This makes one to ask, is restructuring
or Igbo-Presidency (“Rotational-Presidency”), the real problem with Nigeria
today? This is because since its inception as a nation-state after independence
from Britain in 1960 till 1967, Nigeria had more or less, and in one way or the
other, experimented progressive restructuring that led to the creation of
Mid-Western region in 1963. In addition, another restructuring of unitary
system of government that co-existed with regionalism occurred after the
January 15, 1966 military muting. That restructuring saw an Igbo man, in the
person of Aguyi Ironsi, become the Nigerian head of State, though for six
months only. Thereafter, another restructuring, which entrenched unitary system
of government in the country, took place. That is, after the counter-coup of
July 1967 staged by the Northern Nigeria senior military officers against
Ironsi administration.
The July 1967 military coup laid
the foundation for the entrenchment of both unitary system of government and
the Northern military generals cum ruling Oligarchy’s hold onto power in the
country, which is still in force till today.
General Yakubu Gowon, a Northern Christian from Plateau State became the
Head of State. Gowon’s military junta discarded regionalism and started the
culture of multiplication of politically ill-conceived States with the creation
of 12 States in 1967. This action of Gowon irked Chukwuemeka Odimmegwu Ojukwu
(the then military governor of Eastern region), who saw Gowon’s action as a
plot to divide and rule the Eastern region and to sabotage the Biafra Republic
underway. Gradually, all these, eventually snowballed into the declaration of
the defunct Republic of Biafra on May 30, 1967 by General Ojukwu, and the
three-year Nigeria-Biafra War (1967-1970). The rest is now history!
Thus, gradually, since after the
war in 1970, the country started downward slide in its governance structure and
political system, leading to the present-day pseudo—Sharia ideology driven
presidential system of unitary government of General Abubakar Abdulsalami’s
1999 Constitution. A Constitution, which, in all intent and purpose, has
permanently entrenched the Northern Muslims in power, enabling them to take
full control of the affairs of the central government of the Nigerian State,
creating more problems for the country than it can solve!
This is the present situation of
things in the country! Anybody thinking that if restructuring is done today,
and “Rotational-Presidency” – shifting of power from North to the South, agreed
upon, things will be better in the country, is not being truthful to
himself/herself. Because neither restructuring nor “Rotational Presidency” will
ever succeed in making politics in Nigeria be issue-based. On the contrary,
restructuring and “Rotational Presidency” will even exponentially help to
entrench more vigorously, the existing passive politics devoid of ideas of true
democracy. Above all, restructuring or “Rotational-Presidency” will continue to
serve as ready-made ingredient for the existing primitive ethnic and religious
political infightings that have been the bane of the country.
Considering all these, I have
chosen to emphasis in this article, that the problem with Nigeria is beyond
restructuring and Igbo-Presidency (or “Rotational-Presidency”). That even if
any or both of the two principals (restructuring or “Rotational-Presidency”),
are conceded today, the result won’t be different from what we are experiencing
already in the country under the present dispensation and even under the
regimes before it.
Our article is divided into two
parts. In this Part 1 of the article, our focus is on the issue of
restructuring. In Part 2 (which we intend to publish later), we shall discuss
in some details, the question of “Igbo-Presidency” under the present
dispensation.
The Issue of Restructuring
vis-à-vis Security Challenges
Our submission in this article is
that the main problem confronting Nigeria today is security issue – survival of
various indigenous ethnic-groups in the country in the face of seemingly
present Nigerian Government-sponsored Muslim terrorist groups from the North. Most
of those calling for restructuring or Igbo-Presidency (Rotational-Presidency)
often base their argument on resource-control, growing economy and capturing
political posts for their ethnic-groups. None of them, however, addresses the
urgent and most important issue of security of lives and property, as the case
may be. We have to be alive first, before talking of economic-growth or
capturing political post like Igbo-Presidency or “Rotational-Presidency.”
Again, the unfolding scenario in
the country today, confirms our proposition that the Nigerian State, especially
since the end of the Nigeria-Biafra War, has been undergoing restructuring in
favour of a particular ethnic-group and religion for many years now. The
country, since after the war in 1970, has been undergoing, though, subtly and
in a hidden way, some form of restructuring that favours one particular
ethnic-group and religion. That lopsided restructuring has now entrenched
firmly, the Fulani Muslim North as “born-to-rule” masters of the Nigerian
State. Today, the same people head all the governance structure, machinery and
security architecture of the Nigerian State. This means that anybody attempting
to take-away this privileged advantage from them today must be ready for a
serious combat.
