It was scheduled to be a convergence of sympathizers at the residence of one of us who recently lost her father. But like every gathering of Nigerians that I have been to of late, it turned out to be a potpourri of issues in the land of our birth and of plausible solutions to the challenges in our fatherland.
Ours was not unusual: a conglomeration of twenty – something Nigerian professionals resident in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and comprised of some of the brightest and finest Nigeria can boast of in terms of academic and professional achievements. This of course is an ever-present characteristic of Nigerians’ gatherings in the Diaspora.
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
Something, though, was unique about the gathered: It was a mix of ten Nigerian-trained legal practitioners- majority of who possess Canadian master degrees in various sub-disciplines of law- who are all on the verge of being called to the Canadian Bar; one PhD holder and lecturer in English and Literature, another doctoral student and teaching assistant in the same discipline; a doctoral student and lecturer in criminology; two postgraduate biologists; two engineers with reputable international oil servicing firms, seven master degree holders in Computer, petroleum, environmental and electrical engineering (one of who is a doctoral student in computer engineering); a former World Bank employee; a mathematics graduate, a graduate chemist and a professional nurse.
As varied as our professional calling was, so was our ethnicity: the Yorubas, the Edos, the Ibos; a middle belter, a Hausa, two Cross Riverians and an Akwa Ibomite. But we were all Nigerians.
Here then are the posers:
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });
How on earth can a country with these professionals, outside its shores, compete with the developed world? What in that country drives her people out for greener pastures? Isn’t this an indictment of the leaders of that country that a significant number of its best and brightest are permanent residents and citizens of a developed welcoming country?
As the debate commenced, sometimes heated but always refined, it became obvious that our perspectives on the Nigerian issue were as diverse as were our professions and ethnicity. Quickly however, the gathered reached a consensus that our clique of leaders, past and present, has institutionalized endemic poverty as means of perpetuating class discrimination as between the haves and the have-nots. Corruption, in fact, has been sewn into the very fabric of Nigeria.
A hungry man can have no interest in who becomes his leader. A serf is always going to be in search of crumbs from the high tables of the overlord.
While our political leaders milk the country dry, those who derive their authority from the divine live large. Thus a sizeable number of us frowned at the superfluous riches of prominent men and women of God in Nigeria. Anecdotal and media accounts of jet-flying and convoy riding men of God regrettably abound in the midst of garbage eating and poor tithe paying parishioners.
While many of us couldn’t reconcile both ends of the spectrum, few of the gathered saw it differently. But one thing is certain: if the prayers of our affluent pastors and Alfas are anything to rely on, Nigeria ought to be the giant of the world by now. Little wonder Obasanjo expressed surprise at the intense lobbying by pastors for juicy government contracts, when as president, he expected their spiritual guidance.
But ours wasn’t just a study in the problems and challenges of Nigeria. We sought solutions too; which led to a theorizing exercise of some sort.
The Theory of (Leadership) Mutation
Nduka Ahanonu, a lawyer, strongly believes that Nigeria nay Africa urgently require mutants in their socio-political affairs. As in the field of Biology, mutation is an act or process of changing. Nigeria and Africa need “a sudden departure from the parent type in one or more heritable characteristics”.
Nelson Mandela, foremost African activist and world renowned statesman, is one African whose heroics are highly admired but less replicated by African leaders. Having spent a better part of his adulthood in prison, Mandela willingly relinquished political power after a term in office. Recently, Thabo Mbeki left the scene for Jacob Zuma from another political party.
And in Jerry Rawlings is another parent type whose good seeds Ghana is reaping today. Despite the fact that John Atta Mills was his deputy and a presidential candidate of his (Rawlings) party, he handed over to John Kuffour, from another party, who had won the presidential elections. As a result, John Kuffour subsequently handed power to John Atta Mills who had defeated Kuffour’s candidate, Nana Akufo- Addo.
Isn’t it symptomatic of Africa’s state of affairs that within a period that witnessed (s)elections and handing- over in many countries, the Mo Ibrahim prize for leadership in Africa (reserved for leaders who relinquished political power at the expiration of their constitutional terms) couldn’t be awarded?
What kind of a mutant do we, as Nigerians, expect Yar Adua to produce having being propped into office by a disgraceful predecessor?
The Theory of Ethnic Secession
This solution was advanced by Victor Okoro, a petroleum engineer. According to him, Nigeria will be better off when constituents unwilling to remain parts of the nation are allowed to secede. What remains could then continue as Nigeria if it so wishes.
Given that ours is a country forged by sheer coercion by Lord Lugard and christened by Florence Shaw (two colonialists/intruders), a rethink of the fundamentals of our national existence is apt at this auspicious moment.
The Theory of Enlightenment of the Nigerian Mind
Advocated by a cross section of participants, the theory goes that though ours is a country with many university and polytechnic degree holders (evidenced by a roll call of professionals gathered here), the crux of our problems remains the un-enlightenment of the average Nigerian mind about the most fundamental aspects of our co-existence as a nation of diverse nationalities.
There is an over- emphasis on the divisive (differences in languages etc) rather than our common features (historical heritage, cultural affinity, nationhood etc).
For most Nigerians, allegiance is first to their basic ethnic groups and their states of origin before any mention of Nigeria. For instance, Festus Ofume, a lawyer, cited the example of late Abraham Adesanya, former leader of Afenifere, pledging allegiance first to Egbaland and then Ogun State well before Nigeria, his country.
In other countries of the world with known racial and ethnic diversity as ours, a prominent uniting force is the country as against states of origin and ethnicity. Successive United States of America governments, for instance, promote allegiance to the USA. Similarly, citizenship education classes in Nigerian schools must focus on collective and individual responsibility for the aspiration to national greatness.
Nepotism, ethnicity and the absurd practice of zoning federal political offices on regional and state bases are contra the ideals of true federalism.
In furtherance of our resolve to “walk the talk”, we shall meet more often to strategize towards charting a course for the future of our dear country.
We put on notice our inept, inexpert and corrupt leaders: only the suicidal stands in the way of a moving train.
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });