By Oguchi Nkwocha, MD
Lucky for him, Nigeria operates like a limp matchstick in a wet matchbox; otherwise, Obasanjo’s duplicitous comments and attitude in that article could be just the right trigger to “bring Egypt to Nigeria” where in fact, a revolution is needed most.
Obasanjo’s assertion that "This country, Nigeria has been created to be great by God" is of course, historically, factually and operationally, unproven. Nigeria was created by colonial Britain, period. That’s the fact. As for “greatness,” that remains to be seen. What is clear is that it is “leaders” such as Obasanjo who have robbed the peoples of every opportunity to rise, while at the same time enriching themselves with money and power. In any case, prudence dictates that one separate “aspiration for greatness,” “idle dreams of greatness,” “striving for greatness,” and “destined for greatness.” “Greatness” is never an assertion: it is self-evident. There is no evidence of it in Nigeria.
Regarding the subject of “disintegration of Nigeria,” just when will Obasanjo and his ilk stop living in the delusion that Nigeria is “one” or integral? The Biafra-Nigeria war was fought NOT to keep Nigeria one, as sloganized by Gowon and Obasanjo, but to prove and ensure that Nigeria is not one, and could never be. Gowon himself put it best: “…the basis for Nigeria unity is not there…,” and then turned around to direct the killing of 3 million Igbo and other Biafrans in the name of keeping Nigeria, which he already knew could not be united in the first place, one. Obasanjo helped him very much, wherein with glee, he went after the Igbo and after Biafrans, even when the war was over. What was Obasanjo’s “civilian Military administration” as President of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007” if not a continuation of that war against the Igbo in every conceivable manner and policy? (Okay, he also enriched himself, but we will get to that later.) The psychological warfare by Obasanjo against the Igbo and other Biafrans during this period was even more intense and more brazen than during 1967-1970, as was the economic war. Was he, Obasanjo, not part of the agreement and policy that no Igbo would ever be allowed to hold any influential position in the Government and society of Nigeria, not just in his own time, but for as long as Nigeria exists—a policy which has generated the current hot-air talk and another mirage of “Igbo Presidency of Nigeria for the year, “20xx”? Was he not one of the architects of the Nigeria’s policy that the Igbo should never be allowed any room at all in Nigeria, so to shut them up and off completely and indefinitely? Who, but Obasanjo, sent in a gratuitous “bill” to Obasanjo’s own National Political Reform Conference to eliminate Igbo as one of the official Nigerian languages where in fact English, Yoruba and Hausa were specifically endorsed? Such hypocrisy for Obasanjo, to be talking now of “the issue of unity [of Nigeria]” being “of paramount concern of [sic] every Nigerian.”
If one must talk of what God really made in that Geospace, then isn’t it the fact that God made Obasanjo Yoruba / Odudua, rather than Deltan, for instance? Yes, God made the Igbo, the Hausa, the Fulani, the Yoruba and the rest of the other ethnic groups as such: peoples of their respective tribes and their respective lands, in God’s own glorious distinctiveness for each of them. Why should anyone invoke God, and then turn around and preach against what God has made as it is, and rather preferentially push for a man-made, forced colonial British creation? If there is greatness—and there is—it is only so because God makes it so; it can only manifest when the peoples base their lives and relationships on that foundation of what and how God made them in the first place, and thence build any other types of in-reaching, out-reaching and far-reaching configurations—mutually, respectfully, equitably and consentingly. A forced creation like Nigeria based on ab initio colonial disrespect and disregard for our God-created and endowed tribes and distinctiveness, maintained by ongoing force and ignorance, could never taste greatness. How does Obasanjo mistake the two?
It is so nauseating to hear Obasanjo harp on and blame “leadership failures” when he typifies that class. What exactly did Obasanjo do as a leader of Nigeria? Encourage racism and discrimination, using the organs of State, against the Igbo, for instance, didn’t he? Make himself mind-bogglingly wealthy, from a bankrupt prison inmate to an owner of stupendous wealth (in 8 years that he was President of Nigeria), with which he buys image-laundering firms and patronage and influences Nigerian politics—such as it is, didn’t he? Didn’t Obasanjo tear up and trample on Nigeria because of his selfish unconstitutional bid for a third term—yet he still would wrap himself in the flag of patriotism today? On his insistence, PDP crowned Obasanjo their party’s “Moral Leader for Life” (imagine that!) and he prances and acts as such now. He still parades himself like he is Caesar and Emperor of Nigeria today, having already ruled Nigeria like a Military dictator wrapped in civilian clothes; how exactly does that help his “leadership argument” for Nigeria?