Warriors as they are, the Fulani
ruling class can hardly surrender that privileged advantage to another person
or group of people. In a situation of this kind, it is no longer a question of
restructuring or Igbo-Presidency (or “Rotational-Presidency”), but rather of
determination and concrete steps of the indigenous populations that will lead
to their second independence from the domineering ethnic-group and religion in
Nigeria today, namely, the Fulani Oligarchy and Caliphate. It is a struggle for
survival of the indigenous populations and communities living in Nigeria – all
those who have been at the receiving end of the domineering power of the Muslim
North ruling class and Oligarchy.
This is the major challenge we
have today in Nigeria. It is neither restructuring nor “Rotational-Presidency”,
but rather a struggle for survival, self-determination and second independence
from those killing our indigenous populations, destroying their villages,
rampaging on their farmlands, appropriating their ancestral lands, and raping
their women while the Nigerian government and security operatives look
elsewhere. This problem of general
insecurity in the land takes priority over and above the clamour for
restructuring and rotational presidency.
Again, as said earlier, the
question of restructuring and Igbo-Presidency (or “Rotational-Presidency”), is
as old as the Nigerian State itself. But while the rest of the geopolitical
zones in the Southern and Middle-Belt States have always favoured the
restructuring of the country and “Rotational-Presidency”, only one zone, an
ethnic-group and religion has been opposing it. The ruling class from the
core-North has remained constant in its opposition to restructuring and
Rotational-Presidency. This makes one to think that the present security
challenges the country is experiencing today under the watch of the present
administration, are part of the efforts by Northern elements at the corridors
of power (those most favoured by the present political order), to derail any
attempt towards restructuring or Rotational-Presidency.
Today, under the present
administration, for the first time since the return to democratic rule in 1999,
Nigeria’s three-arms of the federal government – executive, legislative and
judiciary are controlled by people from one particular ethnic-group and
religion, the Northern Fulani Muslims. The same people control all the
architectures of Nigeria’s security operatives – army, air force, navy, police,
civil defence corps, customs, immigration, paramilitaries, etc. They are also
in-charge of all the most sensitive principal federal ministries, companies,
parastatals, etc. This is in a country where the percentage of Christian
population is 54% and Muslims 44%. In the midst of all these, only someone
without sense of history would think that people who enjoy such a privileged
status and position over their neighbours would ever agree to share power or
even to relinquish it without serious fight and resistance.
The most painful of it all is the
abnormality of General Abubakar Abdulsalami’s 1999 Constitution, which smuggled
in Sharia legal system and ideology into the Constitution from backdoor, and
from nowhere enthroned Islam as the main religion of Nigeria. Unfortunately,
the Christian politicians and Church leaders were so much in a hurry to return
to “democratic rule” after the infamous regime of General Sani Abacha, that
they did not bother so much to scrutinize the Constitution the military junta
General Abdulsalami was handing over to them in 1999.
Think of it: In the 1999
Constitution, Islam is mentioned 28 times, Sharia 73 times, Grand Qadi (Sharia
Court Magistrates or Judges) 54 times, Muslim 10 times. But no single mention
of Christ in the same 1999 Constitution? No single mention of the word Christian,
no single mention of Christianity or Church in the Constitution. But Mosque is
mentioned many times in the same Constitution?
Yet, we pretend and still call Nigeria a secular State! What a
deception.
If Nigeria is a secular state,
why has this regime of President Buhari, invariably decided to Islamize and
Fulanize all the three-arms of the Federal Government – executive, legislative
and judiciary? And all the security operatives – army, air force, navy, police,
including customs, immigration, paramilitaries, etc., and all the principal
federal ministries and what have you? Is Nigeria still a secular State while
this regime has abolished the teaching of Christian Religious Knowledge as a
subject on its own right in government schools? Is Nigeria a secular State when
the President just signed into law the controversial CAMA law that empowers the
federal government to take control of the Churches and Civil Society
Organizations’ finances, and appoint Caretaker Director for them as he pleases?
Is Nigeria a secular State while
the 12 States in Northern Nigeria had since 2001 adopted and have been
practicing Sharia legal system and quasi-Islamic system of government, without
considering the harm such a thing has done to the minority ethnic-groups from those
states? The fact is that only the gullible can say today that Nigeria is a
secular state.
