Nigeria will in the next couple of months celebrate her 50th anniversary (golden jubilee) as an independent nation.

Already, the federal government has lined up activities to commemorate the historic event.

President Goodluck Jonathan had during a colourful ceremony attended by past Nigerian presidents and Heads of State unveiled the masthead heralding the commencement of programmes scheduled for the golden jubilee anniversary.

The ceremony which was attended by both military and civilian Nigerian leaders witnessed the unveiling of our heroes, past and present, symbolizing their vision and struggle in the nation’s socio-political and economic advancement.

Perhaps, the import of the event which took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja was for all Nigerians to look back at ourselves with a view to ascertaining whether or not we have collectively realised the dreams of the founding fathers of the Nigerian state.

For some of us who read Dr Jonathan’s lips during the ceremony, the question the president virtually asked all Nigerians was for us to critically examine ourselves as citizens of Nigeria and confirm if we have contributed towards realising the vision of the founding fathers of Nigeria.

Indeed, most Nigerians take pride in describing the country as the giant of Africa. But it is in the true sense of the word?

Regrettably, Nigeria cannot continue to pride itself as African giant when over 70 per cent of her citizenry lack basic necessities of life: shelter, food, potable water, good health and qualitative education. For a country to be reckoned with within the comity of nations (states), such country should, ab initio, provide decent housing, qualitative education, decent food, potable water, good healthcare, regular light (electricity) and round-the-clock security for its citizens, whether high or low.

And the question is; does Nigeria belong to this category of nations with such facilities in place? Obviously, the answer is simply negative.

Statistics from the office of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) revealed a pathetic and horrible scenario which should disturb every well-meaning Nigerian, home or in diaspora.

According to the figures, over 65 million Nigerians live below one dollar per day. Eight million Nigerian children have no access to education and over half of the country’s population live in abject poverty.

These revelations as grim and astonishing as they sound, the reality is that most Nigerians are suffering in the midst of plenty.

For a country that has so much natural resources yet its citizens are poor, calls for so much concern by the leadership.

The rising incidence of destitution, prostitution, robbery, kidnapping and other social vices in our cities is evidence of the deplorable conditions of living in the country.

Nigeria’s image cannot be said to better abroad when our people are distressed. How do we rebrand Nigeria when our stomach is empty? Questions, many questions, but no answers.

Incidentally, what fuels the rate of poverty is corruption which permeates virtually every segment of our national life. The police, Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Customs, Immigrations, NNPC, bankers, politicians and in fact our political leaders are corrupt.

Nigerians are inundated with stories of top public functionaries who convert, with impunity, public funds into their private purse.

Few and privileged Nigerians live in ostentation in the midst of the majority who contend with hunger, strife and pervasive penury. The privileged few who do not give a damn do so with glee, thereby compounding the problems of the already traumatized poor.

The tiny wealthy minority controls the nation’s stupendous wealth. The irony and tragedy are that the leadership does not have the political will to address the abnormality of our collective predicament.

The systematic poverty has grown to a dangerous level that it is almost exterminating the middle class. It is either you belong to the few on top, or the majority below. No mid way again.

Nigerian leaders need to revisit the philosophy of the MDGs initiated in 2000 by the United Nations (UN) to eliminate poverty by 2015.

It is indeed ironic and shameful that less than five years to the target date, most Nigerians are still living in systematic poverty and are pauperized despite laudable programmes like the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP).

The country cannot afford to continue to drum up campaign for “Re-Branding Nigeria” while its people suffer and die in penury. We need to act now or never.

Goodluck Ukwe