Tag: BUHARI

It was Paul James that define aation building as the broad process through which nations come into being. Others look at nation building as a means through people within the state come together in order to achieve political stability and economic viability. Whatever angle one may look at nation , it is obvious that Nigeria is a mere state and not a nation. Past efforts at making Nigeria to become a true nation comparatively with nations like United States of America,  France or Germany has failed. One reason that has kept the nation on its kneels and prostrate is the divide and rule that the colonialist used while laying the foundation for Nigeria; the British cleverly created after the United Kingdom where England is far larger than Scotland and Wales. Without England, neither Scotland or Wales can hold unto political powers. Historically, the Northern part of Nigeria has been using its population advantage over the East and Western parts. Every past elections have favoured the north, as more votes and representatives come from that part.

The structure of Nigeria was that of an inbuilt power struggle among ethnic groups, those who find their way to power never plan to leave until several of them were forced out of power. But even while they occupied the position,  it is their ethnic group or groups that benefitted from the wealth of nation. Quite often to retain power was to appeal  tribal sentiments, for instance, when General Aguyi,  Ironsi came to power after the first coup,  he promoted 20 army officers out of which 17 were Ibos. The Second counter coup led by General Theophillus Danjuma came for vengeance and almost wipe out that newly promoted officers from the East. The tribalism virus that affected the politicians also inflicted wounds on the military which failed on its self appointed mission of aberration. The military incursion to politics did not only delay our political development,  but negatively crippled nation building as most of the promotions favoured a section of the country.

The second Republic began on the same fumbling and wobbling,  our political leaders did not give priority to unity of the country, but merely sought power for economic advantage. The National Party of Nigeria ( NPN) had a national spread but the party ruined the country and wasted the resources. By the  time Muhammadu Buhari and Tunde Idiagbon came to power through the barrel of gun, three members of NPN were declared wanted for the sum of 6 billion pounds. It was this  that led to the abduction of Umaru Dikko in the street of London, before the British police thwarted the operation. Buhari’s first coming would have united and built a new nation, but military politics aborted that mission. It is therefore needful that the newly elected President, Muhammadu Buhari set out  immediately he is sworn in with the task of nation building.

The 1993 General election that produced the late business mogul, Moshood Kashimawo Abiola was the last chance that Nigeria had to build a new nation. But the election was cancelled and the winner incarcerated.  MKO, Abiola never left the custody alive, as ethnicism and tenacity of office by Ibrahim Babangida messed up that move. Like a still-birth that victory of Abiola became a mirage. The nation was at the verge of war before the Yorubas were consoled with the candidature of Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999. The 8 years of Obasanjo did not heal the wounds,  rather a new vista came up that took the form of violence pervaded the political space, first by the youths of the Niger Delta regions. Out of frustration,  they destroyed oil pipelines that resulted in economic wastes and financial lost to our country. But Umaru Yar Adua amicably granted pardon or amnesty to the group and created a whole Ministry to oversee  their resettlement. The Niger Delta militants are back in the creek again to carry out the threat of vandalism over the lost of election by their kinsman-Jonathan.

The Boko Haram insurgency started by Mohammed Yusuf, a Muslim Fundamentalist  Sul-suni  Muslim was receiving foreign fund and training. By the time Yusuf was arrested by the soldiers it was to be the turning point for insurgency in Nigeria. The police allegedly killed Yusuf and one time commissioner in Borno state and many other political gladiators were implicated. The manner of approach to the termination of the insurgency by President Goodluck Jonathan was poor and has been identified as one of the factors that led to his failure at the recent election.  The insurgency in the north had caused the death of thousands of innocent Nigerians,  and millions of them have been displaced. The 240 adopted students had spent about a year in the custody of their abductors without hope that they will be rescued.

The six years of Jonathan will go down in history as one of the  worse governments of ethnic jingoism; where one ethnic group openly threatened other groups over his reelection.  The nation is further divide today because  president Jonathan  ignored the fact that it was the Yoruba man that recommended him for that post. For the whole six years, he starved  the South West of funds and denied them any tangible project.   Six years after, Obasanjo was called a motor tout that claimed to be a statesman. No elders from the region appreciated the magnanimity of Obasanjo in backing their kinsman for such a plum job. The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) that  boasted that they would be in power for sixty years faltered and fell 16 years after. The party is at the brim of collapse. Time will tell  how far the party will go. PDP is yet to recover from the shock of the defeat it suffered at the just concluded election.  If Obasanjo is guilty of  wastage of resources on power Jonathan is to be blamed for privatisation of the same. Jonathan used ethnicity to destroy the fragile unity of Nigeria. The 2015 election was bittterly pursued by the ruling party.  Apart from the initial N21 billion fund raising that was condemned by the public, the last six weeks before election witnessed wasteful spending by the PDP in the struggle to retain power at all cost.  Naira lost its value to the dollars. Bags of million dollars were dole out to traditional rulers and yes-men whose political relevance had expired especially in the South West. The Awujale of Ijebu Ode was courageous enough to tell the president that Obas are forbidden from campaining for politicians.

Diepriye Alamaisiegha, a former governor of Bayelsa state got state pardon when the nation is demanding from leaders to sweep both the thieves and the corrupt ones from the polity. Jonathan merely promised to fight it but fiddled with corruption. It grows and bears evil fruits under him.

While nations are being built, and old foes busy building bridges as it was between US and  Cuba, Nigerians are divided and ready to dissolve the  country . Nigerians see themselves from the eyes of tribe and tongue. How do we explain how Yoruba, the third largest ethnic group could not be in the list of first forty five political leaders under Jonathan,  whereas,  the people from Eastern part were occupying the post of Secretary to the Federal Government, Minister of Finance, Health Minister and many more and the South-South holding the portfolio of Minister of Petroleum,  Minister of Works, Central Bank. Contract awards are done in similar fashion. It was obvious that Jonathan who enjoyed massive votes from the South West had balkanized his support. The use of Odua People’s Congress (OPC) to destroy billboards of APC in Lagos by the PDP and the Movements of Actualisation of the State of Biafra  ( MASSOB) in the East to demand for the removal of Attahiru Jega,  the Chairman of  Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) gave the President away as a desperado and a man that was politically drowning.

Jonathan is today being hailed as a statesman for accepting defeat, but the salient issue is that the man had succeeded in dividing Nigeria, his open statement that he is more of an Igbo and that was why his father gave him the name Nnamidi is an unforgettable sectionalism. Lagos was neglected  by Jonathan,  infrastructural development carried out by the governor on behalf of the federal government was not refunded. Monthly federal allocation was reduced to the level that states like Osun, Oyo Kogi and other states could not pay their monthly  salary to workers. Projects awarded to contractors were abandoned due to shortfall in allocation. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola governor of the State of Osun stated ” The reason they gave for reducing our allocation from N4.6 billion monthly to N1.2 billion was that there was pipeline vandalism. On daily basis Nbillion of oil money were being stolen by the vandals,yet we have security that are in charge of these pipes.” He concluded that unless Jonathan is voted out, there will be no development.

Buhari task is to heal the wounds of the injured, to console the troubled souls, mediate between the aggrieved Nigerians and to assure the youths that a new dawn is here for their emancipation from lack , want and joblessness. The country had been abashed by utterances of political naivety. The election campaigns were too dirty for good minds. The campaign lack issue, but full of tantrums of verbal missiles. Words are like eggs, once broken may never be gathered. If Nigeria will move forward, there must be a mission to reconcile the various groups. While the composition of the cabinet may be all inclusive, social engineers must be engaged to foster peace, unity and stability in the country.

As a retired General in Nigeria Army, it is obvious that the military need total overhaul. The political officers will need to leave for a better soldiering. The Ekiti-gate video on the Fayose election deserve special scrutiny. All those that may be implicated must be punished.  There must be training and  retraining of men and officers of the forces in line with the twenty first Century as it is globally acceptable. The  Nigerian Police must be reorganised. The need for modern equipment for the police must be met.

•Obadina sent this piece from Osogbo