Christianity in Nigeria today is
under serious siege under the present administration. The fact is that
indigenous ethnic-groups, from which most of the Nigerian Christians come, have
been the major targets of the all the Muslim terrorist groups, killer-hands and
bandits’ attacks in the country. At least this is enough to convince us of the
sinister agenda of the present federal government, their agenda of Islamization
and Fulanization of Nigeria, and the use of non-State actors – all those Muslim
terrorist groups operating from the North and who are behind the terrorist
attacks and destruction of Christian and indigenous ethnic communities across
the land.
Why do we have to go this far in
evaluating the political impasse in Nigeria today? In the first place, it is
not to demonize our Nigerian Fulani neighbours. Since it is obvious that not
all Nigerian Fulanis are in support of what is happening. But only the minority
ruling class, those lost in their feudalistic medieval mind-set and lust for
power (a phenomenon not peculiar to one particular ethnic-group alone), are the
ones holding everybody in Nigeria today at ransom. It is this minority group
and ruling-class holding the entire Nigerian peoples in bondage that we speak
about in this article.
Unfortunately, as history has
shown, there is no way this group of people who have been controlling the
affairs of Nigerian State since independence in 1960, will ever succumb to any
pressure from those clamouring for restructuring or Rotational-Presidency.
Because for them, the question of governance structure and presidency of
Nigeria is long settled and therefore, non-negotiable. They see Nigerian State
as their property and so feel they have the birth-right to rule and control the
country in perpetuity. This is the crux of the matter!
In other words, if truth be told,
any restructuring or Igbo-Presidency today is another invitation to pogroms of
Southerners, especially, the Igbos living in Northern Nigeria and other parts
of the country. God forbid! But should that happen, however, it will be the
greatest battle of the century. Because it will make the Nigeria-Biafra War of
the 1960s look like a child’s play.
To avoid such catastrophe and
scenario, we have proposed in this article a change of direction and focus in
Nigeria’s political discourse. That is, from the political discourse of
restructuring and Igbo-Presidency (Rotational-Presidency), to the issues of ‘referendum’
for self-determination and possible independence of any of the federating
ethnic-nationalities that want to form a separate state of their own from
Nigeria. And of those other ethnic-nationalities that may want to join together
with others with which they share cultural affinity and worldview with, to do
so.
This is the price of democracy
Nigerian state must accept. Forcing unity among mutual-hostile groups or
peoples, in an unbalanced Nigerian union will continue to prove an effort in
futility. There is no way you can force oil and water to be one. It is
impossible and tempting God! Thus, the historical reality of the country
impinges on the ruling class of today to do the needful – to toe the honourable
road and line of action in resolving the reoccurring political impasse and
bloodbaths that have become like a second nature to the Nigerian State.
Once more, this is important
because, the problem with Nigeria has gone beyond issues of restructuring and
Igbo-Presidency. It is also no longer the problem of governance structure or
even of leadership deficiency (apologies to Prof Chinua Achebe’s “The Trouble
with Nigeria”). Neither, is it about resource-control or growing economy. The
problem with Nigeria has gone beyond all these. But once the problem of
security, freedom and self-determination of oppressed indigenous
ethnic-nationalities is fixed, and the people themselves begin to live in
freedom and justice, and to relate well with their neighbours in their own
chosen-state, all these other problems will naturally be resolved.
Again, Nigeria’s problem is not a
matter that could be resolved through restructuring or Igbo-Presidency, but
rather through referendum for self-determination and second independence from
the domineering ethnic-group. The problem with Nigeria is the unwillingness of
the ruling Oligarchy and their collaborators to appreciate the reasons for the
ongoing struggle for second independence and self-determination of the
aggrieved indigenous ethnic-nationalities in the country. Only referendum for
self-determination could resolve this problem once, and for all. Referendum
supervised by international community that is neutral, will help each
federating ethnic-nationality to decide whether to continue staying in the
Nigerian union or opt out freely, for an independent state of their own in
order to relate well with their neighbours.
This is very important and cogent
today than ever, considering the fact that it is now 60 years since
independence, that people have been crying and clamouring for just and
equitable Nigerian State, but which unfortunately, had each time, fallen on
deaf ears. There is a limit to human endurance. When it is clear that the
person you are dealing with is not prepared in any way at all to give peace a
chance and allow common sense to prevail, you have no other alternative than to
go for your freedom and take it, no matter what it takes.
This is the stage we are today in
Nigeria, if we want to tell ourselves the naked truth. If we want really to put
a stop to the ongoing bloodbaths and carnage in the land, the only viable and
peaceful option left is referendum! But if those in the corridors of power are
not ready to play the ball, that means they are the ones to be blamed for the
consequences of whatever may befall the country thereafter.
