My Country, your Country!
A BRITISH soldier, mercenary, adventurist, explorer of Africa and despot (apology to Supo Sasore, SAN), Frederick John Dealtry Lugard (1858 to 1945) amalgamated the Northern and Southern Protectorates and named them Nigeria on January 1,1914 without any plebiscite nor referendum; neither did he consider the nature and characteristics of the more than 250 ethnic groups. Having been compelled to live together since 1914 as a country with rigid Constitutions and fought a civil war (May 1967 to January 1970) ‘to keep Nigeria one’ what have we learnt and forgotten as a country? What is the state of my country, your country?
The issues we have learnt but conversely forgotten can be conveniently and broadly classified as religion, political, ethnicity, corruption, federalism/constitutionalism, and economy. Let us briefly x-ray them seriatim:
Religion: It is melancholic that the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods or a particular system of faith and worship has incredulously dichotomised many my country men and women. Religious bigotry or zealotry has turned the country into a theatre of an unending war. Albeit, the country has preponderance of Muslims and Christians, there are other religions. The country’s constitution is clear on this. Regrettably, religious violence in the country has been mostly restricted to Muslim-Christian strife since 1953 and has been exacerbated by the Boko Haram insurgency that is taking humongous economic, human, development and social tolls on the country. Religious intolerance cannot take us anywhere and should therefore, not be allowed to sing the country’s nunc dimittis. Developed nations such as United States of Americas, Britain, France, Germany, China, Singapore and Japan achieved excellence through religious tolerance.
Political: Politics as defined by the great philosopher, Aristotle is a ‘practical science’ because it is meant to make citizens happy, that is, finding and executing the common good of the populace. At independence, we appeared to be following the actual philosophy of politics but quite quickly, we derailed. The concomitant result is what we have been nursing for about six decades. My country, your country must retrace its steps from political machinations that are incongruent to its socio-economic emancipation.
Ethnicity: Why has my country, your country gone the way of ethnicity? Why must we identify with each other on the basis of a presumed common genealogy or ancestry or on similarities such as common religion, language or dialect, history, society, culture or other affinities? Why, indeed, must we socialise on the basis of a common and distinctive culture, religion, kinship or the like? Ethnicity has been the bane of my country, your country. And, until it is eschewed like the plague, development will continue to elude us. It is breeding distrust and uneasiness in the polity.
Corruption: Since independence, we continue to occupy unenviable position in the World’s Corruption Index. Dishonest, discreditable and fraudulent conduct by most of our leaders and the citizenry locally, nationally and internationally has made us a laughing stock in the comity of nations. Corruption in high and low places has made my country, your country a pariah state. We are not done yet with unbridled corruption within the country; we have now been exporting corruption to many parts of the world! The image of the country is in tatters. The Nigerian passport is now an invitation to unnecessary search and interrogation at foreign border posts.
Federalism/Constitutionalism: Fiscal or authentic federalism in Nigeria was eclipsed with the Unification Decree No. 34 (24th May 1966) and ever since the country has not found it expedient to abolish pseudo federalism. And, whereas, according to Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, ‘Constitutionalism is the idea, often associated with the political theories of John Locke and the founders of the American republic, that government can and should be legally limited in its powers, and that its authority or legitimacy depends on its observing these limitations.’ What is the status of federalism cum constitutionalism in Nigeria in the last fifty-three years? Lack of genuine federalism has stifled development, while constitutionalism has been a major issue yet to be thorough addressed and this continues to be an issue agitating the minds of many.
Economy: From multi-economic status, we became monolithic depending only on Crude Oil for survival; and the vagaries and politics of Oil now determine our existence! One is tempted to agree that the discovery of Crude oil in commercial quantity, its exploration and exportation have been more of a course than a blessing. This trend must be reversed. Crude oil is losing ground and my country, your country must put on its thinking cap and ensure turnaround, recovery and growth for the country with less or better still, no dependence on Crude oil.
This is my country, your country.
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