A senior citizen in Ekiti State, Chief Deji Fasuan, criticises members of the Southern Nigeria Peoples’ Congress’ position on President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-graft war.
I was amused to see the report and picture of the nebulous body called Southern Nigeria Peoples’ Congress in some national papers of 26th August, 2015. This fire brigade, self–serving organization exposes much of the Nigerian character; when we are having things our way we laugh and relax. When things are slipping- by, we cry foul. Going by the screaming headlines reporting the outcome of the meeting – “Anti-graft war, lopsided appointment; Gbonigi, Ekwueme, Clark, others slam Buhari,” the Conferees deserve some pity.
The crux of their grouse are political and senior management appointments hitherto made by the Buhari administration, observing that these appointments have not being fair (to whom they did not tell us), and asking Buhari to respect the configuration of the Nigerian polity. Pray, when did the concept of Southern Nigeria Assembly start?
Obviously many things escaped the knowledge or memory of the participants especially those from the South West. Have we, in the West, forgotten so easily our misfortune of the last five years when the federal government administered the country as if our Region was not part of it?
I have written on two occasion drawing attention of Nigerians to the apparent imbalance if not outright discrimination in the appointments to first and secondary levels of political positions and most importantly to executive and management positions in the MDAs especially the Agencies. I told Nigerians that vital government positions in these sectors were lopsided in favour of the South South and South East. I even posted the figures as follows – South South and South East. I even posted the figures as follows – South South and South East and 70% North Central, North West and North East about 25 to 27% and South West just about 2%. Was there a Southern Assembly called to pontificate on this during those unfortunate years? Did anybody in the Northern zone gang together to accuse the South South and South East of foisting themselves on the Nigerian nation? Where were these do-gooders in Akure when the almighty Ayim Pius Ayim stood like a rock of Gibraltar against Yoruba interest? Are our Yoruba leaders aware that public service appointments notably in the Ministry of Power and its agencies and indeed many other MDAs were still being rushed almost hours before the new administration took over? Did the Federal Character Commission blink an eye to these infractions? There are many more questions to answer.
Looking at the photograph in one of the papers of 26th August 2015, I observed that Bishop Gbonigi is a “fish out of water”. A fish rightly belongs to water, but when it is on dry ground it becomes and uncomfortable being indeed! The revered Bishop known for transparency and total commitment to equity and fairness shares very little with the likes of Edwin Clark, the super godfather of the last administration and all it’s stood for. A pontiff of no mean order, he bestrew the Nigerian political administrative and economic firmament for close to 5 years. A colossus who shared fundamentals of life with Asari Dokubo including resource control and power conscription, he did not let go throughout the last 5 years. Most politicians of the South South and the South East regularly echoed these positions. One may asked, what is their grouse today? Indeed the grapes are sour!
Reading through the information contained in the write up, there are familiar names like Dr. Kunle Olajide, Chief Bode Ajewole, Chief Ebenezer Babatola and Prof. Olu Agbi, among others. For obvious reasons I don’t want to make any remark about these, but sufficient to say that the situation in Nigeria deserves a deep study. As for Kunle, my close associate and collaborator in Ekiti State, I wish he was not drafted to such a forum. Now to talk the fact, how many appointments has Buhari made to start making the inappropriate accusation of lopsidedness or unfairness?
I don’t remember in all my years when ‘Southern Nigerian Assembly’ took a sustainable position regarding the administration of Nigerian nation state. The involvement of the Ondo State Governor is not surprising. It is pursuance of his new found love – struggling for leadership in Nigeria. While I wish him goodluck in this legitimate pursuit, I want to remind the aggressive governor that he is a Westerner, a Yoruba man before he becomes anything or everything later.
I remember in the late 50’s and early 60’s that on the rare occasion that Azikiwe and Awolowo struck a deal on how to confront what they called the ‘Feudal North,’ the joint position usually changed barely 24 hours after the misguided accord. This was usually because the leader from the Eastern Region would not opt for collaboration with what was yesterday a feudal North, ‘in the national interest.’ Was Awolowo naïve all this time? At first he was trusting and later on he stood his ground for principles which he followed faithfully throughout his political career. In fairness to Azikiwe, he was more pragmatic and realistic to know that Nigeria can never be ruled successfully with political affiliations horizontally but vertically.
The last five years taught us a lasting lesson. The Nigerian nation is a collection of nationalities and therefore of interests. Its administration must reflect this for us to survive and to male a mark on the continent.
