Anyone monitoring Nigerian Twitter today knows that Nigerians are waxing philosophical and eloquent on this Independence Day affair. Earlier on, we brought you a collection of tweets reflecting the thoughts of many Nigerians. We are not done yet. There’s more where that came from. Japheth Omojuwa, who wears many hats- farmer, public speaker, social commentator and brand ambassador for Rémy Martin- is baring his mind on just what he thinks about this collective called Nigeria.
Do see below:
My thoughts on Nigeria at 56. #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
Nigeria is 56. If human, an elder, as a country, it is at best a teenager. U.S. is 240, Britain is 309 years old. Don't even touch China
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
It is important to put Nigeria's age in perspective because there are several things we must do that we have refused to do… #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
We have refused to do those things because we feel, at 56, it is sort of too late go back to what we should have done earlier #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
But the simple truth is, for a system that is set to be around hopefully hundreds or even thousands of years from now… #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
We cannot escape the work of laying up the right foundations for nation building. We do not have that foundations yet #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
We have done & have been doing over the years is to 'manage' our socio-economic & political reality, praying & hoping it works #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
But the simple truth is, our pragmatism has worked to keep us together as one country but it hasn't made the country work #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
If on a journey that'd take years & you discover you left something you'd need on that journey at home, what would you do? #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
Nigeria wants to move forward without carrying Nigerians along. That may look like it will 'somehow' work. But it never will #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
'We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Having firmly and solemnly resolve, to live in unity…' – 1999 constitution #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
This 1st line of Nigeria's current constitution is a lie. We the people never sat, we the people never agreed to live in unity #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
The military government handed us a constitution. It was a pragmatic decision. They had to do what they had to do #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
But Nigeria cannot exist on that lie. Better to even admit, 'we the military have decided on behalf of you the people' #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
Nigeria is a storming reality. The house still stands but it is a storming house. You cannot thrive in a storm #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
It looks like, 'but we are far gone. No need to go back to the past.' But on certain fundamentals, WE MUST. Or we stay storming #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
When a house is divided against itself, what do the people do? Do they pretend it is united or do they have a conversation? #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
Most successful countries around the world struggled through dark times to get where they are today. Our struggles are NORMAL #NigeriaaT56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
In a land space as small as ours – some 923,000 sqkm – you have enclosed several histories & cultures from diverse tongues #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
It is NORMAL that such a land will storm. It will storm because resources will be limited & there will be battles for access #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
Whatisnot normal is that we are pretending our way 2d future. We have done this for 56 years. The results have been the same #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
'To build a nation where peace & justice shall reign' we must first of all define the terms of engagement & occupancy #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
One of the most difficult things to do as a nation is to look at your historical challenges with the intent to confront them #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
This is why d U.S is scared to look racism in the face. This is why Great Britain is confused with now existing in a tiny space #NigeriaaT56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
This is why d U.S is scared to look racism in the face. This is why Great Britain is confused with now existing in a tiny space #NigeriaaT56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
How do you deal with injustices that have lasted through centuries? State ordained injustice. How do you face that? #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
In our case, our nationhood is not even up to 100 years. Our latest republic isn't even 20 years old yet #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
It means we haven't gone so far ahead to not look back to fix what we should have fixed in the beginning #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
It means we haven't gone so far ahead to not look back to fix what we should have fixed in the beginning #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
I think I will just address this in my next column. #NigeriaAt56
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 1, 2016
Suffice to say, there’s a lot about Nigeria to think on. We hope it goes further than that, though. We hope there’s someone in government who’s furiously scribbling these thoughts down and laying out a 10-point action plan to “fix what we should have fixed in the beginning”.
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