April 1, 2010
It has been said, times without number, that Nigeria's greatest challenge is devising a pragmatic political formula of sharing power among its hundreds of ethnic groups. It is equally said that political intergration has become elusive to us owing mainly to the circumstances, historical and otherwise, of our formation and emergence as a single political entity.
It has been said, times without number, that Nigeria's greatest challenge is devising a pragmatic political formula of sharing power among its hundreds of ethnic groups. It is equally said that political intergration has become elusive to us owing mainly to the circumstances, historical and otherwise, of our formation and emergence as a single political entity.
Pundits have severely and mercilessly questioned the belief that Nigeria is a nation and that it is impossible to have a supra-nationality out of the various nationalities constituting the country. Now, I don't have any problem with such musings at all. My only problem is with the sheer hypocrisy couched in political moralism of those sentiments. I hate it when somebody riding on the higher horse of political uprightness say that we as a people must think of ways of addressing the contradictions of the Nigerian state. I would welcome the chance to address the contradictions of underdevelopment, electricity, unemployment, poverty, violence and inequality. I would mightily welcome the chance to settle scores with the looters and crooks that have, decade after decade, soiled the name of this great country and its good people. But sincerely speaking, I can not understand how giving power to a rascal from Zamfara, Kano, Anambra or any other state in the federation would translate into good life for myself, my sisters, a Bakane, or an Anambrarian. Under Yar'adua, fortune smiled on Kano state when all the top juicy positions in this country were given to some of its indigenes. Problem was that there was no remarkable (not even appreciable)improvement in the lives of the people of that state. When you give power to a person in the name of power sharing, federal character or whatever rubbish you choose to call that and he happens to be a rascal you are only confounding your misery and hastening your downfall.
Power sharing? How do you share power? Well, how about we start with ensuring equitable distribution of societal wealth, ensuring justice and enthroning political accountability. As I have said before, I don't have problem with any plan designed to make Nigeria great. I am open to participation in any genuine measures that would ensure stability and development of this country. But frankly I don't see how inviting (dis)honourable people like say Mantu for example, would help the Mangus of Plateu state to achieve any meaningful development. Is there anybody willing to swear on the grave of his ancestors that Andy Uba would if elected president serve the interests of the Igbo? I doubt it. We have in the last ten years, elected or was it selected, representatives at least on three occassions and we have seen what they have done. Convene a SNG or whatever name you choose to give it, and I would bet you my meager salary that confab would be hijacked before you could say Enahoro by the very corrupt elements that have made meaningful development in Nigeria impossible. When next time you go out looking for a standard example of butchers, vandals, vampires and hooligans sans frontiers come to Nigeria we have them by the thousands.
Now you might ask what am I driving at? Good! I am saying those shouting that power should not leave North now that Yar'adua is evidently not going to seek re-election are rascals bent on trying to perpetuate corruption and score cheap political goals. The last time the North had any meaningful development was when Sardauna was elected by the people as their Regional Premier. The same applies to the other regions. It is said that Nigerians are the most ingenious people in the world. If this were true, then surely Nigerian elite is the most devilishly ingenious, ill-intentioned and parasitic. By resorting to cheap political sentiments which are inexpensive political tricks and tactics such as religion, tribalism and regionalism they mobilize the people and ride on their backs to power. And by attaining power, they corner public resources and steal the country dry. Any time their jobs are threatened by other equally merciless cabal in a macabre dance of power they fan the embers of religious and tribal sentiments setting a friend against friend, a neighbour against his neighbour and a nation in the grip of violence and disintegration. I say let power go to the best hand in this country no matter his tribal or religious affliations. This nonsense of power sharing must stop. We may be docile and even timid as a people but insulting our intelligence through hokus pokus is really itchy and irritating.
If political integration proves difficult or elusive in Nigeria that is because the gluttony of the elites knows no bound and their avarice which is simply horrific creates a difficulty to accomodate their individual lust for power and money. An average Nigerian has nothing against his brother Nigerian. In fact, he is the unsung hero who has been able to achieve substantial integration within the highly confined and stiffling Nigerian economic environment. Nigerian market places are the mosaics embodying in themselves and reflecting outwardly, manifestations of the great Nigerian diversity in its most intergrated expression. Discounting Jos, which has become a tragic negation of this economic integration in the most expresslly violent form, in all other cities and towns of this federation we see the representation of Nigeria's cultural, religious and ethnic diversity in a wonderful economic interdependence. In the North, Yoruba, Igbo, Nupe, Tiv, Hausa, Fulani and dozens of other tribes interact amicably in trade and business relations to the satisfaction of all. The Sabon Gari market in Kano, Ori-a-Pata in Kaduna, Sabon Layi in Katsina and Emir Yahaya in Sokoto are some of the most vivid rejection of the elitist's distortion of Nigeria's unity. The markets of Agege in Lagos, Onitsha, Aba and Sagamu in the South are no less different. These places are strong testament to the fact that Nigerians are already integrated economically. In those places, distinctions informed by evil prejudices of tribe or religion are rarely made.
The challenge to Nigeria's unity therefore remained the inability or unwillingness of the people to understand that giving power to any individual on the basis of tribe or religion would never translate in the development of that particular tribe or religion. If you doubt what I am saying think of Iwu. Remember him? A certain Igbo professor who chairs the electoral commision appointed perhaps on the basis of his region and tribe. Power, ought to, and must only be given on the basis of competence, credibility and acceptability. Nigerians have a duty before God and their self-survival to stop those fools, idiots and vultures at all cost.
