Ordinarily, President Jonathan, or a PDP Presidential candidate for that matter, would be the last President I would be rooting for. The reason for that is quite obvious: I am a progressive Democrat. Be that as it may, I resent in its entirety the "bring down syndrome" and the pernicious verbiage relentlessly heaped at the person of the President by some of our critics and the blatant subversion of our constitution by family and friends of the late President Yar'Adua throughout the period of his illness and immediately thereafter. Our Constitution is not ambiguous with respect to the succession process when there is a vacancy in the office of the President. In spite of that understanding, some people were hell-bent on running Vice President Jonathan out of town similar to what the right-wing of the Republican Party did to President Bill Clinton when he newly arrived in Washington D.C. in 1993. There is a distinction to be made between constructive criticism of the President's programs vis-a-vis willfully lampooning the person of the President because he is not privileged enough or in the image of your likeness. I am a progressive thinker whose view of political power is defined by the extent to which the power is utilized to serve the needs of the electorates - which is in sharp contrast to the conservative ideological bend of the President and his political party. Nevertheless, I still hold the presidency or the office of the President in the highest esteem. Any President, no matter the political party, region, or tribe, is my President, our President. My disagreement with President Jonathan or with PDP is not personal, it is simply ideological and philosophical. That said, I am not ideologically rigid or philosophically uncompromising. I espouse pragmatism and am very willing to embrace informed and positive changes when I feel it in any administration, no matter who is in charge. Right now, it is still politics as usual.
I have no doubt in my mind that a progressive administration - specifically at the national level, devoid of ethnic or religious coloration - is our best hope given the level of discontent of the governance and the apparent disconnect between the governed and successive governments since independence. Until we have a genuine leader who espouses financial discipline, transparency, and accountability in the management of our wealth, we cannot make tomorrow better than today.
Given the fact that the present administration has not exhibited any modicum of rebellion against the status quo in terms of ideas and war against corruption, the earlier progressives of all shapes and stripes unite around a bold agenda and unseat the power clique the better for the nation at large. And that, my friends, is the surest route to emancipating the Nigerian man in us.
Therefore, this paper is more of a progressive re-positioning narrative, making a case for (1) the need for southern progressives and northern mavericks and intellectuals to unite and rebel against greed and feudal principles in order to avert imminent class warfare, (2) that given the seemingly fragile state of our sovereignty, the idea of SNC (Sovereign National Conference), though well intended, should not be a 'take it or leave it' option, because there are too many uncertainties surrounding it’s happening within a definite time period, (3) that progressives and mavericks - with a uniform political and socioeconomic agenda nation-wide - stand a better chance at uniting this country and arresting the ills that facilitate religious intolerance, greed, corruption, and political assassinations, and (4) that the ruling class - from north to south and east to west - are the cause of the hatred in our political system and the not so latent demand for secession. Therefore, defeating them in a democratic setting is a moral imperative.
Part I:
The Need for Game Change
As a progressive, I support free education at all levels and affordable/quality healthcare system in every community, city, and town in Nigeria. I hold those views in good faith believing that we have the resources to implement them successfully throughout the nation. Given the substantial wealth embezzled and squandered on frivolous projects daily by politicians and the modern-day legalized fraud (popularly referred to as security vote), I have no doubt in my mind that implementing these programs would not constitute an additional burden or drain on our national budget.
In addition, ours is the only country in the developing world where someone could become a multi-millionaire overnight, not necessarily on account of his ingenuity or business acumen, but from proceeds of lucrative oil blocs fraudulently and arbitrarily allocated by military regimes that had no constitutional legitimacy. Without any doubt, there is more money from crude oil going into private pockets than actually going where it should be - the national treasury. Simply put, there is more money in private hands than reasonably and economically necessary to manage our educational and healthcare sectors at a level comparable to what obtains in developed countries.
That we are not living up to the promise, given the enormity of our natural and human resources, is traceable to the power game, perfected by the ruling party, perfected by serving and retired Military top brass, and perfected by their acolytes in and out of government. What I find disturbing is that these Nigerians do not have a problem traveling overseas for medical checkups or paying for their kids to obtain a quality education from top universities in Europe and North America.
