Nation? The most revd peter j. Akinola con, dd former archbishop, metropolitan & primate church of nigeria
Yüklə 74,73 Kb.
|
|
NIGERIA: WHERE IS THE NATION?
THE MOST REVD PETER J. AKINOLA CON, DD FORMER ARCHBISHOP, METROPOLITAN & PRIMATE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION) And
Former National President Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) I set out to rekindle the proposition that appears to me to be at the centre of the crises and misfortunes tearing Nigeria from infancy to the adulthood apart––beginning from 1960 and stretching to the present time––without which resolution the prospects of the country to be stable, peaceful and progressive is dimmed. The truth that must be told is that sparing the truth is stunting the country’s progress. For, fifty-one years after independence, to audit Nigeria’s historical developments and honestly address the sad, un-broken chain of regression, is to return to the vexed question that has been asked oftentimes and to which there has continually been a self-denial, or at best, a quaint appreciation: Where is the Nigerian-nation? It appears that Nigeria prefers to struggle with history rather than grapple with the challenges of managing history. The result is a house perpetually rocked by severe strains and stresses. What enduring structure will stand on a weak foundation? Raising the question that Nigeria: Where is the nation (whatever may be our pretence to the contrary) is, thus, a valid question that demands compelling attention because it is a major determinant of Nigeria’s future prospects. The honesty attached to addressing the question will give strength to the quest at making Nigeria a land of promise. Alternatively, from the past that is a living testimony, and combined with the present that has not failed to serve as a true witness, to continue to deny the reality of re-defining Nigeria, is to persist in exacerbating the already flawed structural and systemic defects. Wisdom is in learning from the mistakes of the past while courage is the ability to undertake corrections even it brings pains in order to save the future. What makes a nation? What makes a nation? It is a pertinent issue to the Nigerian case. Between the characteristics or ingredients of nationhood and Nigeria, where are the convergent or divergent points? And what price has the lack of nationhood extolled from the country? Then, the ultimate question: What hope of building a future Nigerian-nation, and if this is done, what prospects beckon to reverse the so-far unattained goal of building a cohesive, united country, the basis on which rests the possibility of installing progress and development that had almost become a forlorn hope to the country? I propose the unity of minds among fellow compatriots to consider the idea of what makes a nation as suggested by Ernest Renan.1 Renan, who in a historical treatise in 1882 examined the subject, provided a good insight that was simple, a value-free concept uncluttered with academic jargons or theoretical abstractions. Like Renan did in the ages past, I ask for our collective altruism, to be impassioned, discuss the subject of nation-building in Nigeria candidly with a view to analysing “… an idea which, though it appears simple, yet lends itself to the most dangerous misunderstandings.”2 Our past historical contradictions that have so contaminated the present aberrations are but a grim portrayal of how dangerously misunderstood the concept of nationhood has been in our society. A country whose back is to the wall at all times can neither have peace nor be in a position to make progress. What is a nation? In Renan’s significant insight, “A nation is a soul, a spiritual principle,” two elements, which actually condense into one as the milk of life feeding the idea of living together. Together––soul and spirit––like human heart and brain must relate harmoniously before there is life and meaning to the act of cohabiting as a nation. A nation’s nature and nurture, therefore, cannot be divorced from its past and the manner it deploys the experiences of that past to build its future. Both yesterday and tomorrow are inseparable to nation-building. They mutually reinforce each other, compelling a people to take a retrospective look at their past from which they draw insightful knowledge to shape or define their national ideals. Reflections about the past help nations to determine the meeting point of their people, their shared heritage or common memories, their high and low points in their journey of collective emergence. Deliberation helps further to assess and evaluate the present circumstance, remove obstacles and impediments standing in the way of progress, resolve or forge a common agreement as to the best way to live together. Once there is meeting of “soul and spirit” among the people, a people have that wholesomeness, that unity, to make the best out of their joint inheritance – their nation. It becomes obvious from the new understanding that it amounts to a false notion to arrogate or place too much emphasis on––race, language, interests, religious domination, geography and military––as the building blocks of nationhood. The “Soul and Spirit” of nation Indeed, history has resolved how impractical––race, language, commercial interests, geography, force of religion and military conquest––have ended up building successful nations. And in the contemporary world today, there are many modern examples. Race, language, commercial interests, geography, force of religion and military conquest as important as they sound to the emergence of the human societies cannot produce that special element required to knit societies into nations: moral consciousness. Without the conscious, deliberate act of will of the people, nothing or power cements the people into a nation. If not so, why would societies with common ancestry opt to be different states? Are there not similar cases of brothers speaking the same language yet have irreconcilable differences as to opt for existence as autonomous countries? By extension, the fact had been established beyond doubt that even the force of religion, or geography or military conquests, were all insufficient vaccines to instil love, passion and spirit of togetherness among a people. Only human being is endowed with that gift of moral consciousness to overcome cultural, social, economic and psychological barriers; to surrender individualistic instincts for the common good. Man is, therefore, central to nation; the central pivot, sole determinant, and the wheel that provides around which its soul and spirit revolves. But man cannot be improvised. A nation, as a result, requires the collective social consciousness of its people to evolve. Without this, a nation cannot be an enduring reflection of the thinking, perception and the insight of its community of citizens. Their past would be a meaningless struggle, especially in the light of the fact that a nation, to truly be a nation, ought to reflect the fruits of the past toil, sacrifice and devotion of its earlier generations. Nations suffer like human beings; they have happy occasions, do have cause to rejoice or feel sad. They go through bad and good times but must weave their variety of experiences into learning perspectives towards planning for their tomorrow. Greater than ethnicity, force of religion, race, commercial interest, language or military conquest a spirit of oneness is indispensable to have a nation with the strength of character to defend agreed national ideals. People feel warm by, and embrace the memories of the past, eager to uphold their common legacies by their own volition. Such fondness with the past becomes a constant reminder and inspirer of their ever-continuing desire to build a common future, which they are prepared to defend at all times – even at the risk of their lives!
