Nigeria started on a promising and bright future on 1st October,1960 when the golden Voice of Africa and late Nigerian Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa delivered the nation memorable independent Speech before the world leaders.They acknowledged Nigeria’s enormous natural endowment,the quality and quantity of our population and vast opportunities available to set our Country on a pedestrian bridge of prosperity.
Tafawa Balewas,the Ziks and the Awolowos all belief that,as the elected representatives of the people,Nothing is expected than proving their capabilities of managing the country honestly and diligently. However, they never allowed the selfish luxury of focusing interest on their homes to overshadow their official functions.Everything was about the country and it people.
Is Nigeria on the right track? Getting a nation as diverse as Nigeria back on the right track is a hard task,it would not happen in a decade but President Tinubu been in the helm of affairs today must start the healing process and gear up towards rebuilding the lost trust,confidence and loyalty of Nigerians at this eleven hour of the need.On our part,we must look beyond our ethnicity,Political and religion diversities and focus on what matters the country by first fixing the gallops in our laws.
The first culprits is the constitution of Nigeria and it is the clog in our wheels of progress.Who created this constitution and for whom? If we do not answer the above questions, then we may hardly find the root of our problem neither do we find the solutions to our predicaments. Late Sardauna of blessed memory was able to hold the northern region united as Yan Arewa.
Today,It has faded away under the 19 Governors. As an advocate of a better Nigeria,I am not looking at Nigeria in it current comatose but how better it will be tomorrow.Despite all these,my only pains are the glaring frustrations that accompanied the celebrations of our annual independence anniversary.At the time when green white green colours should cover the 36 States of the Federation,others may appear in black colours to register their displeasure over the state of affairs in a country their grandparents and parents pay a supreme price for it to survive.
Definitely despite the huge investments in human and Capital developments,We cannot continue to hide behind the glass doors and pretend that all is well with Nigeria. Awolowo,in his book “Path to Nigeria Freedom”says there are no ‘Nigerians’ in the same sense as there are ‘English,Welsh or French.The word Nigera is merely a distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria from those who do not.
Therefore, the challenges Confronting Nigeria 63 years after could be attributed to her peculiarities of multi-ethnicity and diversity.It is synonymous with deep divisions which cause major political issues to be vigorously and violently contested along the lines of intricate ethnic, religious and regional divisions.The just concluded Presidential elections will remain in history as the most pluralized along the above sentiments.
One thing is clear, Nigerians have lived together before the creation of Nigeria itself without shooting a bullet of these divisions.We must acknowledge and agreed that the amalgamation of the Northern and southern protectorate was never a mistake neither a question that may require any clarification.
Why now ? What is wrong? Who created this artificial problems to lure us into this darkness of poverty,insecurity and under elopement?.
It is a sad reality that for decades after independence,Nigeria is still battling to be a homogenous state with agitation for secession by some section of the country.It is an evidence that many are yet to conceptualize Nigeria as one indivisible sovereign state.As we celebrate our 63 years independence anniversary with mix-feelings and mix-reactions.A call for President Tinubu to act fast to bring the country back to life is not an option but an urgent intervention.
Though,President Tinubu has started the healing process by appointing eminent Nigerians into his Government to discredit the failed political narratives of Muslim-Muslim ticket.The VP Shettima decision to have an Igbo and Northern Christian as his COS and ADC respectively are glaring that the golden days of our founding fathers are right on track where ethnicity and religion are not not basis of appointments.The appointments of young people in the current political dispensation,Hope is much alive that despite the Political challenges,Nigeria will bounce back and we Shall live to see Kayode, Julde and Nduka been elected as Governors of Anambra,Oyo and Borno respectively.
The first step towards reviving the country is by ending corruption regimes in Governance by reducing the jumbo pay to political office holders and increase funding of education,health,Guarantee the safety of lives and properties,invest in the nation critical infrastructure and ensure accountability and enhance the cultures of creativity and productivity to Nigerians. J.F Kennedy Once said that,if you don’t provide for the poor then you cannot protect the rich.
The leaders of today were never abandoned by our founding fathers, they are leaders today because of the foundations of the leaders of yesterday.A high level of corruption and the looting of state resources is one of the serious and common problem that aggravates all forms of conflict and trouble in Nigeria.The appropriation of state resources by certain hands makes poverty and bitter anger inevitable aspects of daily socio-economic and political routine.
Our diversities is never a problem,All that matters is Leadership,those who led the first Republic from October 1st 1960-1966 were not ghost.Today, India, despite its multi-ethnic status, boasts of world-class hospitals, functional educational system, enviable technology and first-rate industries that produce war planes which are used in guaranteeing security in the populous nation. In spite of the large density of both natural and human resources with which Nigeria is endowed, all is not well yet. It is of great concern that Nigeria is still a study in the crises of unity and stability.
Boko Haram insurgency,Farmers/herders Crises,Banditry and Kidnappings for ransom,political conflicts,poverty and unemployment are sum up as the failures of the judiciary and the Executive arms to apply appropriately the constitution as an instrument of restoring the confidence of the already hopeless and angry Nigerian.Unless Tinubu led government does something fast to curtail the growing insecurity which is more or less like an incubus on both the socio-religious and political fronts, the wounds it has inflicted on Nigeria may receive little or no healing soon.
Religion,ethnicity and regional bigotries are another challenges to surmount for Nigeria to enjoy stability. This was the only reason why tensions were generated and polity was heated up during and after the just concluded National elections.These are social phenomenons that are manifested in the interaction among individuals of different ethnic groups within a political system where language and culture are the most prominent attributes.
Although there are over 400 languages in Nigeria, only three are considered major while the rest are considered minor languages.However, the distribution of these languages is directly proportional to both political and socio-economic power and, therefore the language group to which one belongs defines one’s status in the society.
These identities and mobilization in the Nigerian political landscape has often precipitated political instability.From 1999 to date,Nigeria has recorded thousands of deaths resulting from more than five hundred incidents of communal violence that are politically,ethnically and religiously motivated.
This has been witnessed in almost all regions in the country, but with particular frequency in the Northwest,South East, Middle-belt and Niger Delta.
The level of insecurity witnessed during the post-military period is considerably higher than that experienced during the three decades of military rule which ended in 1999.It is often assumed that there exist stable identities in Nigeria and consistent group motives in the approach to ethnic politics.However, the upsurge of these unfortunate incidents in Nigeria in recent years leads researchers to re-examine identity formation.
There is no gainsaying the fact that Nigeria has come of age, having attained political independence for upwards 63 years. In spite of its numerous challenges which range from socio-economic, infrastructural deficit, insecurity to endemic corruption, Nigeria remains Africa’s Big Brother and an important member of the world body, the United Nations.
The ghost of injustice on the part of those in power continues to haunt Nigeria and the need for President Tinubu to urgently address these triple problems of religion, regional and ethnicity becomes More than necessary.The inability of successive governments to effectively used its natural resources to develop the country have been identified as consequences of Nigerian’s failure to use justice as the arbiter of public policies.
Religion,Regionalism and Ethnicity are seen as the most basics and politically salient identities of Nigerians.This argument is based on the premise that, in their competitive and non-competitive contexts, Nigerians tend to define themselves in terms of these affinities as opposed to other identities.The ticket that produced President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima was analysed based on the structure of their Faith instead of dwindling on their track records of achievements as Former Governors of Lagos and Borno States respectively.
The political narratives have been changed by their emergence,no matter how others may feel,we most roll out to celebrate because the era of using such divisive tendencies to lure voters into voting against credibility and Competency is gone. This alone is a victory for our democracy, a Precedence has been set where religion, ethnicity and regional bigotries will not sell in the next elections especially if Tinubu/Shettima are able to succeed.
A survey conducted in Nigeria by Lewis and Bratton found out that almost half of Nigerians (48.2%) label themselves with an ethnic identity compared to 28.4% who label themselves with respect to class and 21% who identify with a religious group.This means that over 66% of Nigerians view themselves as members of an elemental ethnic or religious group.What is even more interesting is the fact that religious and ethnic identities are more salient than class identities.
However, this is not at all that surprising, especially if one considers that ethno-religious formations are the most persistent behavioural units in Nigeria.On the other hand, non-democratic regimes like military rules are usually repercussions from the side of the political elite.Could we belief that,even after the election and inauguration,Some are still weeping out ethnic and religion sentiments?
Nigeria is faced with some of the most obstinate conflicts, most of which are constructed from differences in religious and ethnic identities.Religious and ethnic nationalism has led to conflicts about control of state power,unequal allocation of resources, citizenship issues,state collapse, economic decline and ethno-religious clashes.
Nigeria has been pushed hither and thither by recurrent crises of regional or state illegitimacy, often impairing efforts at economic transformation, democratization, national cohesion and stability. With this continental background in mind, efforts have been made to examine the relationship between religion, ethnicity and conflict in Nigeria.The pertinent questions are, to what extent are conflicts emerging from ethnic or religious sources and how does the notion of identity explain the crises of development and complexities in modern Nigeria?
