Daily Independent Online.
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Wednesday, June 16, 2004.
Nigeria on the road to Yugoslavia (3)
By Bobson Gbinije
What about the Igbos (South East), the Niger Deltans
(South South) and other minute minorities? The leadership logistical data shows
that right from independence in 1960 till date there has been a preponderant
dominance by the North- Sir, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (1960- 1966), Gen. Yakubu
Gowon (1966- 1975), Gen. Murtala Mohammed (6 months), Alhaji Shehu Shagari
(1979- 1983), Gen. Muhamed Buhari, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (1985- 1993), Gen.
Sani Abacha (1993- 1998), Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (1998- 1999). When these
facts are silhouetted on the canvass of time it shows that the North West
geopolitical zone has had 4 presidents that ruled for (6 years), the North
central geopolitical zone have had 3 presidents that ruled for (18 years), the
North-East geopolitical zone have had 2 presidents that ruled for (9 years),
the South-West have had (2 presidential slots) that ruled for (13 years +), the
South-East geopolitical zone (none) except Zik who was a mere figure head and
the South-South (Niger Delta) (NIL/NONE). On the direct basis of the
North-South, dichotomy, it shows that the North have had 34 years while the
South have had 14 years plus. Does this augur well for the unity and future of
our great country Nigeria.
The 2007 elections are far, but indeed near, will our
leadership and politicians from the North realise the gross injustice they have
been meting to other stakeholders in the Nigerian polity? Will they realise
that the next president should come from the South South or from that the
South-East? Do we South- Southerners have the political courage to take the
presidential bull by the horns? Do we South Easterners have the bull-headed
pertinacity to call a spade a spade? Our Northern politicians will be
sacrificing Nigeria's unity on the altar of total disintegration, if their
presidential ambition is not put on hold. Nigeria's destiny whether to be or
not to be will be decided by the way and manner our Northern and Southern
politicians conduct themselves in and during the 2007 elections.
The Niger Delta Question: We need no teleogical deduction to
know that the sponsors of the Niger Delta marginalization are lost in their
bravura crudity and pathological zest for balkanization. The moderate and
dignified rejoinder is that we comprehend the intentions that animate their
reprobate actions. It is clear, concise and without slips of prolixity the
disintegration of the Nation. Yes the Nigerian nation has turned full circle
vide the marginalization of the Niger Delta making the secession and
disintegration the national mantra among ethnic nationalities.
The Niger Delta marginalization issue will continue
to be a major source of destabilization in Nigeria. We only hope that the
powers that be will see reason and give the people their overdue 50% derivation
percentage. Eve;` since the discovery of oil in the Niger Delta the people have
been clamouring for a fare treatment by the federal government to no avail. It
will one day be the tinder box that will ignite the disintegration of this
country. Let justice be done in the Niger Delta and peace will return to the
area. The Nigeria Armada of Battalion of soldiers will not stop the violence in
the area, because it is spurred by a patriotic zeal to assert their rights and
shake off the manacles of federal government sponsored economic strangulation.
The federal government of Nigeria will be displaying
a penchant for maniacal escapades and pathological obsession for confusion,
rancour and bellicosity if it refuses to work out a compromised open sesame
derivation formula of 50% for Niger Deltans. It must also be noted that the way
and manner our governors in the Niger Delta are going about squandering the 13%
derivation and other revenues accruing to the Niger Delta leaves much to be
desired. There is gross irresponsibility and lack of accountability in the
expenditure pattern. We call for transparency and complete altruism on their
part to show that they are not the problem, but part of the solution to our
brazen marginalization in the Niger Delta. We call for a comprehensive report
of amounts received so far and how it had been expended over the years.
The Nigerian project and by extension the African
agenda has been a still birth and a hanging valley running in concentric
circles because of the intravenous incapability of Nigeria to create a
leadership focus. Nigeria is a land flowing with milk and honey but a vast
majority of Nigerians still wash their hands with spittle because of corruption
in the high echelon of government. Existing statistical data shows that Nigeria
is cascading down abominable oubliette of all-embracing deprogressivism. In
1970, then 10years after independence, Nigeria was ranked 37 in the world with
per capital income of $1,000 U.S. dollars. Today, at more the 42 years of
independence, Nigeria is ranked the second poorest country in the world with a
yearly percentage income of $ 300 U.S. dollars.
Poverty in Nigeria is catalytically fueled by the
bane of corruption which has become our national anthem. The leadership is
unrelenting and religiously devoted to the god of corruption. The BBC recently
announced that 20 out of the 36 governors have bought houses and other
investment in Europe. Parastatals and institutions like Police, NEPA, NITEL,
NIPOST have all been rubbished by corruption. All efforts at stemming the tide
has only ended in the pages of newspapers.
The exigently execrable hands of corruption will
definitely accentuate the penumbra of darkness overshadowing our nation. The
case of the politicians is so indescribably bad that we only hope that their
inability to learn from the lessons of history will not take the hands of our
political clock back to the road to Yugoslavia and the Hobbesian state of
nature manifested in military coups, youth restiveness, communal clashes,
riots, political unrest ethno religious schism, secession and the Rawling's
Ghana- like killing of the past and present leaders. But it is clear that
Nigeria needs a complete over hauling.
• Concluded
