Dabblers Into Reformation Crusades

For many years, various regimes and governments had come up with programmes, policies and measures which are supposed to address the numerous problems of the nation. Such efforts have hardly been quite effective in addressing the problems which they were meant to address. Genuine solutions to problems must address the root causes in an impartial and objective manner. What we have had in Nigeria are dabblers in the task of reformation who have the enthusiasm, zeal and good intentions but lack a clear grasp of the remote causes of the problems they seek to address, or gloss them over.
What we see as failures in various sectors of life are usually mere shadows and symptoms of more remote causes. Until sure failures and problems are addressed from the origin and causal factors, success would be minimal. When Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) was embarked upon many years ago, the intention was to force the nation and individuals to look inwards and make lasting adjustments and adaptations from the grassroots. Good as the intentions may be then, did we not adopt measures and remedies which were faulty and one-sided? Did the poor masses not bear the brunt of a number of miscalculations and over-zealous projections on the part of government, without any apology? We must praise Nigerians for their resilience, patience and ingenuity!
Do we have the courage to admit that the foundations of much of the problems and failures which we experience currently were deliberately laid during and immediately after the Nigerian civil war? Perhaps there was no deliberate intention to penalize or place an indemnity on certain parts of the country as punishment for rebellion. Like going to Equity which demands a clean hand, those who embark upon reformation crusades must also have clean and clear intentions. When we seek to cover up malicious intentions and wrong decisions with cosmetic window-dressing, we would be compelled to use deodorants from time to time in order to reduce the putrid odour which such deeds would generate. Insecticides are for enemy rodents.
We have for too long instituted and operated faulty social, political, economic and attitudinal systems based on cosmetic, quantifiable and measurable variables, with little value added to justice and truth. The tools of such cash-and-carry philosophy derive largely from intellectual calculations, with little value added to ethical principles. When fundamental values which give real meanings to life are lacking in any system, the result is usually the equation of life in units of measurable variables. Thus such grossly limited, distorted and myopic framework of social engineering makes life barren and dull.
No matter how the effects of past wrong decisions and actions may be glossed over and covered, the reactions of the masses would always be the indicators.
Nigerians became embittered as a result of the policies and actions of their rulers which often put them in agonies and disadvantage. Needless to say that there is a loss of faith and confidence in the promises of the leaders and public institutions. The result is that people develop a number of strategies to be able to cope with the challenges and problems which confront them. Despite the resilience, tolerance and silence of the masses, the current situation demands bold and honest solutions to the challenges facing Nigeria. The strategy of using establishments’ spin doctors to diffuse or divert attention from the real issues when they are raised would not be helpful. They are sensitive issues but they have to be addressed, sooner or long time after.
Behind the agitations for resource control and true federalism, is the sensitive issue of ownership of oil wells in the southern parts of Nigeria. Can any reform policy or crusades which fail to address the issue of ownership of oil in Nigeria and justice connected therewith, be seen as an honest exercise? The issue of corruption cannot be addressed with honesty if the origin of corrupt practices and activities are not resolved. Would it be wrong to say that the Nigerian Civil War provided opportunity for some actions that can be described as unjust to be taken in some clever manner? Especially when those who benefited from such arrangement are seen as the agents of reform? Such efforts would be seen as hypocritical.
Dr. Amirize is a retired lecturer at the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.

Bright Amirize