By Olukayode Ajulo
Nigeria is 55years as an independent nation. Again, as is the norm, we will roll out the drums celebrating our continued existence as a nation in spite of the factors that have threatened and strived to tear us apart.
It is indeed worthy of a form of celebration that in the face of the numerous perils that continue to bedevil our nation- Boko Haram insurgency, civil unrest, Niger Delta militancy, government malfeasance, kidnapping, the nation has managed to remain sovereign even though tottering and gasping for breath.
However while we celebrate, we should also examine ourselves in an objective and uncritical light, comparing notes and drawing lessons with nations who have successfully navigated the path we are on wining the never-ending journey of nation-building.
For instance, the world’s oldest democracy, the United States of America has a history of class struggle of which the most notable of her struggle is the civil war which was fought from 1861 to 1865 to determine the survival of the Union or independence for the Confederacy.
After four years of gory combat, which left over 600,000 Union and Confederate soldiers dead and destroyed much of the South's infrastructure, the Confederacy collapsed, slavery was abolished, and the nation embarked on the long road of restoring national unity and national development as it remains the most advanced democracy in the modern world as it continues to advance the cause of freedom and equality across the globe.
In the case of the French, the first appearances of the crisis and conflict occurred during the French Wars of Religion (1562–98) which was a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots). Between 2,000,000 and 4,000,000 people were killed and the wars weakened the authority of the monarchy, already fragile under the rule of Francis II.
Again we find that in the case of France which was threatened by the religious cum theological differences, the nation overcame these challenges and rose to become a secular state in which no religion supercedes, or is superior to another. Today, France remains a bastion for religious freedom and freedom of speech.
United Kingdoms experienced her shares of difficulties, the wars among kingdoms, war of roses, banishment and beheading of Kings and sacking of the Parliament and today United Kingdom stands tall in comity of nations.
A failure, on the part of these nations, to overcome these challenges would have resulted in the emergence of what is referred to as a “failed state”. Such is the case of Somalia. Somalia ignored the popular maxim “a stitch in time saves nine” and in so doing descended into anarchy; therein lies the message for Nigeria as the nation clocks 55.
As earlier stated, our nation deserves commendation for preserving its sovereignty amidst the numerous storms that have threatened it with shipwreck on its journey to self-determination as a nation.
It is however even more necessary to identify and highlight the various booby-traps that continue to threaten our continued existence as a nation.
The insurgency in the North-East continues to rage, threatening the peace of Nigerians domiciled in that region while the spate of kidnapping across the entire thirty-six states continues on abated.
Tribal and ethnic differences continue to perpetuate schisms amongst the citizenry as decade-old suspicions and inter-tribal hatred is being handed down across generational lines.
Corruption continues to rob the nation of its revenue and resources and even though there is a semblance of an active drive to confront the scourge, there is a valid debate as regards whether it is an unbiased push against corruption or not.
As the nation celebrated her 55thbirthday, it would be wise for us to ask ourselves hard questions: Where are we? Where did we come from? How did we get here? Where do we want to go? How do we get there? Are we on the right path? How do we find the right path?
The Chinese say that “the best time to plant a tree is ten years ago, and the next best time is now”. Now is the time to awaken from slumber, now is the time to embrace the work of nation building, now is the time to make necessary sacrifices, if we are to emulate the good work of nation-building as exemplified in the United States, Britain, and France, while avoiding the most unfortunate examples of Sudan and Somalia.
The nation-building work of Singaporean leader Lee Yuan Kew comes to mind as I write this piece. While the physical transformation of Singapore from Third World to First is well-known, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew’s lasting achievement was building a Singaporean nation out of its diverse people.
To Yew, it was clear that without developing a sense of unity among the populace, the island Republic would fail to takeoff politically and economically. Worse still, it faced the danger of imploding from within as experienced by similar plural societies such as Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Cyprus and Fiji. The Nigerian situation at present is no different from this and therefore it would be wise and prudent for navigators of the Nigerian ship to emulate Yew.
The visioner of a new Singapore never forgot the ethnic origins of Singaporeans either. He deplored the colonial policy of ethnic enclaves in which British colonial policy towards a plural society encouraged people to mix and not integrate such that the people came together but remained separate, holding on to their respective religions, cultures, languages and orientations. Lee Kuan Yew realised the danger of this policy and upon his emergence as Prime Minister in 1959 he reversed it, creating the nation-in-making that Singapore is. The national outpouring of grief following his death is a testament to his enduring legacy and it shows how far Singapore has advanced as a nation since 1959.
President Buhari would do well to embrace this path to accommodate our legendary diversity as a nation and harness it for the potential embedded within it.
The president and other political stakeholders should ignore cosmetic quick-fixes and take the less-travelled and tougher road of galvanising everyone into the process of building a new nation as stakeholders, requiring Nigerians to give up something and adopt new values of peaceful coexistence in a multi-tribal and multi-religious setting. In redefining Nigeria, government should eschew cheap chants of “rebranding” or “good people, great nation” and instead work towards imbuing Nigerians with a sense of ownership and a sense of attachment to Nigeria. If the president succeeds in doing this alone in a nation where no one wants to take responsibility, he would have succeeded in establishing an immortal legacy for himself.
In fostering national integration, it is imperative that government gear its effort at creating social harmony by pursuing policies that would promote economic growth in what today is a highly divisive social terrain further fractured by the scramble for squandered resources.
It is also necessary that the government, through subtle and robust measures, adopt an integrated approach to transform the nation through a plethora of policies in education, housing, national service, sharing of national economic wealth, job security, health care, efficient transport system, cleanliness, modern sanitation and provision of physical security.
It is only then that a new nation, a New Nigeria, midwifed through good governance will emerge. The nation will rise to its pride of place only when it heeds wise counsel.
As I wish and pray that Nigeria finds in President Muhammadu Buhari, a replica of Lee Kuan Yew? Only Time will tell.
May the Almighty God, Bless Nigeria
Signed
Bar. Olukayode Ajulo,
National Secretary, Labour Party.
via @Reportertimes
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