On the political party front, it is a celebration of emptiness. There are no core political beliefs, ideology, or a theoretical fundamental framework that subsequent government - whether at the state or national level - can tap into on assumption of office.
PDP, as a political party, is a personification of everything that is resentful about Nigeria. The party does not stand for something that you and I could easily relate to as a trademark of what is real and noble in a political party. The same is true of other political parties. Awo and UPN stood for Free Education at all Levels. President Shehu Shagari and NPN stood for Quality Education. Republican Party in the U.S. espouses limited government and lower taxes.
I stand to be corrected, PDP, ACN, Labor, and CPC do not have any ascertainable or easily understood policy or manifesto that one could readily relate to or attribute to the brainchild of any of the top brass of the parties - be it on education; be it on health care; be it on how to manage our federal system and making it more efficient; or be it on real economy with a view to creating more jobs and improving public service.
And on a more disturbing note, it is a known fact that the other political parties bungled an opportunity of a lifetime when they couldn't mobilize and rally around a common candidate or an electable candidate throughout the period the late President Yar'Adua was bedridden. They stood still while PDP battled itself out to overcome its zoning arithmetic as if it is the only political party in Nigeria.
Once bitten twice shy. It’s time the real progressives start the drive to take power at the center. Critical time calls for critical measures and desperate time calls for desperate measures by discerning minds. There is the imperative need, therefore, for a real alternative to the PDP; not strictly in terms of personality, but with respect to policies and programs. In a nutshell, there are good people within the People Democratic Party, the problem is, the majority of them in strategic positions have no idea of what Nigerians want or what governance entails.
Every past regime came, not to serve, but to protect seemingly threatened personal business and political empires. IBB was a 'work in progress', though his administration was able to build the Third Main Land Bridge and Marako Land Reclamation Project. For Abacha, it was: it is now my turn. Obasanjo simply did not dream of a second coming; therefore, no articulable action plan. This was an accommodation by the IBBs and those who derailed Abiola's mandate to pacify the western region.
Yar'Adua, though bold and purposeful, didn't want to be President. He was visibly unhealthy. To say President Goodluck Jonathan is the luckiest President on earth is an understatement. He simply did not dream of this moment happening so soon. And he has my sympathy; for how long? Time will tell. Now you know why we are where we are as a nation since our independence from Great Britain.
The least prepared, the unwilling, as well as those with the faintest idea of what leadership/governance is about always have it trusted on them like manna from heaven. Only in Nigeria.
So, what we are missing in our democratic process is large-scale positive ideas - motivations for power. In hindsight, the absence of motivation in power (why I want to be President), as the tradition has been in Nigeria, is our number one problem: it doesn't bode well for progress, sustainable development, and unity.
If you do not have what it takes to lead and govern, you won't have it when you get there. That was the difference between Awo and his peers and between President Clinton and his contemporaries elsewhere in Developing World. It is about passion, vision, a creative mindset, and preparedness. If the center is weak, fragile, debased, and corrupted, the units would resort to searching for solutions in strange places. That explains the escalation in the demand for Sovereign National Conference and disintegration as we have seen in the past years.
Your motivations in power define the direction, goal, and accomplishment of your regime. Not speeches or some convoluted macroeconomics baloney contrived by some rented ghostwriters summoned for that purpose upon your assumption of office. There is no shortcut to vision. Ask Awo and President Clinton. It is a multi-phase process. If you don't have it, at least, surround yourself with those who know better than you do, and who are never afraid to say it the way it is. Progressives should not make the mistake of the past.
Part II:
True Progressives and Northern Mavericks: Building a Sustainable and Purposeful Power Block
Presently, PDP is creating a one-party state through the back door - the number of committees and study groups so far created and being created by the President and his serving Ministers are more than necessary for any government to function effectively. They are systematically co-opting members of the opposition parties and retired technocrats into the government directly and indirectly with a view to decapitating alternative voices and the opposition parties.
Don't be fooled, this President is a chip off the old block. He is a PDP in flesh and blood - once a PDP, always a PDP. What is most troubling is that ACN, CPC, and Labor do not have leaders with a commanding presence at the national level to match the political strength and influence of PDP heavyweights lurking behind the scene. Adding to that, none has the credibility to brand a contrast and mount a vigorous nationwide campaign to oust the ruling class from power at the national level.
The first step is to separate the wheat from the chaff within the progressives cycle. There are numerous political parties in our country today, without any distinctive manifestos, each masquerading as a real alternative to the PDP. Within these parties, you have pockets of real progressives laboring in vain to find a voice at the national level, while interlopers and career politicians hold sway and call the shots.
For instance, the fact that you wear an Awo doesn't make you an Awoist or imbue you with Awo's values and leadership virtues. Do you profess Awoism and be willing to apply them to the best of your ability relative to the volume of resources within your control - pragmatism? That is the test.
You don’t have to be an Afenifere to wear the crown. After all, Professor Claude Ake who introduced “Awo” as a course of study in his Faculty at the University of Port Harcourt, was not in any shape or form a politician or of the Yoruba race. He was simply an authentic Awoist and a true witness to the accomplishments of the late sage. That he decided to propagate the message to the younger generations via a classroom setting was quite understandable. Awoism shouldn't be about slogans and rhetoric, but action and performance. Right now, there are no traces of Awoism in any of the political parties in the country.
In a similar vein, the fact that you exude Aminu Kano's populist activism image doesn't make you a lover of the talakawa or a talakawa sympathizer. Do you have what it takes to organize with righteous intent, designed exclusively to serve the underclass? Are you willing to practice egalitarianism? How many people have you liberated from poverty, decadence, illiteracy, and mental slavery? Are you willing to accept that there are people in your community deserving of emancipation? Those are the test.
A few days ago, I watched “America Welcomes Prime Minister Abubakar Balewa of Nigeria, July 1961: 25-28” posted on my blog at http://hamiltonatlarge.blogspot.com/ and I was mesmerized by his command of the English Language as well as his verbal prowess. He was polished, distinguished, and was in complete command of the audience everywhere he went in the US. The more I watch the video, the more annoyed I was with Boko Haram's sense(less) of purpose. I am disappointed because the same region that produced that icon, the same region that produced Ibrahim Tahir, Jubrin Aminu, Adamu Ciroma, Bala Usman, Abubakar Umar, Yusuf Maitama Sule (the polemic), Gambari, Ibrahim Ayagi, Jega, Rufai, Sule Lamido, Babangida Aliyu, Ango Abdullahi, Adamu Baike, Mauwa, Justice Kutigi, just to name a few, is the same region that is now under the siege of a religious sect propagating antediluvian religious doctrinaires with reckless abandon.
That is, but a part of the main problem.
Surprisingly, and of course more disappointingly, a substantial majority of the contemporary northern intellectual class and the political elite groups who, no doubt, are the direct beneficiaries of feudal educational largess (full scholarship, lucrative and strategic job placement in government and in public sectors upon graduation), are now blaming the pervasive bombing campaign by the Boko Haram sect on poverty, marginalization, and revenue allocation disparity. Most disappointing is the fact that some of these privileged educated elite groups do not suffer any equivocation when justifying Boko Haram's barbarism on every available social media on a regular basis - extra-judicial killing is the new slang.
Problematic as that affinity (love fest between the sect and the intellectuals) seemingly is, it doesn't foreclose the need to negotiate to unite by and between the authentic southern progressives and the present generation of northern intellectuals because of overriding national interests.
But first, there must be a meeting of the minds on one fundamental issue - defeating the status quo. And that brings us to the thesis of this article.
Thesis:
How do you make a change in a society, when those who ought to be at the forefront of change are the direct beneficiaries of the policies that made the call for change inevitable?
This is not an isolated or abstract academic puzzle - it is the real deal at the core of our political impasse. And it is the first hurdle that those of us (I mean, southern progressives) who think change is possible must first overcome in order to create a formidable framework for a truly progressive movement. Here is my approach to the thesis.
