FEATURE ARTICLE

Felix AmadiMonday, September 12, 2016
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Maputo, Mozambique

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Forwarded by: TEMPLE CHIMA UBOCHI

THE SENSE AND NONSENSE OF ONE NIGERIA

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Approaching its sixtieth anniversary, Nigeria has squandered every opportunity to become a meaningful coherent nation (Okey Ndibe)

We are great because of our size, the human resources we have, the diversity we have; if we fragmentize the country into small components, we will be forgotten by the world (Dr. Goodluck Jonathan)

PREAMBLE:

igeria is a country of two tales. At one end of the tale is the Nigeria of great achievers in all spheres of human endeavour. This is the Nigeria of Intellectual giants, Sports greats, Religious "Irokos", Creative thinkers, Economic juggernauts etc. This is the Nigeria of hopes and aspirations. It is the tale of a Nigeria that is richly blessed with human and natural resources. In fact, this is the Nigeria that is called the "Giant of Africa".

On the other end of the tale is the Nigeria of sorrows and corruption. It is the Nigeria of regrets and underdevelopment. This is the Nigeria of scarcity in the midst of abundance. It is the Nigeria of religious intolerance, ethnic tensions, teeming jobless youths and downtrodden citizenry. Here we are picturing the Nigeria of Boko Haram, IPOB, Avengers, Kidnappers, brutal and blood thirsty Fulani Herdsmen, of serial corrupt politicians etc. This is the Nigeria of no electricity, no clean pipe-borne water, of dilapidated infrastructures. In fact, this is the Nigeria that can be called a "Failed State".

Our current plight as citizens of Nigeria is one that calls into questioning the true meaning and nature of One Nigeria. Because of the untold hardship and suffering of the majority of the Nigerian population, many are beginning to question the need for the Nigeria State as she is currently structured. Some in this group are calling for the restructuring of Nigeria to the state of true federalism while the extreme voices among them are calling for the fragmentation of Nigeria into independent countries. Contrary to the above mentioned view points are those who clamour for a united One Nigeria. This group postulates that unity is strength and so Nigeria is better off as a united state.

Whatever the point of view might be, the truth is that Nigerians are sharply divided on the notion of One Nigeria. Some have emotional and personalized attachment to the One Nigeria mantra that they fervently offer prayers for its continuous existence. Many others who no longer favour a united One Nigeria are also on daily supplication to God for freedom and deliverance from the bondage that is called Nigeria. Whatever the ideological lining might be, this essay seeks to make a humble and objective contribution to the ongoing debate about the nature and notion of One Nigeria. It seeks to make a critical appraisal and presentation of what a united One Nigeria should be and what it stands for in today's Nigeria. This essay will address these issues on two broad subtitles namely: The Sense of One Nigeria and The Nonsense of One Nigeria. It will conclude with recommendations for the way forward.

THE SENSE OF ONE NIGERIA

Fewer countries in this world enjoy the natural and human resources of which Nigeria is abundantly blessed with. Also, fewer citizens of most nations on planet earth can endure and survive for a long time the kind of merited and unmerited discriminatory treatments and measures that Nigerians are subjected to daily all over the world. From the generalized perception of Nigerians as 'criminals' by many non-Nigerians to the internal ethnic, political and economic upheavals and rumbles of the Nigerian State, the picture looks ugly to behold for the average Nigerian.

My former metaphysics professor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Ralph Madu, once told us a story of how the late Catholic Bishop of Old Owerri Diocese the Rt. Rev. Dr. Mark Unegbu was subjected to dehumanizing search at one of the International airports in the USA just because he was a Nigerian. Fr. Madu who was accompanying the aged Bishop on that foreign trip got so angry that he complained bitterly to the custom officials. But all his complaints felled on deaf ears because for the US custom officials, every Nigerian clergy or not is presumed guilty until proven innocent.

But thanks to the resilient and indomitable spirit of the typical Nigerian, the odds are being scaled daily with ease and smile to the bewilderment of the perpetrators of these discriminatory acts. The average Nigerian is endowed with the spirit of an overcomer that sets him or her apart in the arena of enterprise and competition. Success stories of Nigerians abound all over the globe, even in the harshest of environments possible. Many Nigerians have been known to excel mightily even in unfriendly conditions because of this indomitable and overcomer's spirit. In fact, I can confidently declare without fear of contradiction that it will be very difficult for any other national to survive in an environment that a Nigerian does not survive in. The determination, persistence and aggressive survival skill of the average Nigerian is equal to none in this world.

