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THE KERNEL OF OUR NATION’S PROBLEM By
To begin with, a short story is in order so as to have a point of reference on which to anchor this article. Imagine a man, say from United Kingdom and a woman, say from Africa desiring to unit in holy matrimony. These two persons have different cultures, sets of believes, moral standards, socio-economic, and political dogmas which they will inadvertently bring into such union. These types of believe and dogmas can influence the marriage in two ways. They can either brighten up or darken the marriage. To reduce tension and bring forth a fruitful and successful marriage, it is imperative for the two adults to sit down in order to enhance their common believes and to find amicable strategies for resolving their differences that may surface later during their union. Without such strategy of accepting that there exists differences, all that they labor for during the union would amount to pouring most costly, beautifully scented fragrance into a basket and the result in this union becomes contentious, self-doubting, and distrusting. Federating states within Nigeria have been in this type of relationship for far too long. Many have said that Nigeria is a blessed nation with mineral, human resources, good weather, arable lands, and citizens that are capable, easily governed, and they ask for just a little to survive. No question, Nigeria is blessed. Many have also claimed that Nigeria is a country with people/tribes of differing mission, goals and objects but without a shared vision. This is also a fact. The question is, why has Nigeria being experiencing brilliant failures and successful zeros? The answer to this question is not too difficult to figure out and it is the thesis of this article. CITIZENS AS NECESSARY INGREDIENT FOR POLITICAL STABILITY AND ECONOMIC REGENERATION In order for us to understand the genesis of Nigerian problem, it is necessary to have a summary of the history of our failed federation. Right from the beginning, the people of Nigeria have always known or made aware that Nigeria consists of many nations carefully crafted in 1914 amalgamation by British government for its advantage and use. It is also a fact that Nigerians have been complaining about the evil that the British amalgamation did to nation but I submit to you that it is time to cut out the complaining. A reasonable, and intelligent group of people, I will dare say, Nigerians qualify to be in this category ought to be able to correct and change any terms of such a convoluted union instead of continuously blaming the British. If the British government’s wishes resulted in amalgamation, Nigeria’s wish is to correct such a malicious union. How has Nigeria faired since her 1960 independence with her homegrown colonialism and terrorists. By the time Nigeria was ready to embrace independence, amalgamated Nigeria was split into three regions controlled by each of the major tribes namely: the Hausa/Fulani; the Igbo; and the Yoruba. It is a fact that the Hausa knew their potential weakness of not fully engaged in the Western form of education. Indeed, they made their fear on this issue known to the other two regions. It is also a fact that the Igbo and Yoruba instead of seeing the confessed weakness as a challenge to helping fellow citizens get over it, they decided to not only taunt the north but used such a confessed weakness to their own advantage. Unknown to the Igbo and Yoruba, Sarduna of Sokoto, Sir Ahamadu Bello, a brilliant strategist noted that while most Yoruba and Igbo were busy acquiring western education, his people could join the military as a safeguard for future eventualities. Many years later, the Yoruba and the Igbo control the economic and technology lifeline of Nigeria while the Hausa/Fulani controlled the military. Instead of the new convoluted Nigeria to accept that it was brought into existence by divine conjecture it decided to exaggerate the milieu of distrust. Nigeria has since then been trying to land a jumbo jet whose landing gear is not retractable. Instead of Western and Eastern Nigeria to understand the confessed weakness of the North and help improve its western educational backwardness, they capitalized on it. Instead of the North to struggle to better the lives of its citizens, it too concentrated on gaining military control and engaged in political management it was incapable of achieving. Thus, the three regions never saw eye-to-eye in the political apostasy. Now the West and the East are educated but there is no job or opportunity to practice their trade within Nigeria and the North indirectly wrote itself out of existence by the incompetent management of Nigeria, the systemic corruption brought about by their almost thirty years ruling Nigeria. We are now in a stalemate, majority of the North is still largely uneducated in the western education sense and the rest of Nigeria are dying of abject poverty. The proverbial landing of a chicken on a rope where neither the rope nor the chicken is at rest is what we now have. Who is going to blink first and who is kidding whom? Nigerians are not yet mature and ready for peaceful revolution of their ingrown problems. The situation in the country may be very deplorable but citizens are still bent on begging for their right instead of taking control of it. Nigerians are simply going through outrage by proxy. May be they will wake up to fight for fair, justice, equity, transparency and may be they will just "siddon look" hoping that angel Gabriel will redeem them from their political platitude. It is time for Nigerians to consider engaging in participatory politics instead of money politics, as money is tyranny of politics. The way forward, I think, is in agreeing to come together under some well-articulated understanding and discuss some festering issues such as Niger Delta, ethnic disturbances, the religious