Recipe for a united Nigeria

 

“Nigeria as a national entity is on the verge of collapse. All the indices of state failure are in place. There is an unprecedented level of impunity, and a never-before witnessed orgy of violence across the land. Criminal gangs are holding swathes of the Nigerian territory, bombing state infrastructures, collecting taxes, kidnapping travellers for ransom, sacking whole villages, burning down police stations, dislodging soldiers from their military outposts, abducting school children – transforming some into child soldiers and others into sex slaves, carrying out mass executions, and sending periodic threats to the Federal Government”

— Executive Director, Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, Rev. Fr. George EHUSANI, at a national dialogue on Monday, June 6, 2022

There is no gainsaying the fact that Nigeria is at a crossroads. All the indices of good governance are pointing south. Security and welfare of citizens are near absent. Basic social infrastructures are lacking or inadequate. Rather than experiencing a high standard of living, Nigerians are witnessing a high cost of living. Corruption, nepotism, bad governance, culture of impunity seems to reign supreme. Like Femi, the scion of Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, sang in his timeless song, Wonder wonder, my compatriots are wondering whether things will ever change for the better.

It is however heart-warming to see civil society organisations rising up to galvanise public opinion on how to make things work better for Nigerians. Yes, things are bad. But should they remain so? It is indeed time for people of conscience to rise up and offer solutions to the myriads of the country’s challenges. It is indeed time to stop agonising but to organise. Thus, last Monday, June 6, 2022, the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy Democracy and Development, with Support from MacArthur Foundation, inaugurated the reconstituted Council of the Wise headed by retired jurist and immediate past President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, and held a summit on Leadership Effectiveness and Accountability.

According to the Head of Programme, Communication and Advocacy of SCDDD, Sir Bola Abimbola, “The Leadership Effectiveness and Accountability Dialogue  is aimed at continuous promotion of constructive engagement and national dialogue on, restructuring vis-a-viz strengthening national cohesion, good and accountable governance (fight against corruption) as well as inclusivity, justice and fairness in the Nigeria polity thereby creating a platform for more inclusive, democratic and objective interactions on project Nigeria, where justice and fairness will become core imperatives for driving national development.”

At the confab, which I was privileged to moderate, the fiery catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Georrge Ehusani was the lead speaker. He presented a paper titled, Nigeria and the Challenges of National Unity Beyond 2023 General Election. Discussants of the presentation were a retired diplomat, Ambassador M.K Ibrahim, Chairman of Partners, Electoral Reforms, Chief Ezenwa Nwagwu, Founder Agape Birthrights and Niger Delta activist, Ms. Ann Kio Briggs, and a lawyer and former president of Civil Liberties Organisation, Ms. Ayo Obe.

According to the cleric, Fr. Ehusani, “The Nigerian ruling class is perhaps among the most opportunistic and rapacious ruling classes in the world, constantly re-inventing and re-invigorating itself, and seizing every opportunity to violate and devalue the people they claim to serve. They have so shamelessly exploited the people’s poverty, so callously manipulated their illiteracy, and so brazenly weaponised their ignorance, that it is not at all in the interest of this ruling class to make any serious investment in quality education for the people. No wonder schools, colleges and universities could be shut down for many months, and the leaders would just carry on business as usual, as if nothing is amiss.”

Ehusani however warned the ruling elite of impending doom. He said, “But let me seize this opportunity to remind the unrepentant conquerors of the Nigerian people that islands of affluence cannot co-exist for long amidst a sea of destitution. Yes, those who are smiling to the bank after putting us in this mess must be reminded that in the process of evolution, if any species is over-hunting and over exploiting the very resources they depend upon as nourishment, sooner or later, natural selection would take the predator out, and restore some measure of equilibrium.”

The Catholic’s priest’s recipe for a sustained united Nigeria include the following: A renegotiation of the terms of our union as a country; rule of law, equal citizenship and self-determination (or what has often been described as devolution of powers); heavy investment in civic and political education of the people at the community level; a network of thinking Nigerians, from North to South and from East to West, who are prepared to engage in a wholesale peaceful revolt against a degenerate governance system that is daily inflicting fatal wounds on the people and turning the impoverished masses against themselves in an orgy of violence. Thinkers to engage in a peaceful revolt and the mobilisation of grassroots people against a leadership recruitment process that has been suffocated by street thugs, cult gang leaders, internet fraudsters, ex-convicts, ethnic bigots, religious extremists, known rogues and treasury looters, and such remnants of primitive feudalism that we call political godfathers; because a society cannot have credible and honourable leaders, when the process that leads to their emergence is corrupt, bankrupt, decadent and degenerate.

The discussants spoke very much in line with what the lead speaker said.  Ann Kio Briggs said if we cannot live in peace, we should go our separate ways. She called for a referendum of all ethnic nationalities and made a case for devolution of powers.  Ayo Obe asked a rhetorical question on whether Nigerians want democracy. She’s of the opinion that the country is making incremental progress and that all hope is not lost. Ezenwa Nwagwu is of the opinion that the colonialist designed the country in the way it currently operates and the post-colonial leaders have perpetuated that form and shape of governance which is exclusionary. He cited the existence of the Government Reserved Areas vis-à-vis the slums where the masses live. He also called for political parties to be funded by members and not moneybags. Ambassador M.K Ibrahim was concerned by the huge number of out-of-school children in Nigeria and the kind of sermons being preached by our religious leaders which seems to be fanning the embers of hatred. In his opinion there is nothing like democracy.

Some of the participants at the national dialogue called for the overhaul of the civic education curriculum of the country as well as the security architecture of Nigeria. A one-minute silence was observed in honour of those who were murdered by unknown gunmen at St. Francis Catholic Church Owo, Ondo State on Sunday, June 5, 2022. On the whole it is believed that the newly inaugurated Council of the Wise would live up to the bidding of interfacing with people in authority on how to see to the implementation of some of these noble recommendations. As I wrapped up the conversation, it came out very clearly that Nigeria cannot do away with the key pillars of rule of law viz. supremacy of the law, equality before the law and fundamental human rights and still hope to have a united, indissoluble country. As sung by the ace reggae artiste, Peter Tosh, “everyone is asking for peace, none is asking for justice/give me equal rights and justice.” So do Nigerians demand of their leaders!