Ethnicity And Nigeria’s Democracy (I)

Can we ever find a genuine reconciliation and regeneration in working out a common destiny and political survival strategy under the geographical entity called Nigeria?

This is a question that should interest every patriotic Nigerian, and it is a ponderous mystery that must be unraveled as long as the name Nigeria exists in the polictial lexicon of the world.

Nigeria has had a chequered political history that has earned the country an unenviable reputation and sobriquet of ‘a sleeping giant’ among the comity of nations. This is largely because of the inability to transform the variegated potentials of the component units of the country into an unfellered and thriving political and economic system. Various segments of the country are literarily pitted against themselves because of false political precepts and the absence of a common sense of  national identity, a trend that whittles down the vision of the country, making Africa’s  contribution in the international sphere insignificant.

Recently, at the first graduation ceremony of the Abdusalami Abubakar Institute For Peace and Development Studies (AAIDS) in Minna, Niger State, the need to shore up the corporate existence of Nigeria as an indivisible entity was reconfigured.

Monitoring the event on national television, I noticed the indepth and passionate concern of notable Nigeria leaders to foster the nexus of peace and development in the country as the basis of redeeming it from the luxuriating path of  perdition.

Founder of the Institute and Nigeria’s former military ruler, General Abdusalami Abubarka, used the opportunity to appeal to Nigerians to “leverage on the marks of distinction of the various segments of the country as a unifying factor to strengthen the political and economic base of the nation”.

The former Head of State, emphasized that unless Nigerians looked beyond the divisive factors and embrace the peace forces, the Nigerian project will remain one shrouded in disparities, and mutual suspicion among the various component units that make up the nation.

Chairman of the event, Gabriel Suswam who is the governor of Benue State, in an emotion laden speech went back through memory lane, explaining how the various ethnic component in Nigeria enjoyed relative peace and freedom before the creation of Nigeria by the British. Suswam decried the growing introlerance among various ethnic groups especially in the Northern part of the country which had resulted to wanton destruction of innocent lives through bloody and riotous campaigns by extremist groups.

According to Governor Suswam, “such extremist notions, arise from the fact that Nigerians are yet to grasp the enduring values and dynamics of democtratic liberties”.

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, who was the guest speaker at the event drew a symbiotic relationship between peace and development, noting that, “For Nigeria to enjoy peace and sustainable development, Nigerians must see themselves as fellow compatriots, while the leaders must respond to the imperatives of justice through judicious application of the common wealth”.

Governor Amaechi’s views were shared with the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, whose remark drew thunderous ovation from the audience.

Okorocha, pointed out that the unity of the country was threathened by the emergence of a domineering political class that consistently hijacks and abuse opportunities of political leadership in the country.

According to Governor Okorocha such emerging ruling class use concepts such as zoning to further undermine the collective will of the nation, and dissociated himself from zoning as a democratic principle.

Okorocha further pointed out that Nigerians see themselves as compatriots outside the country, but fan the embers of disunity at home, and called for a re ordering of this errorneous concepts.

The submissions of there notable Nigerian leaders is an indication that the angling for the control of power at the centre and stubborn refusal to structure our democracy on the strong fundamentals of mutual co-existence and common sense of purpose, is the greatest threat to our democracy.

Although ethnicity may connote tribal loyalty, it is the very opposite of ethnocentricism which is the greatest disincentive to our quest for nationhood.

According to a renowed professor of history, Prof. Bolanle Awe, “ethnic incompatibilities are barriers that cannot be overcome by glossing over them, they are real and most be addressed pragmatically”.

As the holy Bible puts it; “can two work together except they agree?”

Ethnocentricism is therefore the abuse of ethnicity.

It is the loath that breeds prejudice in our body polity. It is the cankerworm that erodes our sense of patriotism and creates artificial class differentiation among the various segments of the country,

Musing over the state of Nigerian politics, an analyst once declared; “A nation where a determinate common inferior renders perpetual obedience to a determinate common Superior, or where subject nationalities fight for freedom and triumph nationalities aspire after domination is a nation divided against itself.

Nigeria has waddled in this debacle since independence. The emerging political class base their precepts on criminally conceived political innovations and deceptive revenue allocation formulae perfidiously designed to further alienate and disposses the disadvantaged ethnic minorities that sustain the nation’s economy. These ethnic monitories are fortuitously placed in the political contraption through the inexplicable ways of history.

The American example has shown that, the greatest and most distinguishing attribute of a democracy is to recognize and accord the right of various existing interest groups to strive in an atmosphere of justice.

The great and United Nigeria we all yearn for is therefore unattainable, except the individuality of community and ethnic regeneration is far more highly developed.

The tenets of substainable development dictates that the growth of the future must be in quality and value that comes through the concentrated striving of existing smaller ethnic groups who must be allowed a fair share of their resources to develop at their own Space. The revolt in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria which affected the activities of prospecting multinational oil firms stemmed from these denials.

The American democracy, which Nigeria is modeled after, has proven that if ideals are developed locally, the national ones will come pretty near taking care of themselves, and this is the sure way to freedom and self determination.

It is important to remember that the essential characteristic of true liberty is that under its shelter, many different types of life and character and opinion and belief can develop unmolested and unobstructed.

This type of political structure portends hope for the citizens as they can be key participants in national life through their individual and collective contributions to the development of the society.

According to a removed Nigerian economist, Pius Okigbo; “A productive society creates institutions that are platforms of renewal and stability, they are the shelters of continuity”. The building of trust and reliability in our collective will to forge ahead in an enlarged political structure therefore depends on the conviction of the people and their willingness to live by civilized principles of democracy and justice.

Nigeria is blessed with divergence of culture and distinctive value systems which could be integrated into a national whole to foster a common sense of identity. This is the beauty and price of protection of sustainable democracy.

The peculiar nature of our environment and cultural evolution demands that we structure our democracy on the use of liberty without abuse, and respect for our individual sense of identify which is reflected in ethnic affiliations.

A functional democracy by global acclaim is one rooted in the realization of the collective hope and dream of the people, a sense of human fellowship, a recognition of the duty of mutual help owed by man to man.

A philosophical postulation has it that; There is no higher religion than human service, to work for the common good is the greatest creed”, “we must remember to cater for the less priviledged who live in slums and jungles of our society. A poor man in the north and a poor man in the South South, or any other part of the country shares common features, lack. Nigeria has the potentials to take care of its citizens. As stated by a renowed Prof. of History, Okon Uya, “if we don’t want to end up with recurrent foul-ups and failure lets ponder to standback and access conscientiously the essence of our co-operate existence with respect to our divergence feelings and aspirations. The future of  Four democracy deepends on the commitment of the respective ethnic groups to the creed of National unity.

Herein lies the preservation of our national strength.