“We fought a war to remain united, indivisible nation… because we believed and still believe that what binds us together is far greater than what divides us.” – General Yakubu Gowon, former war-time military ruler of Nigeria
Read first Part of this article, Revisiting The Indivisibility Of Nigerian Debate: The Animal Welfare Act (READ)
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]y question to these self-acclaimed patriots, saints and lovers of their country, Nigeria, who have routinely been at the helm of affairs of this country, is how did it happen that a country that had generated a totaled $340 billion in oil exports since the 1970s, being successively run by its patriots of highest competence, who dearly loved and cherished their country, has today nothing to show for it?
This is notwithstanding to the report according to the executive director of United Nations Office on Drug and Crime, UNODC, Dr. Antonio Maria Costa, who confirmed that a staggering sum of $400 billion was estimated to have been stolen and stashed abroad by corrupt Nigerian leaders between 1960 and 1999. The rot in Nigerian governance was best captured by user-updated website, Wikipedia when it stated:
Estimates suggest that 1,000 people are still killed every year. While Nigeria’s oil revenue has totaled $340 billion in exports since the 1970s and it is the fifth largest producer, 70% of its population lives on less than $1 a day, and 43% have no access to clean water. Though Nigeria is a major oil exporter, it imports most of its gasoline, and when fuel subsidies were lifted in January 2012, fuel increased from roughly $1.70 per gallon to $3.50.Nigeria seems to be well set up – it produces a form of oil ideal for the United States, has huge reserves, and has increased its production to 2.8 million barrels of oil a day. But this, some say, is all a resource course that is hurting Nigeria and disadvantaging her people.´´
In view of these realities, in the spirit of love for their country, which all must stay and salvage together, (as then quoted by former Nigerian head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, when he said: “This generation of Nigerians and indeed future generations have no other country but Nigeria. We must all stay and salvage it together”, coupled with the patriotism which they all claim to possess and propagate, and also in view of the total collapse of the Nation’s mono- economy with untold hardship to the citizenry, I personally challenge the Nigerian Status Quo/Autocrats to institute an audit of the national treasury for the past 56 years of the country´s existence, as a proof of their so called patriotism, steadfastness and upright service to the Nation and its over 170 million Citizens.
Naturally this simple checks and balances is what every small business operator does to ascertain where things went wrong in his Business, in that respect definitely nobody would be complaining of being witch hunted. But in doing so, I would like to remind them that it is not a complicated arithmetic to reveal to each one among them, how much, from the National treasury, they have meddled with or was meddled with under their watch. And before they bring their usual excuse that there is no need digging into our past, I would like to remind them that the present situation we found ourselves today is a cumulative result of our actions and inactions in the past, and our future will with certainty depend on our actions and inactions at present. The ball is in their court.
Whatever the case, we seem to have arrived at a consensus, as I do not think that there is anybody left to be convinced that the One Nigeria principle, as it has been practiced till date, has failed its Citizens woefully. This view was recently expressed by even the serving president himself in the Cable Nigerian Media of 24.06.2016, when he said:
“We are in a very, very difficult position now. We came at a time when suddenly we realized, unfortunately that we have through our personal incompetence as Nigerian elites ended up as a mono-economy in spite of the potentiality of this country, which the rest of the world seemed to know more.
“The world believed Nigeria has been favored by God Almighty in terms of material and human resources. But, we have failed woefully.”
Similar view was aired by former president Olusegun Obasanjo, in The Nation Nigerian Media of 09.05.2016, when he stated: “This is why I continue to say that if there is nothing we have got right since 56 years of our existence, then there is no need for our existence as Nigeria”.
For the fact that the Nigerian Status Quo /Autocrats have left the Citizens in total economic woes, at the same time successively denying them of barely all basic human rights, tagging them touts, hoodlums, miscreants etc. in many instances, treating those they were supposed to govern as sub humans who deserves no rights whatsoever, warranting even using them especially the youths to test their military´s shooting skills and competence, and added to the perpetual conflict generated by the impracticable one Nigeria principle with its resultant unending loss of blood of innocent Citizens, I ,as a Veterinary Surgeon, with long years of activity in animal rights and welfare , humbly refer all concerned to the Animal fighting venture prohibition act, which states: “Except as provided in paragraph (2), it shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly sponsor or exhibit an animal in an animal fighting venture”.
Simply stated, it amounts to animal cruelty to knowingly engage or keep two or more animals for the purposes of fighting together, not to talk of permanently together. To this I may ask, does keeping the human primate counterparts in an enclave called one Nigeria, in a forced union that permanently guarantees Insecurity, wars, crisis and bloodshed, for the spectators or rather entertainment of the world bodies that should be concerned, at all cost, by the Nigerian Status Quo/Autocrats, not amount to subjecting them to unending cruelty?
The desperateness at retaining such a forced union that has failed its Citizens woefully was recently echoed by the country´s serving president, when he reiterated in The Sun Nigeria media of 10.05.2016, that “For Nigeria to divide now, it is better for all of us to jump into the sea and get drowned”. Infact the Nigerian Status Quo/ Autocrats deem Mass Genocide of over 170 million people a credible alternative to good governance of any form outside the One Nigeria principle that everybody, including they themselves, have acknowledged to have failed the Citizens woefully. What an atrocious intent, if we remember that the then Adolf Hitler warned the world of his intentions through his book,( Mein Kampf), prior to the second world war, but was taken for granted?
