Nigeria became an independent sovereign state on 1st October, 1960. On that date, in a solemn and colourful ceremony, there were inspiring speeches about hard work, duty to our country, sacrifice to our great nation and other such lofty themes, and naturally the people, surging with innocent enthusiasm, braced themselves for the honourable citizenship of the wonderful and prosperous nation which the nationalists had promised.

As the Union Jack was lowered and the Nigerian flag hoisted, which is the pride and symbol of dignity, buffeting in the wind were clinking of glasses ushering a new dawn.

By this act, Nigeria became the 16th African state to achieve nationhood in 1960. Because of her comparatively peaceful progress to independence and her large population and size, it was generally hoped that she would play the role of a leader-nation among the emerging state of Africa, an example of a functioning democracy.

Having got independence on October 1, 1960, it was assumed that the enthusiasm with which the country was launched into nationhood would sustain the Nigerian Federation and help her people to develop a sense of common destiny and a common nationality. The nationalists who had engaged directly and actively in the independence struggle had always insisted that, independence would make a lot of difference.

Now that they had gained power, the masses naturally expected a lot from them. They expected the emergence of a new social order in which oppression resulting from the colonial rule would cease and prosperity and progress ushered in.

But events after this date were soon to prove that Nigeria’s most vexing, most basic problems were tribalism, sectionalism and leadership. Because there were no answers to these problems, Nigeria, between 1962 and 1966, was to be launched into series of crises which brought the country to the brink of disintengration and ultimately led to the take-over of the government by the Army on January 15, 1966. As a result of Athese crises, the hope of the Nigerian people for leadership in African politics and for maximisation of progress was frustrated. Indeed, Nigeria became the laughing stock of the world.

Tribalism had always been a potent factor in Nigeria’s history. In 1951, it was exploited by Nigerian politicians in their political campaigns, and there started a campaign of hate and calumny against politicians who came from particular ethnic or tribal areas. It was in 1951, Nigerians heard the name Action Group. The Action Group was tribalistic because it metamorphosed from a Yoruba organisation and barred its membership to those who were not of the Yoruba extraction. This fact was exploited by the NCNC.

Politicians became shamelessly mean and unscrupulous in their appeal to the baser loyalties of their tribesmen, and all considerations of principles and ideology were thrown to the winds. The whole political equilibrium became dislodged by centrifugal forces-not only tribalism, but nepotism, greed and political jobbery, signifying a sharp deviation from the ideals that make for nationhood.

Perhaps, with the right kind of leadership, Nigeria might have been saved from the nightmares and turbulence of her post independence days. The lever of tribalism and sectionalism was used to deny Nigerians the right kind of leadership, while the country was at the threshold of independence, the question of leadership became a vexed problem for many well-meaning Nigerians, particularly the youth and intellectuals. Many thought leadership should be conceded to Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, because of his moral qualities.

However, as political parties were based on regions, the NPC of Northern Nigeria won the 1959 general elections, and took advantage of the population and size of the north. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, a vice President of the NPC, was appointed Nigeria’s Prime Minister by Sir James Robertson, the then Governor General, while Dr. Azikiwe was made Governor-General.

Two years after independence, it became clear that the leadership was weak and uninspiring. The leadership question which arose then without answer and still stares us in the face today, was what the emerging nation needed to stabilise. A country like ours needs to settle the leadership question before it can play a decisive role in African politics.

African leaders like, Kwame Nkerumah of Ghana, Sekou Toure of Guinea, Senghor of Senegal, Abdul Gamel Nasser of Egypt etc, took their countries to greater heights because they were true statesmen and were patriotic. These leaders laid the foundation for development in their respective countries which their citizens enjoy today.

Our leaders obviously miss these qualities. They are corrupt, lack vision, ethnically prejudiced and selfish. No  wonder 51 years after independence, we seem to be starting our nationhood.

President Jonathan must sit up and make a difference in governance, no Nigerian leader has ever made. He must be charismatic in his leadership style and be firm.

Jonathan’s administration may be the last, Nigerians expect to change the country. It must not fail.

Briggs writes  from Port Harcourt.

Edward Briggs