From Oluseye Ojo
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has said the ship of Nigeria can still be sailed towards the right direction, if everyone does their bit in providing solutions to the myriad of socio-economic and political challenges besetting the nation.
This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday and jointly signed by the NUJ National President, Alhassan Yahya, and National Secretary, Achike Chude, on the occasion of the 65th independence anniversary of Nigeria.
The union stated that it has re-committed and re-dedicated itself to the preservation of the Nigerian state and peoples, in a political environment of justice, fairness, equity, and peace.
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“Nigeria, put together many decades ago by British contrivance after years of self-centred economic pillage, social and political manipulation of the various and disparate peoples that make up the entity, has now recorded 65 years of formal existence as a country.
“The journey to nationhood, though not plagued by the strife, conflict, and bloodshed that characterised the struggle for statehood by other peoples in the continent, such as the Mau-Mau in Kenya, was nevertheless not an easy one for the various pan-Nigerian nationalists and peoples that fought hard, sometimes under threat and intimidation, to rid the country of the foreign invaders who had unwholesomely entered and forcefully taken our territorial spaces uninvited.
“The various constitutional conferences undertaken by prominent Nigerians in the lead-up to independence were manifestations of these efforts. These efforts were egged on and given filip by a very vibrant press that showed great capacity and passion to mobilise Nigerians across the various divides towards a definite goal—get rid of the British flag and replace it with one full of promise of genuine statehood in all its true meanings.
“As our beloved but beleaguered country turns 65 today, we cannot pretend that all is well with the ‘giant of Africa’. To say that the country has not fulfilled its ‘manifest’ destiny would be an overstatement.
“The myriads of socio-economic and political contradictions in our country that have kept the vast majority of our people poor and vulnerable is an indication of our status in the comity of nations.
“The insecurity plaguing our country is also a major component of our negative socio-political dynamics. Not to mention the mass exodus of our citizens, including invaluable professionals, seeking greener pastures abroad,” the statement read in part.
The NUJ noted that in spite of the debilitating circumstances and experiences, Nigeria is far from a finished experiment, describing the country as one of the most beautiful and bounteously blessed countries in the world.
“Our people across religious, ethnic, and geo-political divides have shown capacity at different times for harmonious and mutually beneficial interactions among themselves. It is empirically obvious that Nigerians do not naturally hate themselves. They love themselves and are willing to stand for one another given the right circumstances. The right circumstances are not magically manifested. They are deliberately and consciously created.
“The various contradictions that continue to blight our path to true nationhood are manifestations of state weaknesses and institutional failures. Justice, fairness, and equity are words whose imports if applied consistently and in fair measure nationwide have the capacity to reduce tension, ensure peace, and ultimately lead to development.
“The political class, long seen as the major fault line in our long national experiment at nationhood, must as a matter of priority wake up from their slumber, change their ways and renew their vows and commitment to good governance.
“Despite the despair and pessimism, both past and present, the Nigeria Union of Journalists states unequivocally that the ship of the Nigerian state can still be righted with everyone doing their bit,” the union stated.
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