On Thursday, October 1, Nigeria commemorated 60 years of its independence from colonial rule. This was celebrated by the Nigerian government in a low-key ceremony at the Eagle Square in Abuja, with several dignitaries in attendance, including former President, Goodluck Jonathan and former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon. March pasts, parades and other festivities were on display at the ceremony. President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier unveiled a logo, as well as a theme, “Together” to mark the country’s 60th Independence Day anniversary celebrations. The President in his Independence Day anniversary speech, called for unity among Nigerians and stated that the country must work towards “evolving and sustaining a democratic culture that leaves power in the hands of the people; supporting the enthronement of the rule of law, demanding accountability of elected representatives and contributing to good governance.”
Nigerians have expressed mixed feelings as the country attains this landmark age. While some think that every step of progress even if little is worth celebrating, others are of the view that the country is not close to where it ought to be, given its human and material resources. Some others believe that Nigeria has taken a turn towards degeneration. President Buhari’s speech which was expected to be indicative of a way forward for the country and offer hope to the citizens, was met with criticism. Observers noted that the President failed to address grueling economic issues faced by citizens and his comparison of Nigeria’s petrol pricing to that of other countries, as an attempt to justify the increase in petrol price was rather insensitive, at a time when citizens are dealing with the burden of multiple hikes in tariffs and taxes, while trying to sustain ailing businesses. Further, the comparison of his administration to those of his predecessors was uncalled for and did not take away from the fact that five years down the line, Nigerians are yet to feel tangible positive impacts of the Buhari administration. President Buhari’s references to equal opportunities, upholding the rule of law and other democratic tenets were perceived as ironic in the light of the levels of nepotism, incessant human rights abuses and flagrant disregard for democratic principles that have continued to prevail in his administration.