Could the:
- Shooting down in cold blood and mass burial of over 300 Shi´ite in Zaria by the Nigerian military forces;
- Wanton killing of innocent citizens pursuing their daily lives in their hundreds by the rampaging Fulani herdsmen militia, fully equipped with military assault rifles, but equally ignored by the Nigerian authorities (As the presidency, wavers from total denial to claiming that they are Militia trained by Gadhafi who dispersed after his downfall and found their way into Boko haram and so on, and instead of being concerned that its country is being invaded, they insisted that one cannot even prevent them from coming into the country, since according to them, the country has a vast border that cannot be effectively manned), in a country where carrying assault rifles are strictly forbidden, from Agatu , Idoma, Logo and Ukum, all the way to Ukpabi- Nimbo , Ekiti etc.;
- Shooting down in cold blood and (abduction) of their dead bodies and mass burial of over a hundred unarmed youths in peaceful assembly and demonstration in Onitsha, Nkpor, Asaba,Aba etc. by the Nigerian security forces, (all these well documented by Amnesty international and other human rights organizations and happening within a year of the present administration),
all be a preamble to this intended mass genocide?
Nobody (including Obama, who worked assiduously hard to entrench the Status Quo/Autocrats, or the outgoing American Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, who now could only urge for patience (probably until irreparable damage is done) ), can claim in this digital age to be ignorant anymore.
Nigerian Army Attack on Shias in Zaria Unjustified
Killing of unarmed pro-Biafra supporters by military must be urgently investigated
Military cover-up of mass slaughter at Zaria exposed
It simply amounts to wishful thinking to expect, as in the case of one Nigeria principle, that the over 170 million Citizens of diverse ethnicity and cultural heritage, speaking different languages, observing different legal codes and loyal to different tribal groups will dissolve into one another to form a harmonious Nation, without any form of structural arrangement or formula to contain their differences and diffuse tensions. Unity does not amount to dissolution into one another, more so if it is forced or artificial.
Two or more separate entities of similar substance with unique identities could harmoniously meet and be united in cause and action, without necessarily mixing, dissolving into or altering one another. This is best demonstrated by Mother Nature in the meeting point of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans in Cape Agulhas South Africa, as well as that of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean at the Gibraltar Strait Alaska, which contrary to our basic scientific knowledge of water being readily soluble in water, never mixed or dissolved into one another. In contrary, they retain even their different temperatures, densities and salinity.
To this effect, I totally concur with Lawrence Solomon of Probe International when he said that “Nigeria doesn’t need cash; it needs good governance.” He was also of the opinion, just like many others who have the interest of the over 170 million Citizens of Nigeria at heart, that this is most likely to happen when the different entities that make up the country have individual control of their own destiny.
However, I was thrilled by the humane gesture demonstrated by former president Olusegun Obasanjo recently, when he, according to the Vanguard Nigeria Media of May 6. 2016, handed over the Chimpanzee named Patience, which was formerly at his Presidential Library´s Wildlife Park, to the Drill Ranch Afi Mountain wildlife sanctuary, where she is most likely to be better taken care of. I would hope that in the same spirit, the Status Quo/Autocrats and their associates would deem it wise to leave the stage with honor and free the over 170 million Citizens of Nigeria from their perpetual hostage in this impracticable one Nigeria System of today, by allowing a peaceful arrangement that ensures better governance and care of the Citizens, since there is hardly anybody left to be convinced that the one Nigeria principle, as obtained today, has failed the Citizens woefully. Let the people have a say in serious issues which affect their existence. A Nation that is afraid of the voices of its Citizens can best be described as a ghost Nation.
Nigeria´s problem is neither PDP nor is the solution APC or vice versa; Nigeria’s problem lies solely with the Status Quo/Autocrats that have taken the Citizens hostage in the impracticable, but yet, according to them, non- negotiable one Nigeria Principle, that they have even acknowledged to have failed its Citizens woefully.
But behold, under our very own eyes, a well-orchestrated systemic clamping down policy under all kinds of disguise is gradually unfolding in Nigeria today. Such was best described by Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984), when he said:
“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
In this respect, it may just be wise, for the Nigerian National Assembly, as a matter of urgent responsibility, to immediately start a preliminary session, on the fate of Nigeria and it’s over 170 million citizens, before there will be nobody left to talk anymore. Remember there is always a reason to come after anybody, either trumped up or genuine.
But with all certainty, Mass Genocide of over 170 million people, either by jumping into the sea to be drowned or otherwise, can just not be deemed a credible alternative to the much likely better chance of good governance outside the present one Nigeria structure that has failed its Citizens woefully.
Nigeria´s unity or whatever form of its future co-operate existence, just like any other Union in human endeavor (be it natural or dictatorial as in the case of one Nigeria principle), is with certainty “undeniably negotiable” among the different entities that constitute its over 170 million Citizens, as the pride of a Nation, solely lies on its different constituting Entities and one cannot deny people of their existence.
Dr. Benneth Onoh writes from Germany. He can be reached by email HERE.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
