Tag: anniversary

Nigeria today observes the 53rd anniversary of the rituals of an independent nation. But, unfortunately, not many Nigerians are excited about that, because our dear country is bugged down by so many disputes. Such that many Nigerians will rather curse their ill-faith at being born a Nigerian, than exchange the usual pleasantries associated with such a major national ceremony. Indeed, a significant number of Nigerians strongly believe that the country, is matching inexorably to its doom, unless major structural changes are put in place. While for some, our country is marked for greatness and because of their present positional advantage, they believe it is their destiny to lead the country to that Eldorado.

Most Nigerians would, however, agree that there are many layers of disputes undermining our country’s progress, and probably that may be the reason why a vocal part of the political elite have asked for the convocation of a sovereign national conference. The extremists or anarchists on their part have taken up arms to force down our throats their own group interests. While the debate rages on the appropriate procedure for our national redemption, I strongly recommend that some of the disputes, particularly those bordering on the faithful exercise of public power, can be addressed through the application of Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms, particularly, Mediation. A training program on Mediation skills that I attended at the Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse, and the report that the Lagos state government and the Nigerian Medical Association actually resolved their last dispute through this process convinces me that mediation process could help resolve some of the conflicts afflicting our nation.

No doubt, the prevalence of emotional turmoil and strife within the polity is a result of the disputes across the country. For instance, would it be fair to expect a warm anniversary greeting from a university undergraduate wasting away at home for the past three months that public owned universities have remained shut. Again, would it be fair to expect any form of patriotic excitement from the unemployed graduate, who’s contemporary in school, has been rigged into public office, and has taken advantage to unfairly appropriate to him or herself, unconscionable portions of our national resources. Furthermore, as between contending ethnic and religious chauvinists, only a positional advantage will assuage their disgust with the present state of affairs.

So there is need for a new approach to these challenges. Take, for instance, the dispute between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government. There is a huge possibility that a resolution of that national shame could be achieved through the intervention of trained mediators. Of course I do not mean mediation by interested parties themselves, or by persons who would appropriately be accused of the challenges of bias and undue influence, such as the so called presidential committee, headed by the Benue State Governor, Hon. Gabriel Suswan. The same failure arising from lack of neutrality, will apply to the direct intervention of the Vice-President or the President, because their presence in a meeting with ASUU, is a subtle intimidation of ASUU, which is the underdog in the dispute.

To have a chance of success therefore, there is a need to create a level playing ground for the contending parties, as far as the negotiation process is concerned. And this can possibly be achieved by a trained mediator or mediators, who would get the Federal Government authorised representatives and that of ASUU talking to each other in an atmosphere of mutual confidence and respect for each other. As the ethics of the mediation profession provides, such a mediator or mediators would be absolutely neutral and independent, and will ensure that issues discussed between the parties are absolutely dealt with in confidence. The mediator will also be able to help the parties separate emotions from their interests, and also help the parties weigh the various options and interests they may have not thought about and also critically examine the benefits and disadvantages of their dug-in positions.

Indeed, these basic principles of mediation, lends credence to the possibility that it can be applied to resolve different types of disputes. These may include many of the inter-community crises across the country. It is also my wish that many of the national political disputes or differences could be resolved through mediation. For instance, mediation may help the National Assembly, as a contending party in the process; realise that it may not be in its long term interest to continue to take outrageous emoluments at the detriment of our common national well-being. After all, if the nation is engulfed in crisis, some of the advantages they currently enjoy may count for nothing, if the country is forced to go under. Of course the Lagos Multi-door Court House is well-structured to deal with commercial disputes, but their faculty skills could be applied to deal with some of these aggravated national disputes.

There is also the huge possibility that international mediators on the auspices of the United Nations, or other international mediation agencies, can be employed to apply their skills to help Nigeria overcome some of the serious issues of our nation-hood. In this context, major ethnic nationalities may sit down together and through the help of a mediation process negotiate a new Nigeria. I believe that despite the fundamental differences of ethnic nationalities, the country will survive as one, from such an exercise. What would likely happen is that such a negotiation exercise will enable Nigerians to appreciate their common strengths, and agree on how to deal with their differences. Indeed a mediation process would help the various ethnic nationalities see some of the advantages in one big egalitarian society. In the meantime, here is wishing Nigerians a better country.