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In a city that is
unaccustomed to any major disruptions, there was an eerie calm in the
aftermath of Friday’s bomb explosions which marred the celebrations of
Nigeria’s 50 years of independence from colonial rule.

The two
explosions, one near the Bayelsa State government house in Abuja and,
the second around the parade ground at Eagles Square, occurred within
minutes of each other. Many died and others were seriously wounded. The
bombings, coming amidst a display of military hardware and athleticism
points at the challenges facing Nigeria’s leaders at a time all effort
should be directed towards ensuring credible polls next year. It is
also a sign of a significant escalation of the insecurity that has
simmered near the surface of national life for years, with kidnapping
and low-level insurgency – especially in the Niger Delta – as the
defining face of criminality for the past three years.

Security officials
were quick to assure Nigerians of their readiness to defend the
country. They also promised to identify the perpetrators of the crime.
The presidency described the attack as “a low, dirty and wicked act of
desperation by criminals and murderers who do not wish Nigeria well”.

“To those behind
these vicious acts, the president wants you to know that you will be
found, and you will pay dearly for this heinous crime,” a spokesperson
from the office of the president said.

“Coming at a time
that the world had gathered together to celebrate Nigeria at 50, these
bomb attacks are the worst anniversary gifts any nation can get. Their
purpose was to ensure that the celebration at Eagle Square was
cancelled by all means. It is sad and unfortunate.”

Nigeria, in its 50
years as an independent nation, has gone through some turbulence.
Nigerians have fought a gruesome civil war which claimed an estimated
one million lives and the unity of the nation was also tested by the
annulment of the June 12, 1993 elections. But the nation has always
held together and the sense of pulling together is already evident
after Friday’s incident.

Groups from across
the nation rose to condemn the bombing and pledge to work with the
federal government to defeat the terrorists.

The Northern
Patriots said it was against any action that lacks civility and
constitutionality and will never encourage it in any form.

“Such actions have
dire consequences on citizens and portrays Nigeria and Nigerians in a
bad light in the outside world,” its director general, Ismail Sani said.

The opposition All
Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) also condemned the bomb incident, although
it said the incident was a manifestation of the feeling of downtrodden.

Nuhu Ribadu,
presidential aspirant on the platform of the ACN, who lost one of his
aides in the explosion, spoke about the agony it caused.

“I am gravely
saddened by the gross security lapse …in Abuja, where a number of
compatriots were killed and wounded in two bomb blasts on a day we were
observing our nation’s golden jubilee. I empathise with the families of
the departed and pray for the repose of the souls of our lost
compatriots,” he said. “Coming few days after the shameful kidnapping
of 15 school kids, these events draw attention to the desperate
security situation in our country today. It behoves on us, therefore,
to address these developments from a broad security perspective that
seeks the fundamental, rather than some knee-jerk solutions.”

Security officials
said the attack was more of a political sort than military. It is
mostly seen as dig at the presidency, coming at a time when
international leaders were in the country to celebrate with Mr Jonathan.

A Niger Delta
group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) had
threatened to disrupt the anniversary celebration in an email sent
earlier Friday morning to media houses.

“With due respect
to all invited guests, dignitaries and attendees of the 50th
independence anniversary of Nigeria being held today, Friday, October
1, 2010 at the Eagle Square Abuja, the Movement for the Emancipation of
the Niger Delta (MEND) is asking everyone to begin immediate evacuation
of the entire area within the next 30 minutes. This warning expires
after 10.30hrs,” the MEND statement said. “Several explosive devices
have been successfully planted in and around the venue by our
operatives working inside the government security services. In
evacuating the area, keep a safe distance from vehicles and trash bins.”

As of the time of
going to press, MEND had not come out to categorically claim
responsibility for the attack. In the past when they have sent out
warnings, emails claiming responsibility have immediately followed
explosions. Never before, have MEND explosions claimed civilian lives
and it is likely that the level of deaths among regular Nigerians has
shocked them.

A day before the
attacks, the South African government, allegedly on the request of the
federal government, searched the Johannesburg home of a leader of MEND,
Henry Okah. The search was apparently because a MEND plot had been
uncovered to set up explosions in Abuja. Mr. Okah was vociferous in
condemning the action of the South African government saying he could
not believe they would allow themselves to be used by the Nigerian
government. Mr Okah was last year granted amnesty by the federal
government after a long detention following his arrest and extradition
from Angola. He was accused of dealing in arms and explosives.