Nigeria has three major religious identities; Christian, Islamic and traditional religions. Traditional religions are the most politically inactive of the three groups, numbering several hundreds of ethnic groups and sub-groups, villages, clans and kin groups and involving the worship of different gods and goddesses. On the other hand, Christian and Islamic identities have continued to be the backbone of religious disparity and conflict, and this differentiation underlies the North-South dichotomy.
The fact that an average Nigerian is very religious was observed by certain scholars. Religion plays a critical role in the Nigerian society and has expressed itself as a potent force in the geo-political development of the country. This force, which has been used to unite Nigerians, is the same force that has led to numerous conflicts in the country. Nigeria has been engulfed in numerous religious crises and/or conflicts since inception of Nigeria in 1914. Although, President Tinubu arrived on the ride of Muslim-Muslim ticket,the ball is now in his coat court, his actions will be a mirror image of Nigeria whether or good bad.
The Hausa-Fulani and other smaller ethnic groups that inhabit the north of the country are Muslims while the Igbo and the other smaller groups residing in the South East are primarily Christians. Groups lying in the middle comprise a mixture of Christians and Muslims while the Yoruba found in the Southwest are almost half Muslim and half Christian.This Muslim North and Christian South cleavage enhances ethnic fractionalizations in Nigeria.
It was these assertions that many Christians were of the opinion that ,the choice of Kashim Shetima as vice was against the norms of Muslim President and Christian Vice President. On the other hand, those who flied the balance tickets that conceptualized both the Religion and regional complexities like the PDP and LP lost out at the polls.These are huge success and acceleration from politics of divisive tendencies which calls for celebrations of Nigeria independence anniversary.
Given that ethnicity, religion and regional bigotries have been identified as the major factors that have militated against Nigeria’s journey to its ideal destination after 63 years of sovereignty, there is need for aggrieved Nigerian citizens to unite and form a formidable force to fight the vagabonds through conscious revolution.Nigerians,both the political elites and the masses need the fighting spirit, not by guns but by change of mindset and character towards doing the right thing during and after elections.From the outset, Nigeria’s ethnic and religious tensions were magnified by the disparities in economic and educational development between the south and the north.
Many Nigerians are of the opinion that Nigeria has nothing to celebrate considering the over increasing tensions and uprising from different sections of the country .To me, we have too many reasons to celebrate despite these challenges confronting us as a nation.The country has passed and is Still passing through many huddles,The survival of Nigeria as one indivisible and indissoluble country, despite many unfruitful attempts by certain ethnic groups at breaking away from it, is enough reason to celebrate the nation’s independence at 63.
The nation-state model is in danger in Nigeria, as in many other so-called nation-states.The Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris Malagi has a task of furnishing Nigerians with Hope and confidence that,the ongoing hardships are temporal and Nigerians should be made to see beyond the edge of Media.
Despite myriad challenges confronting us,affecting all nations, Nigeria still has numerous reasons to roll out the drums and celebrate.There is urgent need for President Tinubu to fast track the unity of Nigeria that the 2023 elections left deeply divided and pluralized,Address insecurity like the banditry, Farmers/herders Crises through Stakeholders engagements by appointing a Special adviser on Farmers/Herders Conflicts Resolution as a mediator which is a step in revamping the economy.Rebuilding the trust in the electoral process and the judiciary as those who lost during elections may require justice in the competent court of law.
The Agricultural Sector need urgent reforms and huge investments been one of the most critical in the nation economy.Fixing the Power,Ending crude oil theft,increase funding to education and most importantly reverse the tertiary institutions hike of tuition fees to enable the poor breath.Now that,the aggrieved parties are in Courts, Tinubu himself as a democrat that have come along way winning battles before finally emerging as Nigerian President,must do everything to protect the rule of law. The efforts of the ordinary citizens to contributes to the development of our baby democracy should not be thwarted by allowing desperate politicians to lure judges to destroy our country.
Nigeria has been on hope stories from 1960 to date, Tinubu need to act fast and differently to get the country back right on track.Happy independence Nigeria @63.
Danaudi, Is a Public Affairs Analyst and Columnist writes from Bauchi via [email protected].
The post Nigeria At 63: Balewa To Tinubu And The Hope Stories -By Sani Danaudi Mohammed first appeared on Africans Angle.
