…ZARA CHIRON…

When I heard this my heart broke;
Crumbled to pieces very slowly and painfully.

Somebody please tell me-what are we as a country celebrating?

I have been gone for eight years only to return and see that changes have occurred in this country-but majority of them are NOT good!

I do not understand.

Why spend so much money (which most likely will end up in government officials’ personal overseas bank accounts) when even just a part of that money could be (effectively) allocated to aspects of the country’s lagging infrastructure/culture/economy/citizens that are in desperate need of some actual HELP!

Here is the breakdown:
N950 million anniversary parade
N350 million national unity torch and tour.
N50 million First Lady visit to special homes, orphanages, prisons and selected hospitals,
N20 million sponsor special session of the National Children Parliament.
N20 million organise a party for 1000 children.
N40 million Presidential banquet
N50 million for calisthenics performance
N310 million for cultural, historical and military exhibitions
N40 million will go for what the government called "food week."
N320 million on secretariat equipment, accommodation, logistics and utilities
N30 million is budgeted for the designing and unveiling of the 50th anniversary logo.
N1.2 billion for insertion of special reports on Nigeria in both local and international media
N320 million will be spent on jingles, adverts, billboards, documentary and publicity
N105 million to Ministry of Foreign Affairs will receive for an undisclosed expenditure.
N700 million to accommodate and transport special guests both from within and outside the country.
N450 million will be used to finance the production of branded souvenirs and gift items for foreign heads of state and to erect a coat of arms on Aso Rock.
N210 million naira a variety gala night and fireworks
N200 million an international friendly football match and local competition
N120 million naira event managers and producers
N400 million Designing and publication of a compendium on Nigeria
N150 million Designing and publication of a compendium on legislature
N50 million a compendium on the judiciary
N10 million Commissioning of the golden jubilee plaza, will gulp another
N540 million. Designing, construction and mounting of Tower of Unity in the 36 states of the Federation
N150 million Debates, essays, conferences, lectures, and a colloquium
N60 million musical concerts and carnivals in the 6 geo-political zones
N100 million durbar, masquerades and cultural dances
N80 million designing and construction of 10 symbolic monuments of founding fathers of Nigeria
N40 million A memory tone at the Tafawa Balewa Square s
N500 million security and protocol
N25 million for medicals services
(Facts and figures excerpted from the article By Abdul-Rahman Abubakar & Turaki A. Hassan)

There is not much to understand when you look at this.

Sometimes I briefly forget that I am not dealing with the typical stock of average people-but with Nigerians. It is sad. But this list clearly shows the government doing what they do best; creating all sorts of ridiculous excuses to spend the country’s money on nonsense as a guise to fatten up their pockets in live decadent lifestyles. And what is worse?

This list also shows how the average Nigerian citizen happily goes along with the front due to ignorance, illiteracy and warped value systems rooted in poverty which the government has imposed upon her/him.

Most people from all walks of life are going to try to get handouts from this farce-all t the expense of Nigeria and Nigerians-ourselves!

It is this collective attitude that has steadily destroyed Nigeria…

Like I said, it breaks my heart.
If the government really cared-all this money would be invested in tangible and intangible aspects of the country as a whole to improve its overall state which is a clear and total mess right now!
And then perhaps we as citizens would really have something to celebrate.

Over the next few days…I am going to highlight the many reason why I think Nigeria has NOTHING to celebrate. I just need to get it off my chest.

Sigh.

They say, “A fool at forty will be a fool forever.”
But a fool at fifty?