Jonathan and His President's Men: Uneasy Lies the Head that Wears the Crown.

Preamble

Much as I espouse the idea of decentralization of power or semi-autonomous status for the component states in our beloved  country, Nigeria, I am absolutely certain that deficit of ideas in the leadership, as well as the inability of the leadership to prevail on those perpetrating frauds in the public sector, are the two major factors militating against Nigerian greatness. Without mincing words, I firmly hold - and I stand to be corrected - that leadership to a great extent, defines the attitude and behavior of a given people towards graft, bribery, and corruption in a given nation. Having a highly principled, tough, and exemplary leadership at the helm of affairs, like Anwar El Sadat, Murtala  Mohammed, or Jerry Rawlings, would no doubt, compel the Iboris of our Governors, the Farouk Lawans of the National Assembly, and the dare-devil fraudulent oil marketers to do a rethink before tampering with our treasury. 

Be that as it may, there is no denying the fact that there are stupendously wealthy Nigerians among us whose stranglehold on our major source of wealth - oil and gas - borders on insanity and unrestrained avarice. They are the major problem, and until we find ways to overcome their control, greed and avarice we will never experience sustainable growth. Also, at NNPC (the national oil and gas behemoth), it is survival of the fittest - a mob scene to say the least - where transparency and accountability are the exceptions, rather than the rule. 

Furthermore, the other branches of government - the Judiciary and the Legislative arms - are not known to be exemplary in overcoming ineptitude, corruption, and indolent in work places. The leadership in the two arms must be willing to vigorously address the passive ineptitude commonplace in the two branches. That the Bench must strive to jettison the status quo and rebel against unnecessary adjournments and the procedural legal mumble jumble perpetuated by celebrity lawyers to thwart real justice are not too complex a demand to make. In addition, those in subordinate positions, like Ministers, Special Advisers, Administrators, and Directors must be diligent and forthright as true fiduciaries - professionally and morally stable - in their own right as leaders.  Granted, the buck stops at the President's desk, but truth is, he cannot do it alone, because of the complexities of governmental challenges. That is the focus of this piece. 

Worthy Disciples and President's Men of Record.

Elsewhere on this Blog, I cited Mallam El’Ruffai’s exemplary performance at the Federal Capital Territory when he was the Minister of the Federal territory as the work of a one man gang, intent on making real changes in the public arena. What Mr. Ruffai did was neither President Obasanjo’s idea, nor was it a cue from the blue print developed by the party in power. It was basically his goal and personal resolve to clean up the mess he met in the City and remake the City in the true image and intent of its original creator. And he did exactly that. Whether or not he sold land to some of his family members in the process is another story, and of course, an issue for the court to resolve. 

In a similar vein, when Dr. Olu Agunloye was picked as the head of the newly formed Federal Road Safety Commission under the Chairmanship of Professor Wole Soyinka during President Babangida era, he was never given a blue print or told what to do. At the end, Mr. Agunloye created a one of a kind Road Marshall in the history of Nigerian Highway policing. He manned our Federal Highways with state-of-the-art technology, recruiting some of the finest and most aggressive, but patriotic field staffs, and in the process, drastically reduced fatalities on our roads. It is sad, very sad that none of these two gentlemen is holding any national or public office today.

Also, the US Attorney General, Mr. Eric Holder, and the FBI have been making a substantive breakthrough in their war against organized crime in the healthcare industry in the US, unlike ever before. And the effort is yielding massive returns for Uncle Sam. Mr. Holder and the FBI Agents involved do not look up to President Obama to tell them what to do, or how to sanitize the Healthcare sector. They are simply doing the job they are trained and paid to do by the people and government of the United States of America. 

Coming home, President Obasanjo did not give Mr. Ruffai a matching order or instructions on how to go about cleaning up the Abuja mess that he inherited from the previous administration. And President Babangida did not tell Dr. Agunloye what to do, either. 

Indeed, every subordinate or appointee, in good standing, is expected to be an Eric Holder, a Ruffai, or an Agunloye - creative, industrious and result-oriented. Yes, the President looks up to his Ministers, Administrators, Advisers, Director, and Special Assistants – to perform and serve in him and the people of Nigeria as true fiduciaries, conscious of the fact that he is not imbued with the same professional expertise that they possess. And that explains the necessity of their stewardship. The urgent question then is: Is President Jonathan getting the best of all the President's men?

I ask the question with a sense of guilt, because most Nigerians, including myself, have been very critical of the President, blaming him for everything that is wrong with Nigeria. Why do we have Ministers, Administrators, Special Advisers and Special Assistants? Because the President, even if he is an Awo or a Clinton, cannot be a jack of all trades, and cannot possibly be everywhere doing every thing that matters to us simultaneously.  They still need men.

Granted, uneasy lies on the head that wears the crown, but the President's men should learn to show grace under fire, exhibit leadership skills as Mr. Holder is doing presently in the United States, and as Mallam Ruffai and Dr. Agunloye did in their official capacity as Minister and Administrator respectively in Nigeria. 

Separation of Powers and Check and Balances

Nigeria is not a dictatorship. It is a federation of States, with three arms of government in our political system that are independent of one another, but are equal and balances the work and responsibilities of each other at the national level. The Legislative arm and the Judiciary are independent of the Executive branch. Thus, if we must overcome the greed and profligate attitude of our political and business leaders, and the decadence of the past, the three branches of government must first undergo self-purification. The Executive cannot do it alone.

Legislative Arm: First, the Legislative arm must check its excesses. Greed has clouded the conscience and compromised the idealism and sophistication required of honorable members of Parliament in good standing.  Adding to that, most of its members are completely detached from the reality and living conditions of the people in their respective communities or districts, thereby defeating the true essence and purpose of democracy - the government of the people and by the people.  It has always been about their wallet, their family members, and political friends.

Today, House of Representative member, Mr. Farouk Lawan is still sitting comfortably in the National Assembly despite confessing to having received a bribe of $600,000.00 from Mr. Otedola with a view to compromising his findings as Chairman of the House Committee set up to investigate petroleum subsidy scam. And he did exactly as Mr. Otedola bargained. For the purpose of the record, the House of Representative is a part of the Legislative branch of government which is one of the three arms of government. 

Given the age old concept of Separations of Power and Check and Balances, the Executive arm (the Presidency) has no control over what obtains in the National Assembly, including the trial and discipline of its members. That is the responsibility of the Ethics Committee of the House, the Speaker of the House, Mr. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and the EFCC, AG, and the Police as law enforcement agencies.

Judicial Arm: The Judiciary must embrace activism and strive to do a thorough review of past and present conduct of members of the bench, focusing on their pronouncements and exercise of their discretionary privilege over the years. Those found to have abused and compromised their discretionary power, especially in the area of interlocutory rulings should be asked to retire voluntarily. 

Lawyers know how to overwhelm the court with interim and injunctive applications, not necessarily to preempt or prevent imminent and irreparable harm or injury to their clients but to permanently deny the court its fundamental responsibility of dispensing justice. That is the most potent manipulative mechanism in the arsenal of big time lawyers to keep their big time clients out of the wrath of the law. The lawyers know what they are doing. And the affected members of the bench know what is at stake, but they, most often, play along. 

Ruling on interim applications or injunctive reliefs is discretionary on the part of the presiding Judge and it ought to be a timely decision. It shouldn't be used to hold back the hands of the clock, thereby allowing fraudulent political and business leaders to evade prosecution or stay out of jail forever. The solution is simple: The new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court must first, rid of the bench the blatant abuse of discretionary rulings for the court to be able to live up to its true purpose - the last hope of the common man and of a struggling nation contending with extreme forces. 