Since there is no other
alternative left for the oppressed than to go for his freedom and take it by
all means, possible. That is, considering the fact that no oppressor would
never surrender your freedom to you without a fight or force. Nobody will give
you your freedom without some serious sacrifices and price paid by you to take
your freedom yourself. You either pay the price and take your freedom, or
remain in your bondage forever. This is the challenge of freedom fighting and
struggle for justice, equity and social change in the society in which one is
born or lives. That means you are responsible for your freedom, not the
oppressor. Period!
That Response of Garba Shehu to Pastor Adeboye on
Restructuring
The foregoing helps us to
understand the language employed by Mallam Garba Shehu, Senior Media Special
Assistance and Spokesman to President Muhammed Buhari, in his reaction to
Pastor Enoch Adeboye’s recent call for restructuring of the country. While
majority of Nigerians, especially from the Southern and Middle Belt States,
have been clamouring for restructuring as a way forward for Nigeria, the
Presidential Spokesman Garba Shehu sees it as a “threat to President Buhari and
the North.” With this type of mindset, one need not be told that it is a waste
of time arguing with these people about restructuring, Igbo-Presidency or
“Rotational-Presidency.” Because they will never yield to either of the two.
In fact, to understand the full
implication of Garba Shehu’s unsavoury response to Pastor Adeboye’s modest
suggestion for restructuring, it suffices to recall the famous interview
declaration of late Sir Ahmed Bello, premier of defunct Northern region in
1964. When asked about the possibility of allowing a non-Northern like the Igbo
to work in Northern Nigeria as a co-citizen, this is what he answered, “It is
only ‘on contract basis’ they (North) can employ the assistance of other
Nigerians.” This means that the question of employing even an Igbo Nigerian to
work in Northern Nigeria is completely out of question. What does this tell you
about the future of Nigerian State? How can one continue to share the same
nation-state with people who think this way?
When you are continuously discriminated against in your own country, on
basis of your ethnicity and religion, to live or participate in the
socio-political life of that part of your country where you reside and
contribute to its economic growth, how can such a country develop and progress
into a real modern democratic nation state?
Nigeria is where it is today
because those who came later have refused to overgrow the ethnic and religious
biases and hate expressed in the above statement of the former premier of
Northern Nigeria. Because of it, the minority Northern ruling class and people
have shown time without number that they are not prepared to discuss issues of
restructuring or Igbo-Presidency (“Rotational-Presidency”) with anybody or
group of people at all. However, such a premeditated deafness of a particular
section of the country to be open to dialogue and adjust to modern democratic
principles, shows that the problem with Nigeria is no longer restructuring or
Igbo-Presidency (“Rotational-Presidency”). Nigerian problem has gone beyond
issues of restructuring and Rotational-Presidency.
Still on the issue of
restructuring: ‘Will restructuring put a stop to Muslim terrorism and
bloodbaths in Nigeria today?’ Certainly no! The continued fear of radical
Muslim North onslaught and terrorism, as is said nowadays, ‘is the beginning of
wisdom’ for ordinary Nigerian citizens. The other day, when the news of an
alleged burning of Quran in Denmark filtered out, information was immediately
circulated on social media, instructing Christians in Northern Nigeria, to be
security conscious. Because as experience has shown, whenever this type of
thing happens in other parts of the world, they will begin killing Christians
in Northern Nigeria. This is how bad the situation has become in Nigeria
because of the ill-advised uncompromising stance of people from a particular
section of the country, who have refused to give peace a chance.
This is why I see Pastor
Adeboye's call for restructuring as belated. Because as said earlier, the most
important thing now is security and not restructuring. Neither is it so much
about economy or governance structure. Restructuring or Igbo-Presidency won’t
solve the security issues, no matter the much talked community-policing or of
devolving to states the power of having their own state police. All these will
prove counter-productive. Because in the ultimate analysis, all the security
operatives in the country will continue to be under one command and control of
the government at the centre. So, state police or community-policing won’t
solve the problem of security in the country today, rather it will aggravate it
instead.
Furthermore, every Constitution
of any modern nation state says that, “The reason for the existence of any
nation states is for the security of lives and property and welfare of the
people.” This primary role of the state is no longer available to the people of
the Nigerian State. That means that Nigeria as a nation-state is no longer in a
position to perform its basic functions of security of lives and property and
welfare of the people to its citizens. Nigerian State, in nutshell, has, so to
say, abdicated its primary functions of security of lives and property and
welfare of its citizens. It has either by omission or commission, surrendered
its citizens to the mercy of Northern Muslims’ terrorist groups, killer-herdsmen
and bandits.
