In Nigeria’s efforts to attain to these objectives, one of two paths are open to it: the capitalist or the socialist system. To an under-developed country like Nigeria, groping its way to economic freedom and prosperity, the capitalist system is very tempting. Its achievements are not merely a matter of theoretical exposition, or of the recorded history of a distant past; they can be seen everywhere around us, particularly on the continent of Europe, and in North America and Australasia. Besides, the cardinal virtue of the capitalist system, which is naked self-interest or greed, otherwise known as private enterprise, has special appeal to every man and woman. Until he or she has been completely seared, and rendered prostrate and helpless by the evil forces of the system, everybody believes that the capitalist system is the best, and specially designed for his or her personal economic advancement and aggrandizement. We have in two previous chapters almost exhaustively examined the capitalist system; and our considered verdict is that in the long run it is doomed to extinction, and that, as long as it lasts, it is bound to generate secular social injustice
and disequilibrium, and persistently widen the gap between the rich and the poor, in the society in which it operates.
On the other hand, because of the attributes of the socialist system which we have abundantly indicated, it is clear that this system is undoubtedly superior to the capitalist system. To be sure, socialism, as a practical economic way of life, is only fifty years old. Even so, by the achievements of the U.S.S.R., Eastern European countries, and People’s China, it has shown its superiority as a more dependable and surer means of securing material well- being and social justice for all and sundry, than capitalism in all its more than two centuries of existence.
If, therefore, the aim of Nigeria is the attainment of economic freedom and prosperity for all its citizens, at a comparatively early date, then there is only one choice open to it. It must, forthwith, adopt the socialist approach to all its social problems. In this connection, it must be emphasized that social justice, which is the sum and substance of the social objectives adumbrated by us at the beginning of this chapter, is only attainable in a social order in which the welfare of one is the concern of all, and vice versa. The name of this social order is socialism; that is, socialism as we have amply defined and described it.
In order, however, to tread the socialist path, assuredly and successfully, three things must be done simultaneously. The first is the vesting in the Nigerian Governments, subject only to the dictates of prudence; efficiency, and pragmatism, of all the means of production, exchange, and distribution. This is necessary in order to bring about the effective co-ordination of all economic activities, and to effect the direct control, by the Governments, of the forces of supply and demand and of the margin, with a view to taming, humanizing, and canalizing them for the good of Nigerians in general. The second is that there must be a thoroughly efficient and effective organization of all economic activities to ensure that the country produces enough: (1) for consumption compatible with a decent standard ofliving; and (2) for a rapid growth of capital formation. The third is the regulation of production and consumption by legislative acts. This is necessary in order to ensure: (1) that production or utilization of resources is directed towards essential ends; (2) that the country is self-reliant and self-sufficient in the short run in consumer goods, and in the long run in capital goods as well; (3) that, from year to year, whatever happens, the country consumes so much less – but without danger to good health and efficiency – as to bring about a rapid growth of capital formation; and (4) that the country exports enough not only to pay for the imports of capital goods and other absolutely essential items of consumer goods, but also to enable it to contribute to the enlargement of world trade and prosperity as well as benefit from international division of labour.
To these ends, certain modi operandi commend themselves. First, the Constitution of Nigeria must declare the country a socialist republic. This is to say, in effect, that those Nigerians who believe in socialism must from now on bend all their energies and employ all the resources of their minds to and for the achievement of this indispensable and momentous declaration.
Secondly, it must be realized that Nigeria cannot become fully socialist, in one fell swoop, without chaotic social upheaval. In our considered opinion, the country needs about five years to launch and place itself into full socialist orbit. That much time is required for ideological adaptation and orientation, mental weeding, and moral disinfection and disinfestation, in all the sectors of our society. Indeed, that much time is required to embark upon and accomplish an intensive programme for the production of a highly qualified cadre of professionals, managers, technologists, and administrators. We should not be taken as suggesting that nothing should be done during the five-year period to vest the means of production in the Governments. On the contrary, there should be a progressive taking over by the Governments. The programme for taking over should be meticulously phased. The more sensitive and strategic sectors of the economy should immediately be vested in the Governments, while the rest should be completely taken over by the end of the five-year period.
Thirdly, it must be constantly borne in mind that two of the attributes which so sharply and boldly distinguish socialism from capitalism are planning and discipline. Without planning and discipline, socialism has no chance of success. The co-ordination and harmonization of all economic activities relating to consumption, production, exchange, and distribution call for the most expert and detailed perspective and short-term planning that Nigerians can muster through the discipline of body and mind.
It is imperative, therefore, that Nigeria possesses a hard core of Nigerian leaders and experts with unflagging socialist orientation who will dedicate themselves to the great objective of making socialism work successfully in Nigeria. While some foreign experts may be required in the early stages to assist Nigerian leaders and experts in making and executing the necessary plans, it would be most unwise for Nigeria, and for any socialist-inclined country for that matter, to rely almost wholly or even heavily on foreign guidance. Such undue dependence on foreign guidance can only lead to ideological enslavement which, in our candid view, can be worse than economic subservience under the capitalist system.