Thousands of MEND
foot soldiers and leaders bought into the federal government’s amnesty
programme last year surrendered their arms and are currently undergoing
rehabilitation.

In another move to
improve security, President Jonathan recently reshuffled the leadership
of Nigeria’s security team. The armed forces recorded a minor success
Friday morning with the well planned attack on the camp of kidnappers
of the 15 children in Abia State, which led to securing the freedom for
the children.

However, the bomb
attack occurring on the momentous occasion and so close to elections is
likely to raise fears about the role violence will continue to play in
the country.

Abuja is already
wearing a new dress. The last few days have witnessed a couple of novel
events that, indeed, I can only boast of seeing in the movies. When we
were kids growing up, the rehearsals, practice and even the final
presentation by both school children and military aircraft manoeuvring
in the air was typical of every independence preparation that was not
low keyed.

As the son of a
policeman, I always struggled to be in the school marching group that
paraded at the Ogbe stadium in Benin City; but that was not the real
fun. It was the way we tried to iron our very light cotton uniform
material with candle wax, to bring out the ‘gator’ or that ‘cutlass
sharpness’ that we wanted. This is to emulate our father’s well
starched police uniform. Rumour had it then that those sharp gators on
police uniforms could be used to cut recalcitrant criminals.

During the week,
while going to drop my children off in school and as I drove through
the three arms zone, one helicopter stopped in mid air, while vehicles
were redirected; some six military men climbed down from the helicopter
in rambo style, the ropes were dropped and the men proceeded to roll
them up. The helicopter moved on and the men vanished into the corner.
Meanwhile, about 500 teenagers or more were busy perfecting their
calisthenics inside the Eagle Square and I heard they had been in camp
for about a month practicing for the Independence Day.

Somehow, I had to
go visit the uncompleted new national cultural centre that evening.
That was the place where the variety/crossover night for the jubilee
must happen and about 300 youth were dancing vigorously and beautifully
when the uncompleted tower suddenly came alive with the figure ‘50’
climbing gradually like magic. The acrobats, the exotic lights, the
music and the dancing was all electrifying. We are alive; what with all
the wickedness, coups and counter coups, civil war, assassinations,
unsolved murders in high and low places, tribalism, religious
extremism, 419, ritual killings, militants, kidnappings, armed and pen
robbers and many evil and divisive activities taking place along the
length and breadth of the nation. Yet we have managed to stay together.
Nigeria stands. So, let’s celebrate. Let’s jubilate.

It is jubilee, a
time of great rejoicing to mark a great event. If nothing, we should
remember what the regions once were; what we tried to achieve as
partially independent regions committed to development. We should be
able to remember the palm oil factories in the east, the cocoa farms in
the west and the groundnut pyramids in the north.

At least I am able
to remember the explosive mechanism method of seed dispersal by the
rubber trees that lined my path to the river in my mother’s village in
Okparabe (Ughelli). I remember the irritating smell of freshly tapped
rubber and fresh fish that inundated my grandfather’s compound. They
are now extinct. But God said he will “restore the fortunes of the land
like they were before” in our year of jubilee and I believe him.

In the restoration
year, we must learn to forgive both physical and spiritual debts just
as God has promised to forgive us, even though we do not deserve it. We
should set ourselves and our slaves free and start afresh. All the
money bags, all the big politicians and sit-tight cabalist, those who
think Nigeria is their property, should release the masses. They should
set their slaves free and all the farmers that have over-farmed on a
particular land should allow these pieces of land to rest. All those
who have acquired and are still acquiring should at least take a break;
let restoration take place freely.

Because a lot of
Nigerians are genuinely praying, God Almighty has promised to restore
all, not some, all the fortunes of the land like they were before and
some people think we should not key into this Jubilee gift, it comes
out of the extravagant grace of God.

Let the Odua
People’s Congress, the Ndigbo, the Arewa forum, the Ijaw and even the
Urhobo sheath their sword and give way for restoration to occur. As we
celebrate jubilee this independence, let the Yorubas, the Igbos, the
Hausas, the Ijaws and the Urhobos begin to meet and plan how to revive
the cocoa plantations, the groundnut pyramids, the palm oil factories,
the rubber plantations and of course to reduce the over dependence on
crude oil. We should begin to plan genuine development of the regions
and their people instead of concentrating on do-or-die nocturnal
meetings to destroy, divide and disintegrate the nation. Rome was not
built in a day. The time to start a 180 degree turn around is now. This
jubilee, this independence, let’s celebrate it, because we will not
pass by this road again.