Therefore, if we are waiting for President Jonathan to prevail upon the Legislative branch - teaching them how to discipline or reprimand its erring members - we are strictly being unfair and asking for the impossible. The Legislative arm and the Judicial arm are independent of the Executive branch. Therefore, they also have an enviable role to play - ensuring ethical and code of conduct compliance of its members - if we must move Nigeria out of the present corruption abyss. That every hand must be on deck is an understatement. 

Decentralization, as we suggested in the previous piece on this Blog is a product of the disillusionment with present dispensation, it is not the only solution to our problem. Leadership is. The trust deficit is. 

Moving Forward.

In spite of everything, democracy is still preferable to a Military government. Therefore, let's join hands to grow and develop our democracy in accordance with the trends in most developed countries of the World. A military coup is never a better option. It has never been and it won’t be.  But make no mistake; in light of the large scale fraudulent activities going on right now in the oil sector, people power revolution and civil resistance are always on the table. Those involved in the trial and prosecution, and especially, the indicted petroleum marketers who received money for petroleum products that they did not supply, should be very apprehensive of the unknown. It is our money, and we will get it one way or the other.

With respect to national security, we want to state on record that Nigeria is a secular state, if President Jonathan cannot rule Nigeria, no one, henceforth, can rule Nigeria. And if for any reason connected with the present state of religious unrest and the attendant insecurity he ceases to function as President, Nigeria will come to a standstill. The outcome will be such that when it is all over, there won't be a country called Nigeria.  President Jonathan holds all the cards, any exit unconnected with a credible presidential election or genuine people power revolution is the shortest distance to disintegration. 

Therefore, as we have argued elsewhere on this blog, Nigerians should give President Jonathan a chance; he did not breach any law by stepping into the vacuum created by the death of President Musa Yar'Adua. He acted within the confines of the law and the Constitution. Every Nigerian must have the right to aspire to the highest office in the land through a democratic process. If the Judiciary is independent and graft free, and, if the office of the Attorney General, the Police, and the numerous crime fighting agencies stay aggressive and jettison partisan politics, we will be able to manage the war against corruption, and at the same time, conduct a free, fair, and credible election nation-wide. In that case, we will be able, through popular mandate, to measure our grievances. 

Conclusion 

At this juncture, I must not hesitate to applaud President Jonathan, Professor Jega, the Police and the Military for the credible and successful election that they conducted in Edo State and Ondo State recently. We shouldn't forget ‘operation wetie’ and the Akin Omoboriowo versus Pa Ajasin battle of wit in the second republic. No doubt, the performance of the Electoral Commission in the two states is a welcome development given the large scale electoral frauds and the blatant abuse of judicial process that characterized President Obasanjo’s administration a few years back. 

Yes, President Jonathan is not a tough talking dude, but if the Presidency and Professor Jega could achieve such a grandiose  success in the Governorship election in the two states, how come the AG and EFCC have not been able to make a successful breakthrough in the war against the organized crime that has overwhelmed the entire petroleum sector? That is a question for Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, the Attorney General, and Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde the EFCC boss to answer. Both of them enjoy absolute power and an unlimited budget, and answerable to no one, if they know what they are doing.

Granted, uneasy lies the head that wear the crown, but there won't have been Christianity without the Disciples of Jesus Christ as well as the effort of those who share the passion of Christ. Right now, all hands must be on deck from the Presidency, the Judiciary and to the floor of Congress for a new beginning to take root. We cannot afford to do less. 

Ministers and Special Advisers must adopt the radical approach and learn to speak-up, no matter whose ox is being gored. Failure to act would be stupendously cataclysmic for the entire leadership structure. And as Professor Wole Soyinka would say, "the man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny." 

Sovereign National Conference and Decentralization, without Disintegration:

Preamble:

My position on Sovereign National Conference, true federalism, resource control, and semi-autonomy for the component states within the Nigerian Federation has evolved over the years. That evolution is in consonance with the opinion of Professor Wole Soyinka and few other progressives who have openly canvassed for a certain degree of autonomy for the component states within the "geographical expression" called Nigeria. Given the degree of our cultural, political, and religious differences, semi-autonomy is the right approach to ensuring stability and sustainable progress nation-wide. Also, the complexities inherent in the governance of Nigeria as a single sovereign-nation, as we have seen and experienced over the years, make distorted federalism (the unitary format) unattractive. Today, the Federal Government is becoming larger in size, scope, and responsibilities. At the same time, it cannot police and protect our wealth and riches under its command. In addition, it lacks the ability and the strategic wherewithal to manage and apply the wealth and the riches equitably for sustainable use and benefit of all. Thus, making the need for decentralization of power and authorities from the over-bloated central government to the component units and regional councils a compelling consideration. 

This piece is neither a demand for disintegration nor an endorsement of the call for the disintegration of Nigeria, as we often hear from some individuals. Disintegration, to say the least, is unrealistic. That is my position. It is too extreme and too dangerous to execute, given the tenacity of the economic relationship between the different regions and the social integration that has existed between the various ethnic groups and tribes for centuries. Therefore, the best approach is true federalism or a confederation option or confederacy, similar to what obtains in Canada. Thus enabling the component states or regions to assume a semi-autonomous status and develop at their own pace culturally and politically, and at the same time, relieving the central government of some of its enormous power and responsibilities. We should also not lose sight of the mayhem and ethnic cleansing that heralded the civil war, and that is the main reason for a negotiated belonging. I am totally against any measure that would exacerbate ethnic hatred and bloodshed. Let's start with decentralization, or at least, the decongestion of our federal system. 

The Relationship between Unitary System, Federal System, and Loose Federalism or Confederation of States.


A Federal system of governments involves the delegation of power between the central government, the federating states, and local councils. The ability of the component states to manage their own resources, raise revenues, participate in the ratification of the national constitution, make laws, provide security, and regulate for the general well-being of the citizens within their geographical and political boundaries are some of the fundamental elements of a Federal system of governments. A Federal system is midway between a Unitary system (where the central governments delegate power and authority to the states and local governments) and a Confederacy system (where the component states command a large degree of autonomy and are more powerful or as powerful as the central government). In a Confederacy arrangement, the central government only exercises the power and authority reserved for it or delegated to it by the component states. In other words, the component states dominate the central governments and operate as a semi-independent nation-state. Canada and Switzerland are some of the few countries were Confederacy is presently in operation. 

Constitutionally, Nigeria is a Federal system, but in reality, we operate a Unitary system of government. Today, the component states in the federation cannot fend for themselves and cannot survive on their own, without the monthly allocations from the central governments. The Thirty-Six States in the federation are like local councils - a true replica of a Unitary model - where the center is more powerful than the whole. That was never the intention of our Founding Fathers.

In sum, Nigeria, without any iota of doubt, is becoming too large and too complex for the leadership at the national level to manage and govern effectively as one independent whole. The decentralization of certain responsibilities of the central government to the regional governments will make for efficiency, and no doubt, curtail the massive scale of corruption, embezzlement, and prodigious squandering of our riches prevalent at the national level.

Resource Control / Moving Forward.

With the evolution of true federalism or semi-autonomous status for the federating states as envisaged by our Founding Fathers, coupled with the decentralization of power at the center, the struggle for the control of Aso Rock would diminish drastically. In other words, if we decentralize the power and the resources under the control of Aso Rock; create the right incentives for the federating states within the union to manage their own people and the natural resources within their geographical boundaries, the animosity wrecking our political system, and the "do or die" approach that encapsulates pursuit of power at the federal level would ebb significantly. It is that simple.