Argument:
In light of the current development in Nigeria, it is incumbent on the part of the vocal northern intellectuals to rebel against the oligarchic system in principle for the purpose of collaborating with the progressives nationwide with a view to creating a political culture that would benefit everyone equally. Given the scale of unrest in the north, rebelling against a feudal philosophy that perpetuates the class system, becomes a moral obligation. It is the right thing to do given (1) the level of discontent as well as the total disconnect between the nouveau riche and the talakawa, (2) the obscene wealth flowing to certain families in the north from lucrative oil blocs appropriated during the past military regimes is more than necessary to develop the region, and (3) the unpredictable nature of the class warfare that would engulf the region and the spill-over effect to the other parts of the country, should status quo remain unchanged, is more potent than imagined. Therefore, it is a choice: it is either you (Mavericks and militant intellectuals) step out of your protective closets and align with progressives in the south in order to build sustainable human and economic development throughout the northern region and Nigeria at large, or you remain ensconced in your El Dorado and suffer the Qaddafi's foolhardiness in the long run. The ball is in your court.
As things stand now, it is time both camps (southern progressives and northern mavericks) reach out across the Niger and the Benue for that elusive handshake and develop a bond – a new narrative for a unity of purpose and challenges.
You can no longer stand by, trade jabs across the Niger, and watch as the political situation deteriorates, and then, step up later to blame the collapse on the usual suspect: greedy politicians, oligarchic feudal lords, and greedy administrators and bankers, and all the Halliburton in our midst. Where were you all this while? Simply put, at this juncture, the issue is no longer about what Lord Lugard did or did not do, or whether amalgamation was a curse or a blessing, but on how to make the 'Geographical Expression' (apology to Papa Awo) live up to its true promise.
Part III:
Optimism versus SNC versus Boko Haram
Every Friday and every Sunday, we congregate in our places of worship, asking for God's Blessings and to save Nigeria our beloved country. Why not, He is a forgiving God. Japan, the State of Israel, and Switzerland do not have what we have in terms of natural resources - richly endowed arable land and mineral resources. Yet, we are not self-sufficient in terms of food production. And more than 50 years after the discovery of crude oil in the Niger Delta, we are still rioting over oil subsidies, because we cannot refine enough crude oil sufficient to meet our domestic demand for refined petroleum products.
These are some of the reasons why some people believe it is important that we meet by way of a sovereign national conference and dialogue on how we should continue to coexist as one nation-state. No doubt, I have an issue with SNC because those who are pushing it cannot get their act together similar to what Umaru Dikko, Jubrin Aminu, or Ango Abdullahi would have done if they were the one demanding for SNC. In order words, it is a shame that a body made up of so diverse egg-heads (intellectuals) cannot marshal a coherent narrative for SNC and follow it up with an action plan.
Given the paucity of a well-thought-out case for SNC, I hereby, from a southerner perspective, present highlights of the general opinion of the north. (1) Nigeria is not developing fast enough as expected because of northern dominance of the entire federal institutions, (2) abuse of Federal Character and Quota System by the Fulani and the Hausa groups contrary to constitutional intent, (3) the barbaric nature and the indiscriminate killing of innocent souls (predominantly Christians and Ndigbo) during religious crisis in the north, (4) the inordinate power ambition of the Hausa and the Fulani groups (5) the monopoly of the oil wealth by the same Hausa and Fulani groups, (6) the un-education of a greater majority northern children, thereby creating a spillover effect in other parts of the country, (7) the quality of leaders that the northern feudal or oligarchic class imposes on the rest of us at the national level since independence, and (8) the arbitrariness of the last local governments creation.
(These are some of the kinds of stuff that most Southerners talk about, especially on social media. And for anyone to blame it on sentiments is absolute denial. Not talking about it is analogous to saying African Americans should not talk about slavery. Because those that hold these views are not some run off the mills educated elite or some modern-day frustrated ethnic chauvinists. They believe in its righteousness. Simply call them pacifists).
Therefore, taking the above eight facts as true, would that be enough to make a compelling case for disintegration or SNC? If yes, who is going to convene or approve the conference? Would it be the same President Good Luck Jonathan elected by Nigerians to serve the whole country for four years? Or the same members of the National Assembly who are presently reveling in obscene wealth at your expense?