pogroms, agitation for resource control, cry of marginalization, and review of the Federal structure with a view to reaching a consensus on how to consolidate the unity and political stability of Nigeria. Short of this, Nigeria as a nation will be spinning her wheels on the same spot leading to constant capital flight from Nigeria to other viable neighboring African countries. It is understandable that, individually, Nigerians are very articulated but collectively they are incoherent ranting baboons because each wants to be a captain of a sinking ship. Since Nigerian people were not part of the decision to amalgamate the tribes, there is a compelling reason for the call for National Conference (or SNC). This is another kernel of discourse, trustworthiness which must be settled. THE CONSTITUTION The constitution of our dear beloved Nation begins with the following preamble, "We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, having firmly and solemnly resolve, to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under God, dedicated to the promotion of inter-African solidarity, world peace, international co-operation and understanding, and to provide for a Constitution for the purpose of promoting the good government and welfare of all persons in our country, on the principles of freedom, equality and justice ..." Although the 1979 and modifications thereafter was initiated by the military, it must be accepted as work in progress. Once accepted, Nigeria must begin to dissect the constitution so that, like the American constitution which every one refers to, it too can stand the test of time. We must, however, not fail to clean up the monstrous virus deliberately injected in the guise of promoting unity by past and subsequent leaders but surgically remove the criminality written into the current constitution by those leaders that were not elected by the common will of the people of Nigeria. Inability to resolve the unfair part of the nation’s constitution is another kernel of our nation’s problem. A good constitution must come from citizens that do not nurse ulterior motives. A good constitution can also assure a measure of good governance, adherence to democratic principles, respect for human rights and human dignity, the rule of law, and transparency and accountability at all levels. CAPITALISM Nigeria is yet to understand the game involved in capitalism. Capitalism is a game played by 5% of citizens controlling 95% of wealth the country’s wealth. They play the game so well that even those being exploited wake up every morning to pledge their total loyalty. Capitalism appeals to the greed in all of us. It encourages economic type of relationship rather than interpersonal relationship. Education is the very inherent tool of capitalism that is for the educated to produce at their highest level and making minimum for himself or herself while making most outrageous returns for the employer. It also encourages purchase of things that we do not have money to pay for and keeps us in perpetual debt. We must understand this game and apply it to the cultural norms and African basic social structure. In capitalism, poor and middle class work hard just to be able to meet the minimum monthly payment required to get by for that month and convince us to live in beautiful hire-purchase homes. If we understand capitalism, why will 5% of 5% of Nigerians (Africans) control 95% of the nation’s wealth and instead of creating wealth, take the wealth out to the super rich countries. There are many billionaires in US and Europe but they do not transfer their money to Africa and why the enquiring minds want to know? No matter how these billionaires make their money, they legalized it by creating jobs. In Nigeria, a millionaire or billionaire derives pride in keeping all his money outside while such money is loan back at exorbitant rates through some banking system setup by the same super powers. These types of millionaires or billionaires are mortgaging the future of all citizens including their own children. Even with all the apparent shortcoming of capitalism, it seeks to achieve are:
In fact, most Nigerians poor or wealth cannot describe what the sky looked like the previous day because they are busy trying to survive, trying to dodge bullets from armed robbers and trying to look good according to the dictates of others. Some of the wealthy Nigerians have sent their kids out of the country with looted money and are not privileged to enjoy the growing years of the children nor restful because of the dangerous and insecure living situation they ended creating the country. Nigeria will only change when Nigerians setup the Nigerian standards not European standards. Nigeria is not yet on the same page with countries like America, Britain, Germany, and France. To get economic and social benefits of capitalism, Nigeria must be able to relate capitalism to Nigerian’s social, economic, political, and cultural dynamics. Nigeria will always lose playing game she does not understand with the rules she neither establish or capable of modifying. THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, IMF AND NIGERIA Many decades ago and one can still say without making any gross mistakes that a few people control 95% of the wealth of their city, and/or their country through fear and intimidation. Such types of groups were referred to as Mafia. The Mafia controlled all sorts of trading, intimidated citizens, killed, and maimed citizens to points of surrender or provides them an opportunity to join then in dastard acts of making illegal money. Interestingly, they loaned unsuspected citizens hard for cash. The citizens later found out that they will never even pay off the interests on the loan in their lifetime not to talk of making a dent on the capital. The civilized world condemned the Mafia and some countries did everything possible to eradicate them. Today, however, a