So, let those shouting for
restructuring tell us how restructuring will solve the security challenges and
security issues in Nigeria today. Because all those calling for restructuring
point at two main things, namely, resource-control and economic growth. The
security of the people, which is the primary reason for the existence of any
nation-states, is either forgotten or pushed to the margin! However, as noted
earlier, experience teaches us that security takes precedence over economic
growth and governance restructuring.
Again, think about it: Will
restructuring solve the problem of Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria? Certainly
no! Will restructuring solve the problem of Fulani Killer-herdsmen and bandits
terrorism in Nigeria? Certainly no! Will restructuring stop Miyetti-Alla and
the Caliphate from pursuing their Islamization and Fulanization agenda of
Nigeria? Certainly no!
Furthermore, will restructuring
stop the feudalistic mind-set politicians from seeking to hijack the control of
the federal government at any least provocation, appointing their own into
the nation’s security service-chiefs
posts – the army, air force, navy, Police IG, etc., and determining who
occupies other sensitive posts at the federal level? Certainly no!
Will restructuring stop the
repeat of the Akintola saga during the 1964 regional election at the defunct
Western region, when the North using their federal might fraudulently rigged
the election and installed their stooge as governor of Western region. Chief
Obafemi Awolowo, the undisputable winner of the election and leader of Yoruba
nation, who protested against the fraudulent rigging and imposition of a
candidate on his people was imprisoned by the same central government of
Abubakar Tafawa Belawa.
This situation prepared the
ground for the military muting of January 15, 1966, which led to the
Nigeria-Biafra War (1967-1970). The young military officers, who staged the
January 15, 1966 coup, were drawn from every parts of the country. Their aim
however, was to release Chief Awolowo from prison and proclaim him the rightful
winner of 1964 elections and therefore the new Prime Minster of Nigeria at the
time.
Unfortunately, people came later
to interpret the January 15, 1966 Coup as Igbo coup, simply because Chukwuma
Nzeogwu the leader of the coup plotters was from Mid-Western Igbo. But in
reality, the coup had neither Igbo colouration nor an Igbo agenda. However, an
estimated 3.5 million Igbos came to be killed in an organized pogroms against Ndigbo
living in Northern Nigeria. This later snowballed into the three-year
Nigeria-Biafra War that ensued as a result of all these.
The question is: Can anybody tell
me how a repeat of this scenario and such likes in Nigeria’s chattered history,
can be stopped by restructuring or Igbo-Presidency?
Therefore, the problem of Nigeria
is security challenges, not restructuring or Igbo-Presidency
(“Rotational-Presidency”). No amount of restructuring or Igbo-Presidency will
ever solve the present security challenges or security issues in Nigeria.
Instead, it may even aggravate it. Because the North, as experience has shown,
has never agreed and will never agree to live or be under a President that is
not from the Northern Muslim ruling class and the Caliphate.
Therefore, the only solution for
all these is referendum for self-determination and independence of those
indigenous ethnic-nationalities who have been the main targets of Northern
Muslim terrorist groups’ attacks and marginalization by the Nigerian State.
Whatever the result of such a referendum would be, one thing however, is
certain: every independent nation that will emerge thereafter, the people there
will begin to take charge of their own affairs, including security. They will
begin to be responsible for the security of lives and property and welfare of
their own people. This is as against the present practice whereby your security
in your own home state and town, is at the hands of those who neither
understand your mother-tongue and culture, nor share the same worldview and
proximity with your people.
Moreover, the emergence of new
independent nation states from the present Nigerian State through referendum,
means you have dislodged the terrorists from the Northern Sharia states who,
with reckless abandon, are today killing the people in Southern and Middle Belt
States of Nigeria. It means dislodging also the evil aim of the terrorists to
instil fear on the local people for the Caliphate pursuit of Fulani Muslim
conquest of the entire country.
Thus, referendum for
self-determination means security of lives and property of various indigenous
ethnic-communities, Christians, Muslims and other groups in the country. Above
all, it means political independence of the oppressed indigenous ethnic-nationalities
and communities from the terrorist-controlled Nigerian State.
All these imply that those
advocating for restructuring on basis of economic gains, capturing of political
positions, and resource-control, without however addressing the security issues
of the country, are missing the point!
(To be continued!)
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