The Lost Code: an Independence message to Nigerians.

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I don't know what has instigated me to write this, perhaps it's the love I feel for my dear country, or the hate I feel that tears it apart, or the unending agitation of the NotTooYoungToRun bill, or the endless discreditable acts perpetuate by her leaders. But whatever feelings or reasons that may have erupted in me- love, hate, concern or indifference, they conglomerate to form the necessitation of why I have to write this.

Let me start with a note of clarification, or relatively, expatiation on the state of the country. I am not good analytically, especially when it involves government and governance, but my sense of realization and visualization is close to (if not at) the peak. So with the little knowledge I have in my cerebrum, I shall make a claim which probably may not be accepted by all.

Everyone's claim on the current downturn of the nation is on bad governance which I'm strongly in
support. Likewise everyone's most preferred solution is the youths' emergence into power. But everyone's nonchalance has made them to forget that if the mistakes committed by the elders are also committed by the youth, shall we expect any progress? Definitely NO, rather our retrogression will increase at an exponential pace. Then what is wrong with today's governance that has plunged it into a state of unstable equilibrium? Perhaps I asked the wrong question, for the governance can't be bad, but the government can only be. Then what is wrong with today's government? Or what is missing in them?

Let me take you back in time, once a Nigerian nationalist said "Africa can only be better if we READ." Then conclusively, I ascertain with the assertion "Readers are Leaders." Would you believe if I say today's Nigeria predicaments had been foreseen by someone in the past? Doesn't that seem idiosyncratic? Of course it may, but
there's this cliche "there are no new problems, just the past ones coming back to present." So today's Nigeria problem had been discussed in
the past. How then do we connect to the past when we hadn't lived in it? "READ"

From my simple analysis above, Nigeria's problem seems solvable. Even in my presumption, the solution is available before the
problem appears. Now what connection do "READING" and BAD GOVERNANCE have? It's simply
with our leaders who don't read again. They've deprived themselves of the benefits and enjoyment for mere lustful ambitions. I urge everyone to read, read the Qur'an, and the Bible. Read Plato, Shakespeare, Shaw, Mills, Socrates, Aristotle, Marshall. Read Fagunwa, Soyinka,
Achebe, Awolowo, Azikwe and Adegoke. Read Faraday, Einstein, Newton, Bohr, Rutherford, and
Darwin. Read Lionel Robins and Frankwood. Read something, read anything that adds to your knowledge and ameliorate your thinking faculty. "READ", for in that, we know our past, and prepare ahead for the future.

I've read quite a number of books, and each of them has changed my perspectives. Until recently, I got hold of a book titled "AFRICA IN
EBULLITION" written pre-independence,
sometime in the 1950s by a Nigerian Nationalist, Honourable Adegoke Adelabu, foreword by
Honourable Nmamdi Azikwe. The book expatiates many things, from the Nigeria's meritocracy,
ethnic bigotry and religion commercialization to self government and agitation for freedom. These are just few among the contents it holds. It's a book I implore every Nigerian leader to read. Does this seem like I'm hyping it? No, just that the book deserves my commentary. Read it and
you'll learn more about Nigeria's present situation from the past.

Lastly, Nigeria @ 57, and there are several agitations out there - the Boko Haram in the North east, The IPOB in the Igbo region, among all others, but the one being intense is the youth emergence into power, But I feel sorry for Nigeria if youth emerge into power. Do I against this NotTooYoungToRun bill? No, I don't, in fact I agitate for it also, but
how we won't have another sets of
(modern)slaves of lustful ambition is my concern.

My pen rests here, those above are just my conjectures.

HAPPY (IN)DEPENDENCE DAY
NIGERIA @57


BY KOLADE MALIK.

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