Once again, taking the above eight facts as true, where does corruption fit in? Unless, of course, you are saying that Hausa and Fulani, by their political dominance of our political system, introduce and perpetuate corruption at all levels of our political system and all through the entire gamut of what is Nigerian society. Or is corruption no longer an issue? If that is the case, what is the major topic of discussion among Nigerian bloggers on the web? By the way, how is SNC going to eradicate corruption in your new utopia? Unless, once again, you are saying that your own southern political leaders who are presently reveling in unearned wealth at your State Houses of Assembly and the National Assembly, would not have been so engaged, but for Hausa and Fulani influence and indoctrination.
Above all, SNC does not project the reality of time and certainty at the moment. Adding to that, those behind it lack steam, focus, and ideas. Close to twenty years after the annulment of the June 1993 Presidential election, they are yet to articulate what SNC is, what it is designed to accomplish, and how it will accomplish it.
There is a difference between "all we want is SNC", and, "we want SNC because it will ..." Their failure to articulate the end goal is a big disappointment. It is sad. It is disgusting. And it is testamentary to the emptiness of most southern intellectuals and writers in public policy, strategy, and tactics. How do you dream of making changes in a society when all you do and write about is a rehash of developing news as an opinion?
Don't get me wrong; I am appalled at the level of control and dominance that few families from the northern part of the country have over our crude oil exploration as published about a week ago by some of our media houses. I am appalled that our struggle for self-government from Great Britain was delayed because the northern region, represented by Balewa and Ahmadu Bello was not ready. I am appalled that northern political leaders habitually lied about population density in the north - the facts on the ground and school enrollment and graduation rates do not support that. I am appalled at the 'do or die' attitude of some northerners to political power. I am appalled at the mindless and wanton killing of Nigerians by native northerners, especially Christians and Ndigbo traders in the north. And I am appalled that they used Federal Character to propagate their dominance contrary to the intent and letter of Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution and equivalent sections in the previous constitution.
In spite of everything, the fact is some of the above indictments would not have happened, if Southerners were not complicit. Everything that apostles of SNC resent about the north and want to change in the political system is what PDP represents. But members of PDP are everywhere, and chances are that your uncle is one of them. And that is the dominance that the rest of us progressives have to fight. Not the dominance of the Hausa and Fulani as a people, but the dominance of the ruling elite groups.
Lastly, embezzlement, greed, nepotism, squandering of riches, and over-leveraged capitalism (borrowing hugely on behalf of state government, without regard to the interest rate) in the country transcend race and geography. The best approach is a collective effort directed at rooting out those who made them possible. If you cannot talk about separation, at least be bold enough to talk about what makes you mad about Nigeria. And that is what SNC should be about.
Optimism versus Boko Haram.
Boko Haram is chickens coming home to roost. A child growing up should have a home, a government that cares, and the opportunity to make a choice about what to make of every religious doctrine contrary to the arrested development phenomenon within the Muslim faith in the northern part of the country. There are Muslims in Yoruba land; most of them are well-educated, while others are fairly educated. The same is true of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Indonesia, and Iran, just to name a few. Why must northern Nigeria be an exception?
No matter the level of our understanding of the political, educational, and religious situation in the north, a compulsory, free, and popular education for all children of school-going age – from Elementary School to Grammar School level - would go a long way in shaping the lives of these children and how they embrace religious doctrine when they grow up.
Education is a right, and it is the best investment in the life of a child. Religion is a choice and should be treated that way. In the northern region, religion and not education is a right, the only avenue, unfortunately, in their unsophisticated deduction, to emancipation. A child capable of imbibing and reciting Quran verses verbatim is capable of digressing quadratic equations in a Mathematics class if given the opportunity to do so. Don’t ask me how. No matter how you look at it, it’s all about effort and the leadership that you have and what their views are on education and specifically, on egalitarianism.
