Buhari’s one-Nigeria declaration

LAST week, President Muhammadu Buhari admonished political leaders in the country to stay focused and uphold the ultimate objective of promoting the interest of the country rather than engaging in what he called the self-centredness that led to the loss of about a million lives during the Nigerian civil war of 1967 to 1970. The casualty figures were actually much higher but President Buhari, who affirmed that “We are Nigerians, God willing we remain Nigerians, and Nigeria shall remain one,” only wanted to reaffirm the indivisibility of Nigeria. He made the remarks while receiving former state chairmen of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.  He claimed that the passion and zeal for improving the livelihood of Nigerians, which culminated in the creation of the CPC, had not dwindled, calling for more steadfastness as Nigerians.  Buhari, therefore, urged that the experience of the civil war must not be allowed to repeat itself, noting that the CPC was founded on the bedrock of patriotism and loyalty to the unity of Nigeria.

A statement issued by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, quoted the president as saying: “Our main objective is the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We are human beings. We have our weaknesses, but I can assure you that the patriotism in us is hard-earned. We have gone through all the troubles from 15th of January 1966 to date. You know what I mean by this, we have killed a million of ourselves in order to keep this country together.  I don’t think there can be any practical experience more than that. We are Nigerians, God willing, we remain Nigerians and Nigeria will remain one.”

It is true, as President Buhari said, that millions of lives were lost during the civil war in the bid to keep Nigeria as one sovereign, indivisible entity. There were over 100,000 military deaths while an estimated two million civilians died of starvation. It is also true that many Nigerians have lost their lives since then as the country struggled to contend with disparate challenges. However, the desire for one Nigeria cannot be a fait accompli; it has to be negotiated and worked out. If Nigeria is to remain an indivisible entity, there must be mutually agreed terms that are binding on all sections of the country. For one thing, there must be a constitution dictated and formulated by the generality of Nigerians and which captures their wishes and aspirations. The current constitution was formulated and imposed on Nigerians by the military, and its preface suggesting that it was made by “We the people of Nigeria” is nothing but a lie.

Truth be told, President Buhari’s statement is underlined by fears over the fissures, including separatist agitations, that have threatened to consign whatever unity the country previously boasted of into the dustbin. Nigerians are, to say the very least, far from being united, and the disunity is fuelled in large part by the manifest injustices that have characterised the national life over the years, and particularly since the return to civil rule in 1999. Worse still, the divisions with which the country perpetually contends have worsened under President Buhari because of his provincial and ethnically insensitive disposition to governance. Worse still, the agitations that the president dismisses are based on manifest injustices. The existing system is hostile to the unity that the president preaches. It is a no-brainer that if Nigeria is just and fair to all, no one would clamour to exit the federation.

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To President Buhari, since over a million lives were lost in the war to keep Nigeria together, there is a need to respect the memory of these patriotic departed ones by keeping the country united. Incidentally, just like there was concrete action during the war referenced by President Buhari and not just exhortation to keep the country together, his declaration without corresponding action toward togetherness and unity would not amount to much. The Nigerians who are clamouring for secession are doing so because they are not seeing elements of justice and national consideration in the running of the affairs of Nigeria and the only way to assuage such feelings and clamour is to get the country back on the platform of justice and national consideration. Nepotism will take the country nowhere.

Declarations would not erase feelings of injustice and it would be difficult, if not impossible, to keep people in a union where they are treated unjustly. Rather than issuing statements, therefore, President Buhari, while still in charge of governance in the country, should endeavour to listen to the complaints of those clamouring for secession and allay their fears if he is truly desirous of keeping the country together and united.