God is not through with blessing us.

It was about 14
months ago today, in the early hours of a Thursday morning when all
normal people were asleep, that I experienced an incident that changed
my life forever. There I was snoozing away after a very long day at
work, hoping that the few hours of sleep I get every day will be
sufficient on this very night; but not this particular day, as I was
awakened by an armed man dressed in black, with a face mask.

I was speechless
and still in sleep mode. All I could hear was: ‘bring the money, where
is the money and soon I received a resounding slap on my face that
brought clarity to my sight and took away the sleep I so desired. I
then realized there were about eight armed men on this operation, each
scrambling through the rooms for what they could lay their hands on.

This was followed
by a greedy attempt by two of the men who figured they might have
enough time to rape us, but this attempt was brought to a quick end
when my house mate shouted ‘Dan Allah’, meaning ‘in the name of God’,
in Hausa. Knowing that she recognized them as Hausa and with all the
rage in his hands, the armed man who was taking her away, punched her
in the face and she started bleeding instantly.

That is all I
remember. They took us back into the room, told us to stay in there and
shortly afterwards, we did not hear any more noise. The next person’s
voice I heard was my friend’s mum who I lived with, asking us all to
come into her room so we could all be together if they came back.
Interestingly, she had heard them trying to get in and called the
estate security who said she should call again if indeed she could
confirm they were thieves. How preposterous.

Anyway, she was
able to make a call before they broke into her bathroom door where she
hid, but obviously no quick action was taken because it was not until
4.30am, about one hour after the armed men had left, that the police
arrived. By this time, our lovely neighbour had been shot dead and a
young beautiful woman had become a widow. It was all like a dream. Like
many people that night, we all went to bed in a beautiful house on the
island where we had a generator running to provide us light, but it did
not shield us from the existing decadence in the society we live in.

After nights
without sleep and suddenly waking up at every sound I hear, I began to
wonder and find answers. My choices were not many, though. Do I hate
all the Hausa people I know because I knew these men were Hausa? Do I
question God knowing that he protects his own and will not let any evil
befall them? What was I to do?

This was not hard
to figure out after a while, when I started thinking about my great
country Nigeria and what it offers its citizens. Thankful to God that I
was still alive and knowing that the real issue was beyond tribe,
ethnicity or religion, I got to the point where I almost justified the
armed robbers’ actions. Crazy, yes of course, but will you blame me?

Why would a man who
had access to the basic human needs like food, water and shelter, leave
his home at 2am and come rob another fellow Nigerian? Well, I do not
have all the answers but what differentiates that man from the one who
holds a political position, sneaks around to have meetings in the dead
of the night to sign deals that translate to millions, sometimes
billions, of naira in his bank account. Which one of them is justified?

Honestly, why do we
get so mad at armed robbers on the street, but put up with the men who
rob us daily of what is due to us and our children? Enough is enough;
we need to make a choice. There is so much poverty in the midst of the
plenty and we are not isolated by a nice house in a nice area with a
nice ride and a heavy bank account. It’s time we begin to care for the
people around us, as we consciously vote to change the people that lead
us.

It is going to be
tough, people, but a New Nigeria is inevitable if we are to bequeath a
better nation to our children, one they can be proud of and not shy
away from or deny. If you can read this message, you are in the
minority in Nigeria, as most people do not have access to the Internet,
neither are they literate enough to read, but they need you and I to
make the right choices to give them a better opportunity.

Use your vote
wisely. Register to vote. It is your right and your responsibility. I
celebrate Nigeria at 50, not because of what is, but because of what I
know will be.

God bless you and God continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

And yet we keep heading out in droves, and wish to head out in droves.

There is a perpetual perplexity to it all, that seems uncrackable.

Why do we Nigerians
almost without exception love our country so very much and yet so very
much want to head away from her if the slightest chance avails itself?

From the least to
the mightiest, opportunities to be away from home either short term or
more often than not, long term are sought with unnerving ferocities or
ingeniously inventive schemes. And yet, chance a contact with any
Nigerian in the diaspora and the distinct love for home and a palpable
sense of homesickness exudes from him with the pounding force of a gush.

