Nigeria @66: Nigerians who witnessed Independence recall decline

As Nigeria marks its 66th Independence anniversary, VICTOR AYENI and OREOLUWA ODUSANYA ask elderly citizens in their late 60s, 70s and 80s who witnessed the Independence Day celebration about their expectations and disappointments

Pa Keffas Gadda (76)

I recall Independence Day as a period associated with joy and celebration. There was a strong belief that Nigeria would become a great country. Back in the 1970s, things were still better compared to now. The cost of bread and transportation was lesser than what we have today. The value of money compared to now is not comparable. Things were cheaper than what it is today. Again, our education had significant government intervention and that was why we had free education. There were people who actually thought about people; the political class of that era were less preoccupied with personal and family interests than today’s leaders. I want the country to recover a stronger sense of collective identity, a Nigeria where “the common man will also breathe well.”

David Ayinde (in his late sixties)

Before, you could take a little money and buy something, but now, even with N500,000, you can’t buy much. For example, in 1983, I bought my bicycle for N65. Later, around 1989, I bought an Okada for N65,000 — not N65, but N65,000. But now, an Okada costs about N1.5m. So, you cannot compare the old days with what we have now. Things were different back then. If you look at how things were before, you could get something with a small amount of money. But today, everything is expensive. The value of money has changed completely.

On security, I can say that things were much better before. You could travel from Lagos to Abuja and other places without the kind of fear we have today. Before, there was nothing like Boko Haram and armed robbery was not as widespread as it is now. You could leave home at 12am or 1am and move around on the road late at night without fear. But now, you hear about armed robbery, killings and different forms of insecurity. There is no security now compared to what we had before. Before, you could sell something and leave your money there without worrying that someone would steal it. Even a person selling yam could leave the money there, and someone would take the yam and leave the money. But now, you cannot do that.

Pa Joseph Abiola (80)

When we look at how things were before compared to now, someone who works and earns a salary can hardly survive on it. Even if you earn N1m, it may still not be enough. Things have changed drastically. The cost of living has skyrocketed, and ordinary people are suffering. If you look at the youth, many of them are unemployed or struggling to make ends meet. The government needs to intervene and create policies that will help the masses. If they don’t address these core issues, people will continue to face hardship. In those days when we were free from colonial rule, life was much easier. Everyone could afford basic necessities. But right now, even if you are working hard, it feels like it is not enough. For things to improve, those in authority need to listen to the people and manage our resources properly. If everyone does their part and leaders lead with integrity, there can be positive change. The government must focus on creating jobs and improving the economy.

Mrs Eunice Aderemi (78)

During our time in the past, even before independence and during the era of military governance, life was completely different from what we have today. Nigeria itself did not change, but our leaders did. They are the ones who changed for the worse. They are no longer leading well. When we were young, I usually tell these younger mothers that I used to get three kobo to go to school. Three kobo! I would spend it until I came home and there would still be change left over. That was how things were when we were young. How much did we spend on food then? How much did we spend on other things? Even though life wasn’t as modern as it is now, what little we had was enough for us. It is not like that nowadays. Nowadays, even if you have N1m in your account, once you withdraw N1,000, before you know it, it is gone. Take someone earning a N100,000 government salary, or even N70,000. Once you start spending, the money disappears. Is it right for a single person to spend over N70,000 a month just to survive if the country has not deteriorated? Back in the day, N1,000 was a huge amount. When I was a young maiden, like the young women of today, if my elder brother gave me N5 for the month, I would spend that N5 from Sunday to Sunday and there would still be change left. I didn’t have anyone else looking after me, but I was content. Out of that N5, I could buy clothes. With the remaining change, whenever market day came, I would go to the city market and buy more things, including shoes and bags. Can anyone do that now with N5? Even if you give young girls N50 today, can they use it for anything? They won’t even look at it because what can N50 buy? That is how badly Nigeria has deteriorated. We cannot compare the past with the present at all. Only God can help us repair Nigeria; all we can do is pray.

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Ojo Bello (65)

Back then in the 1960s, employers and training centres recruited people before they finished secondary school, while university graduates often had jobs waiting for them. After NYSC, they could even receive a car. Around 1985, the Peugeot 504 Super, popularly called the “Evolution 504,” cost about N8,500, while a stick of suya cost N10 and was a huge portion. The economic system and those who benefited from it have, in my view, contributed to the country’s decline. Leaders who benefited from the system have failed to extend similar opportunities to younger generations.

History and Moral Instruction, once taught in schools, are no longer given the same attention, while respect for elders and other societal values have declined. Discipline in schools has also changed. In Primary 3, Mrs Sade used to line up pupils for punishment, while the sound of a police siren alone could make children fear they had done something wrong. Such controls and discipline are no longer present, leaving society in disarray. Security was better in the past, as people could sleep outside or on balconies, even in three-storey buildings, without fear. People could walk from Abapa Road to Ebute Metta freely, even at 3am, without harassment.

Mr Mukassay Bassey (in his 70s)

Nigeria no longer seems to welcome the youth the way it used to, and I am worried about where the country is heading. Things are changing every day, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for young people and ordinary Nigerians to survive. Even market women and farmers are struggling. Farmers find it difficult to get their produce to the market, while the prices of basic food items continue to rise. Garri and rice, which used to be affordable, are now expensive, and nobody can predict where the situation is taking us. I also find it difficult to believe that prices will return to what they used to be because some people appear to benefit from the situation and have an interest in keeping prices high. Transportation is another example, as a short trip that once cost very little can now cost as much as N500 to N1000, putting more pressure on the masses.

I believe poor leadership is part of the problem because those in positions of authority allow prices to keep increasing without doing enough to protect ordinary Nigerians. We need better governance, with governors governing properly and the President providing effective leadership to improve the country. There is nowhere else for us to run to; Nigeria is our home, and we must continue to hope and pray for a better country. If Nigeria were better, many people would not have to leave the country and travel abroad in search of a better life. I pray that God will help us and bring positive change to Nigeria.

Pa Ayodeji Emmanuel (73)

Nigeria has really changed from the time of its independence from colonial rule till now. Back then in the 1960s, we were safer, there was more order and sanity on our roads. People obeyed laws and regulations and were orderly in public. In the 70s, to be an undergraduate was to be respected and they fed well; the system took care of them and their healthcare. Back then, you had many companies in Nigeria and unemployment was not a problem. Those companies would come to our NYSC camps to seek for brilliant graduates to recruit. But today, look at what has befallen our youths, many are unemployed, and some have resorted to financial crimes. Nigeria needs to change for the better and we all have a role to play.