History Will Never Forgive – Otunba Babatunde Olushola Senbanjo

Fellow Nigerians,

Once again, we have listened to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu deliver an Independence Day speech filled with promises, rhetoric, and the same recycled words we have heard for decades. Sadly, beyond the polished delivery lies the harsh reality that Nigerians face every day: poverty, insecurity, unemployment, failing infrastructure, and a government disconnected from the struggles of its people.

Independence should symbolise freedom, dignity, and progress. Yet, after 65 years, what do we truly have to show for it? Millions of our youths roam the streets jobless, our farmers live in fear due to insecurity, our health and education sectors are collapsing, and the average Nigerian struggles daily to afford food, electricity, and fuel. Inflation soars, the naira continues to depreciate, and hope is fast becoming a luxury.

Mr President speaks of reforms, but what reforms benefit the common man when subsidy removal has only increased suffering without clear cushioning measures? What development are we celebrating when roads remain death traps, electricity remains unreliable, and our industries are shutting down? What independence do we have when corruption continues to thrive, and the political class lives in opulence while the masses groan?

This is not the Nigeria our founding fathers dreamed of. It is not the Nigeria our heroes past laboured for. Independence without growth is stagnation; independence without justice is oppression; independence without development is meaningless.

We need a *new Nigeria* a nation that truly works for its people. A Nigeria where our resources are managed responsibly, where leaders are accountable, where opportunities abound for all, not just a privileged few. A Nigeria where education equips the youth, where healthcare saves lives, where security is guaranteed, and where prosperity is not a slogan but a reality.

Let us not be deceived by speeches and empty assurances. Our country deserves more. The time has come to demand real change, real development, and real growth. We must rise above ethnic, religious, and political divides to build a Nigeria that works for everyone.

History will not forgive us if we continue to accept mediocrity. We must speak, act, and stand for a Nigeria that our children will be proud of.

Nigeria shall rise again but not through speeches. Only through visionary leadership, genuine reforms, and the collective will of the people can we achieve the independence we truly deserve.

God bless Nigeria.