October 02, 2022: what do we really want to celebrate? (By Dorah Aboubacar Koita)

Every October 2, Guineans celebrate their independence. But for this year, it turns out that our country Guinea is in a multifaceted crisis and it is at a decisive, extremely serious turning point in its history with a governance described by observers as being unilateral and disastrous from the junta in power.

On October 1, 2017, I expressed on this platform my indignation at the fanfare and budget-consuming celebration of our date of accession to independence. 5 years later, realities demand that I share the same text for collective awareness.

For my part, we would do better to dedicate October 2 to a national meditation on the decadence of values ​​in Guinea, the virtual non-existence of reliable public men in the country whose wisdom could inspire the youth. The questions that torment my mind are among others:

Can we celebrate political and institutional instability?

Can we celebrate communitarianism, ethnostrategy and clanism?

Can we celebrate a commercialized and comatose national education, a health system that makes us ashamed?

Can we celebrate our cheating in elections, public contracts, contests and appointments?
Can we celebrate the fact that the West continues to build latrines and water points in our villages?

Can we celebrate our inability to create added value on bauxite and mahogany from Boké, Kamsar and Fria; citrus fruits from Kindia, potatoes from Foutah; cotton and gold from Upper Guinea; coffee, cocoa and bananas from the forest …to give jobs to young people?

Can we celebrate distrust, opacity and the permanent desire to harm our compatriots?

October 2 is a day whose symbolic emptiness makes me reflect on our collective sins and how we hate our country and its values. Civil and military parade, it’s really good but I wonder what is the message to remember?

Without mental independence, we are only slaves in controlled freedom. What use are our master’s, engineer’s and doctoral degrees if it’s to be puppets!

Independence is the celebration of self-determination and the emancipation of each people, of the existence of strong, resistant institutions like the rock. It is a tribute to bravery, creativity, inventions and values.

It is the celebration of symbols, national pride, patriotism, progress in respect for human rights and human security. It is the celebration of the geopolitics of the country through positions of political influence, scientific and technological influence, economic influence, cultural influence and sports influence.

A people does not celebrate institutional instability;
A people does not celebrate corruption and impunity;
A people does not celebrate a parliament incapable of freeing itself from the executive power;
A people does not celebrate political negligence;
A people does not celebrate the inability to reform the school and the health system;
A people does not celebrate those who loot public funds and protect each other;
A people does not celebrate dependence on the judicial system;
A people does not celebrate the failure of employment policies and the distraction of youth;
A people does not celebrate the non-existence of citizenship education and illiteracy;
A people does not celebrate the culture of lies, hatred and revenge.

We love too much to spread hatred, jealousy, pride and humiliation, and not enough generosity, proportional sacrifice, humility and honesty which are the conditions for building strong nations in cohesion and solidarity. , prosperous and frequentable.

Independence is not a birthday cake, it is never given, it is torn off by a long patriotic fight and is strengthened by the determination of the leaders to govern their countries well for the well-being of the population. in each area of ​​life. It presupposes serving one’s country honestly and with love and not being a pro-consul of a foreign power to guarantee public contracts to the latter with prebends in return to the detriment of national businesses and expertise.

Independence is a question of asserting the cultural identity of a people, which prevents them from having an inferiority complex in the face of other peoples. Hence the importance for each people to have levers for building their sources of pride that they jealously protect, defend with determination and constantly claim.

We are on 02 Octave 2022, so we must not hide our face, our true Independence will be:

– The fight against rampant unemployment among young Guineans,
– The fight against poverty and disease,
– The fight against commercialized and decadent education,
– The fight against insecurity and the demagogy that dresses it,
– Finally the fight against this race of unworthy politicians without vision…

Nevertheless, GOOD MEDITATION TO US FOR A UNITED, STRONG AND PROSPEROUS GUINEA FOR ALL!

Dorah Aboubacar KOITA
Guinean lawyer and civil society activist
aboukoita@gmail.com