It is clear that
the best place to be for a Nigerian is Nigeria and only the
unfavourable net dynamics of push- pull forces lead to emigration or
desire for emigration.

At 50, how can we
get to resolve the push-pull dynamics to the benefit of our country ?
What constitute the push forces from home that trump the pull from her
resulting in net centrifugality of movement?.

There probably
will be as many answers to this seeming connundrum as the number of
Nigerians (and even non Nigerians) who care to answer it. And such will
be understandable given that different things may come to produce a
push for some just as for very different reasons an individual may get
pulled.

Today,
unemployment, underemployment, poor health facilities, poor
infrastructural facilities, particularly stemming from inefficient
energy generation will rank as dominant push factors for more than many
but perhaps for most, it is insecurity; a situation in which both the
average and the not so average live like endangered species unsure
whether the day that started with them will see them through to the
evening , still alive and healthy. At the aetiologic heart of
insecurity is either poverty or greed ; the former induces its victim
to seek amelioration through terrorisation of his neighbour while the
latter, through obsession with plenty, has come to be morbidly desirous
of plentier and must bag its quarry no matter the means to it.

As to pull factors,
it probably is safe to suggest that for most, predominant, is love of
country (subsumed into love of one’s loved ones ) and esteem for self,
and for a few, love of lawlessness , in which, though the books teem
with rules and regulations (and therefore de facto not really lawless)
they are so ignored they have become obscure and through obscurity,
atrophied or become merely toothless. Or sometimes what laws that
remain simply labour in vain unmatched with justice. Today, the country
counts her years for the fiftieth time with some of us left to wonder
whether her glass is half full, dripping down to empty, or empty,
filling up to half full. That at fifty, none sees a glass full or soon
to be full is undeniable.

Today, presents a
unique juncture for us all Nigerians to hold that big glass in our
hands, toast to the health of our country and as we do so, reflect on
what we can do to contribute to that which is in the glass and not
merely sip from it till it is empty and then jettisoned.

For too long, each
of us seemed to have merely looked for how we can come to get a hold on
the wine glass, drink ourselves to an inebriated fullness and the glass
to a sober and derelict emptiness and then wonder why the nation
continues to rock rather than roll. Today, we should look at the giant
cake in front of us not gluttonously,but rather proverbially,and for
every bit we pull away from it , we bring back twice as much; so the
cake grows and continue to do so by our collective efforts.

The dillema of the
Nigerian is how, irrespective of his location, he can get to match that
unmistakable and nationalistic love for his “giant in the sun” of a
country with practical, positive and reasoned contributions that can
aggregate from all to the upliftment of the giant. Only by personal
determination to want to do good for and by ourselves but also for
beyond selves can we resolve the dillema. Through this upliftment, we
can begin to roll back those very forces that push people away from the
motherland even as we strengthen those that pull back and retain.
Through these same contributions, we can begin to pull the rug from
under the feet of the unrepentant unreformed looters. Be they those
that loot their neighbours with their guns or their white collar allies
who do the looting with their pens.

We welcome the
minister and Head of chancery and the team who have found it fit to
travel all the way to this island to join in our celebrations. Your
representation as high table Nigerians to this celebration and the good
will from home you bring to us in the Diaspora in these parts will
remain a continuing source of inspiration to continue to do what little
we can to contribute not to the rocking of our country but her
unstoppable forward roll.

My proud and profuse congratulations to us all, both here and abroad on this fiftieth anniversary of independence .

Jide Basil Fadipe is consultant surgeon, Justin Fadipe Hospital, Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies.

After weeks of competition, Kelsey Martinovich achieved her dream of becoming Australia’s Next Top Model.

All smiles, 19-year-old Kelsey thanked host of the
Foxtel TV series, Sarah Murdoch, who had named her winner, and her
fellow contestants for “keeping me on my toes” before concluding her
acceptance speech with the words “Oh, this is crazy”.

Perhaps she shouldn’t have added that bit because
shortly after, it did turn crazy. And it wasn’t because Kanye West
jumped onto the stage, grabbed the mic and said, “No disrespect, but
Beyonce should have won.”

To the shock of thousands watching the live
finale, Sarah Murdoch stopped the proceedings, apologised profusely,
and named 1st Runner Up, Amanda Ware the true winner.