different type of Mafia, one that is legal now exists. The group is called the IMF. How can one borrow $6.0 billion, pay $16.0 billion and still have $27.0 billion left to pay? This was the same tactics which was considered illegal but employed by the Mafia engaged in. I guess, the countries that went out to borrow from IMF knew the terms of the loan agreement they signed. It may not be too surprising to find that the IMF borrowed their operations from the Mafia by not only providing loans at ridiculous rates but also dictate how the money is to be used. In order words, the money is given back to IMF through some of their cohorts through projects. Such loans end up to encumber the progress of countries on the long run even such money is not outrightly looted by leaders. That is the act of giving money with one hand and taking it back with the other. Nigeria needs to look inward to defeat the hydra-headed monster called IMF. The usual African and Nigerian sensibility, citizens save money for all their needs including purchase of high-ticket items such as homes, and cars and only spend money on what they can afford. In African and past Nigerian society, for instance, homes are purchased in cash, are bought debt free, and no loans were taken except to run profitable businesses. For example, Nigeria fought a civil war without borrowing a penny. Thereafter, callous Nigerian leaders convinced the nation to take IMF loans which the leaders ended up repatriating into their accounts in Europe and the Americas. Nigeria can do much better by not accepting IMF loans but by tightening their belts for few years. If Nigeria does not find a Nigerian solution to excessive borrowing from IMF, she would be consigns to the relics of time. RELIGION The two major decisions in Nigeria, Christianity and Islam both seek to help build the moral fabric of the nation and set her path straight. Unfortunately, many have used religion as a political weapon to manipulate the will and distort the needs of citizens in order to amass wealth at the expense of ordinary citizens. Both the Bible and Qu’ran promise us that we came with nothing to this world and we’ll leave with nothing. Religion is supposed to rehabilitate the soul of individual and of our nation. Unfortunately, religion is another kernel that is emblematic of Nigeria’s problem and hence the need to begin to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. Even if Nigerians understand the gravity of their perfunctory nature of civil responsibilities, are they ready to stop voting rouges into office as a compelling reason for a better Nigeria. The jury is out. One is not too sure if the super powers will support a mediocre leader just to have their ways because doing so may proof to be more costly than supporting good leadership. Nigerians can continue to pray from now till thy kingdom come, God will only give enabling provision for a change as we are told that heaven helps those who help themselves. Nigerians used to be very trusting but the economic conditions coupled with the unpredictable political environment have made them misanthropic. What Nigerians need are citizens that proffer solutions rather than come up with myriad of problems that will not allow the country from moving forward. Even our allies are beginning to question the wisdom in electing our present leaders even though they were part of present arrangement. The strategy diagrammed on the chalkboard was to have our president ensure that democracy take root in Nigeria, eradicate corruption, redevelop the infrastructure, and make Nigeria stable and become envy of all African nations. Atlas, citizen’s spirit has been deadened, infrastructure is shambolic state, education still needs resuscitation, democracy is shaky and politicians are running for 2003 election when they have nothing to show for the years in office. It seems to me that Nigerians are very forgetful because they are apt to make the same mistakes over and over and the politicians know that for a fact. Politicians are drumming sweat nothing to electorates in order to gain their confidence. Once voted into office, these politicians have no use for electorates again. On a good note it seems that the 2003 election would be interesting as citizens from the north to the south are beginning to ask tough question. What did you do for me for the last four years? How have you improved my quality of life? Did you partake in the sharing of furniture loan? How may laws have you passed? Apart from the last minute attempt to execute inconsequential project in my village in order to buy my vote, what were you doing for the past three years? What is your view on the five-year one term policy? What is your view on the resource control, on national conference, on religion, on IMF, on education, on payment of overdue salaries, on improving dilapidated infrastructures (road, water, electricity, telephone, et cetera)? These are the issues which the next ruling party should be able to discuss with ease. As we slowly match toward the 2003 our political antennas must be scanning the horizon to look for the truth and facts about politicians. Nigerians must move away from worshiping arrowhead politicians who make themselves look good by making citizens think better of themselves. Let us hope that the electorates are wiser this time around and we surely hope so. If they repeat the same mistakes as in the past, the road to hell for Nigeria is paved with gold fata morgana. Distrust among Nigerians, political instability, economic sickness, virus-infected constitution, lack of understanding of capitalism, religious bigotry, and incessant dabbling to IMF loan are a few of the kernels of our collective problems as a nation. May God give us the wisdom and the understanding to understand these problems and the political will to solve them for posterity.
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