When did October 1st change?

                                                   By

                                          Inspired Cecee

Growing up, I hated going to school or maybe hate is too strong a word, so let us just say I did not look forward to going to school. But there is a little twist here; I did not look forward to going to school but I did not want to be home either. The reason is that I was a very playful boy, so I wanted to always be in the company of my friends and classmates who doubled as my playmates. This meant that a part of me looked forward to being in school while a part of me just could not wait to get out of there. LOL. 

Being that I did not enjoy school but the thing I enjoyed doing most (playing) and those I enjoyed doing it with most were in school, something had to give. Mercifully, it came in the form of a compromise called public holiday.

My earliest and fondest knowledge of public holidays came in the form of May 27th (Children's day) and October 1st (Independence day). I am sure by now you should have guessed why these two dates were my fondest. Oh you have not? Remember I was a very playful boy. These two days normally involved schools going for March past processions and other such competitions for schools. The preparations for these competitions in my experience required lots of practising and rehearsals for those who were chosen and, because a large number of teachers were involved in the consistent dry-runs to ensure that our school did not disgrace herself in the State competition, it meant that studies were not as serious during the rehearsal periods as the rest of us who were not chosen either sneaked out to watch the practise or took the time to play around.

As I grew older, my reason for the appreciation of these dates particularly October 1st, started to change. I came to realise that it was on that date in 1960 that our country earned her independence from the United Kingdom who hitherto ruled us as one of her colonies. I started to digest why the public holiday for October 1st was more universal than that of May 27th (only students observed the latter), I noticed that while the latter made us ecstatic as kids, adults were even more giddy and enthralled, in the days  preceding Independence day anniversary in anticipation of some magical occurrence that I was yet to understand which the date it seemed to bring. Most remarkably, I noticed that no matter how tough things got in the intervening years, this first day of the tenth month somehow retained the power to add a certain spring to heels of many a Nigerian, inspire optimism, rekindle hope and re-energise the populace. Maybe it had something to do with expectation from the frivilous promises which our political leaders had become fond of making on their Independence day anniversary speeches or it could be because of the dubious habit cultivated by our military leaders of making announcements of states creation (my own state: Ebonyi was created on this day in 1996) on that date or making political appointments. 

Whatever may be behind it is subject to ones conjecture but the sense of sudden optimism and hope that always sprang up in the days preceding this momentous date was unmistakable.Until recently. 

While it cannot be argued that Nigeria is a country rich in potentials, the argument that the country has so far failed to fulfill those potentials are equally as forceful. Indeed, some even posite (with good reasons too) that we are now at the verge of being classified as a failed state.

This has filtered to the one date that used to be emblematic of the Nigerian spirit: October 1st. Such that not only has the almost cultural optimism that surfaces in the lead-up to this iconic date disappeared, people are now questioning whether we are truly independent in the true sense of the word.

 In place of optimism, you now have hunger, in place of energy, you have not even tiredness but despair and hopelessness.

Our reality has so changed that even the mundane things like the above-mentioned march past is not being observed in certain parts of the country due to a plethora of reasons, ranging from insecurity to non-challance down to the quest for self-determination induced by failed leadership in other parts. Our leaders have so failed us that there's nothing to look forward about the celebration of the country Nigeria.

 I ask myself, if I ever get to tell my children the story of the celebration of Independence on October 1st as I knew it growing up, will they be able to relate ? Will they not ask me, is it still the same October 1st? And I make haste to ask you dear readers and leaders, Is it still the same Nigeria?