“I don’t know what to say right now. I’m feeling a bit sick about this,” Murdoch told a 2,000-strong live audience.

“I’m so sorry. Oh my God, I don’t know what to
say. This is what happens when you have live TV folks, this is insane,
insane, insane.”

Foxtel blamed the gaffe on miscommunication, and
in some kind of damage control, Kelsey was compensated for the briefest
of reigns. She will receive about $20,000 cash prize and a trip to New
York as consolation, almost matching Miss Ware’s spoils.

While such compensation may suffice in a competition for models, one
doubts if it will work for politicians. Imagine if the Independent
National Electoral Commission’s chairman, Attahiru Jega, were to make
such a mistake in announcing the winner of next year’s presidential
election! Now, that won’t be funny.

October 1, 1960 – Nigeria gains
independence from Britain, with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as the Prime
Minister leading a coalition government of parliamentary system.

October 1, 1963 – Nigeria becomes a republic, breaking away from the British monarchy.

January 15, 1966 – Fall of the First
Republic, as Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa is killed in unsuccessful
coup led by some Majors.

January 16, 1966 – Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi takes over as the nation’s Head of State.

July 29, 1966 – Aguiyi Ironsi killed in
a counter-coup by a group of northern army officers who revolted
against the government, and he is replaced by Yakubu Gowon.

January 5, 1967 – Military leaders and
senior police officials of each region (East, North and South) sign an
accord in Aburi, Ghana and agree on a loose confederation of regions.

May 30, 1967 – Chukwuemeka Odumegwu
Ojukwu, the Eastern Region’s military governor, announces the
break-away of the eastern states as the Republic of Biafra, sparking
bloody civil war that led to the deaths over a million people.

January 12, 1970 – Biafran leaders
surrender, as the officer administering the government, Phillip Effiong
calls for a cease-fire. The region was reintegrated into Nigeria.

July 25, 1975 – Yakubu Gowon overthrown in a coup led by Murtala Ramat Mohammed, while attending the OAU summit in Uganda

February 13, 1976 – Murtala Mohammed assassinated in a failed coup attempt. His deputy, Olusegun Obasanjo, takes over

September 21, 1978 – A new
constitution, styled on American presidential system, published, and
the ban on political activity lifted.

1979 – Nation heads to the polls for a general election which saw the election of Shehu Shagari as the democratic president.

January 1983 – Government expels more
than one million foreigners, mostly Ghanaians, saying they had
overstayed their visas and taking jobs from Nigerians.

August, September 1983 – Shehu Shagari re-elected as the president, amid accusations of irregularities and corruption.

December 31, 1983 – Muhammad Buhari
heads military officers who seize power in bloodless coup, to be become
Commander in Command and Head of State.

August 27, 1985 – Ibrahim Babangida seizes power in bloodless coup, curtails political activity.

1986 – Babangida launches controversial Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) which shook up the nation’s economy

October 19, 1986 – Foremost journalist, Dele Giwa, assassinated by a parcel bomb which is often blamed on the Babaginda regime

April 22, 1990 – Gideon Orka leads coup to topple Babaginda, but the coup is unsuccessful.

December 12, 1991 – Nigeria’s capital city moved from Lagos to Abuja

June 12, 1993 – Babangida annuls the presidential elections adjudged to have been won by businessman, Moshood Abiola.

August 27 1993 – Babangida transfers
power to Interim National Government led by Ernest Shonekan, following
massive protest against his administration

November 17, 1993 – Sani Abacha seizes power from the Interim National Government and suppresses opposition.

1994 – Acclaimed winner of the June 12 election, MKO Abiola, arrested after proclaiming himself president.

November 10, 1995 – Ken Saro-Wiwa,
writer and campaigner against the oil industry damage to his Ogoni
homeland, executed following a hasty trial. In protest, the US and
European Union impose sanctions on Nigeria

June 8, 1998 – Abacha passes away under controversial circumstances and succeeded by Abdulsalami Abubakar.

July 7, 1998 – Abiola dies in custody days after meeting a US delegation

1999 – Parliamentary and presidential elections lead to the election of Olusegun Obasanjo as the nation’s president.

2000 – Adoption of Sharia law by several northern states in the face of opposition from Christians

2001 – Tribal war in Benue State,
displacing thousands of people, as soldiers sent to quash the fighting
kill more than 200 unarmed civilians, apparently in retaliation for the
abduction and murder of 19 soldiers.

