Introduction
This is not April Fool! While
other countries have consolidated their existence and are moving ahead with
serious matters, Nigeria is still suffering from identity crisis hangover.
Another constitutional conference is underway after 50+ years of ‘independence’
regurgitating the same questions of who are you and what are you. The current
conference possesses crucial patterns of similarity with past ones and may
likely follow in their inglorious footstep of finally occupying an innovative
space in the dustbin of history.
On the contrary, this article states that
Nigeria’s problem is beyond prowling arms of constitutional conferences rather driven by experiential inexcusable inability of her leaders to deliver on tried
methods or tested praxis. The thesis is based on glaring evidence of
inter-generational institutional failure at all levels of all ethnic nations.
If one is nuanced, the problem is not architecture or methodology; it is partly
a self-imposition, a warranted crises stemming from identity confusion,
collective self-abandonment and unconscious elitist deviation from ontological
longitude.
In the beginning
Like every colonised entity,
Nigeria is not designed for the benefit of the peoples living under her leaking
umbrella, rather to satisfy strategic and geopolitical interests of the
erstwhile colonial master. This is not a surprise as the onus is usually left
to time to sort out post-independence direction of a new country. In the case
of Nigeria, even if independence leaders played pragmatic game to sustain the
momentum for British exit, evidence shows that geopolitical awareness & progressive collective cultural identity failed
those leaders and their successors.
In a sense they are mere totems of London
as personified indigenous mascots of colonial continuum. This is not peculiar
as Algeria continues to suffer that delirilium in her relationship with France
despite genocidal independence bloodbath vividly captured by Franz Fanon in his
famous, Wretched of the Earth. Even
post-apartheid South Africa is now emerging in public discourse as perfect example
of abysmal sell-out masqueraded as heroic post-imprisonment complex personified
in Nelson Mandela.
National and ethnic national
Independence leaders made great effort to dislocate and distinguish themselves
away from the likes of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Mr Ben Bella, Dr Leopold Senghor and Mr
Patrice Lumumba and lately Captain Thomas Sankara. Nigerian leaders like it neither hot nor
cold! These African men of honour stated their goals clearly in advance and pursued
them as energetically as possible with clarity of purpose and understanding of
the odds and paid with their lives where applicable. Each of them was clear of his identity, his
heritage, his conflicts and role in collective conflicts, and lastly possessed
unperturbed awareness of formidable obstacles of the geopolitical
hegemonies. For them internal progress
and cohesion is the first step towards external acclamation. In these men, even
in death they became rallying points of their countries, symbols of collective
identities.
Who are you? Repeat
In the yawning gap of clear
identity or rather an identity built on the fear of brothers/sisters,
post-independence fruit of collective Nigeria failed and never rose up again.
With the power elite smoothing over transition of power with duly change of
posters excluding the commons, all that was left was consolidation of fear of
brothers/sisters with cacophony of tales, historical strangulations and
monstrous abuse of resources surely excluding the same commons.
With welcome unleashing of petroleum riches,
identity took a final battering in a murderous exchange of acceptance for what
are you verses who are you. Accumulation and ring-fencing of collective wealth
& resources by the power elite dominate institutions including the military
became the norm. An intergenerational race commenced and continues till today. Nigeria
is now globally known as that cursed geography where wealth owners have no clue
of its effective management which was vividly captured by one of those odious
rulers personified in Mr Yakubu Gowon. His infamous legacy is carved in his mantra,
‘the problem is how to spend national wealth, not how to manage it’. A Nigerian
gift to the world! I bet his ancestors on the burial grounds of central
Nigerian plateaus will be proud of him! Others of his ilk must have presented
giant outcrops of infamy in their omission and commissions.
In true fashion, each of the
infamous ‘emperors’ especially those that had more than ‘24 hours’ in office wheeled out barrows of constitutional conference in the same manner Caesars
gorged the barns of bread for circus plebes. Keep them quiet! In each regime
power elite circle the wagon of Aburi Accord, defying her spirit and defecate
its noble motives. Surely it is not just
dogs that eat what they throw up. While there will be no positive trickle-down
effect now advanced with elegant machination of Ghana-must-go bag, new power
elite members will gleefully clap away with their own share to consolidate their family
republics. Of course their ancestors will be proud of them in their graves.
Regardless of Parliamentary or Presidential system, the dead have no option but
to clap or nod if they can.
Parallel Destructions
The presidential option presented
a nested political-geographical architecture that in principle should enhance meaningful resource distribution across 3 levels. With Federation account pumping with
pressure for ever since, the evidence of its tragic effort is found in litany
of abandoned projects. In a sense Nigeria is an abandoned project. Across all
geopolitical zones, all ethnic nations, all states and all local government;
what is obtained is a wreckage of mangled expectations, astronomical
malfeasance which induces current generation to accept it as norm and sheer
evisceration of human (Africa) spirit.
Despite the positive potential of current geopolitical architecture its worst attributes are exposed with panache that it
even finds room for sundry justification enough to suffocate emergence
of true models of opposition. There is
no doubt that the ancestors of those plunderers of common wealth must be proud
in their grave especially if they received some share before departing ‘first
class’. Federation account transaction is public record but few border to ask seriously
what happened to our collective wealth for ages now. Instead I am distracted
with ignoble terms like marginalisation, tribalism, South-South, Hausa-Fulani,
Boko Haram, majority, minority and so forth.
Yes, terms have meaning but
useless meanings have no place on the pantheon of progress. What we have
obtained as national heritage is consolidation of social network of plunderers with secondary and tertiary hubs in all ethnic nations, all states and all
local governments. This culture of
unabashed malfeasance now holds the country hostage in a high stake game of few damning majority.
This current constitutional
conference failed before its convocation because the issue of structure and
methodology are nowhere near immediate needs of the peoples. Sadly many well meaning citizen-victims are
ready to suffocate their victimhood in believing that this time the sun will
shine. Hmm! If you believe that one ethnic nation produces greater greed or
plunderers then find another life in another planet. If you believe that this
or that part of the country enjoys more from the common wealth, then feel free
to transfer to that geography for instant resurrection of your fortunes.
The
common problem is sheer dislocation of identity & collaborative effort in
destroying ontology that leave most individuals on the altar of desperation.
Such desperation has infected all institutions including those expected to
deliver on divine requirements. It is contamination incorporated! While majority suffer and smile of course as
victims, they existentially share with suffering-imposer obstruction of positive alternatives.
Yes, it is not as simple as that! With mangled identity, internalised negative behaviour becomes culturally acceptable.
Conclusion
I have no solution for Nigeria’s
problem but do conjecture that convergence of positive forces will unleash
opportunity to change course positively from unexpected quarters. The fact that
‘independence’ came on a platter of gold doesn't conclude that violence-oriented ones are better. Asia possess better examples as few exist in Africa
bar one; Botswana for the platter. Algeria is an example on violence. The main
fact is that the positive change expected and loathed by many will not come
easy and will not emerge soon. It is not a sign of pessimism rather a
corroboration of existing historical patterns. In the face of rapid global geopolitical
reconfigurations, at some point something will give for Nigeria to finally rise
up or consciously succumb as a leaking umbrella over our collective heritage.
Our (victims) ancestors will surely sleep well with eyes open to protect
regardless conferences planned in the future.
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