Of marginalisation, ASUU and hate songs

There are several agitations springing up daily in every part of Nigeria. The majorities want to remain as majorities, or lords that they seem to be. The minorities no longer fancy marginalisation. They claim to have been sidelined for too long. Now, they want to be magnified in the lens of every spectacle that beholds them.

The ethnic groups in Nigeria go beyond Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. There are so many other groups than these three. As a child, and as far as I was concerned, the only groups in Nigeria were Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. Not that I’m not aware of other groups, but I find a way of placing them under the umbrella of the large ones. Or was I marginalising them, too?

Marginalization is separation and separation is not a lone ranger. It works with favouritism and with favouritism comes denial. When resources are to be shared, for instance, a formula is always used. That shows that allocations are not equal. While the “majorities” get the lion share, the minorities get the crumbs. The majorities might not be the owners or producers of these resources but because of the size attached to them. The minorities now want relevance attached to them.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has had it to the throat. They are tired of every unfulfilled agreement on the part of the Federal Government. Even state governments are not helping matters in their universities. Now they are left with the option of squeezing the empty pockets of students, parents or guardians.  While the current government is partly not responsible for the current strike action, they should be commended for their swift response to the action of the union.

The strike, which sparked a wide outcry by Nigerians, is not a new thing. Nigerians can identify with ASUU strike as it is something almost every Nigerian government has battled with since the inception of the union. There were strike actions that lasted for few days. Some lasted for weeks. Some lasted for months. The strike action in 2003 was not resolved until 2004.

The civil servants are clamouring for increase in their basic salary. The country is still wallowing in recession. Governments at all levels are claiming that they lack funds to pay salaries and execute plans.

The local governments want to be autonomous. They are not satisfied with the idea of the state governments funding them. They want their allocations directly from the Federal Government. There are other things about which they want to be autonomous.

Nigeria, a country made up of several geo-political zones, is, at the moment, hanging loosely or loosely joined. I travelled down the memory lane that existed long before I existed and asked myself: did Nigeria exist as Nigeria before the amalgamation of 1914 by Lord Lugard or it just existed as the federating units that we have today?

In Nigeria today, what we have as the major tribes are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. The Hausa dominate Northern Nigeria. The Igbo dominate Eastern Nigeria. The Yoruba dominate Western Nigeria.

While the Northerners are clinging to the seal of government that is fast slipping away from their fingers, because he who holds the seal of the Nigerian government controls the affairs of the state, the Easterners are loving up on the major natural resource of their arena, oyel. The Westerners, one may ask, what are they loving up on? Well, not much to be boasted of in terms of natural resources.  At least, they have dwindled due to lackadaisical attitude and poor handling.

In terms of governance, the Yoruba had it well and are having it all over again. The Igbo had it recently but not well. The Northerners are not having it fairly well at the moment, just like it happened in 2009.

A former official at the Aso Villa, who served as a spokesperson to the immediate past president and also served in the administration of another past president claims that Nigeria has a political writing etched in an unwritten constitution. This political writing is that every geo-political zone has a right to be at the corridors of power at the Villa. That is arguably true. The Yoruba should not even consider taking a shot at the presidency until 2023 or 2027. Maybe that will eventually play out as written. Time will tell.

The unwritten constitution, however, I believe, is to be considered and applied with common sense. I pray not for the president’s ill-fated health but we need to appreciate the political prophets of our time who are moved by the spirits of politics, governance, past experiences and the obvious.

We are made to believe that the president is without blemish or corrupt history. What about his health? Is it free of corruption, too?

They (the Northerners) have had their shot at power and are having it currently but who are we as Nigerians to go against providence? Who are we to go against the providence that is calling other zones to the helm of affairs?

Hate songs do not have to be sung before they become songs. Poor mentality and wrong attitude are hate songs. A female Northern musician recently released a song with words of hate in the lines which are war-inciting.

A young Nigerian is leading a pack to call for the secession of a state that was killed over four decades ago. While all these are happening, the other zones or units have one beneficial thing or another doing, scheming how to snatch the power and become the powers that be.

I thought about it, if nothing is done to the drums being beaten to the hate songs in almost every corner of the country, danger is looming. Hate songs singers better listen to the survivors of civil war who are living to tell the bitter tales of war. The outcome of war is never a happy one.

As long as Nigerians are tagged as Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba and every other ethnic group names, unity will not be fully attained . I remember an incident where I was trying to describe a situation to an elderly woman and I said “the Igbo that live upstairs…”, she was quick to cut me short and point out to me that we are all one , be you Yoruba or Igbo or Hausa or Tiv or Efik or Nupe.

Let everyone put things straight in their homes and zones while having the greater interest of the country at heart. With that, things will be straight and smooth in Nigeria.

Soga-Oke is on internship with Saturday Tribune desk.