When Obasanjo blames the peoples for Nigeria’s woes, does he now forget how he himself treated the same people—and how he still treats them? Remember how he blamed Nigeria’s problems on the peoples not praying enough and not being pious enough? Talk about Pot calling Kettle black. How about Odi? Zaki Biam? MASSOB-53? Obasanjo’s National Political Reform Conference? Failed third term bid? It was Obasanjo himself who compared Nigeria to a bride: first “fell on” him when he took over from Murtala; then offered (“dashed”) to him by the Northern Rulers of Nigeria in 1999; giving him a free hand to do whatever he pleased with her; in 2003, he would now “take” her by his own design. Showing his disdain, he planned to enslave her and rape her after 2007 by his third term machinations. In fact, Obasanjo treated Nigeria and peoples living in Nigeria more like his whores than like a bride.
It was Obasanjo himself who aptly described what I call the “Five-step Dance of Nigeria to Oblivion”, in one of his public speeches as President of Nigeria. He stated that “…Nigeria takes one step forward, two steps backwards, and two steps sideways.” Now, that’s not exactly “a Waltz to Greatness,” is it? But that has remained the nature of Nigeria’s existence: retrogression into oblivion. The reason this trance is continuing is because of persons like Obasanjo insisting on one-Nigeria and finding fault with others who think that the charade which has lasted far too long should be over now.
One-Nigeria has not worked and does not work. Giving it one more day, one more year, one more century and or one more millennium will not make a difference, because the basis for unity was not there to start with, and has never been there: Heavens know that it is not there now. How do you run “one country” when part runs by Sharia, and the others on so-called Nigeria’s constitution? How can it be one country when part operates as an Islamic Nation, and has taken it upon itself to force the rest of Nigeria to be registered as a country-member of the Organization of Islamic Conference, OIC, an organization reserved for purely Muslim nations, when objecting but powerless Christians are in the majority? One region wants to run on the philosophy and practice of “Boko Haram” and nothing else will be tolerated, at the risk of certain death, while the other region must have “Boko” because its very existence and progress depends on it: how can you pretend that both regions can form or should be forced to form a united country? We may be taught to be ashamed of, and called derogatory names for answering to, our God-given ethnic distinctiveness and be forced into accepting a false abstract identity of non-existent one-Nigeria, but don’t expect such identity to be more than paper-thin, noise-deep or lip-service; and don’t expect that to be a “united” country—or plan on it either: it is not going to work; it will not happen, Obasanjo’s delusion notwithstanding.
The world has provided choices of all sorts to the peoples living in Nigeria to get away from the divided, unruly, dysfunctional and fallen House that Obasanjo and his ilk are occupying and defending in the pretense that it is “great.” The peoples living in Nigeria can definitely use the courage and staying power of the Egyptian people in bringing down an odious system and occupation-regime, rather than listen to Obasanjo’s duplicity and fake patriotism. The peoples can most certainly borrow from the spontaneity of the spark which started the revolution-train in Tunisia as an unlikely catalyst, instead of listen to Obasanjo’s hollow defense of a failed State and status quo.
However, in the end, the example of Sudan / Southern Sudan stands out as the most effective and most efficacious way to solve Nigeria’s problems. Self Determination is the principle; Referendum is the instrument. Self Determination is the right of each ethnic nation or group to take complete charge of its own affairs, even if it means separating from the subtending State. A Referendum confirms with the objectivity of numbers the decision and intent of the ethnic nation or group. Whether it takes a revolution to get to the onset of this exercise, or the civil and civilized action of a Sovereign Ethnic Nations’ Conference, is up to the hapless peoples suffering and dying in Nigeria today. But, that’s the way to the solution of Nigeria’s problems, not Obasanjo’s preachment which is not based on reality.
Why Sudan / Southern Sudan? It is obvious that the problems and sticky issues in that dyad more closely mirror those in Nigeria / Biafra or more broadly speaking, Northern Nigeria / Southern Nigeria. The world has also now learnt what and how Self Determination worked / worked out in that complex, not necessarily everything that needs to be learned, but enough to improve on the process and implementation and apply it to other troubled spots like Nigeria. One lesson that should not be lost is the preservation of substantial goodwill even among these erstwhile mortal enemy-parties by the Self Determination process. There is nothing in or about Self Determination which prevents self-deterministic nations from building new relationships based on consent, equity, respect and mutual benefit. That process is already beginning with Sudan / Southern Sudan even as we speak. That is what people really want and need, isn’t it; rather than forced “integration” or fake unity or pretend-one-Nigeria and false patriotism that are killing all—people hope and goodwill, alike—in Nigeria today?
Oguchi Nkwocha, MD
Nwa Biafra
A Biafran Citizen.
No comments:
Post a Comment