It is therefore my strongest belief that a united Nigeria that is built on equity and merit will definitely become the envy of the whole world. A united Nigeria devoid of religious intolerance, ethnic clashes, political corruption and nepotism will see her rank among the best of the best in the League of Nations. The numerical strength of the Nigeria State, her massive mineral endowments, and the ingenuity of her citizens are excellent boosters to her economic self-reliance. A One Nigeria that is characterized by the maximum utilization of the gifts and talents of her citizens will transform Nigeria into the economic hub of Africa and beyond in the shortest period of time.

An instance of what a united Nigeria can represent is often exemplified by our National Sport Teams (Male and Female). The composition of the National Teams foster a spirit and sense of unity in the field of play, that no one cares or remembers from which ethnic group or tribe a particular player comes from. What matters most in the field of play is the success of Nigeria and the glory that follows with it. A translation of this sport man's spirit into all sectors and spheres of the Nigerian Society will elicit a catalyst of progress and development that is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.

Although challenges may abound, a united Nigerian front can and will surely defeat any challenger in her path to excellence and nation-building! The limitations we have on our path to greatness are mostly self created and imposed. Prof. Ango Abdullahi, of the Northern Elders Forum, was in agreement with this thinking when he observed thus, "We are responsible for the conditions we're experiencing today and that we have experienced over the years. This is the basis on which we have made slow or no progress in our development and I think we can accept this as a fact, or continue to pretend and go round and round and round in circles and at the end of the day come back to the same spot". No individual, country or circumstance can comfortably cage a united and determined Nigerian ambition and pursuit. Our problem is not in the endowments and blessings, but in their sincere and coordinated utilization for the common good.

THE NONSENSE OF ONE NIGERIA:

The notion of One Nigeria is an idealistic concept that has little or no realistic relevance and collaboration. It can be said safely that we are just One Nigeria in paper, while the reality on the ground points to a country that is deeply divided along ethnic and religious lines. This is why in Nigeria; you can hardly hear any Nigerian talk about the Nigerian Dream, because there is nothing to be dreamt of in the current One Nigeria. The dream of individual Nigerians is always tailored along ethnic dominance and relevance. To this, Ambrose Egwim rightly observed in his scholarly paper "True' Federalism In Nigeria: A Political Discourse" that "The ethnic and tribal groups in Nigeria are always looking out for their own interest, as they are always organized to press their case or oppose others whose interests impinge on their interest".

What we have in common is a forced and false union that bestowed on us the appellation of being Nigerians, while at heart and in reality, we are at best Igbos, Yorubas, Hausas, Efik, Ibibio etc. In fact, the former Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, captured this reality vividly when he opined in his famous book, "FROM THIRD WORLD TO FIRST" that Nigeria's "tribal loyalties were stronger than their sense of common nationhood".

In Nigeria, there is no solid framework for unity and peace that foster nation-building. What we have today is a cosmetic patchwork for momentary survival of the entity called Nigeria. And this patchwork for short-term survival was designed to empower not the entire citizenry but a few powerful and well connected individuals and their cronies who have access to the power structures in Nigeria.

I once argued in one of my articles, "Nigeria, Divided We Stand", as published by Nigeriaworld, that we are still One Nigeria because of the presence of oil in the southern part of Nigeria. To this I wrote thus: "The only ligament that is still holding Nigeria together today is oil. Yes, that is true. I bet you, if Niger Delta were to be a region in the Northern part of the country, Nigeria as we know it today would have ceased to exist long time ago". Not too long ago, the former Aviation Minister Chief Femi Fani Kayode collaborated the above mentioned submission, when he observed that if oil is found in commercial quantity in the northern part of Nigeria, the region will be the first to call for the breakup of Nigeria, "My prayer for Nigeria is that oil is found in commercial quantities in the core north, I am glad that Buhari is looking for it desperately. If he finds it he and the north will be the first to call for a breakup of the country".

The glaring truth is that the oneness of Nigeria is at the peak of its volatility and fragility save for the period of the civil war. Many Nigerians no longer have faith in the structure of the present Nigeria. Many want out from this marriage of convenience that was orchestrated by the British. Nigerians are so fed up with the present Nigeria that Festus Tokunbo in his article "Nigeria: Too big to be great" succinctly summed us this feeling when he wrote thus," The Nigeria project is not working".

