On the first day in October, in the year Two Thousand and Ten, at approximately 12:00 am Nigeria will be 50. Hmmm, if they say a fool at forty is a fool forever, what happens to the fool when he turns 50? Just wondering, hypothetically speaking of course.
We will in effect become the 16th out of 17 African countries to celebrate this landmark anniversary this year. This month of August will witness the largest number of countries (nine in total) celebrating the golden jubilee of their independence.
Majority of these countries have had or plan to have modest but significant events, to mark the occasion. Not Nigeria. You know how we do; from the one hundreth and fourth anniversary of his great-great-grand fathers death, to the eleventh anniversary of the year he got his first visa, nobody loves a good party like a Nigerian, who has something he thinks he should thankful for, and everything has to be done Nigerian style. This sentiment extends to our golden jubilee celebrations.
From the almost one billion naira parade, to the (ahem) one hundred million naira carpets that will be flown in from Persia on a private jet (at least I’m assuming so with that price tag) to replace the perfectly functional ones currently gracing the floors at the National Conference Centre in Abuja. Plans seem to be underway to ensure that the celebrations will be one that people will talk about for years to come. Wait. Was that the tag line on the wedding pictures of a Nigerian moguls’daughter I saw in an online entertainment/gossip blog? I simply can’t remember.
Now, let me tell you, from what I heard, it’s going to be one heck of a party. Some of Nigeria’s most well known crooks, er, I mean citizens have already been handed National honour’s as part of the advance preparations for the celebration.
There shall be Pounded Yam and Don Perignon (or Puff- Puff and Pure water depending on what section of the party you are allowed to visit). There will be music and dancing from some of the country’s best known performers, singing songs about our country’s greatest achievements. You know. All those great things we have accomplished. Such as Peace and Unity, well, except for the Niger Delta, and the North, and the Central States, oh and in the East as well, what with all the kidnappings and what not’s.
Ah yes, peace. In addition, we have one of Africa’s largest and the world’s fastest growing economies, even though I’m yet to feel its impact in my pockets. I also hear we are the world’s most populous black nation, wait; I’m not quite sure that’s an achievement. Scratch that. Let’s see, what else? Oh yes, we have some of the highest paid Public Servants in the world, let me tell you, 28 million Naira minus benefits is no joke. For those of you who don’t know, we are also one of the world’s largest importers of generator sets and toothpicks. Ah, the list is endless, we could go on and on and on, but, we shall not because you see, continuing this exercise might just be too emotional for the author of this blog. Why, I’m about to burst into tears right now, issues concerning National pride tend to leave me that way, a blubbering ball of emotion, em, I meant pride, pride of course.
So here’s to our dear country, a self appointed giant of sorts, here’s to water, and light, and schools and roads and most of all, to 6 million Naira websites, and one billion Naira celebration uniforms. (What? You thought our armed forces were just going to show up in their normal attire for special occasions? Never! We are after all a major fashion capital of the world, even though the world doesn’t know it yet)
Fellow Nigerians, as we look forward to October 1st, I wish you all a Happy 50th Anniversary. May the next 50 years be even more of a success than the last.
Cheers
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