Furthermore, given that crude oil is the mainstay of our economy, it will be disingenuous on our part to demand or suggest that the oil-producing states assume exclusive control and ownership of the mineral resources in their respective states at this stage. That would be economically suicidal, especially in some parts of the country where there is 100% reliance on the federal government for subsistence. As at now, where natural resources deposit does exist, the federating states do not have the means to successfully commence their exploration and exploitation at a commercial scale. It requires massive capital infusion, efficient labor force, and planning.

Therefore, we suggest that the oil-producing states take in equal share - 50/50 - of the Onshore Mineral deposits in their respective states with the federal government. The same standard should apply as well in other states in the federation where there are substantial deposits of mineral resources at a commercial level. On the other hand, Offshore Mineral deposits within a certain limit of our Economic Exclusion Zone or Continental Shelf should be under the exclusive control and ownership of the federal government - that part of Nigerian territorial water, which should not belong to the coastal state.

On State Police.

We were the first to kick against the establishment of State Police when the idea was first mooted after the Governor's meeting in Port Harcourt about seven months ago. I had my doubt. But with the advent of semi-autonomy status for the component units in the union, the idea of State Police is a welcome development. Our fear then was that it would lead to a dictatorship of the State Governors. Then, we recommended three units for the Police Force – Mobile Police, Highway Patrol, and the Regular Police. Our recommendation was that the old Highway Police Unit be resuscitated and merged with Federal Road Safety Corps, while the Mobile Police Unit is transformed into a SWAT TEAM as it is the case in developed countries. I am glad that the IGP did reintroduce the Highway Patrol Unit a few months ago with new armor trucks to police our Federal Highways. And that was a welcome development.

Please see an excerpt from “Divine Wisdom: Changing the World in Six Months” posted on June 9, 2012. 

"With the evolution of true federalism (semi-autonomy for the federating states), State Police would be a welcome development. In that case, Mobile Police (the new SWAT TEAM) and Highway Patrol (Federal Trouper) should remain under the exclusive control of the Federal Government. I repeat, Highway Patrol should be re-introduced and merged with Federal Road Safety Commission to be known as Federal Trooper to manage Federal Institutions, Foreign offices and Institutions, and Federal Highways, while Mobile Police should be transformed into a SWAT TEAM for rapid response assignment nation-wide. But the regular Police should be under the control and command of State Government.”  That was our recommendation on June 9, 2012, and we stand by it. IGP has introduced Highway Patrol and we are most delighted. 

SOVEREIGN NATIONAL CONFERENCE VS LEADERSHIP DEFICIT

Over the years, I have deliberately excused myself from the call for SNC, because I still believe that leadership, as well as, corruption epidemic are the major problems confronting Nigeria as a nation-state. My other fear is that when SNC is eventually convened, the same old political careerists who debased and wrecked this great nation would have control over the selection of potential delegates to the conference. And thirdly, the people making the call do not have a clear message - no one is discussing why we should have SNC. There is no existing coherent strategy for its actualization.

Historically, the idea for an SNC was originally conceived by the progressives and social activists (not political careerists) in order to wrest power from the over-bloated and underperforming power clique at the center headed by the Military. As it is today, the demand has been unduly politicized to the extent that any mention of SNC is perceived as a call for the disintegration of Nigeria. And that is a misconception that must be corrected fast.

In addition, SNC has no visible leadership at the moment. What is going on behind the scene is basically power play – political careerists, presently left out of power and influence, have resorted to agitating for SNC, making it a north versus south affair. They hijacked it and transformed it into a struggle for power between it and the often reviled northern power elite groups. That is an insider war that southern progressives and social activists must first win - taking the demand out of the reach and control of politicians. 

SNC, as originally created is not an exercise in vain. But it has to be refined and given a new meaning to sync with realities on the ground. There are fundamental national issues that need to be addressed - Nigerian secular nature (take religion out of our Federal Government), free education at all level nationwide, population (graduation rate and school enrollment do not support result from the Northern region), regional autonomy (States should be given the right to exercise substantial control over their resources), the un-education of greater majority of northern children by successive northern administrators (the need to probe, and where appropriate, rectify the massive abuse of educational grants to educational institutions in the Northern Region, and finally, land ownership and division of offshore mineral deposit between the coastal states and the central government (a permanent solution is required to ensure where federal government should exercise absolute right over mineral deposits in our territorial water, without sharing ownership right with the coastal states), finally, the three dominant tribes (Ndigbo, Yoruba, and Hausa/Fulani), should remember that Federal Character was never intended to protect the MAJORITY tribes. It was meant to prevent them from suffocating and alienating the MINORITY tribes from the scheme of things at the federal level. In other words, a federal character is not about sharing power and positions among Ibo, Yoruba, and Hausa/Fulani, but to ensure that such power and positions that come with it are also extended to the minority tribes. 

As for the apostles of SNC, it is not enough to give a one-liner argument, stating that you need a Sovereign National Conference, without actually saying why you need it. We had enough of the noise about the mistake of 1914 and the amalgamation brouhaha. Be substantive. Take a cue from conservative Northern Governors; they don't debate issues they consider sacrosanct or germane to their political, cultural, and religious interests with anyone outside of the geographical north. For instance, the promulgation of Sharia Law or the introduction of Native Police in most parts of the northern region was never a subject of a national referendum. It doesn't matter whether it benefits the generality of northern residents, provided that the ruling class is safe and secured in their hold on power. 

From all indications, SNC is for progressives to lose. The untold truth is that there is no progressive agenda, as we have a northern and conservative agenda, headed by the Arewa Consultative Group or Forum, and supported by the Northern Governor Association. What we have in the south is a collection of political interest groups masquerading as concerned citizens and activists, without a clear purpose and mandate. Also, there is no marriage of thoughts existing between SNC advocates, Southern Governors, and members of the National Assembly from the region.

That void must first be arrested for southern consensus and progressive agenda to evolve and given effect at the national level. The involvement of members of the National Assembly of southern heritage is sacrosanct to addressing the grievances underlying the demand for SNC. 

Therefore, you must first identify those issues and grievances succinctly and articulate them unambiguously to develop a winnable argument and populist agenda. Finally, if you cannot articulate the issues, which in fact is true, set up a body to advise you on the subject similar to what the Northern Governors did a few months ago with respect to the PIB - Petroleum Industry Bill. You cannot continue talking about change if you cannot articulate the change or changes that you desire. Second step: Organize, organize, and organize. You don't have to wait for the President and the National Assembly to intervene and approve of your demand before you start the briefing process through summit and conferences. Third step: Know your audience, and present your argument in the English language that people can easily understand. 

ANALYSIS 

The complexities inherent in the governance of Nigeria as a single sovereign-nation, as we have seen and experienced over the years, make distorted federalism expendable. Over the decades, it has been proven beyond doubt that the Federal Government cannot police and protect our wealth and riches. At the same time, it lacks the ability and the strategic wherewithal to manage and apply the wealth and the riches equitably for sustainable use and benefit for everyone. Therefore, there is no reasonable ground allowing the central government to remain in complete and perpetual control of the wealth and the riches of our great nation. Thus, making the call for decentralization of power from the over-bloated central government to the component units or regional councils a compelling consideration.