November 2002 – Many lives lost in four
days of protest stoked by fury from Northern Nigeria over the planned
Miss World beauty pageant in Abuja

July 10, 2003 – Governor of Anambra
State, Chris Ngige, abducted by a team of police officials and forced
to sign his resignation letter, which was upheld by the State’s House
of Assembly but over-turned by the Supreme Court.

September 27, 2003 – Nigeria’s first satellite, NigeriaSat-1 launched via Russian rocket into the space.

May 18, 2004 – State of emergency
declared in Plateau State, after more than 200 people are killed in
Yelwa in what would result in tit-for-tat killings by Muslims and
Christians in the state

January 2005 – Inspector General of
Police, Tafa Balogun, forced to resign from office on corruption
charges and subsequently tried and jailed by a court of law.

July 2005 – Paris Club of rich lenders agrees to write off two-thirds of Nigeria’s $30 billion debt.

January 9, 2006 – Militants in the
Niger Delta commence major attack on pipelines and other oil
facilities, and kidnap foreign oil workers for ransom, as they demand
more control over the region’s oil wealth.

April 2006 – With record oil prices, Nigeria becomes first African nation to pay off its debt to the Paris Club of rich lenders.

May 17, 2006 – Senate rejects proposed
changes to the constitution which would have allowed the President to
stand for a third term in 2007.

August 6, 2006 – Nigeria cedes
sovereignty over the disputed Bakassi peninsula to neighbouring
Cameroon under the terms of a 2002 International Court of Justice
ruling.

October29, 2006 – Sultan of Sokoto and
tens of others die in a plane crash, the country’s third major civilian
air disaster in the year.

August 14, 2008 – Nigeria finally hands over the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon, ending a long-standing dispute.

May 2009 – Niger Delta militant group,
MEND, rejects government offer of amnesty and declares offensive
against Nigerian military.

August 2009 – Two-month offer of a
government amnesty for Niger Delta militants comes into force, as
thousands of militants drop their arms.

November 23, 2009 – President Yar’Adua
travels to Saudi Arabia to be treated for a heart condition. His
extended absence triggers a constitutional crisis and leads to calls
for him to step down.

February 10, 2010 – National Assembly
votes to transfer power to the Vice-President, Goodluck Jonathan, until
Mr Yar’Adua is able to resume presidency. Mr Yar’Adua returns to
Nigeria but does not return to work.

May 6, 2010 – Umaru Yar’Adua dies after
a long illness. His vice-president, Goodluck Jonathan, already acting
in Yar’Adua’s stead, succeeds him.

It was a cold
clear Ontario morning. That special kind of Canadian morning I look
forward to because I can go jogging and breathe in the crisp and
oh-so-fresh air while drinking in the vivid colours of the trees in
late autumn. Although it was October 1st and I was born Nigerian,
independence day was the furthest thing on my mind in the tranquillity
of suburban Canada.

Then the phone
rang at about 7.30am, and a Nigerian phone number flashed on the
display. “Trouble” I thought, but decided to pick it up anyway, bracing
myself for the usual garbage from 419 fraudsters in search of “someone
to cooperate with for the transfer and sharing of millions of dollars”.
This time I was wrong.

I heard a voice
say “hold on please!” and then my mother’s voice, shaky and exhausted
from weeping, informing me that my father had died that morning. It was
a strange conversation, because she kept on saying she was sorry, and I
kept on saying it was OK and everything would be fine, not really
knowing what else to say to someone who had just lost her lifetime
partner. It would be many months after, following lots of activities
around his burial in Nigeria, that it would finally hit me that I had
also lost my father and dear friend that cold October morning.

When I think of my
father, the images that flash past are a kaleidoscope of Nigeria’s rich
history since independence from the British Empire in 1960. Our
affluent life in the early 1960s in Port Harcourt where I was born; the
rude shock of the civil war through which we lived in the East as
Biafrans in the villages and in the bush; the family’s return to “One
Nigeria“ in the slums of Lawanson in Lagos; the brash promise of the
oil boom years when I was at Kings College; the flip flop between
civilian and military rule; the several successive military coups, and
finally pseudo-democracy in the form of civilian rule. He always
commented on these times, reflecting on the role his generation had
played in the evolution of Nigeria as an independent state.

