PRESIDENT BUHARI AND THE UNMAKING OF A THESIS.

 I do not profess to be an intellectual, but I have common sense. And my work speaks for me. The Thesis you are about to read was developed and published in 2012. Thank God, everything works out as intended - the culmination of a progressive-leaning political party, the APC. They ran and they won. But the victory died stillbirth. The mandate was hijacked by unknown forces. Today, the said unknown forces are still being defined. The fears that provoked the thesis are unravelling beyond the author's wildest imagination. And the status quo is made worse. Happy reading. 

Thesis:

How do you make a change in a given society, when those who ought to be at the forefront of change [Northern academics, mavericks, and intellectuals] are the direct beneficiaries of the policies [feudalism and caste system] 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 as a nation-state. And it is the first hurdle that those of us (non-partisan real progressives from the South) who think one great Nigeria is not an illusion (a reality) must first overcome to develop a formidable framework for a genuinely progressive movement nationwide.

Here is my approach to the thesis.

In light of the current development in Nigeria, it is incumbent on the part of the vocal northern intellectuals to rebel in principle against the age-old oligarchy system of government prevalent in the northern region to collaborate with the progressives nationwide, to create a political culture that will stand the test of time and benefit everyone equally. 

Given the scale of unrest in the north, rebelling against the feudal philosophy that perpetuates the caste system, becomes a moral obligation, because (1), it is the right thing to do given the level of discontent as well as the total disconnect between the nouveau riche and the Talakawa. (2), the obscene wealth flowing to some individual 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 will engulf the area and the spillover effect to the other parts of the country, should status quo remains unchanged, is more potent than imagined. 

Therefore, it is imperative on the part of the Mavericks and militant intellectuals of the North to either step out of their protective closets and align with progressive southerners to build sustainable human and economic development throughout the northern region and Nigeria at large, or remain ensconced in your El Dorado and suffer the Muammar Qaddafi's foolhardiness in the long run. Time is of the essence. 

CHALLENGES BEFORE NIGERIAN PROGRESSIVES

I have no doubt in my mind that a progressive administration - precisely at the national level, devoid of ethnic or religious colouration - is our best hope given the level of discontent on campuses 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 and reinventing the Nigerian man inside of every one of us.

Therefore, this paper is more of a progressive pitch, making a case for (1), the need for Southern progressives and Northern mavericks and intellectuals to unite and rebel against greed and feudal principles to avert imminent class warfare. (2), that given the seemingly fragile state of our sovereignty, the idea of a Sovereign National Conference, though well-intended, should not be a 'take it or leave it' option because there are too many uncertainties surrounding its successful evolution within a definite period. (3), that progressives and mavericks - with a uniform political and socio-economic agenda nationwide - 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 - often times capitalizes on existing ethnic mistrust to perpetuate their dominance of the political forces at the perils of the greater majority. Therefore, defeating them in a democratic setting is morally imperative. March 2012. 

My comment, is today, May 30, 2021. 

They congregate and after a series of meetings and deliberations, a patchwork was born - the APC. Regrettably, the party that came out of the coalition and won the 2015 Presidential election, did not form the government. I repeat APC did not form a government - General Buhari and the unknown forces did. And they have been in power since May 29, 2015. 

And who are these unknowns? 

They are the purveyors and beneficiaries of the caste system and feudalism that the thesis targeted. You do have a good understanding of feudalism, with the unhinged Almajiri culture and the helplessness of the Talakawas, you no longer need a tutorial on the concept of the caste system. 

The Talakawas and the Almajiri population are the ready tools for jihad, ethnic cleansing, land-grabbing mechanisms, and rigging of elections. So, their espousal of the Boko Haram principles is rooted in the caste system and dominance. 

They are amoebic, they come in different forms in different administrations. With them, ethnic loyalty and the awe of the superiority complex developed from the conquest of the native northerners hundreds of years ago remain unquenched. Whether in military uniforms or agbada, their loyalty is never to the green white green. 

But for the Customs and Immigration Services and the Crude Oil in the Niger Delta, this country would have been gone long ago. 

Let's not make pretence about it, a superiority complex that is built on unproven strength is hard to dislodge, especially when the opposing team is susceptible to capitulation, compromises, and accommodation in every dispute or confrontation. 

In light of the mess that President Buhari and his folks made of this thesis and the progressive mandate, the demand for Decentralization of power is now unassailable. NEVER TRUST A PARASITE WHO TAKES YOUR CIVILITY, EGALITARIANISM, AND PATRIOTIC FERVOR FOR WEAKNESS.