In a nutshell, the problems described here at the federal level have been with us for ages. It is the handiwork of the same political and business leaders with power and influence who dominate our political system and benefit immensely from the spineless federal government. It has become too monstrous and too complex for the leadership clique to manage. Therefore, we should, without equivocation, develop some mechanisms to take power back to the people. Let's start the discussion from there. You already have enough talking points from this article. It is not a northern issue or a southern issue. It is a national question. Let's meet and organize. SNC might not happen in your lifetime. If it does happen, Nigeria wins and it is fine with me.

Finally, for true federalism and decentralization to take hold and subsist in Nigeria, resource control and the introduction of State Police Command are the first steps. If the Federal Government cannot police and protect our people, our wealth, and at the same time lacks the ability and the wherewithal to manage and apply the wealth for sustainable ends and for the benefit of everyone, there is no excuse allowing it to exercise absolute control and authority over it. The problems described here at the federal level is not a recent development, it has been with us for ages. Presently, the federal government lacks the will and the wisdom to recoup our stolen wealth from the indicted thieves. In addition the, the federal government has become too monstrous and too complex for the present leadership clique to manage. Therefore, we should, without delay, devolve power back to the states and local councils.  The option is very clear. 

Alex Ehimhantie'Aiyo Aidaghese

STICK-TO-ITIVENESS A.K.A. HAMILTON-AT-LARGE*: Memo to the Constitutional Review Committee

STICK-TO-ITIVENESS A.K.A. HAMILTON-AT-LARGE*: Memo to the Constitutional Review Committee: Vice Presidential Succession, Federal Character, and the State of Origin Provisions in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Ni...

The Search for A True Federalism – Part One

A Prelude to Restructuring. 

The Balkanization of Nigeria by Northern Elite Military Group and the Disappearance of the Federal System. My Position in 20011. 

“The federal character principle enshrined in the 1979 Constitution is predicated upon the view of Nigeria as a house on four pillars, the four pillars being the Hausa/Fulanis, Igbos, Yorubas and the Minorities, and that the edifice will begin to wobble and its stability imperiled if the headship of the federal government is not made to move around these four groups. Nigerian unity demands acceptance and commitment by all to the principle of rotation, i.e., that ordinarily, no two persons from the same group should hold the headship of the federal government in succession. Unless the federal character principle is applied in order to rotate the headship of the federal government among the four groups, its application at the lower levels will not be effective to secure national unity. The danger of disintegration and of demands for a confederal arrangement will continue to stare us in the face.” “The Igbos in the Context of Modern Government and Politics in Nigeria: A Call for Self-Examination and Self-Correction.”, By Prof. Ben O. Nwabueze SAN, 1985 Ahiajoku Lecture.

"I am not satisfied with the Nigeria in which I live today, neither am I proud of it. I want this Nigeria destroyed and another born. There is despair where there should be hope. Groups that should inspire have rather become hindrances of social and economic growth.”  Saharareporters: “Destroying This Nigeria” By Leonard Karshima Shilgba, September 23, 2011.

The call for a confederal system of government (Confederacy), or a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) is receiving unprecedented momentum in the blogosphere of late following the upsurge in the bombing spree credited to Boko Haram and its affiliates. The demand is not new. It began with late Chief Olu Aboderin, seconded by late Chief Bisi Onabanjo in the 80s, and given a new meaning in the 90s by late chief Anthony Enahoro and other prominent social activists, too numerous to mention here.  While Aboderin and Onabanjo called for a confederal system of government (where the component units are more powerful than the central government), Enahoroh and his fellow social cum political activists, originated the concept of a Sovereign National Conference (a dialogue, kind of) subsequent to the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, won by Chief Moshood Abiola the Aare Onakankonfo of Yoruba land.

Whatever the form or semantic coloration of SNC, it is an expression of anger motivated in part by the growing disillusionment within the educated elite groups over the inexcusable failure of our elected and unelected leaders in the management of our political system and our oil wealth, especially at the national level. Surprisingly though, the demand remains an exercise in intellectual voyaging, lacking congressional support and refusing to gain mainstream support or traction in the real world. Cogent as the motives may seem, until the apostles of SNC or confederal arrangement develop a winnable argument and articulate how dismantling this country in line with pre-amalgamation will eradicate corruptions and leadership crisis (greed and poverty of ideas), the demand will remain, as it has always been, a futile endeavor.

It is a truism that the reactionary feudal elements in the north and by extension, the military wing of that reactionary power block, succeeded in under-developing Nigeria because of the persecution complex and willful silence of most of our southern military officers since the Kaduna Nzeogwu’s coup, followed by the greed and opportunism of the reactionary elements within the southern political establishment since the creation of this country. Most disturbing is the complete absence of southerner academics and intellectuals in the face of blatant, retrogressive, and ethnically motivated socioeconomic policies successively pursued and implemented at the center by the Jubrin Aminus of the north in cahoots with the faceless Kaduna Mafia and present day Arewa Consultative Forum.

While most southern columnists, opinion leaders, and public affairs commentators tend to impress us with their semantic prowess, re-enacting publicly available information as opinion; northern intellectuals and technocrats continued to shape our national policy debate as well as the policy implications of our laws and regulations to suit whatever purpose they deem fit at any given time.

Most often, when southerners are not sleeping on their rights or shooting their foot, they are acting out their master’s scripts in the worst form imaginable; not necessarily on account of patriotism, but for self-promotion and greed, or simply on the basis of intellectual puritanism. In a nutshell, northerners never dictate the scope and directions of our politics and policies, without the active involvement of the south. They set the machinery in motion, only for greedy southerner politicians and administrators, or simply on account of their inexcusable political naivete turn out to be worthy ambassadors of feudal and retrogressive policies.

Be that as it may, we cannot have a viable union or strong federalism in the absence of some form of physical mechanisms or some kind of federal physical structures that every citizen can tap into on an equal basis and at all levels of government – from clerical to the presidential level. There is no gainsaying the fact that present anger would have been averted or mitigated at least if southerner military officers and political leaders who served under the northern-controlled governments show strength or follow Awo’s principles of engagement - no accord or alliance, without the integration of his core beliefs as a component part of the ideological framework of the new arrangement or government in power.

Nevertheless, I would like to add that, time and time again, the north, successively represented at the center by a coterie of predominantly ethnic chauvinists, with the active support of the vocal and lawless religious extremists at the fringe, has been an unfaithful partner since the amalgamation. It has always been all about the north – what the north wants and what is good for the north before what is good for Nigeria. For instance, they receive more money in federal allocations for the education sector than the south, in spite of the fact that they constitute less than 20% of the entire population of students in Nigeria.

It is profoundly ironical, that Aguiyi Inonsi, died, because of his introduction of a Unitary System of Government, that is today, the norm in Nigeria. Some historians and public affairs commentators consider the promulgation of a Unitary system naive. However, Ironsi and his advisers then, firmly believed that, given the mistrust and the volatile political situation generated by the assassination of the Premier, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, and the Sadauna of Sokoto, Almadu Bello during the Nzeogu's coup, a unitary system of government would facilitate unity, peace, and tranquility, and ultimately, calm nerves in the north. They were wrong. The north, represented by the often referred to as 'young military officers,' thought otherwise. they considered a unitary system of government another form of dominance, introduced by the Ironsi regime to silence and colonize the north. 

Who would blame them - Zik ran away and the Premier of the Eastern Region (Okpara) was in a safe location, while Balewa, Sadauna Sokoto, Okotie-Eboh, Akintola, and some of the finest Yoruba Military Officers were killed. I am not a historian; nevertheless, I have no doubt making the conclusion that that was never Nzeogu's intention. Somebody somewhere betrayed Nzeogu and his friends, thereby defeating the purpose and essence of the coup. I live that to Historians.

