Congratulations, Nigeria!

SOMEONE had said of Nigeria: “People look at her and cry. Nigerians look at themselves and laugh”.

Little wonder then that Nigerians are sometimes characterized as the happiest people on earth! The world watched with trepidation when the Ebola virus hit the shores of Nigeria.

The expectation was that many Nigerian lives would be lost to the virus and her neighbouring countries would be severely affected as a result of Nigeria’s high population and migrant travels of Nigerians.

Fearful of the great threat that the Ebola virus posed to her survival as a people and in tandem with the blessing: “As the days are, so shall your strength be”; the Nigerian people and government implemented concerted and novel strategy that successfully mitigated the threat of the Ebola virus. The world was surprised at Nigeria’s feat in overcoming the Ebola virus threat.

On Ebola, Congratulations, Nigeria! As a people and as a government, let us be reminded to honor and appreciate those Nigerians, the late Dr. (Mrs.) Stella Adadevoh and others that made possible our collective victory over the Ebola virus.

After the Ebola scare, the world’s focus shifted to Nigeria’s elections as the proverbial “last straw that would break the camel’s back”. It was anticipated in the global community and indeed published that Nigeria would cease to be a nation after the 2015 elections.

As a people and as a nation, we have held the elections successfully to the admiration and astonishment of the world, to the pride of the black race.

On elections: Congratulations, Nigeria! As a people and as a government, let us be reminded to honour and appreciate those Nigerians, Prof. Attahiru Jega, President Goodluck Jonathan, President-Elect Muhammadu Buhari and others that made possible our collective electoral success.

Permit it to be recalled that every past Nigerian leader can be identified with at least one distinguishing characteristic of governance; a legacy as it were to the nation. The administration of the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (Nov. 1960 – Jan. 1966) provided national patriotic excitement of being our first indigenous federal self-governance independent of Great Britain, our colonial master.

The late Gen. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi’s administration (Jan. 1966 – July1966) marked the first incursion of the military into Nigeria’s politics. The leadership of Gen. Yakubu Gowon (July 1966 – July 1975) kept the country from secession, popularized the slogan “To Keep Nigeria One is a Task That Must be Done” and inaugurated the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The subsequent short administration of the late Gen. Murtala Mohammed (July 1975 – Feb. 1976) witnessed the first mass purge of the civil service and rationalization of expenditure of the Federal Government.

The first administration of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo (Feb. 1976 – Oct. 1979) further reduced expenditure of the Federal Government.

On a cultural note, it was Alhaji Shagari that popularized sumptuous and elegant dressing in traditional attire by the Presidency.

Then came the first administration of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (Dec. 1983 – Aug. 1985) noted for its War Against Indiscipline (WAI) when Nigerians began to imbibe the habit of reporting to work punctually and even queuing up orderly at bus stops! The administration of Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babaginda (IBB) (Aug. 1985 – Aug. 1993) is more associated with the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election which the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (MKO) was perceived to have won.

The fond usage of IBB and MKO to address these principal characters marked the inception of the vogue of addressing public figures by their initials!

The debacle of June 12, 1993 presidential election was succeeded by the three-month administration of Chief Ernest Shonekan (Aug. 1993 – Nov. 1993) that brought ‘interim’ and ‘transitional’ government into our political lexicon.

The administration of the late Gen. Sani Abacha (Nov. 1993 – Jun. 1998) recorded a significant increase in the country’s foreign exchange reserves, had a very strong military that carried out noble peace-keeping operations in Sierra Leone and Liberia, but the administration is the more linked with the execution of the environmental activists Ken Saro Wiwa and others.

During Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar’s administration (June 1998 – May 1999), our much-cited 1999 Constitution was adopted and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was established. The second coming of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo (May 1999 – May 2007) witnessed the rapid national deployment of the Global System of Mobile Telecommunications (GSM). This deployment had the cascade effect that created millions of jobs in the country.

The late Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration (May 2007 – May 2010) provided him the opportunity of being the first Nigerian leader to publicly declare his assets.

The administration of the current President Goodluck Jonathan (May 2010 to end May 2015) holds the distinction of being a ruling leader that conceded defeat in a presidential election transferring power to an opposition party peacefully.

The second administration of Gen. Buhari is from May 2015 and the exhortation is that it should endeavor to be remembered for addressing the
lingering energy crisis in the country. What is needed is the political will to harness the resources.

Herein is another opportunity for Nigeria to once again achieve success where the world has earmarked her for failure.

•Dr. Obaro is an Alumnus of Imperial College, London.