The Nigeria conundrum: A pathway to nationhood

On June 12, 2021, Democracy Day, PTB4Nigeria In Canada Group held a virtual event that attracted 660 participants from across the globe. The theme was “Rethinking the Nigerian State.” The guest speaker, Dr. Tunde Bakare, discussed Nigeria’s past, present, and future and engaged with participants in a question and answer session. It was evident that Nigerians are concerned about the future of Nigeria, which forms the premise of this opinion piece. Dr. Bakare identified the three-point process to avoid plunging Nigeria into anarchy as Reconciliation, Reconstitution, and Reconstruction, the “tripartite chance at national rebirth.”

We refer to the process as the 3Rs of remaking Nigeria. We believe that the process must commence during President Mohammad Buhari’s administration and believe the Nigerian media must drive a national conversation in this direction. In this opinion piece, we examine the issues raised by Dr. Tunde Bakare and offer insights on the pathway to the new Nigeria.

Reconciliation

We share Dr. Bakare’s view that naming June 12 Nigeria’s Democracy Day by President Buhari was laudable. Bakare described this as the starting point for “confronting and redressing a sore aspect of our past” – the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election by former President Ibrahim Babangida. Dr. Bakare expressed his pleasure that the government heeded his counsel to honour Chief MKO Abiola posthumously. He, however, states the Nigerian government must go further to address other historical grievances to achieve complete reconciliation. We believe this will kick start the process of creating, establishing and sustaining trustful, peaceful, and harmonious relationships between the government and the citizenry. Reconciliation is not an attempt at reopening old wounds.

We believe acknowledging past grievances will facilitate healing and propose that Nigeria consider adopting the Rwanda and South Africa reconciliation models. Accordingly, we identify three broad categories of grievances for consideration.

The Pre-Civil War Grievances

1962. The political upheavals fueled by inter-ethnic sentiments among our founding fathers that led to the imprisonment of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his colleagues in the Action Group on the allegation of treasonable felony against the Nigerian State in 1962.
1963. The first coup, spearheaded majorly by military officials of Igbo extraction, which involved the assassination of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Akintola, and many others.

iii. The retaliatory pogrom against the Igbos in the North, as well as the assassination of General J.T.U. Aguiyi-Ironsi and Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi in a mutiny in Ibadan, led majorly by military officials of Hausa/Fulani extraction.

1. The generally held perception that failure to implement The Aburi Accord was the precursor to the 1967-1970 Civil War.

The Post Civil War and Trans-Generational Grievances

1. The accusations and counteraccusations about the civil war; the lingering memories of the Igbos of inhumane treatment, economic deprivation, ongoing marginalisation, and non-inclusion.
2. The continued feeling of repression among various ethnic nationalities fueling agitations for self determination.

iii. The persistent marginalization among minority groups across the country, especially in the Middle Belt region, the rivalry between the Sokoto Caliphate and the Kanem-Bornu Empire, the ongoing insurgency in the Northeast, and banditry in the Northwest.

Contemporary Grievances

1. The persistent discontent in the Niger Delta region borne out of continued environmental degradation, severe underdevelopment, a history of bloodshed, and the killing of foremost environmentalist and human rights advocate Ken Saro-Wiwa and others. The amnesty programme and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have not resolved these issues.
2. The lingering feeling of exclusion from governance by women and youth. PTB4Nigeria in Canada Group believes representatives of all stakeholders must come together at the table of national reconciliation. This discussion should include representatives of ethnic nationalities and socio-cultural groups – Afenifere, Yoruba Council of Elders, Arewa Consultative Forum, The Northern Elders Forum, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Pan Niger Delta Forum, and The Middle Belt Forum. Also included should be Nigeran women, youth, and people living with disabilities and the Nigerian media; organised labour; private sector; traditional institutions; faith organizations; past presidents and heads of States.

“Through the National Council of State, President Buhari should facilitate the reconciliation of all grievances as a first step in fostering brotherhood and birthing new Nigeria. Buhari’s responsibility in this regard is to create an enabling environment for emerging and future generations of nation builders, ensuring they do not leave a legacy of unresolved issues that could constitute booby traps for successive generations,” Tunde Bakare wrote.

Reconstitution

We must renegotiate the terms of our union within the context of the 1963 Republican Constitution. Our founding fathers respected ethnic nationalities as natural federating units, as is the case in other nations with organically incorporated regional structures. For instance, the Scottish, the Welsh, Northern Ireland, and the English are considered parts of the United Kingdom. So also are the incorporated fifty states of the United States of America and the ten provinces and three territories of Canada.

We must address the inadequacies of the 1999 constitution, which concentrates enormous authority in the national government. Over-centralization has resulted in the ineffective use of our national resources, prevalent corruption, perverted political structures, marginalization, ethnic bigotry, and insecurity. These issues have exacerbated our differences, contributing to the growing calls for self-determination. In this regard, it is worthwhile to revisit the 1963 Republican Constitution. The Unification Decree 34 of May 24, 1966, and the balkanization of Nigeria into 36 unviable states have exacerbated the damage. Civilian administrations since 1979 to date have failed to put an end to the negative impact of decree 34 on the polity. President Buhari and the National Assembly must initiate the process of creating a new constitution to avert a descent into anarchy, dispensing with the 1999 constitution and Decree 34. The current 36 unviable states should be reconstituted to a minimum of 6 geo-political regions as federating units.

Reconstruction

Reconstruction involves rebuilding “institutions of accountability” that will “stem the tide of corruption and institute a culture of integrity in public governance” at sub regional, regional, and national levels.

“We must rebuild the institutions of good governance including free and fair elections and a leadership development and recruitment process that discovers and deploys the best and the brightest Nigerians at home and abroad.”  (Tunde Bakare, 2021)

Reconstruction must include the devolution of power and increased autonomy to the federating units, backed with constitutional authority. The devolution of power will enable the effective management of natural resources, promoting self-sufficiency, healthy competition, and interdependency. Reconstruction will drive sustainable social and physical infrastructural development, facilitate industrialization, and stimulate economic growth.

Conclusion

PTB4Nigeria In Canada Group believes that reconciliation will birth peaceful reconstitution and reconstruction. The 3Rs- will bring about sustainable development through self-reliance, self-sufficiency, and inter-dependencies among the diverse ethnic nationalities of Nigeria.

President Buhari’s administration should initiate reconciliation and reconstitution to create the framework for reconstruction. He must provide moral leadership by effectively collaborating with the National Assembly, Council of State, ethnic nationalities, civil society groups, women, youth, the Nigerian Diaspora, and other stakeholders. He should ensure that the 1999 constitution is not amended but recrafted to reflect current realities. His administration can achieve this within the two years it has left. If he embraces this counsel, he will lay a solid foundation for successive administrations to build on.

The Nigerian media have a role to play in remaking Nigeria. It must rise to its constitutional functions of gate keeping and agenda-setting. They should bring the narratives on the 3Rs to the forefront of national discourse through news stories, feature articles, and editorial opinions.

Dr. Biu and Professor Osuji, writes on behalf of PTB4Nigeria In Canada Group.

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