Dare Babalola
Former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has said that he believed Nigeria was on its way to greatness in 1960 when the country gained independence.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Thursday, the former Archbishop who was 16 years old at the time, said he was motivated by the independence, with the hope that it would impact the country better.
He, however, expressed disappointment in present-day Nigeria, noting that if the country were managed better, it would have been greater.
Onaiyekan said, “I was one of two children who were sent from our college in Benue state. I was then a student of St Michael’s secondary school. Only two of us were put on the lorry to go to Lagos and be there for the independence of Nigeria in 1960. I was in form four and I was 16 years old, very young, but old enough to know.
“Before we talk about the dreams of our Zik, Tafawa Balewa and the rest, let me talk about my dreams. That night I was there when the Union Jack was brought down. We’re used to the we have been waving the Union Jacks all the time. We will be singing ‘God Save The Queen’, we now learnt the new Nigerian anthem and we saw the new green, white, green flag.
“And as a young boy of 16, I was completely convinced. We were told, and I believed it, that we are now independent, and in a few years, we shall be like the United States, Germany, England, and France. And it was with that in my heart that I returned to school and finished my secondary school.
“At the beginning of the independence, I thought we thought we were moving. Honestly, we thought we were moving. I really thought, and we believe firmly, that our country was on the way to greatness. Now 65 years have passed. Yes, you have mentioned a few of the things that have happened. Yes, we look back, and I think 65 years is long enough to sit back and see what is happening. I don’t think we want to compare what Nigeria was like in 1960 to what it is now.”
He continued, “And I’m afraid we are not there yet. And what makes it more painful is that we are about the only African country that can actually achieve this dream of ours.
“Nigeria is 65 and I’m 81 years old, whether you want to say it or not, I’m not deceiving myself, I don’t have many more years to stay, but I’m still believing that I will see that Nigeria before I go to Paradise.”
On what fuels his belief, the priest said, “Firstly, Nigerians are resilient. We are good people. We have shown it. We have demonstrated it, both at home and abroad.
“And secondly, as a man of faith, Nigerians are men who believe in God, and I believe our God is with us.”
