“At 63, Nigeria is still crawling in leadership, as if the country is cursed not to succeed, and so, we need leaders with the spirit of nationhood, that will build egalitarian society, focus on human capacity and social transformation”
By Mark Columbus Orgu
COMMENTARY-On October 1, 1960, Nigerian indigenous flag was raised, while the British’s flag was taken into extinction. Beer parlors were then full to the brim- All hail Nigeria, our new hope!- the citizens chanted, as Ghanaian and Nigerian highlife music stars, like E.T. Mensah, Rex Lawson, Apala’s Haruna Ishola, among others thrilled audience. Then, aspiration and dream were high, even if no one could foretold what the future holds.
A new Country was born without bloodshed and war, and so, it calls for celebration. Indeed, it was a clear “Father Christmas” because, Nigeria didn’t fight war against the British, whose main agenda was the exploitation of the country’s resources and enslaving of citizens.
Anyway, I was once told by a foremost Elder Statesman, Shyngle Wigwe, that for you to have peace and freedom, you have to prepare for war. This is very instructive, as every victory is an element of violent and bloodshed. That was why, countries that fought for their independence from ‘oppressors’ imported the lamentation written in Mathew 11: 12, that states: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
Now, did we get our independence by violence or by aggression, no! Were there unification of agenda and acceptance of Free State of mind from the three major regions-the East, West and North about having a country or nation?
To understand this proper, Major Ademoyega’s book, “Why We Struck, the story of the first Nigerian Coup, published in 1981, gave narratives that, at Independence, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, gave up his Premiership of the Eastern Nigeria in 1959 in order to lead his party at the federal level and was sworn in as the first indigenous Governor-General in place of the British incumbent, Sir James Robertson. “Chief Awolowo also gave up his Premiership in the West in 1959 to lead his party at the federal level. His party did not join in the coalition government at the centre, and he emerged as the leader of the opposition in the federal parliament. But the Sardauna of Sokoto, who did not give up his Premiership of the North and who you did not seek to lead his party at the Federal level, remained the Premier of the Northern Region. In the West, Chief Akintola, who was the deputy leader of the Action Group, became the Premier of the Region from 1959, while in the East, the Deputy Leader of NCNC, Dr. Michael Okpara, became the Premier. And so, when the independence of Nigeria was ushered in on October 1, 1960, it seemed as if the political arrangements in Nigeria had been fairly and equitably settled. Actually, a time bomb had been buried into the foundation of the political edifice”
Few years later, the bad attitude of the political classes labeled with corruption and highhandedness manifested the bomb between 1967-1970 where a bloody civil war was fought and millions of Nigerians were massacred in the East-It was called Nigerian-Biafra war. Some analysts have then argued that, Nigeria was never ripe for independence as the time the country got it, because basic fundamental issues of nationhood was never built around regions, rather political power was just the agenda for freedom.
The West and East asked for independence, they were punished by the colonial masters while they gave power to the North that never wanted Nigerian independence, because, they were more loyalty and can be controlled politically compared to their southern counterparts. Regrettably, after 63 years of independence, we are still struggling to build a country, lost in direction of leadership with multiple problems, multiple political and economic crises, societal ills, bad governance and corruption, including the lack of Institutional framework. These, have crippled the hope of nationhood as citizens wallow in poverty, insecurity, agony and uncertainties of tomorrow.
Indeed, Nigeria got her independence on a platter of gold whereas country such as Algeria that got her independence through baptism of fire fought the French government through the then radical Movement for the Triumph of Democratic Liberties (MTLD), which later turned into National Liberation Front (FLN), where 6000-45,000 citizens were massacred on May 8, 1945 after the end of WWII by the French army, but later got their independence on February 20, 1962.
February 4, 1961 was Angola’s turn when the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attacked Luanda’s Prison, and later massacred most white populations and black workers born in other regions in Angola, as a way of driving home their readiness for self-determination. By November 11, 1975, the Portuguese government granted Angola independence. The other interesting part was the battle of survival between the Portuguese and the African Party for independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, (PAIGC), from 1963-1974; an armed group aided by Cuba, and the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, Wikipedia detailed us that, after the assassination of PAIGC’s leader, Amilcar Cabral in January 1973, the military conflict reached a stalemate and cries erupted major cities. Finally, after the carnation revolution, the new Portuguese government granted independence to Guinea-Bissau in September, 1974.
The point here is that, countries that passed through battles to get freedom understand the implication of blood carnage, like Rwanda genocide. At 63, Nigeria is still crawling in leadership, as if the country is cursed not to succeed, and so, we need leaders with the spirit of nationhood, that will build egalitarian society, focus on human capacity and social transformation, so that Nigerians, home and abroad will replicate the famous School song sang by the British citizens and friends all over the world of Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) at his ninetieth birthday in 1964. “You led your fathers to fight for the nation. We will remember what we own to you”. It is my wish that Nigeria will be great again and the sun will shine on us. Amen.
Orgu, is the Editor, Afrikanwatch Network, wrote from Lagos (mcnext8@yahoo.com)
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