Before illness
robbed him of the ability to speak, we had many conversations on the
subject of Nigeria, with me asking tough and sometimes unfair questions
of him and his generation. Why did you let the civil war happen so soon
after fighting for independence together? What was your generation’s
intellect expended on while the military coups were happening in quick
succession? How could your generation not detribalise Nigeria, given
that neither of your two closest friends (or mine for that matter) is
from the Igbo tribe?

In the end, he
conceded that his generation had indeed failed the nation through
passivity and that Nigeria’s future generations would pay a heavy price
for that failure. I eventually responded to this prediction by moving
to live in Canada as it steadily transformed from prophecy to reality.

Oh Canada! Sane,
serene, civilized Canada, a country much more in line with my education
and upbringing! My father, who was responsible for most of my education
and upbringing, however completely disapproved of my move. He came
around eventually as he saw his grandchildren grow healthy in mind and
spirit, reflecting the goodness of the society in which they were being
raised. Then as his illness progressed he withdrew from the world into
a long silence and eventually succumbed to death. I have felt that his
death was a release for him, not just from the battle with terminal
illness but also from the shackles of the guilt of feeling powerless to
stop his beloved country from sliding into moral, spiritual and
physical decay. Irrationally, I think it is significant that he “broke
free” on Nigeria’s Independence Day.

Generations of
Nigerians are still paying a price today in different forms, and I will
confess to inheriting my father’s guilt as my own generation also
stands by, seemingly powerless to step away from the past and change
Nigeria’s future.

I hope that such guilt will not be the inheritance I pass on to my children.

So Nigeria’s
Independence Day has much more sombre meaning for me. No joyous
celebrations please. Like the proximity of cold death, it is a shrill
wake up call, to jerk me out of my physical and intellectual comfort
zone and remind me of Nigeria’s reality- a deeply troubled nation,
often times appearing to be on the brink of sudden violent death.

For my sake and
hopefully the sake of my children, I am in the process of seriously
re-engaging with Nigeria, going back to the battlefront much wiser
after beating a tactical retreat, as all good fighters must be able to
do in battle.

While I have not
and will not surrender, more tactical retreats are possible in future.
I do not subscribe to the “NO RETREAT! “ doctrine, especially if
faced with formidable odds.

Somehow I think if he were alive today my father would smile at that.

Aba, the economic
nerve centre of Abia State, is almost a ghost of itself with schools
and banks closed, as the siege on the city and its adjoining local
governments by kidnappers, continue. There is growing uncertainty over
the early release of the 15 school children abducted on Monday on their
way to school.

The Abia state
Commissioner of Police, Jonathan Johnson, however, said the closure of
banks was a panic measure that did not reflect the real security
situation in the city, adding that there were enough security personnel
posted to each of the banks in the city.

Throughout the
metropolis, as well as the Ogbor hill and Umungasi areas of Aba, there
is a near absence of school buses that usually run through the streets
to pick school children, and the few that were seen were without
pupils, as their parents were afraid of sending them to school.
Virtually every private school in the city has voluntarily closed.

There were also no
march past rehearsals in the schools that were open as was the case in
most of the schools last week, in preparation for our nations golden
jubilee celebration.

One of the
proprietors of the schools visited, who closed her school yesterday,
said it was sad that the government has shown no commensurate interest
in the safety of the kids the same way they did when the four
journalists were kidnapped. She expressed wonder that the government
could not buy tracking equipment for the police since they know that
kidnapping in Aba has become endemic and sophisticated, rather than
engaging in an amnesty that will not work, as the kidnappers are mere
criminals who might not embrace the programme.

“This amnesty thing
will not work. These are armed robbers who are into kidnapping because
it is an easier way of picking their millions without sweat,” she said.

Fighting talk

Meanwhile, the
heavy presence of soldiers was noticed in Aba on Thursday, especially
along the Port Harcourt Express Road, an indication that the government
might possibly go on the offensive against the hoodlums.

In a broadcast to
the state, the governor, Theodore Orji, assured the parents of the
kidnapped children that his administration, in conjunction with the
federal government, was doing everything in their power to ensure that
the young victims are released quickly and safely to rejoin their
parents, teachers and friends.

He emphasised that
his government is determined to stop this trend of kidnapping in Abia
State. “Despite attempts to build a theory of intentions around the
incidents of kidnapping in Abia State, our view now is that these
kidnappers are not reacting to any realistic issues that are of utmost
importance to their societies or to the state,” he said.

