A collapse or restructure? Nigeria’s dilemma (Part II) -By Rees Chikwendu

The truth about Nigeria is: God did not create it. The business entity called Nigeria was the creation of British merchants – except (maybe) they are God to the Nigerian elites and statesmen, who attribute its creation to God. However, Nigeria can be saved from its imminent collapse and edge of precipice where it now stands. Nothing stops men from recreating something that was in the first place created by men. This is why the restructure discourse is vital to Nigeria’s existence. Organizations do restructure to enable growth. If it becomes necessary even the corporate culture of an organization can be changed, either to boost the morale of the employees or for its profit interests.

Likewise, there is nothing that stops a nation-state from restructuring to maximize ‘profit’ in the interests of its ‘stakeholders.’ It requires cooperation among the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria, without one group lording over the others. Even in the organic marriage of nations, there is still need for concerted effort to rightly position the nation-state for greatness. If this is true, think, then, the amount of effort it would require in a forced marriage – as is the case with Nigeria. Sadly, Nigerian elites have refused to take the initiative to coordinate the clamor for change and chuck out the filths of the country.

Whenever I hear Nigerian elites claim that God ordained Nigeria, the interpretation I get out of the message they send becomes a question of theodicy. To me, in other words, their message attributes the evil that has saturated the country to God. That is to say, God created the evil contraption called Nigeria to keep punishing innocent citizens. Therefore, the deaths caused by Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen, accidents on bad roads, diseases (for example, meningitis), current economic hardship, corruption, etc. all can be attributed to God. But, actually, we all know those responsible for these problems. God cannot subject Nigerians to the kind of evil that has suffused the state.

Moreover, to insist on the current Nigerian structure – as indivisible and non-negotiable – and to claim it is the will of God is a platitudinous excuse of those who enjoy the current hegemone order. At this, some would argue, too, that the manifestations of evil in the country are due to the wicked nature of Nigerians. No doubt, the nature of Nigerians contributes to its maladies, but we cannot dismiss Nigeria’s evils – a civil war, terrorism, social injustice, etc. – not to be the consequences of its structure and social institutions. Its incessant conflicts cannot necessarily be attributed to the nature of citizens. They are products of the Nigerian state, which is skewed towards hegemonic control by one ethnic nationality. To avoid the conflicts, there is need to reinvent a new Nigeria based on regional government through restructuring of its socio-political and economic institutions. Nigeria as it is today has been lazily lumped together, and we cannot wait for another hundred years to pass to recreate that which the British created.

Failure to restructure Nigeria, speaking metonymically, means that the country will continue to act violently. Nigeria has been acting violently since its artificially inseminated birth. In fact, the language the Nigerian state speaks is violence and conflicts. This is fundamentally due to its defects – something that is not intrinsic of God’s creation. Nigerian elites believe that the country’s defects and malevolence would someday disappear on their own. But problems do not disappear without treatments. To come up with treatment, the nature, cause, actors, and consequences must be studied and understood. Over the years, through discourse and collective definition, Nigeria’s fundamental problems have been identified as structural, which has hindered its political communities to thrive. Nigeria has lost its fortunes because of its structural problem.

In the past many supporters of the Nigerian project looked forward of a time when various ethnic nationalities in the contraption called Nigeria would be replaced by a true nation-state, although they recognized that it might take some time. Considering the projections in the 1960s and 1970s, Nigeria was believed to be at par with most today’s developed countries. At this time, Nigeria’s economy was very strong, and its currency was interchangeable at par with the pound sterling. With a sense of reality Nigeria was projected to be an advanced nation before the 21st century, as a model for other African nations. Decade after decade, as the Nigerian project unfolded, the vision became delusional. It was a vision that most of the ethnic nationalities that comprised what is called Nigeria never shared. Most importantly, Nigerian elites failed to comprehend what it means to preserve and engineer a nation-state.

As time pass by, rather than keep citizens in amity with another, the elites used them as a pawn in their scramble for power and wealth. The elites failed to understand that information campaigns and education are needed to keep the people together. They do not realize that a multi-ethnic nation like Nigeria requires directed enlightenment of the mind – a remodeling and reorientation of the mind of the people from ethnic-oriented to national-oriented – through a common cause of nation-building. Instead they left it to chance.

Without effort, a state as Nigeria no matter how long it takes will surely head into conflicts and breakup. But through necessary reforms, for example, restructuring the country to true federalism, Nigeria can reduce and/or eliminate its conflicts and a possible collapse. Restructure is the approach now necessary to achieve good internal relation of its ethnic nationalities. The good in it means addressing the issues of ownership of resources and other means of production. It means making sure the principles of human rights and rule of law are always implemented. It also means promoting national self-determination and democratic values. The illusion of a united one Nigeria created by the elites is no longer holding sway. But to achieve it, Nigeria must work for it.

Today, unaware to the elites a silent revolution is taking place in Nigeria. Thanks to the Internet and social media. The Internet has created a platform for Nigerians to ‘constructively’ engage one another. Although, debates often reveals how divided Nigerians are across ethnicity and religions on collective social issues. But they are learning, too. Despite the disagreements on various issues, there are some collaborations and trade-offs among enlightened Nigerians on the discussions. That is good news. Social media have become the taverns and village-square for information and knowledge exchanges for many Nigerians. The information the elites keep away from Nigerians are being thrown in the open everyday on social media. The people now understand, day-by-day, who their common and real enemies are. And a new generation of Nigerians are emerging asking questions they were not able to ask before. Nigeria can no longer stand for too long in the current status quo. All over the world, there is a populist movements and Nigeria is not an exception. Within the state boundary of Nigeria, there are also ethnic populist movements.

To overcome the coming collapse, the time is now to listen to the popular voice calling for restructure of the country into true federalism that will address, particularly issues of resource control, principles of human rights, and national self-determination. This is the chance of the elites, the only chance they have to bring an end to the incessant conflicts plaguing Nigeria. This is our chance to make Nigeria great.

The End