Aliyu Mukhtar Katsina
[email protected]
Pundits have severely and mercilessly questioned the belief that Nigeria is a nation and that it is impossible to have a supra-nationality out of the various nationalities constituting the country. Now, I don't have any problem with such musings at all. My only problem is with the sheer hypocrisy couched in political moralism of those sentiments. I hate it when somebody riding on the higher horse of political uprightness say that we as a people must think of ways of addressing the contradictions of the Nigerian state. I would welcome the chance to address the contradictions of underdevelopment, electricity, unemployment, poverty, violence and inequality. I would mightily welcome the chance to settle scores with the looters and crooks that have, decade after decade, soiled the name of this great country and its good people. But sincerely speaking, I can not understand how giving power to a rascal from Zamfara, Kano, Anambra or any other state in the federation would translate into good life for myself, my sisters, a Bakane, or an Anambrarian. Under Yar'adua, fortune smiled on Kano state when all the top juicy positions in this country were given to some of its indigenes. Problem was that there was no remarkable (not even appreciable)improvement in the lives of the people of that state. When you give power to a person in the name of power sharing, federal character or whatever rubbish you choose to call that and he happens to be a rascal you are only confounding your misery and hastening your downfall.
Power sharing? How do you share power? Well, how about we start with ensuring equitable distribution of societal wealth, ensuring justice and enthroning political accountability. As I have said before, I don't have problem with any plan designed to make Nigeria great. I am open to participation in any genuine measures that would ensure stability and development of this country. But frankly I don't see how inviting (dis)honourable people like say Mantu for example, would help the Mangus of Plateu state to achieve any meaningful development. Is there anybody willing to swear on the grave of his ancestors that Andy Uba would if elected president serve the interests of the Igbo? I doubt it. We have in the last ten years, elected or was it selected, representatives at least on three occassions and we have seen what they have done. Convene a SNG or whatever name you choose to give it, and I would bet you my meager salary that confab would be hijacked before you could say Enahoro by the very corrupt elements that have made meaningful development in Nigeria impossible. When next time you go out looking for a standard example of butchers, vandals, vampires and hooligans sans frontiers come to Nigeria we have them by the thousands.
Now you might ask what am I driving at? Good! I am saying those shouting that power should not leave North now that Yar'adua is evidently not going to seek re-election are rascals bent on trying to perpetuate corruption and score cheap political goals. The last time the North had any meaningful development was when Sardauna was elected by the people as their Regional Premier. The same applies to the other regions. It is said that Nigerians are the most ingenious people in the world. If this were true, then surely Nigerian elite is the most devilishly ingenious, ill-intentioned and parasitic. By resorting to cheap political sentiments which are inexpensive political tricks and tactics such as religion, tribalism and regionalism they mobilize the people and ride on their backs to power. And by attaining power, they corner public resources and steal the country dry. Any time their jobs are threatened by other equally merciless cabal in a macabre dance of power they fan the embers of religious and tribal sentiments setting a friend against friend, a neighbour against his neighbour and a nation in the grip of violence and disintegration. I say let power go to the best hand in this country no matter his tribal or religious affliations. This nonsense of power sharing must stop. We may be docile and even timid as a people but insulting our intelligence through hokus pokus is really itchy and irritating.
If political integration proves difficult or elusive in Nigeria that is because the gluttony of the elites knows no bound and their avarice which is simply horrific creates a difficulty to accomodate their individual lust for power and money. An average Nigerian has nothing against his brother Nigerian. In fact, he is the unsung hero who has been able to achieve substantial integration within the highly confined and stiffling Nigerian economic environment. Nigerian market places are the mosaics embodying in themselves and reflecting outwardly, manifestations of the great Nigerian diversity in its most intergrated expression. Discounting Jos, which has become a tragic negation of this economic integration in the most expresslly violent form, in all other cities and towns of this federation we see the representation of Nigeria's cultural, religious and ethnic diversity in a wonderful economic interdependence. In the North, Yoruba, Igbo, Nupe, Tiv, Hausa, Fulani and dozens of other tribes interact amicably in trade and business relations to the satisfaction of all. The Sabon Gari market in Kano, Ori-a-Pata in Kaduna, Sabon Layi in Katsina and Emir Yahaya in Sokoto are some of the most vivid rejection of the elitist's distortion of Nigeria's unity. The markets of Agege in Lagos, Onitsha, Aba and Sagamu in the South are no less different. These places are strong testament to the fact that Nigerians are already integrated economically. In those places, distinctions informed by evil prejudices of tribe or religion are rarely made.
The challenge to Nigeria's unity therefore remained the inability or unwillingness of the people to understand that giving power to any individual on the basis of tribe or religion would never translate in the development of that particular tribe or religion. If you doubt what I am saying think of Iwu. Remember him? A certain Igbo professor who chairs the electoral commision appointed perhaps on the basis of his region and tribe. Power, ought to, and must only be given on the basis of competence, credibility and acceptability. Nigerians have a duty before God and their self-survival to stop those fools, idiots and vultures at all cost.
Aliyu Mukhtar Katsina
[email protected]
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