Awo’s posthumous birthday fallout Rethinking the template to make Nigeria work

In this report, KUNLE ODEREMI underlines a few of the recommendations made by great scholars, diplomats and other critical stakeholders at the 2021 edition of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation Lecture series held virtually.

Stimulating, incisive and constructive: that was the summation of the 2021 edition of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation series and commemoration of the 112th posthumous birthday of the sage which was held last Saturday, 6th March.

The  event succeeded in setting a new agenda for robust discourse, incisive analysis and constructive appraisal of critical issues of national interest, dimension and importance. Thanks to the erudition of an array of distinguished participants made up of diplomats, statesmen, seasoned administrators and academicians, who distilled fundamental issues frustrating the quest of the country for attaining nationhood.  The quality of presentation and constructive engagement by the highly informed and distinguished speakers ensured there was no dull moment throughout the close to four hours  programme. Therefore, the takeaways from the whole event included a new perspective to national issues and /or fresh ideas on the way forward for the country if backed by necessary political will and human resource.

 

Redefining the horizon

Among those major takeaways was the legacy of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, as constituting the veritable roadmap towards overcoming major obstacles impeding Nigeria from becoming a great nation. His pragmatic approach and tenacity of purpose to human capital development, governance and administration, as well character of mind, political philosophy and capacity which made his life and times a reference point in the history of mankind resonated in the contributions of most of the participants. His dogged pursuit of education for all citizens, genuinely earned national unity and institutionalization of federalism as opposed to existing disguised autocracy and proper and sincere constitutional re-jig that will crystallise and manifest in the common aims and aspirations of the ethnic nationalities making up the country, are sine quo non.

In setting the stage for the programme, Executive Director, Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, expressed her gratitude to Nigerians for keeping faith with the foundation and recalled why the 2020 edition of the lecture was postponed. She underscored the significance of the topic due to contemporary realities in the country. In other words, the topic was chosen intuitively. Her words: “We certainly had no idea that the relevance of our chosen topic then, ‘Whither Nigeria, would assume such incredible intensity one year later, even in the midst of the ravaging pandemic. Yet, here we are… It would not be an overstatement to say that Nigeria today faces an unprecedented threat to its very existence. The security situation throughout the country has brought into bolder relief citizen discontent with perceived governance deficits and with the apparent insufficient concern about their well-being by those in authority. Ethno-religious tensions, irritations and rivalries, social justice practised more in the breach, and deep-seated inter-class resentment, all simmering before, now threaten to explode into multi-locational theatres of conflict, in which no-one is in charge and no-one is safe. Increasingly, the perception by most Nigerians is that they are on their own. The country is, no doubt, in a serious crisis.”

However, Dr Awolowo Dosumu waxed philosophically on the current episodic scenarios in the land, quoting for example, Mr Shastri, the second Prime Minister of India, on the affairs of man: ‘There comes a time in the life of every nation when it stands at the cross-roads of history and must choose which way to go…’. For Nigeria, this statement has probably never been more germane than it is now.” To underscore that there was still a ray of light at the tunnel if the country could pick up the gauntlet, she deployed Chinese proverb, which states: A crisis is an opportunity riding a dangerous wind. Therefore, she explained that “then perhaps this time, dangerous as we deem it to be, is the opportunity for a ‘reset’ for Nigeria. This is why, in our usual way at the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation and in the tradition of the man in whose memory the institution was founded, we are seeking through this event, not to criticise gratuitously, but to actually provoke a national dialogue that will ultimately arrive at a consensus about the way forward for this country.

“We are convinced that doing nothing or allowing the nation to drift towards a nebulous destination is not an option. We, therefore, invited, and are immensely honoured by the acceptance of, today’s line-up of some of the most credible voices in the country today, to, hopefully, encourage those who have the power to do so, to initiate the process towards an all-inclusive national dialogue,” she stated, espousing further  that, Nigerians are “at a crossroads, and ‘demons wait at crossroads attempting to influence our decisions’ (April Smith). Demons of fear, self, greed and political dissimulation, to name but a few! But history will judge our generation most harshly if we fail to seize the moment, grasp the nettle and do the right thing.”’

Part of the nuggets was provided by the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, whose intervention opened a new vista in the raging debate for a restructured Nigeria to arrest its slide towards the valley. Those challenges, many say, are engendered and sustained by politics of convenience, prebendalism and avarice. None wants to challenge the status by summoning courage and political will to test and assert the authority invested on states by the constitution.

Soyinka advocated a paradigm shift from the current lethargy of the political leadership at the sub-government level to a progressive spirit of picking up the gauntlet to test the constitutional frame work on vital issues with direct impact on the welfare of the citizens. He does not see the present structure capable of taking the country out of the wood. Thus, Soyinka stressed: “I want to make a plea to all governors: stop being so timid. Push this federal envelope as far as it can go, even while we undertake the technical aspect of restructuring whether in terms of dialogue, evolving the constitution or whatever, something has to go on. After all, we’ve had so many of these confabs. My plea is to governors to start with: You are charged with the immediate responsibility of the welfare of your own people in whatever term and if you study the constitution carefully… Please, remember that your primary responsibility is not the centre but the people, the state. So, take in your hands any form of authority that you can even from this constitution as it stands while we are working on a more honest, a more people-oriented constitution.”

 

Walking a tightrope

With the stage set, the programme, the participants came up with options open to the country in the bid to rediscover itself and occupy its strategic position in the comity of nations. Those propositions from highly cerebral contributors did not come as a surprise to many, including the convener Dr Awolowo Dosumu. She had envisaged the kind of fireworks and quality contributions that  featured seamlessly during the programme masterfully moderated by a former Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor Michael Faborode. “None of our eminent guests this evening,” she had said, “has been known to paper over or sugar-coat the many challenges that we face in Nigeria. We are also sure that they will dissect the Nigerian situation frankly, honestly and with characteristic courage.”

