Nigeria: Transcending ethno-nationalism

AS we celebrate 57 years of our independence, it is important to reflect and remember where we have gone wrong and what areas we need to re-work to achieve independence goals of the country founding fathers. However, Nigeria has repeatedly shown signs of outfitted vulnerability and governance paralysis, particularly on the myopic choice of national leadership and the evident lack of strategic thinking in repositioning the country for national prosperity and progress.  This year’s independence anniversary stirred varied opinion and emotions across the nation particularly with the politics of herdsmen, agitations for secession, and calls for devolution of power and restructuring, Boko Haram extremism and above all, the legislative- executive rascals that have held nation captive.

These interminable symptoms regrettably have ranged from the failure of successive governments to foresee and respond to the core issues of federalism and its relationship with cooperative and competitive resource endowments and realistic autonomy. Nigeria’s episodic democracy has become disorderly and persistently entrenched in existential falsehood and currently at a monumental political crossroads.  While these symptoms and realities are worrying, their consequences are fearful. Are these merely the elite leadership spasms and malignancies that inevitably affect any nation in its uncharted evolution process? Could they be evidence of a political betrayal by the ruling elite with the potential to cripple Nigeria’s long-term search for nationhood?

Indeed, the season of independence appeared to many at the time a delightful symbol that Nigeria and its people were destined for greatness. The self-rule victory fanned nationalist hopes for a great new Nigeria. The nationalists, despite their genuine patriotism, were of necessity self- conscious, and they could never find roots in their new Nigerian sensibilities. The way to nationhood has produced a bitter and expensive democracy.  Unfortunately, those leaders who had been brothers in the liberation struggle became competitors in new power struggles. Furthermore, the regained freedom and democracy were jeopardised by fraudulent, one-party military enterprises beginning from the ill-fated coup of 1966. The inevitable result was ethnic – nationalism and we lost authentic independence because of the internal autocratic tendencies of the military and its collaborators, the unending transitions and unconstitutional arrangements.

The administrative structures that metamorphosed into states were threatened by any notion of a monumental national unity and various attempts at independence to forge a national ideology also failed mournfully. What is more, the emerging parochial and mediocre leadership was increasingly characterised by explicit clash between an authoritarian culture of unequal and obscure primitive accumulation of wealth at the detriment of national development and the unfortunate craze for power and quasi – democratic practice.

Crucially, one of the knotty issues of the moment is constitutional democracy. It needs to be resolved quickly and indeed urgently before the political sliding doors descend into chaos. The bloated structure of over 109 and 360 for the Senate and the Federal House of Representative respectively is a serious burden on the nation. The leadership of the national and state assemblies has become increasingly suspect, particularly with their conduct, remunerations and oversight functions that are tied up with corruption, lack of accountability and responsibility. At no time in the nation’s political journey has public administrators as well as legislators failed the country like now.

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One of the major narratives of the moment is resource nationalism and correcting the lopsidedness in the nation. In my view, these are  expressions of the sad reality of the Nigerian condition. A trend most evident is the skewed relationship in favour of the centre without due hold onconsideration for social diversity and genuine nation-building, where equity and fairness is first and second nature. In most respects, Nigeria is a strange but unique country. The historiography is often quick-tempered depending on the political lens of the analyst. However, there is a convergence on the vexed questions of resources nationalism, federalism and indeed restructuring.

While the ugly past and the present are constantly being questioned, a new paradigm shift is mandatory to drive our national thoughts and to embrace a value proposition towards a collective pursuit of the common good. The focus on fighting corruption in our nation- building efforts appears good, but recognising the root causes of the agitations for secession, resources nationalism, grazing rights and indeed the calls for restructuring of the Nigeria enterprise is in my view necessary for genuine reconciliation and the time is now.

Therefore, the proposal and the key priorities for this year should be constitutional reforms that foster long- term national aspiration template in the fields of governance, truth and reconciliation, restructuring, and resource nationalism in line with international best practice.  Overall, we need  a new constitution cleansed of ethnic and religious impurities and we should avoid the triumph of leadership self- righteousness that pervades the political landscape. The reality of the moment is that we stand condemned by legislative and executive consumerism. The present urge for self-destruction and self-deconstruction are worrisome.

• Orovwuje lives in Lagos