|
INSISTING THAT NIGERIA'S UNITY IS NOT NEGOTIABLE IS A SURE ROUTE TO VIOLENT BALKANIZATION By " Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."-Albert Einstein. I am not against the unity of Nigeria but any unity based on falsehood, distrust, disillusionment, disharmony and disinclination is bound to lead to disaster.
In the present day Nigeria, no tribe or ethnic group trust each other, it is a common sense issue that no relationship can succeed without trust. Hence for anyone to say that the unity of any country is not negotiable is the most erroneous and disingenuous statement any sane mind can make. Canada with all their years of civilization and independence are still negotiating and voting on their unity (Quebec the French speaking province of Canada).
In this article I will try as much as possible to compare the advantages and disadvantages of current Nigeria state of affair.
The proponents of Nigerian unity or it is existence as it is, always states the following to mention a few: Abundance of manpower Strength in number and diversity Large market The "sweat of our heroes past" Maintaining the status quo All the above points are valuable in an environment of trust, accountability and symbiotic relationship but in an environment of mistrust and "free riders" this could be the Achilles hill to the development of a nation.
The opponents of the country’s unity or its existence as it is always states the following to mention a few: Misappropriation of oil-producing areas' funds Corruption Exploitation and domination by one or all the major tribes The country is too large to govern Resource control Ethnic and religion clashes All the above points are also valid and needs to be address either in Nigeria as a country or Nigeria as a community of Nations. The idea that any honest and peace loving Nigeria who is interested in the peace and prosperity of the country will foreclose the discussion or resolution of this disquieting matter is baffling.
I was really disturbed when I read the interview of the president by the BBC and his response to Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, who, when reacting to the contentious electoral law made the sensitive point about secession. The president didn't waste time to dismissed Chief Ojukwu and other secessionists, as "irresponsible rascals": "Anyone who talks of secession should have his head examined". And he threatened to deal with them.
My appeal to the "irresponsible rascals" is that "Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrity's. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence"-Albert Einstein.
What is the current state of Nigeria as a nation? Nigeria is a country with an estimated population of 126 million with age structure as described below : Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.71% (male 27,842,225; female 27,514,197) The current infant mortality rate is 73.34 death/1000 live births (2001 est.) and life expectancy at birth 51.07 years (this mean that a child born in Nigeria toady is only guarantee to live for 51 years).
This situation is even worse if we look at the quality of healthy life a child born in Nigeria today we live. For the first time ever, the World Health Organization assessed the performance of health systems of its 191 member countries in achieving three main goals for the health system: health, responsiveness, and fairness in financing. The primary summary measure of population health used is disability-adjusted life expectancy, or DALE, which measures the equivalent number of years of life a child born in Nigeria today is expected to live in full health, (i.e. without disease, injuries and disability) or healthy life expectancy.
Of all the 191 countries Nigeria was ranked (163). The "good news" we beat 20 countries, but let me tell you some of the countries ahead of Nigeria, Algeria (84), Tunisia (90), Gambia (143), Gabon (144), Cambodia with all the civil war (148) Congo (150), Senegal (151) Haiti (153), Sudan (154), Cote d’Ivoire (155), Cameroon our neighbor in the east (156) Benin our neighbor in the west do you remember the famous Chief Obafemi Awolowo quotation when the Benin gendarmes killed some of our soldiers and was asked what "he will do if such an incident should occur under his watch as the president of Nigeria? He answered; "He thought the boundary between Nigeria and Ghana was Togo" was ranked (157), Mauritania (158), Togo (159) and Kenya (162). The DALE for Nigeria was 38.3 years. This means that a child born in Nigeria today is only sure of 38.3 quality years.
Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populous country is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29% (37million), Yoruba 21% (27 million), Igbo (Ibo) 18% (23m), Ijaw 10% (13m), Kanuri 4% (5m), Ibibio 3.5% (4m), Tiv 2.5% (3m). (CIA: The World Fact books 2002). These ethnic groups can exist as nations on their own or a community of nations as in the former Soviet Union.
The oil-rich Nigerian economy, is continuously hobbled by political instability, corruption, and poor macroeconomic management. The Nigeria's past governments failed to diversify the economy away from over dependence on the capital-intensive oil sector, which provides 20% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 65% of budgetary revenues. The largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth, and Nigeria, once a large net exporter of food, now is an importer of food. The GDP per capita (purchasing power parity is $950 2000 est.) The population below poverty line is estimated at 45 percent with unemployment rate roving around 30%. The labor force is 66 million (agriculture 70%, industry 10%, services 20% 1999 est.) Inflation rate 6.5%. The industrial development of country can be described as crude oil, coal, tin, columbite, palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel. The industrial production rate is estimated at 1.5% (2000 est.). In 1999, the electricity production was 18.7 billion kWh and consumption was 17.372 billion kWh and exports of 19 million kWh. The agricultural products are cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish. External debt of $32 billion.
The household income or consumption by percentage share of the nation economy for the lowest 10% is 1.6% and the highest 10% is 40.8%. This is an index of the great disparity between the rich and the poor in Nigeria.