I now proceed to answer this question. The premise will be from the historical context that has characterised the development of Nigeria. I state honestly and categorically that nation-building in Nigeria has lacked the bold and courageous examination the subject demanded since independence. It has thus remained an unresolved challenge. But a little indulgence before turning attention to facts to support the premise. It is to attend to some assumptions over-played in the discussion of the over-arching Nigerian question. Frequently, colonialism is cited as a major hindrance to the course of building Nigeria into a cohesive nation. To this well-worn argument, it can be replied that India, Ghana, Singapore, North Korea, Brazil, and indeed, South Africa, which had the worst form of colonialism––apartheid––like Nigeria were all once colonised countries. From the shackles of their past, the countries have made strenuous efforts to overcome their colonial slavery, devoted themselves courageously to the task of making progress. Each has endeavoured to combine the four essential ingredients of progressive nations:
In many instances, those countries––India, Ghana, Singapore, North Korea, Brazil, and South Africa––did take the necessary preparatory bold decisions to come to terms with their past before embarking on the rewarding journey that today has set them on the path of purposeful nation-building. A blood-letting country cannot be a nation Now, shall we ask what memories of the past could touch off in a Nigerian that warmth, that zealous passion, that total love of the country, that consummate dedication to her and the national ideals she represents? Are there Nigerians today whose hearts, souls and spirits are uncompromisable in the proclamation of – Nigeria today, Nigeria tomorrow, and Nigeria forever? I answer with a blunt affirmation: Nigeria is a land polluted with human blood. A blood thirsty, blood-letting country cannot be a nation. Blood that was sacred in the sight of its creator was the wine with which Nigeria toasted her nascent independence. From then on, life lost its value, became so cheap to the extent that it was taken horridly and in dastardly crude manner without the country showing disdain or intolerance against the vile aberration. Nigeria cannot continue to permit what is sinful and amoral, always and readily choosing to elevate “political expediency” above godliness and humaneness, and still hope to reap positive, beneficial consequences of nationhood. “Shall we continue to live in sin and expect God’s grace to abound?”3 The adverse effects of a land without aversion to blood shedding are too apparent. Nigeria that was brought together as one entity in 1914, almost a century ago, and has been an independent, sovereign state for over five decades, today remains a dysfunctional State. Nigeria’s political trajectory has been one of an endless criss-crossing of the terrain of turbulence: from crisis to violence, violence to war, then, back again, to another round of crises, followed by bigger spectres of violence that on several occasions degenerated into blood-letting episodes. Nigeria appears to be a country that tends to be endemically at war with itself, the consequence of which has been the erosion of her unity. At the bottom of all the crises is the fierce struggle for power––power to dominate and control––especially at the centre where there are huge resources. Other levels of the society, whether as state or local governments or community or social organisations, too, are not immune to the power syndrome. The Nigerian in every Nigerian is the love for absolute power; the tendency to use it like a giant and treat all others as minions. Every ant that stands in the way is to be crushed under the huge elephant feet! Nations are not grown from an individual’s image. Or, can nations develop as a reflection of the desire of a small band of people or group. Nations aggregate collective aspirations of a people, address their fears, moderate their differences, establish rules of conduct to guide the agreed collective life, and enforce compliance by every citizen. Unfortunately, Nigeria has not, and is yet, to define the Nigerian-nation.
