2-10-2025.

YESTERDAY I was inundated with complimentary messages from many people, and some institutions, wishing me a ‘happy independence anniversary’, as Nigeria marked its 65 years of independence from British rule.

SO what, I rhetorically said to myself. Even the President of Nigeria, does “not believe in Nigeria”, which, perhaps explains why he refused to celebrate the independence day celebrations. Only the annual ‘work-free’ day was observed.

What MATTERS to the number one citizen in the country is to CONSTANTLY promote his ethnic group, and Lagos, his home state, where he SPENDS in TRILLIONS of naira but spends a fraction of that on the North, LEAVING it to ROT. Take a look, even casual, to the composition of his CABINET, and his APPOINTMENTS to ALL the COMMANDING HEIGHTS government agencies and parastatals. ALL of them are HEADED by people from HIS ETHNIC group.

IN any case, does one celebrate retrogression, or does one celebrate lies and propaganda, which have become the way of selling the present regime to the world? Yes the world, because most of it is aware that the only business that thrives in the country is CORRUPTION, PERVASIVE poverty, OVERWHELMING hunger, deliberate killing in the Northern part of the country.

NO, I cannot celebrate the independence anniversary of a nation where the Banks, the service providers, and many other organisations, ALWAYS smile to the BANK, pleased with MILKING the ordinary citizens in the country, because the TOP ECHELONS of the serving regime SHARES in the proceeds of the illicit progressive increments they make in their services.

WHY should a beleaguered ordinary Nigerian like myself celebrate a BACKWARD achievement in a country where ONLY the Political Elite smile to the bank, while their ‘CONSTITUENTS’ wallow in ABJECT poverty, hunger and misery.

I cannot celebrate the independence anniversary of a country where its UNCONSTITUTIONAL First Lady COMPLAINS of the  position’ being “LONELY”, yet she has the BILLIONS, and the time to ATTEND to the wish, wants, and caprices of her religious co- travellers at the expense of other faiths, including the BIGGEST of them ALL in the land.

LET the First Lady go to her preferred GWARIMPA where she can “MAKE NEW FRIENDS”, but MUST NOT forget to LEAVE the public till BEHIND. She should not tTAKE it with her to the new address, otherwise, ‘TA RINU BATAYI SHUĎI BA’, as the Hausa people would say.

I AM not celebrating the independence anniversary of a country where I am considered a SECOND CLASS citizen, at best, and an ENDANGERED SPICE, at worst. A country if an ordinary person manages to survive the ruthless handling of the insurgents, he still finds it hard to practice his faith without let or hinderance.

I cannot celebrate the independence anniversary in a nation where the UNELECTED First Lady and the equally UNELECTED First Son are received with MORE recognition and pawning ATTENTION than the ELECTED number two citizen.

ONLY my dead body can be found celebrating the independence anniversary of a nation where the WHITE HOUSE was FORCED to ADDRESS THE MEDIA on the RAGING INSECURITY in its NORTHERN PART. Because of the many PETITIONS the US government has RECEIVED about the beastly activities of OUTLAW groups in Nigeria, it called for a press conference. 

THE US government admitted to having satellite images CONFIRMING that the insecurity in our country is SPONSORED by the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA, with the SOLE purpose of making money for some of its leading members. The press conference ended with the world journalists accusing their Nigerian counterparts of “DENYING THE REALITY THEY SEE”. They said that “It is TRULY WITHOUT CONSCIENCE THAT YOU CAN WITNESS THE EXECUTION OF PEOPLE AND HAVE IT DENIED. They levelled the Nigerian JOURNALISTS as “TOO LAZY, TOO CORRUPT, TOO STUPID, TOO COWARDLY, TO STAND UP AND TELL THE TRUTH.”

I would certainly NOT celebrate the independence anniversary of a country where its President (Tinubu) CONFESSED to a ranking Northern politician that, “IF I FIGHT INSECURITY, THEY WILL KILL ME”. The Northern politician left the man wondering what he would do at the VILLA if he was not ready to SACRIFICE his life for the citizens he wanted to govern.

IT is not my intention to celebrate the independence anniversary of a country where things that are taken for granted elsewhere, are considered LUXURY in Nigeria because the ‘RULERS’ would rather patronise such services in FOREIGN lands. Only schools, and hospitals owned by foreign countries have what can be described as ‘STANDARD’ in Nigeria. But such institutions can only be afforded by the top members of the Tinubu regime, whether executive or legislative.

AND I cannot celebrate the independence anniversary of a country where most of its leaders CONIVE with FOREIGNERS to FLEECE the nation of resources that would have otherwise been used to provide many services that their THIEVING allows to collapse, completely in some cases.

May God never allow us to celebrate the independence anniversary of a country whose leaders DELIBERATELY deny the citizens the right to ENJOY its wealth. Nigeria is a poignant example.

Malumfashi wrote from Katsina.