Independence anniversary: What to celebrate

Tomi looked out the window, it was a sunny morning but the brightness does not have any impact on her dreary face. The date is October 1st: independence day, "what could she celebrate for? She thought. The day before, she had been charged more than usual for transport because there were complaints on the price increase of petrol. It has been like that since the beginning of this week, a neighbour told her. She had only returned two days ago from her hometown which is why she was unaware of the change. She would have to cut down on her outings as it seemed the money for her monthly upkeep was being lavished on transportation so her planned trip to the capital city would be canceled, the fare had doubled and she couldn't afford it, the internship will have to wait " There are better days ahead" she told herself  "the recession will implode".
Tomi's neighbor, Mrs Maria was very worried, her daughter's complains were the reason. Since, the daily devaluation of the naira, the money she had been sending to her only girl, who was studying in New Zealand, had become insufficient, she would send more if she had , but she was being owed some months' salary in her place of work, most of her savings went to feeding as her husband was becoming cranky due to the increase in school fees for their remaining five children. Despite these problems, she had to smile at and reply goodwill messages of those who wished her a happy independence day. " Ours is a sovereign nation, after all" she thought.
Kelechi was feeling bad. He had told a lie to avoid attending the function held by the organization he worked for in honor of Nigeria at 56. He had always tried to be honest in his dealings with people but this time, he felt justified to do so. He had been working a lot to avoid being laid off by the organization which was a recent necessity of many organizations especially banks, many employees had lost their jobs and he didn't wish to be added to the list. Besides that, his car had been damaged as a result of the bad roads leading from his home to the office, its repair would cost him a lot, he knew, therefore he would sit at home rather than spend money plying a cramped bus. He had hoped for salary increment but nothing was forthcoming whereas the price of daily living increased by seconds. " its not a lost cause" he said to himself "it will be alright soon".
What are we celebrating? Many ask. Its sad that life in the country gets harder by the day as she gets older instead of the other way round causing the youths, the leaders of her tomorrow, desire to leave the country for greener pastures because there are no jobs, no capital to build upon a skill, frustration and desperation looms in the country. Still, we won't give up, there is hope, things will be better.