I am a terminal optimist, a pacifist and an apologist of peace.  I believe in hope because hope to me is a vehicle of life without which life grinds to a halt. So I'm in love with a film, “The return of the Saint” with a lead character called Simon Templer, and a book called “Zambia shall be free”.
Kenneth Kaunde, the ex-president of Zambia wrote the famous book “Zambia shall be free”.  The book is actually a concise chronicle of the bit by bit struggle to free Zambia when it was in the throes of colonialism.  The book is an epistle of hope and epilogue portrait of the struggle itself of the Zambian people who were determined as can be seen in the excellent plot of the book through its two protagonists – Kaunda himself and Harry Nkumbula.
 

The duo represented the Zambian spirit of nationalism and patriotism.  That was the Zambian phenomenal spirit for survival, unity and independence.
 

In Nigeria, we got our independence on the platter of gold, we never had a bitter struggle to teach us lessons of the pricelessness of peace and unity.  The history of our struggle was summarized by one word – negotiated – our independence was purely negotiated.  So the heroes of this negotiation would rather lay a regional/ethnic foundation for our country.
 

Therefore, while we were celebrating the departure of the British colonialists, our independence was still a far cry and an aberration.
 

Yes, the British left but as we can see, right from that time to date, Nigeria exists without dream.  At heart, we are far apart and despise one another.  Nigeria no doubt is real but a mere geography not a yet a nation and unless we fight to achieve the elusive nationhood, we cannot celebrate true independence.
 

Watch it, today, 95% of Nigerians do not know what Nigeria means to them and it has been so for decades, only the remaining 5% who have metamorphosed as the trustees of our common wealth, and are recklessly looting for what has come to stay as family and friends empires are singing the Nigeria song.  Indeed no one else except them do!
 

The Regional blocks except the south west have dissolved or disintegrated for the reason that they ceased to add value to the lives of the residents.  The outdated faudal mentality of leadership style has become insufficient to feed the needs of 21st century generation of Nigerian youths who are being modernized by technology in spite of their illiteracy.  So, we have a generation of youths built by Technology which is opposed to the old way of doing things but are still “illiterate”, and entirely volatile.
 

All the happening in Nigeria today originates from these factors.  No one sees himself fundamentally as a Nigerian: first we are our father's man or daughter, second, Tribe, then state.  Infact, Nigeria is always an afterthought.  That is why if a president for example comes from a particular tribe; the tribe becomes automatically the first tribe.  The media even elevate its culture to become a national one no matter how obscure it may be.
 

Attempts to make a nation of Nigeria such as Federal character and quota system failed because those in privileged positions wouldn't let go tribal sentiments.  We are just a nation of tribes cohabiting within a constitutional location defined by great Britain and recognized by the United Nations.  These are the two factors that have created a legal canopy which we are struggling to get out of.
Most tribes like the Igbos would have loved to leave the geographical entity called Nigeria if not for this very complication.  How many times each section of the country threatened to go its way?  Nigeria as a country has no national symphony that could make everybody dance; it rather has grown perishable petals that fall off easily under heat.
 

We have a tribe of leaders who go into government only building defences as if they are under trail.  Most Nigerian leaders don't lead; they stand opposite the people that entrust their fate into their hands. Very few leaders in Nigeria grab the bull by the horns.  One good example is governor Bindow. At his inauguration he told Adamawa people that he would never offer excuse for not performing and because he came in with the right attitude, he performed right in the face of lack of resources.  Whether you like him or not you must concede ground when it comes to assessing his performance. 
 

No state without investable foundation can develop. Adamawa had no investable foundation 24 years after its creation.  Bindow has provided that so let's give him credit for it.
Nigeria is in the second half of her chase for 100 years and is well linked and part of global evolution, yet our leaders who take all kinds of Tourisms outside here behave like foreign investors who would rather send their profit home than build here.  Our leaders don't invest their profit here; they are the worst agents of capital flight!
 

Of course they need the flight because it's the best laundering process for their scandalous profiteering.  Today, the sun is setting on us and our leaders are still talking politics.  It is this very misplaced idea of politics of opposition and politics of incumbency even within the party structure that has created the nerve centre of offensive leadership and protectionist constituencies which are radicalized along our primordial sentiments.
 

Nigeria has become fundamentally offered to primordial cleavages and willingly received in to isolationist extremism which is driving it to a state of anarchy.  Banditry is increasing at an uneasy speed, and it is clear that authorities cannot cut off their sources of supply.
 

Therefore, what is resonating now are dreadful echoes of blame game!  How can blaming each other solve our national problem.  I think this is the point where leadership should distinguish itself.  Every bandit group has known now that it can easily curry support from hidden blocks of power drunk elites to curve out territories for only God knows why.  In fact, while this puzzle is going on blood is flowing endlessly.  Honestly, I think if this trend is not halted in time, 2019, may turn out to be a launching pad for bandit groups to create new rivers in Nigeria - rivers where water does not flow but blood!
 

My hope however is in majority of Nigerians who simply want peace.  Today, nobody is really talking about party per se, people are more interested in individual merit.  They are no longer routing for money or rice and omo, they are concerned about integrity and the peace of their land.  This new thinking has the potentials to save Nigeria.
 

So Nigeria will survive and by His grace be free soon by the tribe of the new Nigeria which the vice President Osibanjo has been advocating.