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Nigeria: Aso Rock and Northern Conspiracy (II)

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Nigeria is a market where the easiest commodity to buy and sale is tribalism. It is such a serious matter that who gets this or that in government, co-operate

and private establishments is based on tribal affiliations. The numbers of times I have had to answer questions like, “are you Ibo or Hausa” because of my name is countless. Unlike what is obtainable in advanced and saner clime, tribal origin or identity is treasured and promoted above merit in Nigeria.     

Wallahi! I thought that the victory of PMB at the just concluded presidential poll will open a new page for Nigeria and Nigerians and usher in a new Nigeria where tribal, ethnic, religious and other senseless and primitive persuasions will no longer count but I was disappointed when chief Bisi Akande angered by the ‘civilian coup’ in the upper chamber of the Nigerian legislature projected it as the ‘conspiracy of the north against the Yoruba’.

 In my place, we respect elders and I will not even in my wildest imagination think of sending the observation of an elder statesman like chief Akande to the dustbin. But wait. Earlier, the conspiracy was against the descendants of Oduduwa. Today, it has become a northern conspiracy against the Igbo’s because PMB so far have not appointed “Onye Igbo” as a member of his “Ime Obi”. Who knows, we may wake up and hear of a conspiracy against the Angas, TIV, Kanuri, Isoko and Nupe tomorrow?  

The late Dele Giwa, the famous Editor of the Newswatch magazine in one of his punchy articles (a rotten carcass) in 1986 posited that “tribalism is a dye which colours everything in Nigeria; Politics, education, employment and even corruption”. In my various articles, I have had reasons to posit that the mother of our problems as a nation is the fact that Nigeria is a nation without nationalities and this has made patriotism or nationalism an unprofitable virtue. Olusegun Adeniyi a Nigerian veteran journalist validates the point canvassed by this writer when he opined that “an average Nigerian feels little love for the nation only some love for his state, more for his village and most for his personal life”.

Of course politics of exclusion is a proverbial keg of gun powder. Political wisdom and common sense demands that despite that fact that Buhari and APC don’t have many sympathizers from the South-East and South-South, the need of the composition of key government functionaries and political assistants to be an all-inclusive bearing in mind the multi-religious and ethnic composition of Nigeria cannot be dismissed with a wave of the hand. Anyway, it is still a pity that while in civilized society’s issues on the credentials, character and capacities of political appointees are raised, we choose to centre our interest on the tribal affiliation. It is also regrettable that most of us are so tribalistic and selfish that we see anything or anybody outside our tribal groups as evil or incompetent. If an Emeka was made Chief of Army staff, an Obi SFG, an Ifeanyi CSO will we be raising dust? If chief Akande’s first son is made the CBN governor and his first daughter minister of finance by PMB will the government remain a conspiracy against the Yorubas? The leaders of Ohaneze Ndigbo are only shouting now, pretending to be protecting the interest of Igbo’s because they have not received alerts or have not been invited to Aso rock for settlement.

It is no good news that our political actors still see Nigerians as slaves they can use to gain political relevance and Nigeria as booty to be shared.

I am of the opinion that the APC government is not a conspiracy against any tribe in Nigeria. It is only a conspiracy against those who thought it was going to be business as usual; those who were preparing to plunder and squander the common good in the name of their tribe.

 How many Abiola, Femi, Funmi, Ishola and Wole in Ekiti, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, and Lagos will benefit from the Yoruba agenda elders like Chief Bisi Akande wants us to believe the north is conspiring against?

Those of us who waited all these while for the wind of change to blow away and ruinous reign of PDP and their kleptomaniac cronies cannot be deceived by ethnic and tribal champions whose stock in tribe is phantom accusations.

Methinks, Nigerians should be happy that, PMB “have allowed good darkness to fall on the ominous reign of mediocrity and the glorious light of dawn to shine on the optimistic supremacy of meritocracy”.

 

Nigeria: Aso Rock and 100 days magic

You know what? Dibia, Babalawo and marabous don’t only exist in black man’s land “Oyibo” people also have them. In Greek mythology; Midas was a king that transformed anything he touched into gold. What a magic?

Hundred days just past since the election of PMB through popular votes at the presidential poll and some people are already accusing him of inaction (Baba go slow). Don’t beg to ask for it, I will gladly tell you, ours is not only a society that loves the fire bridge approach to issues, she also treasures people who use dubious and unconstitutional means to run faster than their legs.

It is the zenith of ignorance at worst and the summit of mischief at best for any right thinking Nigerian to request for the head of PMB in a platter for not fixing in hundred days a country that the PDP plundered and destroyed for sixteen years.

Sure, I expect by now that Nigerians should begin to see real change; a quantum shift from the reign of “Wuru-wuru” and “Mago-mago” to borrow Prof Humphrey Nwosu lexicon that was an art and science of governance under the precious regimes.

Truth be told, the APC led government is so much focused on “probecracy”. Yes, all those who squandered and looted our treasury must not only return them to the nation coffers they must also become tenant in “Kirikiri Maximum Palace. Like the formidable Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Mathew Hassan Kukah said “even if you are going to go into probe, it is not a substitute for governance….. For goodness sake, governance does not foreclose people going into prison and so on. I don’t believe that even if you recover all the movies stolen from us, it will not go the same way. I think the challenge for me and for those in power is that All Progressives Congress (APC) has to prove itself”. Nigerians will not continue to sleep with empty stomach because of probe. Nigerians voted for good governance and not probe. Like his lordship rightly pointed out again, ‘’‘though bringing treasury looters to book is important, government must place premium on providing desired governance’.

The APC government need active citizens and critics like those of Bishop Kukah and Balarabe Musa because the Yoruba’s have a saying that no one can see the back of his head. Government need patriotic citizens who offer constructive criticism that helps in directing and redirecting the formation of programmes and policies of government. However, for people who looted our resources to turn around and expect PMB to transform Nigeria into Malaysia, or Singapore within hundred days is nothing but “bad belle”.

 It is easier to destroy than to build and the PDP and their appendages went about destroying anything and everything that should have made us proud as a nation and people. NEPA, NITEL Nigerian railway, NNPC, Nigerian airline, multi – million national companies like Ajaokuta steel and Enugu Coal Company were left to rust away or sold to cronies of powerful people at the corridors of power. How do we expect Buhari to become the Greek King Midas Within hundred days? Haba mana!

We must not be in a haste least we throw away the baby with the birth water. Unlike the phantom idealism that the previous regimes offered, practical template that will address the problems of Nigeria and Nigerians needs time, clear policy statement, and implementation in order to put things in their proper perspective. So, let’s not be in haste. We still have three years two hundred and sixty five days left.

 

Martin-hassan Eze

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