CHRICED Salutes the tenacity of the Nigerian people, Calls For Concerted Citizen Efforts To Fix Nigeria
The Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED) congratulates the long-suffering people of our country on Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Day. For the continued existence of our country, the credit should always go to the ordinary man, woman, and child in this country. The ordinary Nigerian has paid and continues to pay the supreme sacrifice of death and suffering caused by the nation’s dysfunctional and utterly rudderless leadership since the advent of the current democratic regime in 1999.
The unwavering and abiding faith of the ordinary Nigerian is demonstrated by the fact that despite the numerous adversities and hardships that have dominated his path and life, the belief in the unity and manifest destiny of the country is still apparent in the interactions of millions of Nigerians of various ethnic nationalities. The credit for the sacrifices that have resulted in the continued existence of the country must go to the average man and woman in this country.
A multitude of unknown graves around our country sufficiently tell the pathetic story of how a great dream of a nation with its manifest destiny well spelt out at independence in 1960, has been plundered and frittered away on the altar of gross incompetence, corruption, greed, and personal aggrandizement.
CHRICED notes the fun fare with which those in government circles are celebrating. The fundamental question, however, is whether the long-suffering and traumatized citizens of our country are celebrating? Amidst the excruciating poverty in the land, the economic challenges and the wave of insecurity across the country, there are not many reasons to celebrate, beyond the platitudes and slogans being bandied by those benefiting from the unfortunate prostrate position of Nigeria, economically and politically.
Since the return to civil rule in 1999, more public resources have been spent on celebrating serial underachievement and failures. CHRICED urges Nigerians who are affected by the misrule in the country to prepare for the struggles ahead. One such opportunities presents itself when the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) along with affiliates across Nigeria embark on an indefinite strike on Tuesday, October 3, 2023.
While many have argued that a strike is not necessary at this time, the reality is that the current regime continues to suffocate the people of this country with a barrage of unending harsh policies. CHRICED therefore urges Nigerians to give the ruling elite a gift of independence in the form of massive protests to tell their own story as citizens who have continued to endure the pains and agonies of bad governance at all levels
Signed:
Comrade Dr. Ibrahim M. ZIkirullahi
Executive Director