Today, constitutionally, we are a federation, or supposedly, a federal system, but in reality, we are operating a unitary system of government (what Ironsi died for); conceived by a government headed by northern military officers through the creation of more states - states that cannot fend for themselves, and states that substantially depend on the government at the center for their survival.  That is not what our founding fathers had in mind when they developed and settled for the concept of a Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Must we now turn around and accuse IBB and Abacha of creating more (weak) states and local governments in order to create a stronger and domineering central government to subjugate the south as argued by the young northern military officers when Ironsi introduced a unitary arrangement? Truth is, their intention was not to dominate, but to redistribute wealth in favor of the northern region - the more the number of local governments and states created in a particular region, the more of federal wealth that goes to that particular region monthly. 

One could also argue that their intention was to bring government closer to the people and facilitate grass-root development. Whatever your interpretation is or was, one thing remains obvious: the unintended consequence turned out to be structurally and politically devastating to the entire fabric of our federal system. The process eroded the true concept of federalism because the new states and local governments created as well as the old states cannot stand on their own, without the direct support of the now powerful central government. That is an indisputable fact. And that is now our reality - a unitary model at its finest - a development that Southerners now find very unsettling.

True federalism is about equal distribution of power and responsibilities between the government at the center and the semi-independent component states and the local councils at the lowest end of the political ladder. That is one of the fundamental elements of a federal system of government. In sum, the ability of the component states to manage their own affairs and resources and regulate for the security and well-being of those within their geographical and political boundaries, are some of the basic attributes of a federal system of government.

Today, states are like local governments or counties - they collect taxes, levies, and fines from market women and motor park operators, and no more. States within a federal system do more than collecting levies and taxes; they are mini nations, with all the power and privileges that come with it. They control, exploit, and manage the mineral resources in their domain in collaboration with the federal government in licensing, permitting, and regulatory aspects. That is what is missing in Nigeria. The states cannot perform and the central government is becoming more and more powerful and domineering.

Federalism was at its best in Nigeria prior to the discovery of oil in the Niger Delta. Then, we had groundnuts pyramids, timber, rubber, palm oil, cocoa, cotton, and coal, just to name a few. They were our major foreign exchange, earners. As long as we have free money flowing from crude oil to the central government, we will never have true federalism in Nigeria.

The obvious truth is that, if the northern political leaders and the military elite groups had judiciously utilized the wealth they cornered for the development, training, and education of the greater majority of northern children since the end of the civil war, the mass illiteracy, lawlessness, and hopelessness ravaging that part of the country today would have been adequately contained by now. And by extension, federal character and quota system (that created inequality in our political system, which southerners resent) would have been avoided, and religious bigotry would not have been that rampant.

In spite of everything, the north is not an Eldorado – not everyone is a beneficiary of the stolen wealth or the stolen governments. Northern poor and the generality talakawas are a victim of the system just as those of us in the south. They need help. We all need help. This country should not divide. We need a new attitude. That is why I start this blog. I will mention the name(s) and point the finger where possible because I have the facts.

The deafening silence from prominent leaders of thoughts in the north and the nonchalant approach exhibited by the vocal Arewa Consultative Forum since the emergence of Boko Haram, support the narrative that the answer that we seek is not in disintegration, but in a leadership change. Reason: the victims of the carnage are on their own. ACF members are more interested in building a family empire - Business Empire for the privileged few, not for the vulnerable talakawas who congregate at places easily targeted by Boko Haram.

Now is the time for a new start, to reminisce and take stock of what we did not do right as individuals and as a group and as a race. And to develop a framework for a new beginning, for equal rights and protection, and for impartial deliberations with a view to serving one great purpose – the greatness of Nigeria.

I reject the ‘destroying this temple’ (Nigeria) narrative of our bloggers, opinion leaders, and writers. I would rather we focus on a unifying and nation-building narrative - doing exactly what Chief Obafemi Awolowo did – educate everyone and provide for everyone the right incentives for empowerment, for industrialization, and entrepreneurship and simultaneously, do exactly what Mallam Nassir El’Ruffai did at FCT- clean up the Temples, without regards to race, religion, and class and make it (Nigeria) WHOLE again, without bloodshed.

December 2011

The Search for A true Federalism – Part Two

Southern Greed, Opportunism, and Acquiescence (sleeping on their rights)

(1) Orkar’s coup, as formed and executed was to achieve exactly what prominent opinion leaders and the majority of the Nigerian bloggers (Internet writers) want, but when he was overpowered and apprehended then, there was complete silence in the land. No mutiny in the army, no mass protest by the civil society in support of what he stood for. He was tried and executed. And like Kaduna Nzeogwu’s coup was nipped in the bud, while a docile populace went about their normal business as usual.

(2) Comrade Uche Chukwumerijie a social activist to the core, made a caricature of his egalitarian credentials when he became the mouth piece of a military government following the annulment of June 12, 1993, election.  His loquacious buffoonery assumed a dismal absurdity in an effort to drum up support for a military government that refuses to acknowledge Abiola’s popular mandate. In one instance at a community address in the old Gongola State, he declared: ‘for the first time in the history of Oduduwa, Onakankonfo ran away from the war front.’ The Aare Onakankonfo of Yoruba Land later returned from self-imposed exile and died mysteriously a few days later. Umaru Dikko did not write that speech for the Comrade. IBB never did, neither Sani Abacha. Professor Aminu, in spite of his hatred and abhorrence of southern interests, would not have written a better line or contrived such a sacrilege. It was written and verbalized by a southerner.

(3) Also, a Yoruba Judge sent Awo to prison and vanquished the Action Group and its progressive agenda in the west, while lamenting that his hands are tied.  The treasonable felony trial and the imprisonment of Awo did not only derail the one-of-a-kind socio-economic and sustainable development initiatives orchestrated in the history of developing world, it set Nigeria backward unimaginably.

(4) When IBB stepped aside he handed the reign of government over to Chief Shonekan who willingly accepted the label of an interim President, while a fellow Yoruba man who won the mandate fled to faraway England for his dear life. As expected, the incoherent Sani Abacha came, sacked Chief Shonekan, and brought in social activists, intellectuals, and military officers of southern extraction; and like Chief Shonekan, they willingly obliged their master’s command, while Abiola wasted away in exile.

(5) Twice, the respected Zik of Africa and the Father of Nigerian Nationalism negotiated alliance/accord/ power sharing arrangements with the ruling party, but forgot to integrate his own core principles into the ideological framework of the new coalition, as if his motivation in power was simply to serve as a ceremonial figure head. It is the same trends today. Nigeria is now a no-party state because every aspiring political leader gravitates towards political parties where chances of winning are assured.

(6) With due respect to the eminent and distinguished scholar, Professor Ben Nwabueze, who is today calling for a revolution; when he had the opportunity to transform our educational system as a Minister in 1993, he turned out to be an unrepentant ASUU antagonist.  A so-called “imperfect obligation” was first negotiated by Professor Bab Fafuwa, his predecessor, on behalf of the Federal Government and Dr. Jega, then ASUU Chairman. Imperfect as the obligation was, there was no strike by ASUU. When Professor Nwabueze came into the scene, the negotiation collapsed immediately contrary to all expectations. He gave a convoluted interpretation to the working agreements reached between ASUU and Pa Fafuwa and plunged the Nigerian educational systems into a perpetual darkness. According to the Guardian Newspaper, Dr. Jega, visibly exasperated, lamented that he did not understand what the Minister was talking about. Thanks to his mumbo jumbo and legalistic acumen, the entire university system was paralyzed during his first five months as Minister of Education. Nigerian Law School was the only higher institution in Nigeria that was not affected.

