The formation of Nigeria in 1914 and subsequent struggle in its gloomy walk of nationhood amidst myriads of agitations, impasse and saber-rattling’s begs for a review to address our challenges. Nigeria requires a “do-tank” to fashion out unified solution to our badly managed diversity. Sadly, Abacha, Obasanjo and Jonathan have tried to convoke conferences targeted at establishing a framework of workable political, economic, administrative, religious and social architect with little more than the tough talks on the floor of discuss.
Of all the conferences convened in the country, the former president Goodluck Jonathan Sovereign National Conference (SNC) suffered the worst stillborn effect as recommendations have become dust collectors. Without a single mention by the All Progressive Congress (APC) on the 2014 SNC, calls for another conference is already reaching its sound barrier. From the way and manner conferences have become associated with political party, successive administrations, it is safe to assert that a vicious circle of cheap talk is upon us if president Muhammadu Buhari convenes another national conference.
The problem with Nigerian leaders is the unfortunate reality, which finds them nested along ethno-religious camps. They’d rather die in their segmented areas instead of aligning with an identified solution if it comes from the other divide. We all watched as Jonathans administration took 492 prominent representatives, opinion leaders from all divides in the country, suddenly it has become a south-south, Christian , PDP agenda. While we look for a new conference with nearly similar resolution to the 2014 SNC and spend more with possibility of none implementation, hate speech, secessionist agitations is upon us with potentially dangerous outcome.
Nigeria has survived a civil war, a political impasse on account of electoral annulment, terrorism, militancy and the 2015 prophecy of doom.
Interestingly, many Nigerians are believing Nigeria is impervious to disintegration, an awkward feeling which has made many act disorderly.
We have lost sense of history, taken today reality for granted and have no care for what the future brings. Nigerians now live by the day not knowing what to do without crude oil, how to manage our ethno religious diversity without hate speech. We wake every morning loving only ourselves and those we think are on the same page with us. The gap is more than widened already all we know about Nigeria is tumbling down an abyss where intolerance, secessionist calls, political vendetta, tacit marginalization, greed reign supreme.
We may not agree with every recommendation in the 2014 conference but there are certainly more than enough items to inject into the tensed polity to calm nerves and prevent implosion, which appears glaringly imminent. Sadly, most of our leaders are irresponsible. They seek that which concerns their interests, mostly anything bordering around money for personal gain, ethno religious sentiment based on a feeling of primacy.
It is sad we live in a country where we watch and wait until we are overwhelmed with the worst situation before acting. At one time we watched the Jonathan administration until treasury looters almost looted the name “republic of Nigeria”. At the last minute we brought in politicians who have nothing to offer but cheap talks, vendetta and tacit lootocracy. Nnamdi Kanu ran riot with words, threatening to pull Nigeria out of the map of Africa, we waited until Arewa ‘youths’ decided to reply with eviction notice to the Igbos. We are still waiting as policies and programs of the Buhari administration continue to divide Nigeria along ethno religious lines. With hailers and wailers clearly entrenched, the season for hate speech is upon us with deadly tendencies.
We need a national conference that will review our federalism. We need to address our faulty constitution. The 1999 constitution is far from perfect, in fact it is one of our problem as a nation. It was not written by the people, lawyers simply crammed all the laws into one book to produce more than 200 pages with specific terms. It was shovel down the throat of Nigerians by the military. The United States of America has a constitution written over two centuries ago with less than twenty pages that are made to accommodate changes and trends.
Part of recommendations from the botched 2014 conference bonders around resource control, devolution of power from the center to component states, reducing cost of government amongst many others. Sadly, many politicians are benefitting from the present arrangement, hence recommendations to have 18 ministers cannot sail, considering limited slots it would have for “ordained” ministerial candidates. It is easier to steal from the center, hence the federal allocation pegged at Federal Government – 42.5%, State Governments – 35% and Local Governments 22.5% cannot fit into the plot of some politicians.
Failure of some recommendations from previous national conferences is an elitist calculated attempt to keep the present faulty constitution for their personal interests. The center is too strong, very congested and too vast for control of few politicians that is why we cannot get it right socially, politically and economically. Nigeria will remain a joke for a few to play like lottery if we fail to address that which set us against ourselves each time we attempt at fashioning out solution for our diversity. Its time for us to get it right and the first step is not to rubbish the past because we are not part of it. Government is a continuum hence, 2014 SNC is an example of inheritance of the present administration.
Written by Israel A. Ebije.
@ebijeisrael
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