The independence sun did not rise before it set in 1960! Crisis of nation-building loomed large with the unfolding dawn. It began in the Western Region. Various accounts had been told of the reasons that perpetuated the West Region’s crisis but the objective fact was that it was the forerunner of the now recurring challenge of nation-building. The power tussle was between Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and his lieutenant, Chief Ladoke Akintola, who succeeded the former as the Premier of the then Western Region when the latter moved to the Federal House of Parliament to become the leader of opposition. Both men were Yoruba, from the same ethnic stock, shared the same religion, one was Jeremiah and the other Samuel! Cultural homogeneity, geographical contiguity, shared ancestry in addition to the common history played no mediatory roles in the widening of the gulf among the Yoruba as the personality clash deepened, polarising the once cohesive region. The result was to make violence to be in ample supply in several parts of the region. The danger signal of a nation under threat was apparent but political expediency beclouded good reasoning among other ethnic groups in Nigeria. In the North, the Western Region crisis was perceived rather as a good opportunity to divide and break the dominance of a major political opponent––Action Group (AG)––as the Northern People's Congress (NPC) went all out to make an in-road into the fractious region. Alliance was formed with Chief Akintola's Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) derogatorily referred to as 'Egbe Demo' (Demonic Party) by his own people, the Yoruba, who virtually idolised Chief Awolowo, his opponent. Any weapon became a convenient tool to be used against the “enemy” in the war of attrition targeting anyone holding a different political opinion. Rather than for the crisis to be doused, it reached its fatal crescendo with the putting of petrol on the smouldering fire through a series of illogical actions. First, was the arrest and subsequent trial of Chief Awolowo by the federal government on a controversial allegation of plotting to overthrow the government. Awolowo along with some of his staunch political disciples were jailed in the treasonable felony case. Secondly, following on the heels of that trial, and in spite of evidence showing to the contrary, was the procured victory for Akintola’s party (NNDP) during the 1965 general elections in the Western Region with the tacit support of the federal government. The usual account of what followed the insufferable situations in the West was to say, “Hell was let loose”. It was an understatement regarding the severity of the several dimensions of bestiality of what occurred in all parts of the Western Nigeria during the unfortunate period. The “Weti E”, literally meaning, “douse and torch”, gave the West a famed trademark in the art of settling political scores. There was no escape for whoever became an unlucky prey. I witnessed man’s inhumanity to man that time and age had not till today diminished or dimmed. A society where dog eats dog is an unfit nation I recall one of such horrible incidents in Abeokuta, my birthplace. Naturally, as youths, we were not insulated from the disturbing political developments going on around us. But nothing in my background or exposure did prepare me for the gory sight and heart-rending incident I was involuntarily exposed to. On that day, from one of our neighbourhoods were coming loud, horrendous shouts. Noise of that nature usually attracted curiosity, especially from the young ones, and like other young folks, I was attracted to the scene. Behold, it was one of those usual “political attacks” where rival political groups do violence to one another. One of the politicians living in the neighbourhood was apparently the object of the attack. He belonged to a rival political party and the noise was coming from his house. There was an apparent commotion going on inside. We watched in anticipation from a safe distance secured for ourselves. Then, volleys of gunshots were heard. It did not take long thereafter for the puzzle to fall into place. Amazingly, it was not to be the man’s corpse that was dragged out from the house. Instead, it was a hard-fighting, fiercely resisting, punch-throwing, un-subdued fellow, slung over the shoulders of his attackers that was deposited at the open space. The crowd gave way, created enormous space for the warring party. Of course, it was not a fair combat, one man against four. But it seemed that the victim, too, was well prepared for its attackers. He fought, resisted, before he was finally subdued. Like a ram to be slaughtered, he was forcefully pinned down with his arms and legs locked tightly around him. Whatever power he had left, he was dispossessed of it, completely drained of fighting spirit. On the ground in which he lay prostrate, he looked defenceless, humbled, humiliated, stripped of his futile bravado before us, the watching crowd. Then, the unpardonable happened. Before all of us watching the scene, one of his attackers went for the man’s trousers, tore it open, flung the man genitals out, and in a bizarre animalistic frenzy, twisted it to the point that the man yelled out in great pains! He was not done because after that he stretched his free hand to one of his fellow hoodlums who deposited a nail and hammer to it. There and then, he committed the most sacrilegious act before all of us to witness as spectators. He nailed the helpless man’s genitals to the ground driving the nail with hard, relentless strokes. It was a gory sight. The victim cried, yelled his heart to the end. Who dared to attempt the rescue of fellow human being so bestially treated? No one was with the courage. Unfortunately, even the professed magic or mystical power of the guillotined man that was said rendered him impenetrable to gunshots failed him; a demonstration of the futility and limitations magic and mysticism as a source of strength. For me, it remains an unforgettable experience watching a fellow human being brutally massacred––all in the name of politics! Without a Godly conscience, nation is impossible Cases of extreme callous acts epitomising the inexcusable deprivation of human life were so widespread during the Western Region’s crisis. The West was said to have gone wild at the time and what happened too went beyond the wildest limit of natural, moral and spiritual laws. They clearly offended God as his word makes clear: “Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed;” says the Lord, “and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the heathen, and a mocking to all countries,” 4 Nigerians with moral conscience should find the events reprehensible. Pretending otherwise will not augur well for the regeneration of the badly damaged soul and spirit of a troubled Nigerian-nation we seek to build. It is time to do the needful, to come to terms with the past. Nigeria owes victims of such brutality and wanton destruction of their most precious possession – life – an unreserved apology. It is the step to earn the Divine favour of God; the foundation of building a true nation. Righting the past wrongs should be total. Especially, in the light of the worse bloodletting events that followed the West Region’s crisis beginning from the year 1967. From the disastrous turn out of the initial crisis was precipitated the Eastern Region’s attempt at seceding from the Nigerian federation. Eventually, Nigeria fought a devastating, intense, and prolonged civil war––Biafran War––that spanned a thirty-month period from 30 May 1967 to 12 January 1970. But the fact was not about the war rather the substance of the case concerned the underlying issue sharply defined in the question: Where is the Nigerian-nation? The events that happened before, during, and after the debacle, bore answer to the soul-stirring question.