(7) When Dr. Jubrin Aminu (then Executive Secretary of National University Commission) authored that infamous memo “Educational Imbalance: Its Extent, History, Dangers and Correction in Nigeria”, there was no rebuttal from the thousands of professors and PhDs of southern extraction. The memo became public when it was published verbatim as a paid ad in the Guardian Newspaper when Dr. Jubrin Aminu was the Minister of Education. Even though the Obasanjo military government convened a Committee of Vice - Counselors to review the substantive issues in the memo, nothing was changed and Dr. Jubrin Aminu succeeded in his quest to unilaterally define the fundamental framework of our university educational system. And he did. There was no alternative view or a rebuttal from southern scholars and academics to debunk his thesis, even though the memo was ill-motivated, ethnically biased, retrogressive, and openly canvassed the rejection of free university education because only the south would take advantage of the program. See details in Part Three.

(8) In Nigeria, corruption transcends race and geography; therefore, you cannot reasonably and justifiably hold northerners responsible for the stupendous wealth fraudulently accumulated by politicians, CEOs of regional and national Banks and the ten-per-centers phenomenon and “kick-back” trademarks popularized by public service administrators all over Nigeria.

(9) Under President Obasanjors (a southerner), the fleecing of Nigerian wealth took a disturbing proportion unprecedented in the history of Nigerian creation.   In the past 10 years, acquiring exotic property overseas by governors, mostly southern governors, became a status symbol under the watchful eyes of the President.  Electricity and Roads constructions swallowed millions of dollars without ascertainable significant changes in the two sectors.

(10) For eight good years the Benins, the Esans and the Afemais went into a deep slumber while Governor Lucky Igbinedion transformed Benin City and the entire Edo State into a ghost region. Governor Ibori of Delta State is not a Hausa or Fulani man by any stress of the imagination. Presently, he is hobnobbing from one jail house to another, from Abuja to Dubai and to London on account of stupendous wealth stealthily acquired, the source or sources of which he cannot explain.

(11) As you read, the former Speaker of the House of Assembly (a southerner) is facing indictment for embezzling public funds that he cannot spend in his life time. Similar stories are true of Tafawa Balogun, Bode George, and Uncle Deprieye.

(12) Though I would like to reserve my comment on the list of the names of Nigerians who allegedly benefited from the oil subsidy windfall, released by the Senate, suffice it to say that the list supports the argument that southerners are as culpable as the Hausas and the Fulanis in the appropriation of the oil wealth.

(13) Adding to that, the period of the subsidy windfall supports the inference that squandering of our riches and misappropriation of our oil wealth also do occur under an administration headed by a southerner and not only in the so-called Hausa/Fulani dominated regimes.

(14) In this section, we do not intend to cast aspersion on any one, or on any group, but to prove that the underdevelopment and the northern dominance that southerners resent, would not have happened, without southern blind allegiance and greediness. Southerners do not know when to take a stand and to say no to greed, corruption, and ineptitude. Therefore, it is unreasonable to hold the Hausas and the Fulanis solely responsible for everything wrong with Nigeria - to the extent that we now want to disintegrate - when majority of the southerners who served as Ministers, Advisers, Governors, Commissioners, etc., at the so-called northern dominated military and democratic governments did not perform better than their colleagues of northern origin who served in the same governments.

In spite of everything, I would like to add at this juncture that some southerners who did participate in the recent military governments - Professor Ojetunji Aboyade, Ebitu Ukiwe, Professor Olikoye Ransome-kuti, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, Professor Eme Awa, Dr. Olu Agunloye (FRSC), and Pa Bab Fafuwa were exceptionally above board in the respective government under which they served.

(15) Accordingly, to hold as conclusive that Hausa/Fulanis and the military wing of that cabal are solely responsible for the underdevelopment of our natural and human resources, is analogous to concluding that corruption, greed, nepotism, kidnapping, educational crisis, leadership failings, celebration of wealth by few in the midst of nationwide poverty, and the overall socioeconomic stagnation are the handiwork of the geographical north.  Also, the argument by disintegration agitators that vanquishing the Hausas and the Fulanis from present Nigeria and undo the amalgamation as the only solution, is a complete hogwash. It will not stem the tide of corruption and fraud. Furthermore, that their departure will engender a brand new leadership cadre in the new south, devoid of a Bode, Diepreye, Ibori, Balogun, and Igbinedion’s affliction is a mere utopia and does not hold true in facts or common sense.

Finally, it is beyond my understanding why southerners always discuss in a whispering mood about alleged northern dominance. How many southerners have gone to court to argue for equal protection violation following the abuse of federal character and quota system by the Nigerian government? Must you wait for the elusive Sovereign National Conference (SNC) to be convened before you table your grievances?  By the way, where is your case for SNC? Where is the education in you if you cannot articulate the purpose and benefit of SNC? Must you wait for SNC before you articulate what ails you? What is wrong with now? Wake up southerners! SNC might not happen in your life time. You are part of the problem.

December 2011

The Search For A True Federalism – Part Three

Northern Power Madness, Feudalism, and Playing The Religious Card. 

(1) The classification of the progressives in the north, as well as those in the south as fakirs (infidel), is the oldest trick in the book. They use the New Nigerian Newspaper and Radio Nigeria Kaduna - a federal government own radio station to propagate fear of southern dominance in the mind of average northerners. They successfully and consistently monopolize federal structures and federal institutions through strategic placements facilitated by the application of federal character and Quota System to strengthen their dominance as well as the resistance of outside influence and the much-derided western culture and Awo populist programs.

(2) In the past decades, while it was morally and constitutionally sacrosanct to apply federal character and quota system from the position of the vice president to the lowest level in government in every administration - even under military regime when the constitution was supposedly suspended - the position of the president was appropriated with unbridled impunity by the Hausas and the Fulanis for many years, without regards to the rotational constitutional arrangement.

(3) Intriguing as the inordinate power ambition has been, it was never appropriated for the benefit of the poor and the generality talakawas. It was simply designed to protect the business empire and political interests of the very privileged few who have been in government over the years.

(4) I do not think that the talakawas in the streets of Kano, Kaduna, and Sokoto would have supported the continuation of British occupation of the entire country because of the imaginary fear of second colonization of the north by the south at the exit of the British as expressed by the leadership of the Northern People’s Congress in 1953.  NPC was not ready for emancipation and the rest of the country had to wait until October 1960 for them to be ready to take power at the center.

(5) Similarly, Midwestern Region was never created because the Northern People’s Congress (party in power at the center) care for Midwesterners more than Action Group (the party in power in the region); the creation was calculated to dilute Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Action Group’s national spread and influence. The Northern region, as at the creation of the Midwest Region was almost twice the size of the western region, yet the northern region was left intact.

(6) Adding to that, the demand for the creation of a Middle Belt Region by Chief Joseph A. Tarka and members of the United Middle Belt Congress was as fierce as the demand for the creation of the Midwest Region by the Osadebes, the Benins, and the Deltas. Middle Belt Region was never created. It was all about magnitude and dominance.  Shrewd political leaders as the Sadauna of Sokoto and Sir Abubakar Balewa were, they understood that very well and did everything possible to diminish the importance and influence of their fiercest competitor - Awo.

