Someone wrote to me recently
and asked, 'why bothering about issues none else is at all
interested or bother to think about in the country; do you
think there is anything an individual or even a fraction of
this nation can do to salvage this God-forsaken nation? All
that matter is what comes to you, just thank God and live
on'.
And when I thought about his question and remark, I said to
myself, may be the guy is not really conscious of the
question he is asking; for, only an individual or two can
change everything about this country, just as it took one
man to institutionalize the rots that have become our
trademark. That however is not an issue to highlight here,
but it brings to mind what someone was saying sometime,
somewhere.
Someone was saying that the problems with Nigeria are so
numerous and interwoven. And of a truth, it is so glaring to
whoever knows the country so well that ranging from our
economic backwardness, political predicaments, educational
shortcomings, social misgivings, energy and power
frustration, among others, are so numerous and interwoven
issues that sorting them out and have the entire segments of
the nation concur and ratify to constitute our national
character may take yet another civil war or another fifty
years of strenuous journey through the rugged road we have
already taken so far towards achieving nationhood. This is
not at all an exaggeration, as no attempt has ever been made
to address the intimidating issues that make an hausa man -hausa,
an Igbo man -Igbo, a Yoruba man -yoruba, an Ibibio man
-Ibibio, a Tiv man -Tiv; only to be Nigerians when meeting
at conference halls.
Issues bordering on our collective existence are always
treated with cat and mouse diplomacy where you have the
other with huge frame often trying to set on the other with
the light frame who in spite of its lightness has the
intellectual capacity to institute what may turn out to be a
danger to our collective interest in the long run, like the
Niger Delta crisis.
Foreseeing similar crisis resulting from subjugations and
lording over other components of the federation, and the
tacit cat and mouse diplomacy to douse the gathering
tensions which, given time, may, like volcano, bring down
the towering structure of the nation, two of our elder
statesmen recently raised their voices, predicting an
impending doom. They came to the conclusion that Nigeria is
at the brink of precipice.
With so numerous and interwoven issues constituting the
headache and stomachache of this nation, Professor Wole
Soyinka sees Nigeria as a vehicle with a knocked engine.
This Nobel Laureate cannot be mistaken for a pessimist for
seeing through the veils that have blinded those in
leadership positions from seeing what he sees, perhaps not
until when their regimes terminate. And Perhaps similar
circumstance prompted our former President to have said,” I
pity Nigeria”. It is indeed true that a handful of Nigerians
have mindlessly driven this vehicle along for so long a time
without caring to service it as at when due nor replace the
overworked bolts and nuts and certain components that hold
the engine together for functional use, hence the knocked
engine. Instead of looking for reliable mechanics to work on
the grounded vehicle, stakeholders so called, in order to
capitalize on the state of the vehicle to make themselves
forever rich and important, gather apprentices and men they
could use as stooges, to work on the engine with the result
of perpetual economic backwardness, political predicaments,
educational shortcomings, social misgivings, and power
frustrations that have been our lots.
And, you have those taking advantage of the state of the
nation to advance their greed opposing any genuine proposal
for remedial courses that may improve and reform the system
with which they ruined the nation; and, this perhaps
constitute Chief Anthony Enahoro's call for a peaceful
dissolution of the nation.
Chief Enahoro must have seen beyond the ordinary, by reason
of his role, experience, and age, to have predicted that the
nation may not last and demands for its peaceful dissolution
rather than have it done on a bloody note. This was the man
who moved the motion in 1953 that brought Nigeria into
existence as an independent nation, and his call for the
dissolution of Nigeria holds serious ominous significance
any concerned Nigerian may have cause to think about.
Chief Enahoro is presently one of the most senior citizens,
if not the only of our surviving progenitors. He knows
Nigeria too well than even the men presently within the
corridors of power. His call for the dissolution of the
nation borne out of his experience and, he might have put
several indices and factors into consideration to have
constituted his call for the dissolution of the nation.
None may heed his call nor spare time to think of possible
solutions to avert the possible danger hovering on the air
which warrant his call; but the truth is, for this great man
who loved the country so much to have made this observation,
all is not well with the nation; and the uncaring posture of
our men in public offices is enough reason for the imminent
danger that warrant the call.
The danger to our corporate existence could be traced to the
tribal or regional character of Nigerian political class
particularly members of the Parliament who often resort to
protecting the interests of their tribes or region first and
foremost before considering the national interest.
National interest to all is defined in terms of what the
tribe or the region stands to gain and of what proportion as
against other's claim. Anything short of the expectations of
a region tantamount to holding back the support for others'
interest. But, if this is how a nation should operate, why
then so much pressure to still glamour for one indivisible
country; why the deceit in using the name 'nation' to deny a
people their god-given resources, while others make use of
their resources to stabilize their own region and tribes?
Why did we even opt for federalism and not any other form of
government that would freely encourage this cheat and cat
and mouse diplomacy? using the term to deceive the world
that all is well while opposite is the case?
Suppose an individual with gut and with a sincere desire to
serve and redeem the land declares that very man should
surrender 70% of all in his possession to the nation and
bluntly put up a decree to that effect, how many of us, the
commoners, the elites, Alhajis, Chiefs, Generals and
Honourables would, for the sake of this nation, succumb to
such wisdom, be it right or wrong? The redemption of this
land, if at all possible, involves equitable distribution of
its wealth; and since the earlier comers have shown the late
comers how to ravage the land, the only hope of its survival
is in surrendering the greater portion of that we plundered,
and teach the young generation how not to build a nation.
Do what you will, there is no hope for tomorrow, no hope for
survival, no salvation coming from anywhere no proactive
policy for the betterment of all, if all the men and women
sitting on the wealth of the nation cannot lift up their
boots and allow it flow.
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