Nigeria continues to grope 54 years after independence

In this piece, JOHN ALECHENU and ENIOLA AKINKUOTU look at the events that have dominated the political landscape in Nigeria as the country marks another Independence Day Today is another Independence Day anniversary. It marks the 54th year after the Union Jack gave way to the green-white-green flag which symbolises Nigeria’s sovereignty as the world’s largest black nation on the face of the earth. The British colonial masters who ruled the nation for about one century recognised the unique multi-ethnic and cultural diversity which is part of the nation’s DNA; this is largely responsible for the decision to bequeath a federal structure of government, with three regions to the country. Back then, each of the three regions had a luxury of enjoying its own constitution, a measure of autonomy with a fairly weak Federal Government at the centre. The three regions namely: the Northern Region, the Western Region and the Eastern Region were encouraged to develop at their own pace while engaging in healthy competition in terms of development. Northerners had the penal code which derived principally from Islamic law- Sharia; the south had its criminal code and customary laws. It took less than six years after the British left for the different ethnic nationalities to realise that the fight against the common enemy which colonial rule represented somewhat served as a unifying factor. The fear of domination led to the formation of political parties which soon degenerated into platforms for strengthening ethic or regional identities. Soon, these snowballed into an all out struggle for political power with dire consequences for politicians and the nation in general. The 1963 national population census provided an avenue for ethnic nationalities especially the three dominant ones: Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo exercise to complete. Because of allegations of the politicisation of the exercise, ethnic and religious sentiments were introduced into it to gain leverage. The entire process became the subject of a bitter dispute. Because of the mistrust which greeted this and other matters, the Eastern Region boycotted the 1964 Federal Government elections. It may be recalled that a year earlier, the Mid- western Region was created to take care of agitations by southern minority groups. The electoral logjam was resolved and the East was allowed to hold it, version of the federal election in 1965. That same year, the Western Regional Government was in turmoil following a political crisis which was to consume the First Republic because the military took power in January 1966 thus beginning a circle of coups and counter- coups. January 15, 1966 marked the beginning of almost four decades of military rule which left Nigeria bleeding morally and economically. Nigeria fought a civil war which lasted for almost three years with over one million lives lost on both sides. When the military left the scene on October 1, 1979 with the successful handover of the reins of power from General Olusegun Obasanjo to Alhaji Shehu Shagari, most Nigerians expected a new beginning. However, the mismanagement of the economy and other infractions gave the military another excuse to intervene. With the return to democratic rule in 1999 and the successful civil to civil rule transition, there is a renewed hope that Nigeria is on the path of growth. On Nigeria’s 54th anniversary celebration, we are again on the threshold of another election expected to usher in another set of elected representatives. Sadly, the nation has been left to grapple with most of the problems of ethnicity, nepotism, ethnic rivalries and a power struggle among the elite to the detrainment of the populace. This prompted Senator Oluremi Tinubu who shares the same birth year with Nigeria to declare that at 54, “the country sadly remains a shadow of the dreams of its founders. The occasion offers yet another opportunity for us as a people to re- examine our ways and re-commit to being part of birthing a new Nigeria.” Speaking in a similar vein, Executive Director of the Civil Societies Legislative and Advocacy Centre, Auwual Musa Rafsanjani said all hope is not yet lost. According to him, some progress has been made but there is still a lot of room for improvement. He expressed the opinion that if our political leaders were allowed to learn from the mistakes made in the 1960’s Nigeria would probably have been better than it is today. British literary icon, George Orwell, who authored the evergreen novel, Animal Farm, said the most effective way to destroy a people is to deny and obliterate their understanding of their history. It is for this reason that as Nigeria holds another Independence Day, it is imperative to sit back and look at the political issues that have dominated the country in the past one year with a view to putting them in proper perspectives. The year 2014 is peculiar in that it marked 100 years since the creation of Nigeria as a geopolitical entity. In addition, it will usher in 2015, the year that could steer the country in a different direction as millions of Nigerians will go to the polls to choose new leaderships or retain the status quo as the case may be. This year, Nigeria was declared the biggest economy in Africa, reclaiming its place as the Giant of Africa. However, there have been several events that have threatened the very existence of the country and must not be glossed over. Chibok girls The abduction of over 200 girls from Chibok, a hitherto unknown village in Borno State, put Nigeria in world news for the wrong reasons. The girls, who were abducted from their schools on April 14, this year, were seized by the members of the Boko Haram sect and have remained in captivity for over five months. While a few of the girls have escaped, reports have it that many of the girls have been impregnated by the terrorists. President Goodluck Jonathan and the military came under intense criticism from the international media for failing to protect Nigerians and for not showing enough dedication to the task of rescuing the girls. Attempts by Jonathan’s wife, Patience, to intervene became a source of negative news for the administration and a derisive phrase, “Dia ris God o” found its way into the Nigerian lexicon. The kidnapping spurred a series of protests across the world as well as on the Internet with a slogan, Bring Back Our Girls, becoming an instant hit. Several world renowned personalities took part in the protests. Sadly, as Nigerians celebrate “freedom” from British rule, over 200 girls will mark it in captivity. Osun and Ekiti elections The governorship elections in Ekiti on June 21 and in Osun on August 9 are two events that can make or mar Nigeria’s future. While Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party trounced the incumbent Governor, Kayode Fayemi, of the All Progressives Congress, the APC was able to hold unto Osun State as Governor Rauf Aregbesola was able to thrash Iyiola Omisore of the PDP. The two elections were, of course, a preview of what to expect in the 2015 general elections. The elections were marked by heavy military presence and allegations of rigging by both parties. The elections were also largely a contest between Nigeria’s two biggest political parties ahead of the bigger battle for the presidency next year. The consequences of the Ekiti election are still being felt as moves are being made to ensure that Fayose is not inaugurated on October 16, 2014. This has, however, been met with violent opposition. A former state Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Omolafe Aderiye, was killed last week in what is suspected to be connected to the political crisis in the state. Presently, there is dusk till dawn curfew in the state while all courts have been shut following the beating up of a judge by alleged PDP thugs in the state. Immigration recruitment tragedy The death of about 20 youths during a recruitment exercise organised by the Nigeria Immigration Service which held simultaneously across the country on March 15 cannot easily be forgotten. Millions of job seekers had thronged the venues of the exercise, mostly stadia, for the recruitment. It was later revealed that each of the job seekers was made to pay N1, 000 before participating in the exercise. The issue evoked anger and protests among civil groups. The Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro; and the Comptroller General of Immigration, Mr. David Parradang, both absolved themselves of blame while both the President and the Senate summoned Moro and the incident was probed. There has been no definitive report on the probe even as the President’s directive for the refund of the N1, 000 to each applicant has been flagrantly disregarded. Poultry impeachment In 2006, Governor Rashidi Ladoja of Oyo; Governor Peter Obi of Anambra; and Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti were removed from office. However, none could compare to that of Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, who was impeached in August for running a poultry at his official residence. This was a first in the history of Nigeria. However, it is believed that the real reason Onyebuchi was impeached was because he was disloyal to Governor Sullivan Chime. Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State was also kicked out of office for financial impropriety. However, his impeachment could be attributed to his defection from the PDP to the APC. Presently, Governor Tanko Al-Makura ofNassarawa is fighting the political battle of his life to remain in office. Boko Haram declares independence The outlawed Islamist sect, Boko Haram, began an expansionist drive between August and September by overrunning 13 communities in the North-East. The towns were Michika, Uba, Gwoza, Buni Yadi, Gamboru Ngala, Damboa, Marte, Bama, Bara, Banki, Gulak, Dikwa and Madagal. The sect declared Gwoza a caliphate, boasting complete independence from Nigeria. This was the first of such since the Civil War of 1967. However, the military has been able to recover some of the towns and claims to have killed the leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau. Soldiers have also arrested hundreds of insurgents since then. $9.3m arms scandal Like a thriller movie with a complex and intriguing plot, the $9.3m recovered from two Nigerians and an Israeli in South Africa has continued to amaze Nigerians. The story took a twist the following day when the Federal Government claimed the money was meant for the procurement of arms. While Nigerians were still trying to digest the news, it was discovered that the jet belonged to the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. The pastor immediately became the object of attack by the APC and many others who accused him of being ‘too close’ to the President. Although Oritsejafor has denied complicity in the deal, South Africa is still holding unto the money on the grounds of money laundering. The refusal of the House of Representatives to debate the matter also raises questions. Copyright PUNCH.All rights reserved. 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