(7) As stated above, Balewa left northern region intact, because doing so was of a great strategic and political importance. The bigger northern is, the larger the power and strength it commands in the union - a development that Awo considered anemic to the true concept of federalism. However, when the time came to allocate oil money, the present generation of the same northern power block did not hesitate to splinter the same untouchable northern region into pieces - even more than structural reasonable - because doing so brings more money to the region from the federation account. The same northern region that Balewa and Sadauna did not want to touch, now has more states and more local governments in Nigeria than the entire southern region that was already three regions before the civil war.

(8) Today, free education at all levels, though practicable, is an aberration at the national level, because Dr. Jubrin Aminu now Professor (Senator) Jubrin Aminu was of the opinion that a nationally implemented free education at all levels has the potential to widen the already educational gap between the North and the South.  I do not think northern students, their parents, and teachers would have opposed the introduction of free education at all levels in line with the retrogressive argument of Dr. Jubrin Aminu to the effect that free education at all levels would only benefit the south.

In his own words: “In the Universities themselves, the Federal Government is now contemplating introducing free education. Whatever may be the merits of this considered step, its likely effect on the University population must be mentioned. It is going to result in an even greater imbalance in enrollment, for the simple reason that at the moment, there are a fair number of highly eligible candidates for University education, mainly from the educationally advanced states,[west, east, and Midwest] who unfortunately cannot enter University simply on financial grounds.” “Educational Imbalance: Its Extent, History, Dangers and Correction in Nigeria”. By Dr. Jubrin Aminu, National University Commission.

Simply put, affordability by the Federal Government was never his argument.  His divisive logic was that if the Fed provides free education at all levels, poor families in the south who would not have taken their children through the university system, because of financial problems would then be able to do so. On the other hand, poor families in the north will not take advantage of the policy, because of their resentment towards western culture and values. That was Dr. Aminu’s argument in the memo, not mine. Such a development, he argued, would ultimately add to the existing education gap between the north and the south. And to prevent this from happening, the idea of free education at all levels should be considered not of national interest. And they did. Obasanjo was the Military Head of State. And that remains the policy till today.

(9) The same Dr. Aminu later served as a Vice-Chancellor of a national University, Ambassador, Minister of Petroleum, Minister of Education, and now a Senator for life. Only in Nigeria! It will never happen in another country – for a guy who so shamelessly and openly agitates sectional interests to be able to serve in multiple strategic national positions over and over again throughout his lifetime.

(10) As a Minister of Education, he introduced nomadic education, designed exclusively to educate children of herds’ men (cattle ranchers). As usual, they gave him a blank check to do his wishes. But at the same time, he waged a personal war against Dr. Festus Iyayi of UNIBEN and the entire ASUU members; he starved our Universities of needed funding and wasted millions of dollars on the program without a single pupil graduating from it. He later abandoned the program for reasons left for Dr. Aminu to explain.

(11) The educational gap between the north and south that Dr. Aminu wanted to bridge by all means possible, did not happen overnight in the south. It was made possible by the embrace of Christian Missionaries in the East - integration of religious studies with scholarly pursuit - by the Ibos. And in the Western region, by the free education program of Action Group as well as the acceptance and embrace of western culture and values side by side with the Yoruba creeds by the people of the Western Region. Dr. Aminu acknowledged these facts in his 53-page memo, rather than strive to adopt the same programs nation-wide, he demanded that the rest of the country wait for the north to catch up, whether or not the North was willing to embrace the same values and programs that made educational advancement possible in the south.

(12) There is no denying the fact that Boko Haram is chicken coming home to roost. The educational policy selfishly designed to frustrate poor southern families is today, a boomerang in Dr. Aminu's face. It succeeded in creating generations of uneducated, easily manipulated religious extremists in his backyard – a cesspool for Boko Haram adherents and a recruitment reservoir for those who want to impose a state religion on the rest of us. What is called for is coherent national education policy, with the full support of the federal government, similar to what Action Groups did in the Old Western Region and what the Late Abubakar Rimi did in Kano State in the second republic – a grass-root educational campaign that won his administration a UNICEF Award.  Details in the spring of 2012.

(13) Also, I do not think that the electorates in the geographical north would have voted for the nullification of the June 12, 1993, presidential election won by a southerner, if there was a referendum to that effect. IBB did not serve the interest of the Talakawas when he annulled a successful presidential election – a rare accomplishment by the international standard - that would have made him a great leader today. Smart as he is, IBB allowed that invisible oligarchic clique in and out of the military to hijack his sense of judgment and succumbed to the antediluvian popular convention to the effect that the north is ordained to retain the presidency of this country as long as it wishes.

(14) When IBB and the remnants of the Northern People’s Congress decided to pacify western region for the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election won by a Yoruba man, they went for one of their own, Obasanjo – the Clarence Thomas of Egbe omo oduduwa - a captive of feudal Machiavellianism when he served as a military head of state in the 70s.

(15) Not long ago, some of our Northern Governors introduced Sharia Laws, without apparent reason, other than the emergence of a southern Christian as the President of this country, in the person of President Obasanjo. There is no moral or socioeconomic explanation for the introduction of Sharia Law in those states. The introduction of Sharia Law is today, a catalyst for the audacity of Boko Haram and the escalation of their crusade. The legislative stamp on Sharia Law via the legislative actions of the northern governors goes to the root of the mystery surrounding the evolution of Boko Haram and their operational network.

Here, we set out to prove two things: One, that the presidential zest of the northern leadership elite knows no limits, and two, to prove that the presidential power that they have so brazenly pursued, and with so much impunity and ruthlessness, hardly translate to purposeful governance or improvement in the overall well-being of the generality of the people - the middle class, the Talakawas, and the Almajiris. Therefore, in light of these facts, it would be uncharacteristic of me to support the call to throw the bathwater out with the baby. Rather, effort should be made to wrest power from those that wield it on behalf of the privileged few.

December 2011

The Search for A True Federalism – Part Four

The fallacy of Disintegration and Moving Forward: It is more about fighting corruption and eradicating leadership deficit rather than calling for disintegration on the basis of Hausa/Fulani dominance. 

Yes, things have fallen apart and the center is not holding on strong. A few months ago, Mr. Leonard, Shilgba, PhD., a regular writer on SAHARA REPORTERS, argued eloquently in a lengthy article for the creation of independent nations based on ethnic configurations out of the present Nigeria. The same week, another regular writer, Mr. Rudolf Okonkwo, introduced a new slang into the separation debate. He compared Nigeria to a house without a solid foundation and argued metaphorically that since the house is incapable of self-supporting, it should be demolished for smaller and stronger units to emerge. In his words: “In place of the temple, a series of family homes in the form of estates should be built around the spot where the temple is.” Saharareporters: “Destroy This Temple” By Rudolf Okonkwo: September 8, 2011

A fine piece, no doubt.  But Mr. Okonkwo like thousands of others separation enthusiasts did not propose or develop a modicum of thought on how to manage the monstrous Immigration and Customs rules and regulations that would evolve following disintegration. Nor did he address the pervasive leadership crisis or the corruption epidemic that is a common trend all over Nigeria.  Unless these gentlemen who are calling for the dismantling of the Nigerian State are telling us that the newly created sovereign countries out of present Nigeria will be manned by new breed politicians and technocrats imported from Sweden or heaven. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s be realistic and be objective in our analysis of the potential benefits of disintegration: the British knew too well that creating multiple independent countries from that geographical expression – apology to Pa Awo – on the basis of tribal affiliations or ethnic groupings would be a Herculean task to manage or govern, because of the magnitude of the diverse ethnic groups within.  It is a known fact that neither the northern region nor the southern region is a monolithic or one tribal enclave that would make for a coherent and viable independent country if divided, which explained the urgency of amalgamation of the entire land mass or ‘geographical expression’ in 1914.

