NIGERIA 53 YEARS OF NARROW ESCAPE (1)

One need no books of reference to ascertain the history of Nigeria, and the flow of the post independent from craddle to riches to political turmoil and civil war, indeed Nigeria have a great history of narrow escape as a nation or as a sovereign nation, a state of being where many countries of the world did not cross the acid test which Nigeria have gone through. What a blessed country.

No doubt Nigerians are known to be self reliant people, courageous good in terms of morality and want a view, we a have a rich historical background from the Kanem Bornu Empire to Calabar, Sokoto to Ogun Benin and Jukun empires, were once a symbol of might and power which Nigeria have the history attached to. Our origin was indeed a unique one which hardly you can find its pair in African legends. Our civilizations is indeed a good one without historical calamities apart from the colonialization.

Nigeria raised from the dust to grace for her 53 independent history somany  stories to be told, both the good and bad onces that is the destiny.

From 1960 when we secure our independent, on a flatter of gold as always been bragged by many of us, this country have seen many changes which I will call them as narrow escapes. We are fortunate to be one nation for 53 years of colonial independent, but still we are far from being free by the neocolonialism being admitted by our own leaders.

We can't imagine how the country's survival always became realistic, as the obstacles which we came across were enoumous enough to bring down an even giant country, we have seen changes ranging from military to political which eventually corrupt our state of mind and being. No doubt some people think that Nigeria is the real God's own country, because the country have narrowly escaped so many avalanches that were enough to move the foundation of the country, but today we survive.

The most bitter of experiences Nigeria had was two, the January 1966 first military coup, that wiped away all the political spheres of the country, which culminated in to a very big rapture between the elites of the then 1960s. For me I could say the ethnicity war emanates from this coup, which resulted in to counter coup of July of thesame year, 1966. From the same year Nigeria was never in her sense, up the 1970, when the brothers shielth there arms, a civil war that cost Nigeria many lives of her illustrious sons and daughters which can never be replace.

Coup upon coup is full of Nigeria'spolitical history and many of us knows the resultant of the very long time under the juntas instead of the ballot boxes. No wonder Shagari did not survived the second Republic, and the military were back for almost 10 years.

Our economy was full of jokes and misteries, were we spend our lives rouming on top of volumes of different natural resources but we are rated as poor among the poorest countries of the world. We were once rated as the 7th largest exporters in Crude oil. Nigeria's economy survives and defend solely on oil 

And because of that, we basterdise the economy, we became Lazies and much corrupt practices became just like blood in our veins, but the current security threat in the country is making the once much bouyant economy became beam blind, because of the excessive  crude thievery that is happening in the Niger Delta region of the country, the criminal activities is even worrying the Nigeria's international partners that leads the Britain Foreign policy office published a report about the nigeria 's crude oil thievery activities, the CHATHAM house London reported though.

Nigerian crude oil is being stolen on an industrial scale. Nigeria lost at least 100,000 barrels of oil per day, around 5% of total output, in the first quarter of 2013 to theft from its onshore and swamp operations alone. Some of what is stolen is exported. 

Proceeds are laundered through world financial centres and used to buy assets in and outside Nigeria, polluting markets and financial institutions overseas, and creating reputational, political and legal hazards.

 It could also compromise parts of the legitimate oil business. Officials outside Nigeria are aware that the problem exists, and occasionally show some interest at high policy levels.

 But Nigeria’s trade and diplomatic partners have taken no real action, and no stakeholder group inside the country has a record of sustained and serious engagement with the issue. The resulting lack of good intelligence means international actors cannot fully assess whether Nigerian oil theft harms their interests. Nigeria’s dynamic, overcrowded political economy drives competition for looted resources. Poor governance has encouraged violent opportunism around oil and opened doors for organized crime. Because Nigeria is the world’s 13th largest oil producer – exports often topped two million barrels per day in 2012 – high rents are up for grabs

All these resulted in the present state of political wrestling that is taking place between the elites, and leaving the poor masses with the fight against the artificial insecurity that was created, those who enjoyfrom the stolen crude money will like to see no peace is attainable.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NIGERIA

AHMAD M. SALIHU