Structural Anomaly of the Nigerian State -By Ambi Moses

Since Nigeria became a republic in 1963, thirteen (13) individuals have served as head of states under different titles and capacities, yet it has been from one tail of mismanagement and incompetency to another. An average Nigerian will readily claim that our past leaders are to be blamed for  our numerous woes. While that is true, it might be deeper than that. If thirteen (13) people will fail to succeed, then maybe its more than incompetency and mismanagement. Maybe it’s a conspiracy. Maybe it’s the system.

The trouble with Nigeria is also systemic and structural. The truth is that this country has problems right from its foundation. A building with a very poor foundation can never stand the test of time! Nigeria’s greatest problems are not just about leadership or followership but also a structural abnormality.

Nigeria will be is 62 years old next month and this nation is still held sway by many problems. It is a pity and shame that after more than six(6) decades, Nigeria still grapples with the same challenges it did when it became a nation 62 years ago!

Nigeria’s problem hovers all around its systems, structures and institutions. They’re all decayed, corrupt and rotten. Also, given Nigeria’s complex social and ethnic mould, it will be extremely difficult (but not impossible) to repair the decay.

The structure of the country and the inability of the political elites to accept the fact that Nigeria is a country of different “countries” is also one of our biggest problems. The cancer/problem has escalated tremendously over the years and here we are. It has eaten deep into our political, cultural, economic and religious systems.

Every agency or project that Nigeria initiates to fix corruption or aid poverty eventually causes more corruption and poverty: NDDC, fuel subsidy, EFCC, etc all come to mind. Because we are ‘fixing’ corruption and poverty while keeping the same political system that created them.
The government and people’s refusal to acknowledge that our existing political system itself is an obstacle to the kind of nation we desire is what Iyad El Baghdadi, a Palestinian writer, activist and entrepreneur describes as an anti-paradigmatic aspiration.

An anti-paradigmatic aspiration according to El Baghdadi, is when someone looks forward to a positive result, not realising that (1) it is impossible to achieve without breaking or abandoning his current paradigm; and/or (2) it is his paradigm itself that ensures it he can never achieve that result.

A system that fights corruption and not prevent it, a system that celebrates debauchery and licentiousness and calls a man its “messiah”, a system where 62 years after independence the biggest issue in our political sphere is zoning and not competence- “the south west has not produced the president or the south east”, a system where political contests are all about personalities clashes and not issues, a system where so called “repentant” terrorist are paid 150,000 naira for causing havoc and making many homeless, orphans and widows while the government had to struggle and grudgingly pay its graduates 33,000 naira for serving the nation, a system that requires you to bribe or spend billions before you can serve your fatherland as president or in any capacity is a crazy system!