I do not know of any nation that has ever grown from deep wounds of acrimony. Before the war, the prelude was an atmosphere of undisguised hostilities, marked by serious inter-ethnic rivalry especially between the Nigerian three major ethnic groups (the Hausa/Fulani in the North, the Yoruba in the West, and the Igbo in the South East). Suspicions over alleged threat of domination by one ethnic group over the other became heightened with the controversial 1963 federal census. Emotions that had been supplanted reached the boiling point later. Nonetheless, throughout the period of conflicting forces, Nigeria was maintained as a single entity. However, the practical reality was that the country was as divisive and as disparate and fragmented by its language, religion and geography. Not even the shared colonial heritage provided a legacy nurturing harmony to help the cause of nation-building. Resulting from the prolonged crisis was anarchy embedding uncertainty as to the future of the country. Invariably, Nigeria experienced its first military coup on 15 January 1966. The forceful take-over of government by the army was in itself a paradox to the elusive attempt of building a Nigerian-nation. A promised beginning born with a mutilated trust The coup––that aimed to rescue the sliding Nigerian-nation from collapse––and which was led by Major Chukwuma "Kaduna" Nzeogwu, a Western Igbo, with other officers of predominantly Igbo extraction marked another chapter in the nation-building history of Nigeria. During the coup, prominent Northern politicians like the Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa along with the Premier of the Northern Region, Sarduana of Sokoto; Sir Ahmadu Bello lost their lives. The West also suffered a number of casualties of both its political and military leaders. Unfortunately, the baton of deciding the affairs of the nation fell on Major General Johnson Umunakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi, another Igbo, and with no major casualties recorded in the East, the belief was reinforced in the North that the coup was ethnically motivated to achieve domination by the Igbo over other ethnic groups. From crisis, Nigeria strolled along the banks of total collapse. On 29 July 1966, in retaliation, the Northern officers executed a "revenge coup" that led to the killing of the Nigerian head of state, Major-General Aguiyi-Ironsi at Ibadan, while several other Igbo officers and civilians paid the supreme price in the act of vengeance as they were also killed while their properties were either looted or destroyed. In the state of nature, life was not sacred, and unfortunately, Nigeria by October 1966, was a land of zealous ethnic bigotry. In what mildly can be described as religious and ethnic cleansing (others claimed genocide as the most appropriate description of the tragic event), over fifty thousand Igbos were said to have lost their lives in the mayhem occurring in the Northern part of the country. There were also accounts of the several thousands who were maimed. “Aware” or “Araba” (two Hausa words meaning divide or separate) was the slogan, the buzzword that determined life or death! Out of panic for their lives and safety, an estimated two million Igbos reportedly fled, scampering to the East for security from every direction in Nigeria. Nigeria required no other concrete evidence to deny that it was yet to be a nation or the work of making it one had begun in earnest. The initial self-denial and pretence confronted undeniable reality. It’s an established truth that solution to the dream of one Nigeria went beyond race, language, religion, geography and military conquest. It lay with the people. The crisis therefore set the stage for representatives from the main segments of the Nigerian society to meet at Aburi, Ghana––in 1967––to search for solution to the troubled Nigerian-nation. Sadly, the result was an abysmal failure. There was no meeting point between all the parties. On the one hand, the aggrieved was not placated, while the belligerent, on the other, was inflexible. It was a loss of a good opportunity to launch a new beginning. On 30 May 1967, the Eastern Nigeria proclaimed itself the “Republic of Biafra” breaking away from Nigeria as an independent State justifying its action with an accusation of genocide against the Nigerian authorities amongst others. On the part of the federal government, it responded by declaring the action of the Eastern Nigeria as a secession, prompting the declaration of war. Keeping Nigeria one was a task that must be done at all cost, the government remonstrated. However, the reality was that the initiators of the war on both sides fought with their lips while the foot soldiers were sent to the trenches to slaughter each other. Wounded hearts produce only broken spirits not warm memories It may be argued that war or violent hostility of any sort is not a tea party, a convivial arena of exchanging pleasantries by antagonistic belligerents. The Nigerian Civil War surpassed all ugliness and miseries that were trademarks of warfare. Apart from millions of unarmed civilians losing their lives, there was massive destruction of property. As the war wore on, human tragedy of serious and incalculable proportions became its aftermaths. From the economic blockade against Biafra coupled with the destruction of its agricultural life, starvation resulted; a weapon of war that eventually took its toll on the massive deaths that occurred. The hungry faced serious agony arising from severe food shortages while the injured and the afflicted were left without succour owing to lack of medicine. Of course, the public had been treated to various conjectures and conflicting accounts of the war, often from partisan and biased sources. But, as at today, there is no authentic and official ascertainment of the truth. Is it correct that about three million Biafrans lost their lives in the gruesome 30-month fratricidal war? Is there any honesty in the claim that an estimated one million souls lost their lives from the severe malnutrition that happened during the war? How valid is the account that more than three million Igbos suffered displacement and ended up as refugees because of the war?
This is not a matter of re-opening old wounds. Memories cannot be erased only lessons can be learnt. In addition, nothing else outside truth, justice and righteousness exalt a nation; nations are not built on the ashes of perverted history. Though resulting from the end of the civil war on 15 January 1970 was the federal government’s programme of “Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation,” will it be true to affirm that since then, Nigerians have become truly reconciled? When and at what point in the history of Nigeria have we shown the sincere acknowledgment for the acts of omission and commission committed during the Civil War? Is there no one without blemish from the tragic events surrounding the war? Where those are found culpable and/or negligent of having gone beyond permissible acts of wars during the period? What moral and ethical lessons did we learn collectively? How have we regenerated our ugly past to inform the effort at constructing a new upright and socially just Nigeria? What have we decided to make of the soul and spirit, the living embodiment of our dream nation? There has to be a conjunction of minds and will between all groups and peoples constituting Nigeria, affirming solemnly and agreeing soberly that the foundation of the new Nigerian-nation shall be on no other building block other than truth, justice and righteousness. Without the deliberate purging our country of the congenital blood-letting affliction––including the rampant armed-robbery that Nigeria reaped as one of the ugly consequences of the Civil War and which had resulted in the death of many innocent Nigerians––there will continue to be the tormenting of the soul and spirit of Nigeria. It is a Divine law that can help Nigeria begin life anew. Except the people will, no force can decree Nigerian-nation After all, to those discernible, it should be now clear that Nigeria’s redemption could not be procured through tyrannical or authoritarian leadership. Nowhere in history has military fiat succeeded in decreeing a country into an enduring nation. In the case of Nigeria, it is even evident that times past has seen through such falsehood; a hypocrisy that is denied by the truth revelation that in many instances, the Nigerian military was just as culpable as their civilian cohorts in the failure of the task at nation-building. Indeed, the military has been far worse in the shedding of innocent blood particularly at peace time, which oftentimes left the soul and spirit of Nigeria battered. The first casualty was Major General Aguiyi Ironsi. Then, there was the bloodless overthrow of the regime of Gowon on 29 July 1975, which brought in Major General Murtala Mohammed. Murtala’s government was short-lived as a bloody but unsuccessful coup followed on 13 February 1976 claiming his life. His deputy Major General Olusegun Obasanjo succeeded him, and the aftermath of the coup was the public execution ( making a public show) of those found guilty of complicity in the failed attempt. The Major General Mohammed Buhari’s putsch of 31 December 1983, which purportedly was undertaken to rescue Nigeria from imminent collapse was itself cut short by Major General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida on 27 August 1985. Under the Babangida’s government, the founding editor of the Newswatch Magazine, Dele Giwa was killed through a parcel bomb. The public was fed with allegations of government’s master-minding of the plot and counter-denial by government of any complicity in the dastardly act. As of today, the truth remains a buried secret. However, in sharp contrast was the execution of Maman Vasta and others after a controversial coup trial as well as the mysterious deaths of not a few promising members of the Nigerian Armed forces from an inexplicable plane crash in Ejigbo, Lagos. Babangida survived a bloody coup on 22 April 1990 led by mostly young officers in the Nigerian Army with not less than 200 army officers executed after being court marshalled as the repercussion for their audacity. General Sanni Abacha who took over through a palace coup on 17 November 1993 after dismissing the Interim Government headed by Ernest Shonekan was as tainted with blood as his fellow comrades in arm. Under Abacha’s government, the list of prominent and ordinary Nigerians who lost their lives would measure more than an arm’s length. Abacha was as stoned-faced as his stony heart. The memory of the death of the over 200 protesters in Lagos, that of Kudirat Abiola, the wife of late Chief M. K. O. Abiola, the presumed winner of the 12 June 1993 Presidential elections, and including the execution on 10 November 1995 of the nine Ogoni activists including Ken Sarowiwa questioned Nigeria’s rightful claim to nationhood. But a nation can still arise from the past ashes Immunity against impunity is not an attribute of a worthy nation. Nationhood is about a people, once more quoting Renan, “… warm in their embrace of the memories of the past from which is drawn the strength to apply a common will towards upholding the legacies of that past in the ever continuing desire to build a common future fostered by one unifying passion…” It is time to say the truth, to help Nigeria, to free the country from the yoke of falsehood and denial of the obvious, to rescue the land from bondage of corruption, bondage of religious fanaticism and the antics of the evil bigots; to secure for the people a new lease of life and to breathe freshness to resuscitate the failing nation. All of us must come clean of our iniquities for: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, but...”5 Furthermore, the unrequited injustice perpetrated through the various indefensible blood-letting cases, which had virtually become a national character of Nigeria will keep hunting this country unless there is genuine effort to cleanse the land. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper…,” “but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”6 Listen oh fellow compatriots as the LORD compassionately invites us all: “Come now, and let us reason together,” though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool,” if ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land7 The condition attached to Nigeria receiving the favour of the Divine is to approach the Throne of Mercy with sobriety and with a heart of repentance so that like David, we beseech the Almighty, “Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness,” 8 Such honest admission of guilt leaves no one aside – the leaders and the led, past and present rulers, the low and the mighty, the young and the old, man and woman. We must own up to our faults. Nigeria, in part, is where she is today because all of us in our collective guilt have fallen far short of the glory of being dedicated to cause of true nation-building. Our country’s heart and soul is crying aloud for atonement. The LORD is calling on every Nigerian for a genuine penitence. From former military gladiator-rulers to their civilian counterparts and including current political actors as well as business, religious and other leaders in various strata of the society, it is time to undertake the most ennobling act for the Nigerian people. Oh how the Merciful LORD longs for a penitent Nigeria. “If my people who are called by my Name shall humble themselves And pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, Then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and will heal their land9 Genuine confession and repentance (not mere rhetoric apology) must be offered to the Nigerian people for the transgressions against them. In addition, with that spirit of moral purification, in whatever way that people’s trust have been abused, let Nigeria and its people have back their possessions, those “excess luggage” that by virtue of your position found their way into your personal possessions. “For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and ruins or forfeits his (soul) himself?” 10 It is a very challenging step, a tough decision to take but one from which the memory will be undying that at a point in history, some eminent Nigerians finally took the bold decision to begin the laying of the foundation for a true nation. Truth and reconciliation must be the foundation What should follow next is to, with honesty give justice to the aggrieved through a process of truth discovery, confession, and admission of guilt, proper reconciliation, and restitution of sin committed by every individual, tribe, family, and group at one point in the country’s history or the other. Justice, no matter how delayed, restores the confidence of the people in a nation. There is no way that Nigeria would wash away memories of the atrocities from the numerous ethno-religious clashes and hope that the Nigerian-nation will be better for it. Not even in the face of the high cost to lives and property that have attended the desperate attempt to dominate the country by a particular religion. The innocent victims of the Maitastsine riots of 1980, for example, still bore their pains in studied silence. Equally, were the unfortunate beneficiaries of the burning of Churches by Kano Muslims in 1982 following the dispute over a church’s location at Fagge near the city’s centre. What restitution has followed the 1987 Kafanchan-Kaduna religious riots as well as the Zangon-Kataf riots of 1992, including the Tafawa Balewa clashes that occurred in 1991, 1995 and 2000 respectively? There had also been the Kaduna riots of 2000, not forgetting the incessant Jos riots beginning from 1994 and stretching to 2001, 2008, 2010, including the most current, the 2011 disturbance. I wonder if Nigerians have not lost count of the number of religious induced but certainly senseless bombings that have taken scores of lives in Gombe, Maiduguri, Damaturu, Potaskum, Abuja and Zonkwa. Equality is not just a norm but an article of faith in order to instil nationalistic spirit in every citizen of a country. The blood of Nigerian children cries out In similar vein, the blood of the victims of the numerous ethnic upheavals, which saw the Ijaw and Itsekiri youths clash of May 1999 during which over 200 lost their lives, led as a typical example, must be assuaged. Others include the nearly 60 lives lost during the Yoruba/ Hausa ethnic riot at Sagamu, Ogun State, in July 1999; the over 100 citizens said to have been sent to their untimely graves by soldiers in Odi, Bayelsa State in November 1999. On the heels of that were another 30 lives reportedly cut due to a clash between the Hausa and Yoruba traders at the Mile 12 market in Lagos. Clearly, Nigeria has shed too much blood pursuing nothing that in any way adds value to nation-building. We must learn that no nation sheds the blood of its citizens as we have been doing, doing so without any sense of guilt for years, and should hope or expect to prosper. It amounts to taking God the Creator and giver of life for granted. Such a nation cannot experience any meaningful progress. Life is blood and blood is life; God the giver of life that is blood hates the shedding of blood. Unless there is atonement for the blood of the innocents that have been unjustifiably shed, it will be difficult for Nigeria to obtain the mercy of God. The blood of the innocent lives shed like the blood of Abel, will continue to cry aloud for justice. Fifty-one years after independence, it is obvious that Nigeria is still in search of how to evolve a nation that has reached agreement regarding the appropriate method or mechanism of ensuring fair, equitable and just distribution of its abundant wealth among its people. It is one reason why politics has turned to crass opportunism; an endless battle and a war fought relentlessly to control the resources of the country. Thus, every election is warfare with such primordial sentiments as misguided religious claims, ethnicity, tribal affiliation and regionalism deployed as major weapons rather than the focusing on national interest as the over-riding goal. Nigeria that ought to have made substantial progress has remained shackled by narrow-mindedness elevating the geography of heritage, of place of birth, of questionable religion zeal, over and above vision, ability and capability of a leader to transform the country. By and large, the country is enslaved to the notion of “political expediency”, a term that has become fashionable to rob the country of nationalistic ideals. Thus far, we have failed to realise that what is considered desirable and politically expedient is repugnant to the will of God and is also socially, economically and spiritually suicidal. Without doubt, Nigeria has gotten it wrong, so far. This house, rebuilt properly can stand! The same veering away of using power constructively characterises how symbolic power is in Nigeria. Power that is a means to an end has become the sought after end; purchased, coveted, and acquired at every cost, neither used as an instrument to further national interest nor devoted to positive goal but serving myopic, narrow, selfish interest or to perpetuate a hegemonic hold on the country. Nations do not grow in a dysfunctional equilibrium where there is transparent inequitable distribution of power. It is an improper equation for a group in a nation to assume the right of divine supremacy over others. The idea contradicts the tenet of social equality that should be an abiding principle guiding a nation. Vibrant nations thrive as a common wealth––in every sense of the word––a collective possession that is cherished because its people, in a way that cannot be explained, have this sentimental attachment to it. It is what has given a nation in a metaphorical sense, the identity of “a home”, and as such all whether from the “East or West, North or South, should look up to this with the fondest feeling of its being the best.” So, if a nation is “home” to all, will it augur well for the comfort of its occupants if some family members claim higher status or better privileges than others? No, it will not augur for the health of the home as it is also bound to result in the disruption of love and harmony that ought to knit the home together once there is inequality – of rights-an essential ingredient for a harmonious living- privileges, opportunities, and of even duties and obligations. A sense of belonging must pervade in Nigeria among all its constituent parts for the Nigerian-nation to be truly a home for all. It therefore smacks of arrogance of power for a part of the country to threaten openly to make the country ungovernable and/or use terror to suppress the legitimate right of other sections of the country to lead Nigeria. What manner of “home” is it where there are restrictions or embargo against some family members regarding the limit of the areas or facilities they are naturally entitled to, from their collective inheritance? One, love cannot be the foundation of such a home. Two, there cannot be unity. And, three, such a home will be crisis prone. Tolerance, too, has its limit, and patience does not endure forever in the face of relentless provocations.
It cannot augur well for the building of a viable Nigerian-nation if deliberate steps are not taken to correct obvious anomalies or imperfections of Nigeria. Nigeria must become a home to all, literally and figuratively. But the collapsed “house” must be re-built as a first step. There cannot be a “home” without the erection of the “house”. A situation whereby a particular section of the country or group, for instance, dominates the top hierarchy of the federal civil service, the judiciary, the military, etc. cannot encourage less acrimonious politics in Nigeria. A new atmosphere needs to be brought to the Nigerian “home”, to release a refreshing wind of fairness, shower the home with equality, love and brotherhood. In such an environment, it will be found improper, as obtains in the FCDA/FCT, for example, where 46 out of its 50 directors are only from a particular section of the country! Without over-labouring the point, the diversity of Nigeria must assume a true, egalitarian meaning. It must be engraved as soul and spirit of the new Nigerian-nation if there is to be correction of some of the structural defects that have continued to hamper Nigeria’s advancement into greatness. Time to begin the new nation-building agenda To turn a blind eye or lend a deaf ear to the realities of the times is to learn nothing from the instructive examples of Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Somalia, Yemen and other countries. Their leaderships made wrong assumptions about the tide of their citizens’ emotions. Suffering does not ennoble rather it only embitters! Freedom from political, social and economic iniquities are basic to human nature, especially when people, for long, have been denied, impoverished and their lives devalued. Repression cannot help; religion hardly quells the anger of people against an unjust system. Tyrannised people always in the end, find the strength to reclaim their stolen humanity. The handwriting from the rebellions and mutinies of the Niger Delta militants, the OPC, the Egbesus, and MASSOB plus other faceless ethnic militias––except Boko Haram, which is isolated because its agenda differs from that of others––are bad omens for the Nigeria of today. Graver is their implication for the tomorrow that is no longer a distant future, but which is right now with the country. The dimension of a “separatist movement,” that the Boko Haram has introduced bears frightening proportion to the danger of pretending no threat to the tomorrow of Nigeria. With the demand for Sharia law to govern all of the northern states of Nigeria (as if the entire North is Islamic—whereas, not a few of the states have large Christian population e g: Kaduna, Benue, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Niger, Kogi, Bauchi, Gombe, South of Borno, Kebbi and Kwara,) coupled with the brazenness and overt demonstration of resorting to extreme violence to terrorise others into submission, Nigeria is at the crucial valley of decision. That was how the mindless killings of the 1960s began. Incitement of religious “war” with clear intention of undermining the supremacy of the Nigerian constitution will certainly not augur well for Nigeria. Nations are not born by force; nor can pacifying of illegalities (as we are currently doing with the Boko Haram and other terrorist groups) assure the moral commitment required to infuse soul and spirit into the heart of the ‘nation.’ Nations arise from the free will of the people, reasoning together, thinking together, and deciding together to uphold their common heritage. By that collective spirit, the people stamps its Sovereign will on the government, gives it the legitimacy to enforce its will on every constituent member of the society. No matter the good luck that Nigeria has had from the Omnipotence of God that has helped her from sliding to total collapse, luck cannot substitute for honest and sincere action for re-birth of the country. The huge joke about “rebranding” the serious “Nigerian question”, good enough, did serve its purpose of a comic relief while it lasted. Nigeria can no longer delay attention to those challenges militating against her struggle to attain nationhood. Consensus must be struck on the important issues like freedom of religion, fair and equitable distribution of resources, fiscal federalism, social and economic rights of the people, the judicial and legal system, rule of law, free and fair election, and a government that is accountable. The structural violence against the Nigerian people through criminal mismanagement of the country’s resources by those in leadership positions must end. Nigeria is in a position to add quality to the life of every Nigerian. Abundant is the potential that the Almighty Father has endowed the country with that it is possible to build a humane and decent society for every boy and girl, male and female, young and old in the country. Nigeria is a blessed country that is well positioned to enhance, enrich, and sustain every citizen’s existence. A blessed people can do great things We have no excuse juxtaposed with so many countries. Other nations have encountered more challenging adversities than Nigeria and still emerged better out of them. As an instance, Japan that eventually was the first non-western country to industrialize successfully suffered a massive devastation from the atomic bomb during the Second World War. With deliberate planning, she overcame the scars of the war through heavy investment on human resource development. The commitment took 25 years that by the mid-1970s Japan had achieved a respectable educational level that became an important factor to her rapid industrialization. The same breath-taking amazing breakthrough surrounded the story of Botswana. Botswana became independent in 1966; six years after Nigeria had become a Sovereign country. Today, the tiny country has become one of Africa’s model success stories. Ironically, when Botswana began her nation-building efforts, she lacked practically everything. The country had no surfaced roads, with only two secondary schools, that dated back to the 1940s. She was as poor as any place in the world. Sharply contrasted with Nigeria that has become poorer than she was at independence, Botswana has remarkably achieved extraordinary rapid economic growth and impressive living standards since 1966. She depended on cattle products as her largest export until 1978 when diamonds took over. Botswana did well because of equal heavy investment in human capital that contributed to its economic growth and social transformation. By the Human Development Index, while living standards in countries such as Botswana are showing substantial improvement, the reverse has been the case with Nigeria despite the advantage of inestimable resources. One additional point that the success stories underlined is the extent to which resourcefulness is grafted into the fabric of a society once it successfully defines itself in a move that propels it as a – nation.
The government along with the people should commit the injunction of God to memory that, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people,”11 We must summon courage to undertake the imperative. Nigeria needs total cleansing of her polluted land. There must be atonement for the blood that has been spilled. All those culpable––individuals, ethnic militias, religious groups, political and military leaders––must be identified brought to account for their misdemeanours or crimes. Nigeria needs a serious reflection and introspection about the ungodly acts of the past. Token gestures will not suffice. Tinkering with the Constitution of Nigeria is not the first step required to have a true Nigerian-nation. There must be genuine recognition that harm and injustice have been committed. All found culpable in the terrible shedding of innocent blood––whether in the North, South, East or West––should be brought to book. Any crime that is connected with illegal taking of life should not be spared whether by the ethnic militias, the uniformed forces, and including the numerous cases of political and economic assassinations. All the cases must be properly investigated. Anyone––dead or alive––found implicated must be appropriately punished so that the families of victims can be assuaged of the agonies of the loss of their beloved ones. The souls of the victims, too, will forgive Nigeria. Indeed, national repentance is not only desirable it is the seed to the emergence of a new Nigeria. Nigeria must embrace the triology of: confession, repentance and restitution. It is time to give Nigeria the genuine re-birth she seriously craves for: to heal the wounds, assuage the ill-feelings and sooth the ugly scars of the past. By continuing to ignore the ungodly acts of the past and present, this country will not overcome the constraints denying her from making her rightful progress. Nigeria possesses the capacity to be great. It is time to break the jinx retarding her advancement, making the country centre of perpetual crisis. A new Nigerian-nation is possible. “Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in,”12 The LORD our God is willing and ever ready to have mercy on us only if we choose to be obedient and humbly follow the right approach. Nigeria must solemnly affirm justice, Godliness, and righteousness. They are the foundation to a peaceful, stable, progressive and respectable nation. We must resolve again never to return to the evil cycle of blood-letting of the past. With our heart and might, never again shall the new Nigerian-nation be a land polluted with blood. NEVER AGAIN! NEVER! 1 Renan, Ernest (1882) “What is a nation?” (translation by Alfred Zimmern, Oxford University Press, 1939) By permission in William Ebenstein (ed) (1947) Modern Political Thought: The Great Issues (Second Edition), Gullab Primlani, Oxford & IBH Publishing Co.: Delhi, India 2 Renan, ibid, 3 Romans 6. 1 4 Ezekiel 22. 4 5 (1 John 1:8). 6 (Proverbs 28. 13) 7 Isaiah 1. 18-19 8 Psalm 51. 14 9 2 Chronicles 7. 14 10 Luke 9. 25 11 ( Proverbs 14. 34) 12 Isaiah 26.. 2 Yüklə 74,73 Kb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
|