“These kidnappers
are mere gold diggers, whose resolution and trade ambition is to make
easy money and to secure the betterment of themselves alone, and so the
government will not allow a few disgruntled elements in criminal garb
to hold the entire state hostage. Government has been challenged, and
we have decided to take the utmost measure available to implement the
might and weight of government’s forces.”

Meanwhile, the police have raided the camps of some suspected
kidnappers in Ukwa West area of the state. However, the kidnappers had
escaped before the arrival of the police.

The Mayor of the
City of Cleveland, Frank G. Jackson, has declared October 1, 2010, as
the Nigerian-American Day in the city. The Mayor made the proclamation
to mark the celebration of the golden jubilee anniversary of Nigeria’s
independence.

In a statement
announcing the declaration, Mr. Jackson remarked that the proclamation
is also a recognition of the contributions of Nigerians ( about 10, 000
Nigerian-Americans) living in the Greater Cleveland, most of whom are
professionals in the field of medicine, science, engineering, academia,
and business men and women.

“On behalf of the
citizens of the City of Cleveland, I am honoured to offer the
proclamation designating October 1, 2010, as Nigerian-American Day in
the City of Cleveland,” he declared.

In another
development, the Congress woman, representing 11th District Ohio,
Marcia Fudge, will be the keynote speaker at the event scheduled by the
Nigerian community in Greater Cleveland to celebrate the anniversary.

Part of this year’s independence celebration includes the extension
of scholarship awards to Nigerians and Americans in Greater Cleveland,
display of Nigeria’s cultural heritage and artefacts such as Nigerian
dances and masquerades, which will include the Eyo festival masquerade,
Ekwe dance, and Abang dance groups.

Following an
alleged intelligence report that there are planned attacks in Abuja by
the popular militant group, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger
Delta (MEND), during the 50th anniversary celebrations, the Nigerian
government allegedly prompted the South African Police to invade the
Johannesburg home of Henry Okah, the leader of MEND, in the early hours
of yesterday.

Sources who spoke
in confidence with NEXT revealed that over 30 South African police
officers smashed down Mr Okah’s doors and gained entry into his home at
about 3am South African time, with sophisticated weapons in full
display as well as about six sniffing dogs, at the instance of the
federal government of Nigeria.

“We have been told
that the Nigerian government informed the South African police that it
is imperative that Mr Okah’s home is searched yesterday because they
would find arms and explosives. The federal government has been sending
spurious petitions to the South African government about Mr Okah,
alleging all kinds of things.

“They said he is
exporting arms and explosives from South Africa into Nigeria. But when
the South African police invaded his home, they found nothing. Even
with their sniffing dogs, they did not find anything,” a source said to
NEXT yesterday in Abuja.

Reports have it
that the search at Mr Okah’s home, which lasted for about 10 hours,
from 3am till about 1pm, yielded neither explosives nor arms.

Ima Niboro, the
spokesman for the federal government neither responded to the phone
calls nor the text messages sent to him to make enquiries about the
role of the presidency in the role.

Federal government’s gripe

Although the Umaru
Yar’Adua led government released Mr Okah from a 13-month long detention
and granted him amnesty in 2009, unconfirmed reports state that Mr
Okah’s name has been placed on the INTERPOL red alert in Nigeria, in
connection with arms and drug trafficking.

Emmanuel Ojukwu,
the spokesman of the Nigerian Police, has denied any knowledge of the
raid. Mr Ojukwu, who told NEXT in Abuja that he is also the spokesman
for the INTERPOL in Nigeria, said that he was unaware that Mr Okah’s
name had been placed on red alert by the INTERPOL.

“I have no
information. I am not aware of that. I speak for the Nigerian police
and the INTERPOL and I am not aware of either the invasion or any red
alert,” Mr Ojukwu said in a telephone interview.

Mr Okah, in
response, said that he was unshaken but that he was upset that his
children were frightened by the police officers who tore down their
bedroom doors and barged into their rooms with rifles.

“I am not surprised by the federal government’s actions. What I am
surprised at is that the South African government would allow
themselves to be used by Nigerians. I am, however, not moved by
whatever means the government is trying to use to intimidate me. I am
constantly fighting against the oppression of my people in the Niger
Delta,” Mr Okah said in a statement obtained by NEXT.