After reviewing all these facts for anyone to say that there is no need to discuss the future of Nigeria or that anyone who after reviewing this grimly status of the nation and profess an alternative direction either in form of secession, confederation etc. is insane or a "chicken little crying the sky is falling" really needs his or her own head examined. "The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it". –Albert Einstein. Hence, the danger we are facing in Nigeria is not the people but the inaction of the leaders and the ‘political geniuses and mercenaries’ who lack the ability to forebode.
I am going to use a story in the Bible that is agreeable to about 90% of Nigerian population to explain why there is need for discussion and at times separation may be in the interest of two parties in order to prevent or forestall strife and disaster.
God told Abram (Abraham the father of both Muslim and Christian faith): "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. Later in the story Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. There was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. Despite the fact that they were blood relatives and Abraham was Lot’s mentor and benefactor, there was problem in their relationship. Abraham and Lot did not sweep this under the carpet or started finger pointing or name calling, but they agreed that they had problems that could destroy God’s blessings in their lives. Hence they realistically faced their problems through dialogue.
So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. "Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left." Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom.
Later, Lot along with the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were captured by King Chedorlaomer. When Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.
For there to be peace, tranquility, accountability and progress in Nigeria we need real and sincere dialogue with every issue on the table and I am not afraid of joining the group of the "irresponsible rascals" because "any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius --- and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction".
In the Nigeria of today with this current structure there is a place for socio-cultural group like Afenifere, Arewa, Ohaneze etc. But in a restructured Nigeria as a community of nations there will be no place for all these socio-cultural groups because all the issues of contention that is fanning these groups would have dissipated.
The way forward for Nigeria like Abraham and Lot is to identify that we have a problem with our union. The next step is to have a realistic dialogue with every issue including resource allocation, our way forward and future commitments towards each other analyzed and resolved. I am not a critic that doesn’t profess a possible solution because "intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them."
To prevent future violent balkanization of Nigeria I am suggesting the following steps. We need to talk call it sovereign national conference or whatever. This discussion should involve management of our resources and the designing of a Marshall plan like program for the states that are not currently endow with resources because of our past over dependence on oil to the detriment of exploitation of other resources.
The removal of state of origin from our vital statistics and replacement with question on place of birth as it is being done in all civilized nation. But this can only be possible in a restructured egalitarian society or a community of civilized nations. It is absurd that an Hausa man or woman born in Lagos still claim to be Hausa instead of a Lagosian or an Ibo man born in Kaduna still feeling like a stranger in the North. It is easier for a Muslim from another country with the same less qualification than a southerner to get job in the northern states of Nigeria. Every time this flashes across my mind, it sends frapper to my bones.
Let every state manage their own resources and pay tax to loose central government for the following purposes, security, defense, commerce and other national responsibilities that the states shall concede to the central government and the development of the less economic developed states.
The objectives of the Marshall plan like program should be clear distinct with the intention to teach these states "how to fish and not just to give them fish to eat".
Limitation of government (federal, state and local government) role to only regulations, referees of private sectors and law enforcement. Total privatization of every sector of the economy to enable economic efficiency in the allocation of the country resources.
Development, improvement and commitment to public health with core function to prevent epidemics, to protect the environment, the workplace and to ensure safe housing, food and water. The should devote about 70 percent of her resources for healthcare to this sector in order to improve the current deplorable state of our health status.
It is my opinion that Nigeria should form a loose federation based on the ethnic description of Hausa and Fulani 29% (37million), Yoruba 21% (27 million), Igbo (Ibo) 18% (23m), Ijaw 10% (13m), Kanuri 4% (5m), Ibibio 3.5% (4m), Tiv 2.5% (3m) or more the agitation of any group with the intention to exist as a nation should not be forcefully thwarted after a referendum of the residents of that community has been carried out. The Chief Anthony Enahoro formula can also be consider after a referendum of the inhabitants of that geographical area.
Localization of the police force to enable accountability of the police force to the local community. The current police arrangement breeds insecurity and indiscipline in the police force. For the police force to be effective their allegiance must be to the community they protect and not their commanding officer or their Inspector General at Abuja.
It is my view, no arrangement can succeed unless human beings are giving the right to exercise their freedom or see values in the reasons of their existence in a group. It is the nature of human beings to seek and think that the grass is greener on the other side.
Right from our colonial days the aspirations of the south were different from the aspirations of the core north, when the south was ready for self rule the north still wanted to be ruled by the British. Currently our core northern brothers and sisters are agitating for military rule while we in the south want democratic rule. They want Sharia penal code but we want the current existing legal systems. As my Bible say can two people work together unless they agree.
I do not pray or wish for a violent separation of the country because this will create both economical and social disaster all over the continent of Africa. There are too much distrust, dissension and disdain for each other that the best solution now is to try other arrangements.
In view of this it is my prayer that we should sit down as honest and patriotic Nigerians and disencumber ourselves from this failed current disoblige status quo that leads to only one end violent balkanization of Nigeria. Feb 2002 |