro etc. At 49, the country appears to be in intensive care like an AIDS patient whose clock is ticking.

Here is a country with so much potentials and natural endowments that are the envy of other less privileged nations and even the so called western nations. The resources are so enormous that even foreigners illegally come in to grab whatever they could with the connivance of unscrupulous Nigerians. It’s always a buffet for them. Afterall, the Nigerian government has no records of its citizens and no responsibility towards the citizenry. Any foreigner can come in and with some few naira notes claim Nigeria and obtain her passport in 24 hours. There is a big disconnect between the people and the government. Every citizen is his own government.

 Look at all the countries with which we share the symbolism of 1960 and October 1. Comparatively, most of them are better than Nigeria in terms of development indicators. In less than 24 hours in China, the Chinese will be singing their country’s national anthem and reviewing national progress and achievements, and the place of China in the world, as the newest super power from all international indicators. There is universal consensus that the Chinese deserved to roll out the drums. But many Nigerians will be busy frowning and hissing and wondering from around the globe what independence means after all. Quite frankly, this year, ahead of Nigeria’s 50th, what is there to celebrate?

A country where corruption and fraudulent practices have been institutionalised, tribalism and nepotism took their tolls; meritocracy lost its value, while mediocrity cushioned by institutionalised irresponsibility became the order of the day. On the moral terrain, Nigerians derailed abysmally. The Nigeria of today is a big disappointment and an accident waiting to happen. There is nothing that God has not given to us. We have oil and solid minerals. Nigeria has failed to transform these potentials into reality. A friend’s verdict last night was simpler “How can we rejoice when we are running our country on generators? There is no light, no water, no roads, etc. No clue what healthcare means. There is nothing to celebrate about Nigeria’s 49 years of independence.”

In a normal situation, every Nigerian should be a happy citizen, patriotically love the country, having a nationalistic spirit to serve diligently and even be ready to die for the country like what the Americans or British do etc. This is because they have a nation that put the welfare of its people first, a nation based on equality and justice and a nation whose leaders are servants of the people and accountable to the people. In Nigeria, the people are accountable to the gang of leaders and there is nothing like taxpayers’ money. Once rigged into office, state money is personal money.

The government and its leaders are so dishonest and insincere, as it does not have the least inclination and political will to address the injustices that had deliberately been firmly rooted over the years.

The late Alfred Rewane a foremost nationalist once summed up our independence celebrations for us that Nigeria is a failed state. He said ‘’ yesterday, we yearned for a better tomorrow. Today, we mourn the loss of a better yesterday’’.

All over the world and even inside Africa, other Africans now deride Nigeria and its people. But which way Nigeria? We are all Nigerians and have no other homeland to call our own. It is therefore very important that all Nigerians both home and abroad should engage in a serious re-think of our national processes ahead of the golden independence anniversary when we shall show the world our willingness to start the process of nation building.

All Nigerians must come together and matters should be declared openly, discussed openly and at the end of the day, there must also be a readiness to live together in a truly peoples’ federal republic as one nation. There are more that binds us together than divide us. But we must live together in equality and justice with total allegiance to the nation state not Arewa, Oodua, Ohaneze, Middle Belt Forum etc.

We must stop the recycling process of old politicians which is a common feature of our political process and give ventilation to a new generation of leaders with ideas to remake a new Nigeria for our children and the future generation.

The formation of a mega party in any form or colour to challenge the PDP is a mirage. All the political parties have no ideologies and they are launch pads to get to government coffers and bleed the anaemic nation to death. Enough of the deceit, lies and inhumanity in Nigeria. After 49 years of failed nationhood, its time for change. Adams Oshiomhole the Edo State Governor once told the federal government that asking him to call-off the nationwide strike is like asking him to stop a moving train with his bare hands. Nobody can stop an idea whose time has come. We may have been handed our independence by the British not knowing what to do with it – an independence that has left Nigerians more despondent and disillusioned. But for us to preserve our independence we must make sacrifices for the sake of our children and future generation.

The late Dr Martin Luther King once said ‘’ our lives begin to end the day we become silent on things that matter’’ History calls us to stand up and create a country we can truly call our own. A country based on equality and justice, a country whose leaders are elected with ideas and accountable to the people. A country based on the rule of law and a country that gives meaning to the lives of her citizens.

 To bring about change and this peoples’ revolution, we all must accept the responsibility to do our part. If we do stand up and say enough is enough, then and only then we can make a new and better Nigeria worth celebrating. Until then, I can’t see any golden independence anniversary ahead worth celebrating if there are no fundamental changes. The 49th year is already dead on arrival.

This unitary system of government by special interests in Nigeria has contributed in no small measure to the discontent, unrest, and armed insurgence that continue to retard development and quality of life within the Nigerian nation space. 

My people, if we want a better Nigeria we need to create it and make it happen rather than watch things happen. We should not be tied to our past but our potentials and capacity to bring about change.It is time to recapture that sense of a common purpose: we are all Nigerians and have no other country to call our own. We need each other and must care for each other. Be you Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ijaw, Christian, Moslem, atheist, etc there are more that bring us together than divide us. I’m tired of hearing about how Nigeria is on the wrong track – I want us to come together to put it on the right track.

I want all of us to stand up and to start reaching for what is possible.

History calls us to stand up and create a country we can truly call our own. A country that gives meaning to the lives of her citizens and the best gift we can give our children and the future generation. Because loving your country shouldn’t just mean watching independence celebrations on October 1st  – an independence that has left Nigerians more despondent and disillusioned; creating  your country and making it happen must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. And if you do stand up, I promise you that we can make a new and better Nigeria happen in our generation.

As we approach 2011, its time for change and to reclaim the Nigerian nation from the special interests. Your brothers and sisters and indeed your children need your service, right now, in this moment – our moment – in history. I’m not going to tell you what your role should be; that’s for you to discover. But I am going to ask you to play your part; ask you to stand up; ask you to put your foot firmly into the current of history.

On my part, I will reach the nooks and crannies of Nigeria through all available channels to let the people know that they are the architects of their destinies. I might in the process re-engage many in the political process that have surrendered their future to the special interests after many years of hopelessness.

 Let us remember the immortal words of Frantz Fanon, the future will have no pity for those men who possessing the exceptional privilege of being able to speak words of truth have taken refuge in an attitude of passivity, of mute indifference and sometimes cold complicity.

I believe, together we can change our hearts, together we can change our nation and together we can make Nigeria happen.

Salus Populi, Suprema les – the will of the people is supreme.

God bless you and God bless Nigeria.