THE PROBLEM WITH NIGERIA. What is the fundamental problem of Nigeria? I have asked this question on several occasions and received the following responses from different people: corruption, old people in politics, religion, poverty and poor moral upbringing among the youths. It is obvious that, those that led this country (Nigeria) into the present socio-political destruction started as youths and they have continued to do so at the old age. They had the best education and sound moral up-bringing. As at then, poverty was not pronounced as it is today. So, one can conclude that, they had the best which life can offer. It is on the strength of this that, I beg to differ in respect of these responses. Rather, the Nigerian problem is nothing. but lack of truth and objectivity among all the existing ethnic groups which has been degenerated by the poor leadership before and after independence.”You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” says the holy book. How? We have been living in the questionable togetherness. In other words, all the ethnic groups in Nigeria never had faith in one another and the entity called Nigeria. One would hardly be patriotic in the society where one does not have faith in the existence of such society. There exist the mindsets among some ethnic groups of being superior to others. This ethnocentric tendency has beclouded us from giving true and objective views of events as they unfold, especially when the perpetrators are of the same kith and kin with their victims. If not, how can one explain the vehement rejection of the impeachment of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, by the Yoruba lawmakers, when it was obvious that he had committed some impeachable offenses? How can one explain the support of the most Housa Fulanis over the manipulation of gubernatorial elections in the western part of Nigeria, by the National Party of Nigeria(which was dominated by the hausa fulanis) that led to what is today known as wild-wild west in the early 80s? How can most Igbos in the Eastern Nigeria be silent over the attitude of Moris Iwu as the leader of 2007 electoral umpire and the violation of procurement act by Stella Odua (former Aviation Minister)? The Ijaws in the southern part of Nigeria, will never cast aspersion on the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, even when his weaknesses are obvious. In the words of Dr j. j White as published in the 1981 Journal of Philosophy, volume one, number two of the University of Lagos and I quote: “ There is no doubt that the need to live in an environment where truth is respected is part of man’s psychological make-up, and when that environment is missing we necessarily suffer. And yet there is an intimate link between respect for truth and capacity to be free, and likewise between respect for truth and the capacity to be united with others. A society , in which truth and objectivity are taken lightly, whether on the theoretical or on practical level, cannot hope to build up amongst its members that mutual trust and confidence which is the foundation of unity , and where there is no unity there can hardly be real freedom”. The fact is that, the present day Nigeria is operated on a faulty structure which needs to be fixed and this is impossible under the present unitary-cum-federalism. The British knew about this even before independence as it is reported in the book of J.H Price titled “ Political Institutions of The West Africa.” Oliver Lythleton, the secretary of the colony stated on the floor of the house of commons that, “since it appears impossible for Nigerians’ to work together effectively in a tightly knit federation , her majesty government has regretfully decided that Nigerian constitution would have to be drawn to provide for greater regional’s autonomy”. So, why do we avoid the truth? I have expected the young persons in this country (including myself) to make a mark that will stand the test of time by compelling the powers that be to do the right thing. We should borrow a leave from the past and the current events in Tunisia and Burkina Faso, where people demonstrated that the sovereignty resided within them. Let us not wait for those in Agbadas,Isiagu, etc to make it happen, because those who may not benefit from change do not support it. It is time we believed that we can.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 21:25:27 +0000
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