External Relations
SINCE the emergence of homosapiens on this planet, he has never been at peace with himself or his neighbours. In the beginning, he waged his war with flint; then with bow and arrow; and recently with the atom bomb. He now threatens to employ weapons of indescribable destructive power such as the hydrogen bomb.
All the ingredients of, and motivations for, man’s incessant and internecine rivalries – greed, self-interest, abuse and misuse of power, enthroning of might over right – are as present today as ever before.
There are two Chinas and two Koreas; and Vietnam is in the violent process of being permanently split into two. At the base of these unjustifiable divisions lie the naked self-interest, greed, and national aggrandizement of the U.S.A.. In the Middle East, 60 million Arabs have vowed to destroy the State of Israel, and drive away or wipe out the 2 million-odd Jews who constitute that State. Understandably, Britain, the U.S.A., and France uphold the cause of Israel. Also understandably, the U.S.S.R. and East European countries give full support to the Arab countries. We say understandably, because it is the undisguised policies of Britain, U.S.A., U.S.S.R. and other big powers to divide the world into economic and ideological spheres of influence, in pursuance of their national self-interests and aggrandizement, and of the mutual hatred and hostility which exist between the so-called Western and Eastern blocs. There is, otherwise, no rational basis for the capitalist Western bloc to give succour to socialist Israel, or for the socialist Eastern bloc to come to the aid of the Arabs who have always either killed, or kept firmly in detention, every known communist in their midst.
Africa continues, as hitherto, to be the butt of all manner of inhuman treatment and degradation. To the Whites in South Africa and Rhodesia, Africans are nothing but anthropoid apes, as Hitler contemptuously termed them. The White settlers in South Africa and Rhodesia have forcibly expropriated the aboriginal Africans of all the larger and richer portions of their lands, and relegated them to the position of hewers of wood and drawers of water.
In the U.S.A., the Negro Americans suffer grave social disabilities, so much so that there are now clear signs that the recent violent riotings by the Negroes may degenerate into civil war between White and Black Americans. The latent colour prejudice which has always existed in Britain, but which has hitherto been cleverly suppressed, is now bubbling to the surface; and there is a real danger of racial violence rearing its head soon in Britain.
In the pursuit of their naked self-interests, the developed countries of the world continue to exploit and cheat the underdeveloped countries by means of every contrivance and artifice which man’s ingenuity can invent with the result that the gap between the one and the other widens with the years: the rich getting richer, and the poor getting relatively poorer.
To cap it all, the great powers of the world have grouped themselves into two mutually antagonistic ideological camps, and seek feverishly and frantically to entice the weaker and underdeveloped countries into their respective spheres of influence. To this end, aids are proffered in kind and cash to the poorer countries. But the prospective donors always make sure that each aid or loan carries with it a host of humiliating strings and conditions which tend materially to help the donor countries more than the poorer countries, undermine the strength and vitality of the recipient countries, and ensure their permanent dependence on the donor countries.
In spite of this, it is incumbent on Nigeria, like all other countries, to discharge a three-fold obligation. Firstly, it has the primary obligation of catering to and promoting the welfare of its peoples to the end that they may live a full and happy life. As we have repeatedly noted, one of the purposes for which a State is ordained is the protection of its citizens against external aggression. In order to achieve this purpose, Nigeria must, by skilful and clean diplomacy and constructive propaganda, bring about a state of peaceful co- existence between it and its neighbours; it must foster mutually beneficial commerce with its neighbours so that it and they may derive obvious advantages from inter-territorial division of labour; it must put itself, to the knowledge of its neighbours, in such a state of military strength and preparedness as to discourage external aggression, or successfully resist such aggression if it comes.
It is an accepted diplomatic practice, of the Machiavellian type, for one country to foment troubles in another country with a view to thwarting the evil intentions and designs of the latter country against the former. It is also an accepted practice for one country to try to subjugate another by subversion. These are practices which are indulged in by all the big powers through various secret, powerful, and thoroughly ruthless and satanic organizations. It is our candid view that no obligation is placed on any country to do evil against another country, or to subvert its neighbors under any pretext whatsoever. A cardinal principle of world order must be that the sovereignty and integrity of every State are sacrosanct.
Accordingly, Nigeria should eschew these diabolical methods, and confine itself to the constructive and practical means of achieving peaceful co-existence with its neighbors, including a defensive military build-up which is capable of deterring any aggressor, at its own level. We have used the phrase at its own level’, advisedly.
In our view, Nigeria can only place itself in such a position of ilitary strength as would deter any of its underdeveloped neighbours from contemplating, much less committing, aggression against it. It certainly cannot and should not aspire to acquire military resources large and potentially effective enough to deter any of the big powers from committing aggression against it. It is our firm belief, based on the sound principles of dialectic, that if Nigeria is economically free and strong and socially stable, and plays a constructive, consistent, and peace-promoting role in world affairs, the big powers as well as Nigeria’s immediate neighbours will refrain from entertaining aggressive intentions towards it, and will positively seek to live in peace with it. But if. in spite C!(such a role, any of the so-called big powers chose, for any reason, to commit aggression against it, the only cour-e ~raction open to it would be to give a good account ~ritself in 111: battlefield, and at
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