Indeed, none of the speakers failed the seemingly integrity test throughout the lecture with the theme: Wither Nigeria. Apt and instructive, the topic encapsulates the anxiety and apprehension of main stakeholders on the state of the nation. Each of the speakers thus chose to spoke truth to power. All of them were unambiguous of the failure of leadership; they were unequivocal in apportioning blame and unapologetic in commending and recommending leadership with vision that once traversed the Nigerian landscape, especially the corridors of power.

Quite remarkable were the views of the former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, whose track record in world affairs remains legendary. He was in his true elements, dispassionate and blunt.  With his powerful baritone voice, Anyaoku was emphatic about his concern for the precarious situation in his fatherland and listed measures that could restore stability and confidence about the future of Nigeria. His recommendations were informed by his years of experience in the diplomatic circles, especially in steering the ship of the 54-member country Commonwealth.

For the purpose of clarity, comprehension and adoption, his recommendations were thematic with four edges. Not given to platitude, he stated: “My fourth and final point is what to do in order to arrest the current deteriorating situation in our country. Here, I join in calling on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to urgently organize an all inclusive national dialogue.  The dialogue should take into account the recommendations of previous national conferences, and the many proposals emanating from various major stakeholders, with a view to modifying our present governance structure and producing a consensus Constitution that can truthfully be described as the product of ‘we the people of Nigeria’.

“I would like to conclude my remarks by stressing the view that, with the current challenges confronting the country, it is only a restructured governance system, that is a constitution which in practice can guarantee the treatment of all sections of the population with equity, justice and fairness, that will secure the integrity and political stability of Nigeria, as well as the achievement of its deserved socio-economic development.”

Like others before him, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, added a lucid outlook on the amalgam of issues confronting the country. While recognising that nation building has its own challenges, particularly for countries that emerged by colonial fiat, as the colonial authorities tend to deploy divisive tendencies in governance, however, the highly revered traditional and spiritual leader was worried about how Nigeria derailed from being a beacon of hope to becoming a near albatross.

He had very clear messages for specific members of those that determine the shape and form of events in the country: “As educated elite we must reflect deeper and learn from the history of other countries. Societal problems are human and we should be educated enough to know that we can solve our problems without having to carry a stick much less fire a gun. No problem is beyond dialogue, even when you go to war at the end of it all you must sit around the table to work out peace.

“We need to reiterate our calls on government at both federal and state levels to act promptly, swiftly and decisively. Any inaction may be construed as weakness. Government must send clear signals and walk its talk. Traditional institutions, even as they have no control of the coercive instruments of state, can do a lot to restrain their people from taking laws into their own hands, for these institutions enjoy the trust and confidence of their people. It is my hope that we shall all rise to the challenges, each doing his bit, and together we shall surely salvage our country and bring it back to the path of greatness that its potentials promise,” the Sultan said.

 

Key issues

Central to the discussion were the Boko Haram insurgency;  separatist agitations by sundry groups across the country, including Biafra separatism, Yoruba irredentism, the “Fulani upsurge” ; the “scramble for Nigeria” as well as analysis of successive government efforts at resolving these, and so much more. The participants dissected Nigeria’s existential contentions as: structural versus process problems; institutions versus state leadership; ethnicity versus governance deficits; security versus fear; the dispersion and balance of terror versus state monopoly of the use of force; traditionalism and obsolescence versus modernity and progress; and historical wrongs versus future prospects.

A former president of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), poet and essayist, Mr Odia Ofeimun, the guest lecturer, had said the issue of achieving a united country is encompassed three particular concerns: where are we as a country? Where are we going?  And, where should we be going? In fact, he succeeded in raising the ante such that majority of his listeners and participants in the virtual lecture were spellbound for about an hour. Some of views became the subject of serious intellectual discussion and interface, particularly on his advocacy for the decentralisation of the country’s constitutional principles,  question on minority rights, the failed obligations for a social compact with citizens, destruction of the economy of farmers by herdsmen in the middle belt and in the South-West region, as well as on the need for a mass education programme that will equip the next generation of Nigerians. These issues culminated in a spontaneous, robust engagement between a former emir of Kano and former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Lamido Sanusi. The latter contended that the “extraordinary expensive governance” is probably the most important and fundamental problem for Nigeria, “over ethnicity, religion and the concerns about rebuilding a new consensus for governance.”

He added what could be described as part of the takeaways from the cross-fertilisation of ideas among Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora  during the event. He declared: “I think building a consensus is a process but the process itself has to be guarded. We have had many so-called national conferences and reports have been written. What happened after that? Nothing! Have we thought that the bloated structure of elective offices is the absolute recipe for irresponsibility? One hundred and nine senators and 360 House of Representatives’ members., who is responsible? Thirty-six state legislatures? Why not reduce the number; make it unicameral; improve quality so they know why they were elected beyond “constituency projects”? Ofeimun, in responding to the issue raised by the former emir, made an assertion on the validity of ethnic identity as a ground for the primary expression of a Nigerian identity, which elicited a number of teasers from Sanusi: “Should we not just recognise that we have multiple identities-ethnic, religious, racial, clan, linguistic etc? What is the ethnic identity of a man whose mother is half Yoruba and half Fulani and whose father is half Igbo and half Ibibio; who may be married to a Kanuri wife? I think we need to just ask why we are failing to rise above ethnicity and build a national identity.”  An academic, Akin Fadaunsi, soon joined the debate with a remark that “Nigeria is a patrilineal society.”

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