The Biafra civil war, we definitely do not want to repeat another one, was as the result of considerable disagreements created by the pioneers of the Nigerian state, the Obafemis, the Awolowos and the Sardaunas. Though some of them were killed before the war, the seed of the discord was planted in their time, very early in their relationship. Before the independence, our leaders were divided, and after we gain independence the gulf of rift between them still continued to grow wider. Unable to cross the chasm, we inherited the DNA, but history is not destiny. We can change the status quo.
For over six decades, the discord has persisted till today. We still cannot smoother the flame of hatred growing among us, but rather fan its embers, because our allegiance is to our tribes and ethnic groups not to our country . To prove that, try to visit a Facebook page of a major Nigerian newspaper where national issues are discussed you will not fail to notice the hatred we have toward each other; social media has become platforms for ethnic and religious insults. Therefore, a country population of which is more obsessed with regional or ethnic affiliation than national unity will find it difficult to hold firm at the center, the federal government.
For some of the politicians, a great deal of them for sure, it is an expedience, because without this kind of rift they would not have the chance to break into the political entry barrier. No one is more blatant in his utterings that bordered on this type of irrationality than the dimwitted Arewa youth forum chairman, Yari Shettima. People like him are insulated in their cocoon of ethnic bigotry and so could not see beyond their noses since their mental models repertoire is lacking in second-order thinking.
Nigeria has endured enough tragedies in its six decades of independence. Just a few years after independence, it was struck by a civil war that devoured millions of lives. Innocent people were killed because of leadership indiscretion. Misunderstandings and disagreements were the reasons why the war began and why it was sustained for such years. Nigerians should have learnt their lessons in the aftermath of the civil war, but nothing like that happened. Rather more enmity , more division and more exploitation ensued, and this is exponentially increasing on a daily basis.
Our lack of ability to form a broad coalition, a diverse social movements and organised labour , is the main obstacle that impedes our development. Organisations such as Enough is Enough are the ones, at the frontline, that are capable of altering the status quo, but I came to realize that EIE is working to serve a certain section of the country or particular group of people, obviously educated people. Many of our people, in the rural areas and most especially ininthe the north, do not know how government functions. To change the status quo , these organizations most empower the common people by educating them. When the people understand that pluralism not tribalism gives us the strength to alter our condition, issues like the north staying in the presidency after the next election will not matter to the populace. They will not see it as a means of undermining their allegiance to the Nigerian state. They will look at it from another angle, from developmental perspective.
Given that it’s rather preposterous to come out in public and announced to the people that the north should continue superintending over the country’s affairs, because there are a lot of precedents that evidently depict that something like this is an invitation for belligerence. The people of the other regions will see this as an encroachment on their rights.
Raymond Dokpesi, the Chairman of Darr communication, recently subscribed to the opinion that the north should continue occupying the villa, Aso Rock. As a southerner, the motive behind his uttering would be nothing more than a penchant for recognition among the people of the north. Even the northerners know for sure that the southerners time has come.
It is in the name of peace and brotherhood that the north should allow the southerners to occupy Aso rock this time around. We want a one Nigeria, and we cannot achieve it if the north can alienate other parts of the country by playing to its strength, large population, against the others. Every region of this country has a leverage that the other does not have; going it alone will not solve our problems. We need to pool our resources efficiently in order to make this country grow.
When the Igbos tried to go it alone , they faced myriad of problems. The pogrom , the hunger, and the extreme human debasement these people endured were never part of their plan. This was not what they expected. As the consequences of their actions, a large number of Igbo people, mostly helpless children and women, were slaughtered . No part of Nigeria will relish when its people are killed in cold blood. We need to have each other’s back. Our differences are minor issues that should be tackled through national dialogue or conferences.
Ayubei Majidadi
ayubeimajidadi@gmail.com
