INDEED THERE WAS A COUNTRY.. By Saint-Olawale Jimoh

It's difficult imagining this is the same Nigeria Chief Obafemi Awolowo lived in and made free education possible. General Yakubu Gowon (Rtrd) is of Northern extraction yet established NYSC to unify and integrate the ethnic divisions through the youths. It's entirely a different story today. The labour of our past heroes and forefathers is being rubbished by today's government for selfish gains. No respect for the laws, no regard for human rights, no interest of the nation at heart. We pervert justice for selfish reasons and have no regard for human lives. 

Our forefathers would be weeping in their graves seeing what our leaders in the 21st century have turned governance to. No conscience. No legacy. We build fake and padded rice pyramid to deceive the world that we have excelled in rice production. We build substandard roads, schools and hospitals all for profit at the expense of human life. The new Ijebu Ode pedestrian bridges constructed less than 3 years ago had undergone series of repairs and we say we are better than our forefathers? 

Concerned organizations would donate food items and other relief materials for Nigerian orphans, widows and displaced people, but some well-known and rich government officials would divert the items for private use and sell the remaining ones for profit. Yet some credible Nigerians in the media, would give awards of excellence to such criminals. 

Today, many little children are plagued with unknown diseases and illness because our market places are littered with imported substandard products, fake drugs and expired baby food unfit for human consumption yet we have security operatives at our various borders. 

Nigeria has never been this unsecured in history. At the slightest excitement Fulani herdsmen can kill уσυ and get away with it  even when security operatives are present and when уσυ make effort  to defend уσυrself, уσυ are caught by the same securities who will lecture уσυ on how to be civil and law abiding. As it stands today, cattle have freedom of movement and food security than Nigerian citizens.

The likes of late Yakubu Gowon, Nnamdi  Aziikwe, Tafawa Balewa are de-tribalized and selfless leaders who had genuine interest of the nation at heart. Chief Obafemi Awolowo built Cocoa House not in his hometown nor considered Unife (OAU) better situated in his community. Today, we have a national head who wants all juicy and key sectors headed by people from his hometown regardless of their experience and educational background. Indeed there was a country!