We must admit that things are not well with Nigeria. I do not agree with conspiracy theorists that the whole world is wishing Nigeria evil or else they would not be daily, prophesying the break-up of Nigeria. Even the Economist (The world in 2014) graded Nigeria as a VERY HIGH RISK country (the worst grade) with Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Ukraine and 13 others. Incidentally, those countries mentioned above are already in severe crises. We have not ‘fallen’ but we will soon get there if we continue at the rate we are going. Nigeria is a diverse country but we must admit that Nigeria is not a Nation. Under the circumstances, the diversity that should be a source of advantage becomes a spring board to crises that have been the fate of Europe from the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the Eastern Europe in recent times. So the problem with Nigeria goes beyond the failures of government to govern. The crux of the matter is that there are circumstances favourable to balkanization and that the insensitivity of our leaders and inequity in the system further fuels these tendencies.
Nigeria is a giant standing on the wooden legs because we have been cursed with accidental leadership; people who were/are not prepared, have no plans and are so removed from the people( Balewa, the various soldiers, Obasanjo, Ya’Adua and even Goodluck). We have also had accidental public servants like El’Rufai who also did a good job of providing some details of how these accidental public servants emerged. We have the lootocratic plutocrats; the greedy 1% that worship the god of money, who treat the nation as a conquered territory to be voraciously exploited. We have the virus of destructive parochialism which promotes mediocrity and ‘everybody for himself’ mentality. The followership is docile; they ask no questions and clap for the plutocrats. Eric Teniola beautifully sumarised the situation of things: ‘unchecked looting of the nation’s wealth now going on at high speed, favouritism, marginalization, religious rivalry, irregularities, iniquities, partisanship, lawlessness’ and traced these evils to the absence of true nationhood (Thisday, 17/1/113, p14)
It is relevant to note here that there ares clamours for greater dispersal of power, self determination and sub-national empowerment across the globe. At times, Non State Actors( assorted brand of blood-thirsty terrorists, smugglers and pirates, drug barons, separatists etc) cash in on these tendencies. These NSAs include ISIS(Iraq), Taliban (Pakistan/Afghanistan), BH(Nigeria) Alshabab(Sudan/Kenya), Lords Resistance Army(Uganda) and their grand patron, Al-queada. Some of these tendencies have been addressed by force but eventually, negotiation and discussion have been the ultimate solution. Even the UK government has been campaigning and persuading the Scots to vote against ‘porting’, telling them that they would gain about S2300 pa by staying together and listing what they could do with such money-holidays outside Scotland watching soccer, 127 trips between Glasgow and Edinburgh, a year’s worth of utility bills, 280 hotdogs at Edinburgh festival.
The fact is that countries are trying to manage the divisive tendencies; they do not do a reverse Berlin Conference because of that.
Every country will disintegrate when the divisive forces [centrifugal] overwhelm the uniting[centripetal] forces. What are the uniting forces in Nigeria? Who is even building unity and encouraging the uniting forces? The main uniting force is oil money and this is not equitably shared. It thus becomes a source of discontent. Our size and diversity does not provide synergy and economies of scale; rather, ethinicism is encouraged and even in toy countries around, the green passport becomes an object of scorn and ridicule. I believe that we should do something urgently to reverse the trend, in our own interest and in the interest of generations yet unborn. And that ‘something’ should not start with balkanization. We should try to make Nigeria a land where no man is oppressed, where we stand in brotherhood though tribe and tongue differ and where people are free and safe to pursue their legitimate ambitions and where everybody should benefit from the union and be proud to be a Nigerian. This is not about laws, laws and more laws!
Our values as a people and the values of those in government need a drastic makeover. The purpose of public service is just for public service; not for aggrandizement and building everlasting political and business empires. Recently, we all became aware of the roguish pensions which our governors have approved for themselves with that of Lagos being the highest (estimated to cost the state N1bn in the first year). All of them contain provision of salaries, houses (at the state and Abuja), cars, medicare and personal staff for life-and these are just for serving 4 years. These are people who find it difficult to pay minimum wage of N18000, pay pensioners or provide basic medical services to their people. It is gladdening that Peter Obi does not have a house in Abuja at the expense of Anambra state and that Akpabio bowed to public opinion by backing off on his proposed amendments of the state pension law.
Look at the impeachment drama in Adamawa. On the surface, the governor is under fire for impeachable offences and of course, whatever the lagislators declare impeachable becomes impeachable. But the real issue is that the Governor wants his son to succeed him just as Bamangar Tukur is attempting to install his son while the speaker, Umaru Fintri is also attempting to install himself. Before long, they will base their actions on the Rufai theory: that his wife was qualified to own Abuja land-just like any other Nigerian. Even the impeachment charges include things that happened in 2008. So why didn’t the ‘horrible’ members act since then? The governor even appointed one of his wives as a DG in one of the agencies in the state! Nigeria cannot move forward if people in public positions do not act in the public interest. This is a matter of personal values and integrity and there is a little that the laws and constitution can do.
We must also treat individuals, groups, tribes and association equally. There is too much deification here and the way issues are handled depends on who is involved. The other day, the House of Representatives abandoned their legislative duties to discuss on the ‘insult’ meted out the Speaker (an attempt to search his car was in Kaduna). We all know that the governor who attempted to ‘sell’ Obamas senate seat is still in prison; the immediate past president of France, Sakouzi- is now under public investigation for mere ‘influence peddling’ while the immediate past MD of IMF was arrested and tried for merely playing or attempting to play with a lady in the US. Even now, Issa Timamy, the governor of the Lamu District in Kenya is standing trial for terrorism. And just last week, Mr Coulson, the media adviser to Cameroun( British PM), was sentenced to 18 months in jail for phone hacking. Nobody should be above the law! As Professor Soyinka advised, if we are to remain as a country, we have to treat one another as equals; we have to accept the same set of protocols. Nobody can say that these protocols do not apply to him/her; or that he has immunity and can act with impunity to hurt the rest of the nation( Certain Mindsets must change for Nigeria to stay united. Guardian, 1/6/13, p10-12).
Ik Muo