That reasoning subsists till today. We survived the treasonable felony trial and we survived the civil war, the Ibos or Igbos were indiscriminately massacred, before, during, and after the civil war; we do not crave for a repeat. Not now. Let’s find strength in unity and direct our anger at a common enemy.

For instance, how would you guarantee the safety of Hausa merchants at Ikpoba Hill in Benin City, and at Obalende and Okokomaiko in Lagos? What would you do with the Ibos at Idumota and Alaba Market in Lagos and in every nooks and cranny of Nigeria? And what would you do with the Yorubas, Hausas, and Fulanis in Port Harcourt? Would you expect a whole sale distributor of yams and fresh tomatoes at New Benin Market in Down Town Benin City, to obtain a visa or a pass before traveling to Makurdi in the new Middle Belt Region for her supplies?

By the way, do you know the people that own Abuja? Would the Federal Capital Territory become another Jerusalem (a troubled land) or a holy and sovereign land like the Vatican, or a new Mecca? What would you do with our biggest headache - NNPC?

Where does Kwara belong? How about the people of Kogi State and the inhabitants of Jos and the Tivs and the Igbiras of Benue?  Are they part of Arewa Republic, or the Oduduwa Republic, or the Middle Belt Republic?

For those of you canvassing for Regional Police Force, how would you overcome the harassment from Oduduwa Police Force, Midwest Police Force, and Idigbo/Biafra Police Force while traveling by road from the City of Lagos in the Oduduwa Republic to Port Harcourt or Calabar in the South-South Republic?

Again, would you recommend the creation of a separate and independent republic out of Arewa Republic for the people of southern Kaduna whose last names sound as if they are from River State?

The political class knows too well that Nigerians are a bunch of gullible, docile, and ethnic chauvinists, afflicted with chronic short term memory disorder. We celebrate big names in and out of government, in total disregard for their abysmal performance while in office, especially if such big names are members of our own tribe or community. It is symptomatic of hapless minds, of a beat-up people searching for heroes and handouts from the wrong places.

What we perceived as the policy of the north, what we are worrying about as northern dominance, are not exactly so. They are the handiwork of a negligible few, intent on monopolizing wealth and power, with the active support of gullible, predominantly uneducated followers, psychologically and mentally enslaved by misinformation tactics perfected by daily handouts made possible by stolen wealth. The pains and sufferings of the Talakawas and their counterpart in the south do overlap and bear similar patterns. Corruptions and squandering of riches are as rampant in the south as they are in the north.

The Sovereign National Conference (SNC), in spite of the noble intent of the proponents, has been unduly politicized - it is perceived by many as another way to legislate the disintegration of Nigeria. No government (elected government for that matter) would willingly sign on to a conference where no one is sure of the outcome. That is the opinion of those in government and majority of the power elite groups about SNC. Therefore, my suggestion to the apostles of SNC, is to set up a 'Progressive Think Thank' and use that as a platform to organize and hold conferences on the issues that we all care about - population, oil and gas licensing and permitting,, the state of origin concept, injustice, security, religious bigotry, corruption, accountability, trust deficit, and poverty of ideas in the leadership. You don't have to wait for the central government to approve of your goal to organize and strategize for the way forward.

We need to develop some mechanisms for resources control and allocation of the mineral resources in each region between the component states and the federal government. And give the components states some latitude in the control and exploitation of mineral resources within their regional boundaries. The need for states to exercise control over resources in their domain is paramount and it is the first step to true federalism.

We might not have a Bill Clinton or another Awo, but if we could gather enough wisdom, enough foresight and look beyond our present anger and resolve to jettison ethnic and religious considerations when making leadership choices, if we could stand and remain objective in our assessment of our potential leaders, I am optimistic that we will find greatness again very soon.

Therefore, we must be bold, resolute, and be willing to ruffle heads when the need arises, learn to identify and to say no to feudal principles, greed, and opportunism. Above all, be willing to take a stand, a firm stand on what you believe is good for the people; prepare to make enemies if the need be, in order to achieve the desired changes that we talk about presently. It begins and ends with strategic grass root movement, awareness campaign, with a focus on leadership change; not the state of origin of the President.

God Bless you and God Bless the good people of Nigeria.

December 2011

Writing and Blogging For Posterity: The Best is Yet to Come

To the fans of this Blog, you are the heroes and you make the difference. I thank you for your visit, for your participation and for being a part of a history making process. Only you can tell the story of your experience on this Blog. Whether you're visiting pursuant to an official assignment or simply in pursuit of new ideas or information, the truth is, there is no us, without you - we are relevant, because you are a part of the family. And we are grateful.

To my Nigerian friends and family members, this short piece is specifically written for you. There is nothing amiss about our great nation that we cannot make better or fix. On this Blog, you will find how simple ideas and common sense made the big difference during the campaign. On this Blog you will find very useful articles and information dealing with Nigerian problems and solutions. 

Yes, there are fraudsters and there are 419ers among us - perverting our names and desecrating our national image and reputation locally and internationally with impunity. But that is not all that we are. There are great Nigerians out there doing great thing and making it big the right way. I am a Nigerian by birth and very prideful of my root and the black man in me. And I am the author of this Blog. I am not a journalist. I am not a trained writer. But I write, because I know I have something meaningful and profoundly useful to contribute toward shaping our fast changing world for the better. And it has been a huge success. I am a Nigerian. And yes, we do great things. 

From June 8, 2012, the day our first piece on the just concluded US Presidential election, titled "OBAMA: Citizen United, Invisible Resistance, and the Hacking of American Democracy" appeared on this Blog, to November 1, 2012, the day we post "OBAMA Will Win Decisively", I'm proud to say that no one, no pundit, and no strategist on radio, or on TV was as audacious, as accurate, and as definitive as this Blog throughout the duration of the campaign. From defining the opponent, to crafting effective message that would sway voters, to projecting the final call few days to the election, we were authoritative and clearly ahead of the pack in every respect. Yes, we define the theme, the characters, and successfully shift the discussion, the debate, and the dynamics of the campaign in the process. Simply put, we blazed the trail and the pundits, the advisers, and the strategists follow. Yes, I am a Nigerian. And we do great things too.

Like those before me and numerous others still in the game, I have written more than necessary to move Nigerian forward. If I stop writing today, I have no regret: this Blog is my story - a true definition of me. I say it the way I feel it based on my reading and interpretation of the facts on the ground. It is about common sense, and reasonableness and wisdom acquired over the years. If politics is a dirty game, it is because the Venom Jordan, the Colin Powell, the Akinola Aguda, and the Ibrahim Ayagi do not want to get their hands dirty and clean up the process.

I love the social media. I won't lie. It has its benefits and risks. You are able to express yourself, create a niche and make sustainable impacts in governance, if you know what you are doing. But you must have alternative means of income and know how to allocate your time between Blogging and doing the job that put food on your table. I set my goal. I played my part and I paid my dues. I did the right thing the right way and I am happy. 

Now that the election is over and President Obama has won, I am taking the twice postponed break from writing for now. As I go, I do know that I have great years and great opportunities ahead of me in my chosen profession - law, leadership, political strategy and public service. Yes, I will write again. But if I do, the focus will be on the emerging international framework for the sustainable development of human and natural resources in mineral resources rich areas in Nigeria and elsewhere in the World.  It’s all about the bold ideas. The big challenges and the common sense approach.  Yes indeed, we got the magic, and tremendously so. Stay tuned. The best is yet to come.