No Reason to Celebrate -- NCP

Among those that also felt there is no need for celebration that Nigeria is 49, is Mallam Yunusa Tanko, National General Secretary of the National Conscience Party, NCP. He said that the fact that almost all Nigerians are complaining of the economic downturn of the country, is an evidence that Nigeria have not achieved any sustainable development in the past 49 years of existence that should call for celebration.

"The fact is that at the age of 49, Nigeria has achieved little or nothing. Unfortunately for us, this lack of good leadership that we have been having in this country has placed this country in the kind of quagmire that we find ourselves today. Any body you meet in the streets today are complaining about the economic situation in the country, though, some people may say that it is a global trend, but for me, I believe it is not so. It has to do with how we manage our resources.

"The truth is that the way to national greatness has not been discovered by Nigerian leaders, rather what is happening to us is that we are retrogressing, we are going backward every day, and that is so disheartening that at 49. We cannot boast of constant power supply, we cannot boast of good roads, we cannot boast of food on the tables of the people, we cannot even boast of getting potable water to drink.

"As at today, we say we are 49, Nigeria is supposed to be at the driving front of the African economy, but the reverse is the case. I see Ghadafi at the United Nation championing the cause of the African continent, these are issues that are supposed to have been championed by Nigeria and her leaders, but instead the reverse is the case. As a 49 years old nation, I think Nigeria is supposed to have gotten more bites of development, more achievements than the way it has now," he said.

Tanko said that a pointer to the national failure is the three-month old ASUU strike that led to the closure of all the universities in the country, and also the teachers that are on strike in 19 States secondary and primary schools in the country is also an evidence that there is no need for celebration. He stated that there is nothing to show that the nation is truly independent.

Related terms: economy, food, nigeria, strike, water