Even Remi Oyeyemi was blunt in his distaste for the continuous existence of Nigeria. In his article 'Why Nigeria Must Break Up' he submitted thus, "it is my view that the silent majority are angling to extricate themselves from the contraption called Nigeria. It is obvious that every ethnic group wants deliverance from the bondage called Nigeria. It is evident that none believes in the quagmire called Nigeria. None of us has any emotional connection to the country called Nigeria. It is not ours. It is not our making. It does not belong to us. No one wants it".

Chief Femi Fani Kayode, the former Aviation Minister draws a radical summation of the argument for the restructuring of Nigeria or better still the breakup of Nigeria into independent countries when he asserted in his article 'Nigeria's Third Mahdi and the Last of the Amalekite Kings' thus, "...the prayer is no longer "God bless Nigeria" but rather "God break Nigeria". It is no longer "God defend Nigeria" but rather "God restructure Nigeria". It is no longer "God deliver Nigeria" but rather "God deliver us from Nigeria".

There are ominous signs that the Nigerian State is in trouble. This might sound alarmist but it is an indubitable fact. Many might even dismiss it as the observation of a prophet of doom, but the signs are too obvious to be swept under the carpet. But the consoling fact is that where there is a problem, there is a solution. For me, what makes a thing or an issue a problem is the fact that there is another thing called solution. So the Nigeria's problem(s) is/are solvable, if only we will be diligent enough to adhere to the prescribed recommendations.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION:

Nigeria has reached a breaking point which if not handled with care and wisdom will result to unimaginable regrets. We are now operating with reserve energy as a united country that if a retreat for reflection and reassessment is not called, we will shortly run out of steam. There is an urgent need for a critical evaluation of the terms and conditions of our togetherness as one nation because it has become crystal clear that the current arrangement is not working satisfactorily. Any Nigerian with the spirit of discernment will agree with me that Nigeria as she is presently structured has outlived her duration of meaningful impact. She is now on the downward course of decline because many of her citizens today have little or no faith in what she currently represents.

The first and most acceptable recommendation for a 'True One Nigeria' is a return to true federalism. In this arrangement, the six geo-political regions in Nigeria will constitute into federating units with the power to manage the resources derived from the regions. This will help for a grass root reach and impact of governance. The federating units will in turn pay a certain percentage of tax to the Central Government. This arrangement will also help to curb the menace of high handedness in government and crass abuse of power by our political leaders. It will help bring government closer to the people instead of the concentration of power in Abuja where the elected representatives remain aloof to the people they claim to represent. A restructure of Nigeria into autonomous federating unit will instill a sense of healthy competition among the regions and this will in turn accelerate the delivery of the dividends of democracy to all and sundry. Any region that fails to develop at a reasonable pace will not have the Central Government to blame but itself.

The second recommendation will be an outright break up of Nigeria into two or more independent countries. As herculean as this might seem, it is a possibility. It was done between India and Pakistan, and between Pakistan and Bangladesh and the heavens didn't fall. So why should the heavens fall in the Nigeria's case? The most reasonable division will be a Northern and Southern Nigeria as a kind of correction to the British political misnomer of 1914. Another viable option will be a division of Nigeria into the Arewa Republic, the Oduduwa Republic and the Biafra Republic. I don't see the reason why there can't be an amicable divorce in the Nigeria State among the factional units if the call for true federalism is ignored by the powers that be. Will it be better for us to continue in a union that is characterized by daily bickering, acrimony and incessant cry of marginalization which cannot help in nation building? Should we continue with a structure where there are different standards for authentic citizenship; in an environment where some people from some parts of the country are 'Super Citizens' while the rest of us are ordinary?

In conclusion, I will safely state categorically that the Nigeria State as it is presently structured is sick and need urgent attention. The good thing about the Nigeria's ailment is that its cure is well known. Therefore I will draw the curtain on this write up with the wise recommendation of Prof. Adekunle Akinyemi as contained in his article ' Nigerians Are No Longer Suffering And Smiling' that "If ONE, must continue to be ONE in the context of Nigeria, the model may have to change, if we continue to behave like strange bed-fellows with different tongues, tribes, religions, ideologies etc. Such change has to be through a restructure as the United States of Nigeria. It may also take any other form or shape where we may not necessarily need visas to cross from one State to another!"

WILL OUR LEADERS LISTEN AND ACT BEFORE IT BECOMES TOO LATE?

I Rest My Case.

TIT BITS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg3K885vnek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdvAtHch1Y4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqH2j76Kz1I&list=RDYqH2j76Kz1I#t=41

THE THANX IS ALL YOURS!!!

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