What can bring about unity in our human psyche to make us see ourselves as one? I would like to examine the mind of our political ancestors when they were fighting for the independence of Nigeria.
What can bring about unity in our human psyche to make us see ourselves as one? I would like to examine the mind of our political ancestors when they were fighting for the independence of Nigeria.
It will be good to know how they perceived the way and manner the colonial masters were governing the amalgamated ethnic regions. Were our political ancestors really matured and prepared to take over governance from the British? What was their vision of an independent Nigeria? What were their expectations? What was the relationship between Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and the other nationalists from the different regions? Was their idea of a united Nigeria realistic or idealistic? Did they have a critical study of how the ethnic groups had administered their regions traditionally as empires, kingdoms and emirates before the amalgamation of 1914?
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
Perhaps they needed an anthropologist with some knowledge of the ethnology of the various tribes in Nigeria to assist them. It is possible that when the Nationalists struggled for an independent Nigeria in the colonial era, the hope and dream could have been a total liberation from the “Colonial masters” to take full control of the new mega empire as a nation. The assumption could have been that with all the amalgamated tribes there would be no more colour, racial and ethnic discrimination which they perhaps experienced when they were studying in the “Western world”. Why did the political ancestors not deem it necessary to lay a new foundation for a system of government that could be acceptable to every ethnic group in Nigeria? Of course it would have been difficult or impossible to educate and enlighten the new Nigerians about the colonial system of government without a war. This could only occur after the fact of Independence. Why was there no need to adopt and accept a national language like some independent countries in Africa? This is still an important point to consider in building the human psyche. Chinua Achebe’s effort in “Things Fall Apart” to attempt an answer to these questions came at a time when the nation had lost the centre of gravity.
Among the reasons given for the clamour of a national sovereign conference was that the indigenous Nigerians were not part of the decision to bring all the tribes and ethnics groups together as one nation. Another reason has been that Nigerians should have a sovereign conference to decide if we can truly and sincerely live together since the unity that came after the civil way does not look realistic.
The clamour for a conference or national dialogue has received attention from the Federal Government of Nigeria. A committee to draw the road map was announced on October 1, 2013. The various reactions and comments from many people and groups are almost turning the whole debate into a “national dialogue fever”. Among these agitations and expectations is the disintegration of Nigeria. This brings me to the question of whether we can identify any united region in the whole country that could be perfect and free from terrorism, kidnapping and armed robbery should that region be made an independent country.
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });
The concept of a regional unity looks like a mere unity in the psyche. It is not realistic given that some people who often claim to be patriots to their people only send out the poor to die while they and their families are well protected somewhere outside the “battle field,” in the guise of liberating the people. Many independent nations in Africa are still struggling to be liberated from their own people. Intra-regional and inter-regional conflicts are very obvious in many places. Intra-religious and inter-religious conflicts are daily staring at our faces. Brothers are killing brothers, and sisters are killing sisters, yet we are busy taking drugs for a perceived fever of disintegration of Nigeria as if that is our utmost concern and problem. The issue of settlers and indigenes is claiming the lives of many innocent people who speak the same language as we are presently experiencing in the North, East, West and South of Nigeria. Regional boundaries and land disputes are tearing apart those who have been living together for ages. The colonial masters must have been excited with the hope echoed from the national anthem that “though tribes and tongues may differ, in unity we stand.” What really happened to this pledge?
Many people have opined that what we need today is a change of attitude. The big question is “which attitude?” What is our past experience in governance that formed this attitude? Is it an attitude problem for a person to wake up and be killing human beings like insects and slaughtering them like rams and cows? Any national conference or dialogue should not forget to remember that so many people are living in the historic memory of hurts and wounded hearts. They are only waiting for an opportunity to explode in a commensurate vendetta. What we have today are chain reactions of what many people have inherited from birth, environment and brainwashing. Let us examine the foundation on which Nigeria was built. We have a constitution and laws, but on what foundation are they anchored? When Christ came to save the world he summarised the whole laws as based on two foundational laws: Love of God and love of neighbour and he made it clear that God is in charge and will judge justly without discriminating. The harmony of the world and all the peoples in it is validated on this foundation. Now, let us look at Nigeria’s fundamental principles and circumstance of her birth, and since Independence, her efforts and actions to forge a united whole.
Who is the real “parent” of Nigeria? The answer is Britain. The DNA of Britain in creating Nigeria was for its benefit and interest. How did we gain our Independence? By assuming to be, and maintain who we are not. The basic question here is; what is our foundation and where is it? What could our Nationalist Fathers do to gain Independence, given the fact that to be “educated” and qualified to negotiate with the colonial masters you have to be trained and certified by them. The territory was already determined and set by the colonial masters, and they alone knew what they put together and why. Many leaders have shed their blood and the blood of their brothers and sisters when they tried to believe that Nigeria must be kept one. Some of them change their lives from corruption to reform and tried to lead Nigeria through repentance and with the fruit from their best vision and ideas. They perished in what was labelled as CIVIL WAR, which now could be labelled as TERRORISM. The way forward is hard, but we must know where to start, and acknowledge the past efforts of our leaders who sacrificed their lives so that we can know how to protect our vision from further murder and death.
It is not easy to deal with people with their unique psyche, and it is impossible to deal with people without having the “owner’s manual,” which is God our foundation. He created one HUMAN RACE and gave us the law to harmonise us if we will listen to him (OBEDIENCE). Blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God (Matthew 5). This is the principle that will lead to peace and unity. No one is an island. I pray that the unity we seek should go beyond the psychic and imagination to a united Nigeria that is safe for all irrespective of race, tribe and religion.
Fr. Prof. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua is the Director of Mission and Dialogue of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja and Consultor for the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims (C.R.R.M), Vatican City, Rome.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of SaharaReporters
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });