By Mark Columbus Orgu, October 2, 2021, News/Comments
Dr. Tunji Abayomi, a Constitutional Lawyer and Human Rights Activist had envisaged: “Ideas build nations. Every human advancement is a product of idea and possibility. Man functions best and highest in a state of freedom both mental, physical, spiritual and intellectual. Only in such realm can the mind go deep, to consider human condition and go deeper to find solutions to human perplexing challenges” Yes, you will agree with me that most of our political leaders do not have the basic understanding of the principles of ideology and courage to initiate transformational agenda for economic growth.
And so, the current political setting poses a serious question before us, whether Nigeria is truly a democratic Nation or a Country. Thus, if we agree that Nigeria is a nation, the next question therefore is, does Nigeria constitute the common components of the practice of a nation or country? Prof. Patrick Egbule in his piece titled, “Nigeria, a country or Nation in the 2019 Afrikanwatch Memoir had noted: “There is this common belief that Nigeria has remained a country, not a nation. While a nation is historically constituted stable community of people, formed on the basis of common language, territory, and economic life, ethnic and psychological make-up, manifested in a common culture, asserting ultimate authority over a geographical area and having particular human occupation or agreed limits”.This maxim presents to us a debate of self-conscience judgment whether Nigeria is a country or nation.
The first in this Memoir presents Sen. Anthony Adefuye, as he hopes for a great future. “We are on the way forward! Exactly the path we are now is the way forward. The only thing I can recommend is that, in the 2014 national conference, Nigerians sat together and unanimously agreed on certain terms. Those terms should be respected and taken as part of our Constitution, because, President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration put us all together to undertake a rigorous exercise towards reaching a far progressive agreement. So, the conference resolution should be implemented to the latter. This is where the National Assembly has a role to play effectively. His piece was titled “National Conference of 2014 resolutions should be implemented”
Sen. Femi Okurounmu giving his own analysis of the country’s situation, titled, Nigeria is held Captive, did not spare former Presidents, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, for their role towards the country’s leadership failure while citizens do not hold the leaders to account, because of the lack of proper political education.
“Our leaders then fought for independence because they were hopeful that all of us will work for the progress of Nigeria and we will do the right thing. It was the same year that we got independence, that one of the caliphates said, they will rule Nigeria forever, that middle belt would never be allowed to rule itself, and that they were going to rule Nigeria from north to the Atlantic. So, there were some leaders who were enthusiastic about democracy-catching up with the rest of the world but there were also others who saw the independence as an opportunity to do what they were trying to do before the British came, which is to take over Nigeria forever. Indeed, the problem with Nigeria has been in contempt ever since, between those who want to rule Nigeria forever and those who believe in democratic ideas”
Prof. Anthony Kanu, (OSA), a Catholic Priest in his contribution titled: “The Leadership Nigeria Needs”, traced back the power intoxication of some powerful regional leaders who rather would have initiated the principle of justice and equity decided to import divide and rule game. “With the advent of colonial powers, the policy of divide and rule along religious, cultural and political lines was introduced. Nigeria was divided into north and south. This division of North and South keeps reminding Nigerians that they are different. And today, nothing in Nigerian history captures her problem of national integration more graphically than the chequered fortune of the word tribe in her vocabulary. As Achebe would say, ‘tribe has been one time accepted as a friend, rejected as an enemy at another, and finally smuggled through the backdoor as an accomplice’[1]. If Nigeria as a nation would endure, there is the need for the government to adopt an inclusive pattern of leadership”
Dr. Tunji Abayomi in his write up, “Nigeria Needs Ideological Leaders Who Can Make Ultimate Sacrifice”, noted that the current leadership atmosphere in the country do not possess truthful ideological quality, most of them operates in illusion and isolation, and does not want to make ultimate sacrifice like the immortal Winston Churchill of the great Britain, who left the Conservative party to join Liberal party because of the party sellable ideology, which Churchill and his fellows propagated to the latter. Like Abayomi noted categorically: “Churchill told the United Kingdom that though invasion could be imminent, “we shall fight to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing conference and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
Chief (Dr) Nzeribe Okegbue JP in his contribution to this memoir “2023, May Be A Mirage”. Said: “If truly our political class were/are prepared for leadership, how come after twenty years into our democratic dispensation. Our leaders have not found solution to electricity/energy problems, fuel scarcity/importation, unfunctional/abandoned refineries, dilapidated infrastructures, insecurity, terrorism, large scale corruption, etc. A truly prepared leader will have a blue print on how to get these challenges resolved in record time
The late Dr. Obadiah Mailafia titled his own as: “Nigeria Needs Transformational Leaders, Not Political Jobbers” where he assured that, even as the country continued to swim in bad leadership and helplessness, hope can only be dashed when we are no more but reiterated further: “In our day and age, leaders of conviction are rare. Most of the people we have in politics today are political jobbers who are driven by expediency rather than principle and conviction. In fact, to be a politician in Nigeria, is synonymous with the description of being dubious, crooked and unreliable person”
For our foremost legal icon, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who dealt comprehensively on the theme of this year’s memoir, “2023, The Kind Of Leaders Nigeria Need: Our Collective Responsibility, regretted that, a country that once strived in all areas of human’s transformation through a meaningful leadership by our founding fathers, is now sliding into political and economic peril. Stating that in the past, the world reckoned with Nigeria because of her geometric advancement but now, in a state of retrogression, all because of bad leadership. A cursory look at Nigeria historically shows that even though we have been blessed with so many natural and human resources over the years with very few dire natural disasters, same cannot be said of the kind of leadership we have enjoyed, or rather endured, as a nation. It is almost as though while other countries in the world suffer earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, hurricanes and other earth-shattering disasters as a result of very little to no fault of theirs, ours in Nigeria seems to be a case of very terrible leadership at all levels of governance. Suffice to say that, Nigeria is known to be synonymous with bad leadership”.
Leadership In National Security For Peace And Development was prolifically put together by a security expert, Dr. Kabir Adamu, who followed suit in lashing the country’s leadership structure, stressing that, the country has suffered too much of bad leadership and political/religious clashes. “Since its independence in 1960, the country has been bedeviled by one form of conflict or the other ranging from hot wars to socio-political crises to low-intensity conflicts and asymmetric warfare. Within the first Republic, the country have had existential threats occasioned by census and election crises to the first bloody coup, and a devastating three years civil war that ruined the economy as well the infrastructure of the old Eastern Nigeria. This led to eight years of military interregnum that ushered in a semblance of stability but punctuated by coup and rise in crimes like armed robbery–an offshoot of the civil wars. The 1980s to early 90s witnessed bloody religious crises in the northern part of Nigeria, then followed by MASSOB and OPC agitations, Sharia riots and Niger Delta militancy up to 2011 before Boko Haram terrorism, armed banditry, farmer-herders crises and secessionist agitations as well as the proliferation of self-defense/armed militias and Small Arms and Light Weapons that are prevalent today”
For Mark Columbus Orgu, Only Leaders Of Ideology And Energy Are Needed In The Struggle For A Better Nigeria. His view is centred on principle, foresight and vision. “This is what Nigerians should look for in 2023; leaders with revolutionary thought ideas. Leaders that can make sacrifice to their own discomfort. Leaders who have prepared themselves for selfless leadership. Leaders with the fear of God and leaders who can deliver on electioneering campaign promises. We must unite against common enemies of this country and import the courageous words of Winston Church in a book titled, Spotlight on Winston Churchill.” I hate the Conservative party. I hate their men, their words and methods”. In the same way, we must all reject and hate all party men and women without a proof of ideological tendency. However, we must not hate them for personal reasons but for political and economic retrogression of their past”
2023 Election: Nigerians Hope For the Right Thinking President Devoid Of Tribalism And Nepotism is written by Alfred Omenihu, where he concluded “Be it as it may, with the high level of insecurity and tribalism in the land, I have equally thought along the part of dividing Nigeria probably along geopolitical zones and renegotiating her unity. From all indications, Nigerians are only pretending to be together, while they are not. Our political atmosphere has not provided scientific leaders and Minority groups are not given fair opportunities.
This memoir recorded a lot of trepidations, and workable blueprint, carefully arranged in an adorable and readable manner, with the intention to help visionary leaders, who may wish to make a pact in nation building/economic evolution. It also narrowly agreed that most African leaders in the past envisaged more of political independence not technological/economic freedom. Therefore, I recommend this work to Institutions, individuals, corporate organisations, research fellows, historians, and socio-analytical commenters.
Mark Columbus Orgu is coordinator of the Memoir (mcnext8@yahoo.com), wrote from Lagos