‘Nigeria at sixty, time to pledge, not celebrate’
By Olamide Francis
National youth leader of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) and member of the national executive committee of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), Hassan Taiwo Soweto, has called on Nigerian youths to use the occasion of the country’s sixtieth anniversary to pledge they will not leave to posterity a nation they cannot be proud of.
In an interview with Daily Times, Soweto said there is nothing to be joyful about with the current state of the nation.
He used the opportunity to call on the youths and the working class to fight for a working nation.
“For the ruling elites, the occasion of our sixtieth anniversary will be a day of false celebration of nonexistent progress, a non-existent nationhood, a non-existent unity, and non-existent peace.
They will celebrate because they desperately need to celebrate something. It is evident that all of their promises to the people have turned to dust.
“Unfortunately for them, a lot of people have woken up to the reality that they just want to celebrate something to give themselves non-existent joy.
It’s quite unfortunate that nobody can deprive them of the right to deceive themselves.
“It’s a typical characteristic of ruling elites that in the time of uttermost disaster, they are skilful at finding something for themselves to take their minds off the problem the people are facing and give themselves a sense of false security that nothing is happening.
“When Rome was burning, Emperor Nero was playing music. This is still something that happens with many oppressive leaders today.
That’s why they’re always surprised when a sudden change happens and they are suddenly out of power.”
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The SPN youth leader therefore called on the general public to use this year’s independence day anniversary to mobilise and organise themselves to kick-start the process of transformation this nation needs.
He added: “Let’s get our act together.
We need to use this sixtieth anniversary to pledge not only to Nigeria but to our interest as a class; to say that on the sixtieth anniversary of this country, we will begin the process of organising and mobilising ourselves, no matter how long it’ll take, to fight and bring down this fortress of exploitation and oppression, and bring forth a new Nigeria upon which the collective wealth of this country can be utilised for the interest of all.”