Islam, like any other religion, preaches against immorality and fraud. Also, Quran does not forbid the integration or teaching of English Language, Arithmetic, Social Studies, and Integrated Sciences side by side with Islamic studies. Christian Missionaries in the Eastern Region, before and after our independence from Great Britain, perfected the integration model perfectly well – Bible, on one hand, English, Mathematics, Civic, and Social Sciences on the other. Same can be replicated in the Northern region with respect to religious studies.
There is no doubt, the Imams and the Islamic Scholars ministering to the students would buy into the integration model when framed in good faith and with a genuine intent to integrate the students into the larger society and not to westernize them. As a free and compulsory education advocate, the late Awo wouldn't have had any problem making that pitch for integration before the appropriate agencies. It is not too late to give it a try and rescue these children from the stranglehold of teaching that turned innocent souls into an enemy of civilization.
Lastly, we must not give up on educating these children, because an informed citizenry is the most potent and decisive weapon against false beliefs and extorted indoctrination. No one would buy into the 'western education is forbidden' baloney, if regular education was part of his or her adolescence. There must be a distinction to be made between social/moral purity and survival instinct through purpose engagement in the economic sector.
God and Allah help those who help themselves. That is a fact and not just a saying. Our Islamic scholars, teachers, and leaders should be willing to embrace changes and accept the fact that religious freedom is most ennobling when combined with economic freedom. The current helplessness of the less privileged in that part of our World is disgraceful and cannot be sustained for too long. Therefore, government intervention in the academic sector at the very early stage in the lives of the affected children would go a long way in shaping their perception and understanding of religion, its social and moral impacts, and the extent of its limitations in the context of economics – creation, distribution, and consumption of wealth. We must start early.
Part IV:
Analysis: Saving the Soul of a Nation
Indeed the menace of Boko Haram is real and the threat it poses to north-south unity is real. I am not oblivious to those facts. Be that as it may, Nigeria is greater than Boko Haram, greater than Boko Haram's sponsors, and greater than Boko Haram's intent and mission. We should not surrender to fear, nor retreat in our search for that Nigeria where equal rights and justice are not a mere illusion, but vested, inalienable, and achievable.
Americans fought a bloody civil war and in spite of the defeat of the Confederate soldiers by the Union forces and the subsequent declaration of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln, the Ku Klux Klan remained defiant in their systemic lynching of free blacks. The fact that the KKK refuses to see the light and embrace the inevitable change (emancipation), did not create mix-feelings in the minds of those Americans who fought gallantly for freedom, for unification, and for equal rights and justice for yesterday's slaves. No, they did not regret participating in the civil war to liberate enslaved African Americans. Just like the KKK, Boko Haram is in the minority and they cannot define what becomes of Nigeria. And no one should regret standing tall for our unity and progress in the face of Boko Haram's senseless crusade.
Today, in spite of everything, America is and still is the only God’s own Country and the only Super Power still standing. I have no doubt in my mind that saving Nigeria requires enormous sacrifices on the part of each and every one of us; nevertheless, we must remain optimistic believing that we shall and we are capable of surmounting every impediment on our path to greatness.
Granted no society can completely eradicate corruption from its system, but quality leadership would go a long way in defining how its citizenry and the society at large react to bribery and corruption. Therefore, more emphasis should be on quality leadership, from the top to the bottom and from north to south.
That being said, any extorted religious indoctrination of the unaffiliated should be treated the way it is - an act of war against the Sovereign. For Nigeria to live up to its promise of one nation and one destiny, it must be willing to mobilize every resource at its disposal to defend threatened rights. Our desire and our love for the good life, intellectual and educational pursuit, freedom of worship, and the pursuit of happiness shall not be compromised. Never, never; we will never compromise on those things that we hold dear to our hearts. We will never bargain away our fundamental rights to associate and worship the way we want or bargain away our inherent rights to educate our kids in any part of Nigeria that we chose, and the way we want. Not now, not any time. We will never surrender in our search for that egalitarian society and a true federal system of government.
Let’s get to work, guys. We deserve better.
God Bless You and God Bless the Good People of Nigeria.
Barr Alex Ehi Aidaghese
March 16, 2012
