Me Celebrate Nigeria At 60? Sorry, No!!

By Mike Ozekhome

Many Nigerians at home and abroad, including elder statesmen and women, rights activists, NGOs, journalists and social media czars, have severally called upon me in the last one week to comment on my personal feelings about “Nigeria at 60”. I had hitherto resisted this invitation, lest I painted a horrifically gloomy picture of despondency. However, because the questions will not stop cascading in like a torrential rainfall, I am now compelled to share my honest, but very modest, thoughts about Nigeria at 60. I am extremely sad about Nigeria at 60.

                                             *Chief Ozekhome

Very, very sad indeed. Surely, a 60-year and above old man or woman, is already a senior citizen; a grandfather, or grandmother. I am one. This means such a man or woman has grown; or is at least, presumed to have grown, in maturity and development. But, I am sad that Nigeria, “our own dear native land” (words taken from the beautiful lyrics of the unfortunately discarded old National Anthem), has neither developed nor matured. 

Nigeria: Sixty Years Old Empire Of Vampires

 By Gbenro Olajuyigbe

Kings of empires were historically imperial, feudal lords. They were fearfully revered. They could decide to take their baths with bucketful of another person’s blood if they wanted.

They were the law, the empires and the emperors – trinity of terror! To drive home the omnipotence of their cruelty, one of the wives of the Alafin in the Old Oyo Empire, due to familiarity, tested the potency of such power. She playfully ridiculed the king while naked by saying ‘ I don’t know why people fear  a man with small organ like you?’ Alafin responded, ‘you don’t know?”.