National Dialogue As An Inestimable Opportunity To Address The Injustices Inherent In Mamman Nasir’s Boundary Adjustment As Isaac Newton put it in his Universal law of gravitation, “Whatever goes up, must come down”. The bible in the book of Ecclesiastes teaches us that “There is time for everything”. The summary of the above is that in the life of a nation, a times comes when both government and the citizenry would be intrinsically inspired and also compelled to take a critical look at their past and frankly assess themselves and be able to tell themselves the truth, no matter how bitter and unpleasant it may be. Of all the countries on Planet Earth, none should have more claim to God’s blessings than Nigeria. Nigeria is very rich in human population. Interestingly, her human population is endowed with both mental and physical strength. Nigerians excel in whatever clime they are found. In the same vein, the country is abundantly endowed with such resources as hydro-carbon, which metamorphoses into Oil and gas. Other minerals like coal, kaolin, uranium, lime-stone, salt, copper and sea-sand, just to mention a few, are in commercial quantities in almost all the nooks and crannies in the country. Her weather is so clement that agriculture could be practised all round the year. What should God give to a people that He did not give most generously to Nigeria and her peoples? It is, however, pertinent to acknowledge that inspite of the extraordinary benevolence of God to the peoples of Nigeria, indices used in assessing socio-economic growth of any modern country have consistently exposed the Nigerian state as one that stands at variance with global expectations from such a country. There is hardly any public institution that functions effectively and productively within the polity. Universities and other tertiary institutions, when compared with those, even, within the West African region, are scored lowest. Currently, a reasonable percentage of Ghana’s annual budget is derived from money that accrues to the country from millions of United States dollars that Nigerian Students studying in educational institutions in Ghana pay. Being the fourth largest oil-producing country, the country built many refineries. Even the largest refinery in Africa is Nigeria. Yet, these refineries do not function effectively hence Nigeria, ironically, is one of the highest importers of petroleum products in the world. The Aviation industry in the country has become characterized by tales of unabated woes. There is hardly any year the Nigerian air-space does not witness one disaster or another. It, therefore, has become imperative that Nigerians ask and answer the question; what do we do to revitalize patriotism and restore confidence in Nigerians? Many areas of national life could, undoubtedly, be touched in an attempt to answer the above question. One aspect that may not be glossed over is the overt injustice meted against the Igbo after the civil war. Circumstances that led to the declaration of the People’s Republic of Biafra have been innumerably recounted and are, therefore, held in custody by history. It is, however, important to recollect that at the end of the thirty-month civil war, General Yakubu Gowon, the then Military Head of state and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, declared a “No victor, no vanquished” verdict. He subsequently pronounced the three famous Rs; Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction. But a sad vindictive post-war commentary was to be added
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 11:34:51 +0000
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