By Ambassador (Prof) George Obiozor
The Nigerian Political elites in general and the Federal Government in particular must be conscious of the necessity for the ultimate success of the on-going National Conference. The risk factors in Nigeria’s military/strategic, socio-economic, political,diplomatic and security levels have risen so astronomically high that it will only take one careless unintended event or utterance to send this country cascading into a national disaster or disintegration or at best anarchy.
By politicizing all our national issues including the dangerous duo of RELIGION and National SECURITY, our political elites are now playing with the fire which could consume both the country and themselves as well as many innocent Nigerians.Nigerian leaders may have to learn the lessons of history that quite often such sensitive issues like religion and national security easily and quickly divide nations and territories.
The danger these duo pose for a precariously balanced Nigerian nation cannot be over-emphasized. Nigeria after all, is a nation of competing hostile sub-nationals or sub-cultures and groups nefariously brought into an uneasy alliance through the amalgamation of 1914. Also at independence in 1960, Nigerian leaders arranged a federal system of government specifically to share power among its various peoples and regions. The federalism they constituted was principally a CONTRACTUAL DECENTRALIZATION that respected and recognized the autonomy, legitimacy, and the cultural identity of each region.
As a result of the civil war 1967 – 1970 and prolonged Military Rule, the political restructuring of Nigeria took the forum of INTERNAL COLONIALISM with its attendant IMBALANCES, INCONGRUENCES and manifest INJUSTICE. That is precisely what this National Conference must address in order to restore Nigeria to its relative pre-civil war modicum of political stability, peace, progress and unity.
There is no denying that there is injustice in our country today, and history teaches us that those denied justice have had no interest in peace. There must be justice before peace or all our labours to keep Nigeria united will be in vain. Therefore the primary duty of this National Conference will be to evolve a people’s constitution that takes into consideration the hopes and accommodate the aspirations of the various peoples of Nigeria. It is important to note that nothing is most disturbing or distracting than when citizens begin to debate the future of their own country. In fact, at that point too they begin to question the basis of their own loyalty to the country and its leadership.
Our political leaders should be careful not to lead the country to self-destruction. Many well-informed Nigerians know that there is no perfect federation and no two federations are alike. In many of them from Malaysia, India, Switzerland, to the United States, the federating units differ in accordance with their historical and cultural evolution. Nigerian Federalism will be no exception; our Federal System must be responsive and conscious of Nigeria’s socio-cultural, economic and political imperatives.
A Federal System for Nigeria is excellent for though it may be an imperfect amalgam like other systems has endured and preserved our unity to the present day. The irrepressible pluralism of Nigeria which asserted itself even under military rule makes federalism a necessary choice system of government for Nigeria.
All that is required is for a NEW Constitution that transparently emphasizes the DOCTRINE OF INCLUSIVENESS, EQUITY and JUSTICE for all citizens along with DECENTRALIZATION and DEVOLUTION OF POWER. And only these measures will bring Nigeria into the club of a MODERN DEMOCRATIC System of Governance, and also beyond doubt confirm that Nigeria has conclusively been transformed from the era of military regimes to a modern Democracy.
For Nigeria, the result of such a meaningful political RESTRUCTURING would moderate if not eliminate the persistent disintegrative tendencies present in Nigerian politics. It will also reduce the deadly competition and reckless pursuit of power and dominance at the centre among Nigerian political elites.
Amb. Obiozor was Nigeria’s former Ambassador to the United States, Israel and Cyprus. Before then he served as the Director – General of the NIIA.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the author are his alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Pride Nigeria.