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Keeping Nigeria One as a Task that Must Be Done:The Mythical and Reality Aspects
Bola A. Akinterinwa
Nigeria has remained a terra cognita of myths and misinformed reality. Nigeria’s political and military leaders always talk about a United Nigeria that only exists on paper but not in reality. The unity and indivisibility of Nigeria is provided for in the 1999 Constitution as amended. The preamble of the Constitution stipulates that ‘having firmly and solemnly resolved to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under God, dedicated to the promotion of inter-African solidarity, world peace, international cooperation and understanding,’ and desirous to ‘provide for a Constitution for the purpose of promoting the good governance and welfare of all persons in our country, on the principles of freedom, equality, justice, and for the purpose of consolidating the unity of our purpose, do hereby make, enact and give to ourselves the following Constitution.’ And perhaps most interestingly, Part 1 of Chapter 1 not only provides for the supremacy of the Constitution and its binding force on all authorities and persons in Nigeria, but also reaffirms the indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria.
The critical point of emphasis is therefore the issue of indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria. And true, a preamble to any national constitution or to any international agreement serves as operational words for interpreting the aims and objectives of the agreement or the constitution, especially when any of the provisions becomes litigious. As such, it can be rightly posited that the ultimate objective of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution is a priori to keep Nigeria permanently indivisible and indissoluble and to use the Constitution to promote good governance and welfare of the peoples in Nigeria. The objective is good as defined on paper.
Myths of Keeping Nigeria One
Most unfortunately, the objective is more of a myth, a dream, rather than a quest for reality for sustainable good governance. The Constitution is generally silent on when it cannot serve the purpose of promoting good governance or when the constitution prompts agitations for unconstitutional changes of government or separate existence against which the Constitution is written.
The 1999 Constitution unnecessarily mortgages and prevents the future freedom of the yet unborn Nigerians to determine whether to accept national unity by force or by manu militari. The situational reality as at today is that there are Nigerians without Nigeria and Nigeria without Nigerians. Nigerians only exist by constitutional provisions. For example, a Nigerian can be defined by indigeneity, or parental blood descent, that is, based on the principle of ius sanguinis in international law. It can also be given on the basis of ius soli, that is, by place of birth. Marriage, naturalisation, registration, conferment, etc., are other means by which a person can become a Nigerian citizen.
In this regard, being a Nigerian is one thing, being a happy, patriotic Nigerian, or desiring to be a Nigerian is entirely another kettle of fish entirely. In fact, sustaining the desire to remain a Nigerian, to be happy to act patriotically is the more critical challenge that has been hardly addressed in the political governance of Nigeria. This is not because the leaders do not know that it should be addressed. They do know. It is because the foundational principles upon which a Nigeria that is indivisible and indissoluble is built were characterised by faultiness in design, non-reflection of the situational reality on the ground when the designing was taking place, and the very dishonest operational character of political governance.
First, there is no good reason to have opted for federalism when a confederal system was better an option to promote national unity, inter-ethnic, and inter-regional cooperation. Federation and confederation both have advantages and disadvantages. The fundamental difference in the application of the two systems is that, with the adoption of confederation, each region would have been able to develop on the basis of their peculiar cultural heritage, capacity, available community or regional resources. Federative system can enable limited autonomy for self-governance. The truth, however, is that the Federal Government in Nigeria has become excessively domineering to the detriment of the application of the basic principles of federalism.
Federalism is essentially about constitutionalism and sharing of power between the Federal and the constituent State Governments. Constitutional law normally provides for concurrent and exclusive powers either reserved for the federal government or to the state governments. In Nigeria, the Federal Government is on record to be making a nonsense of the internationally recognised rules guiding federalism, hence Nigeria’s many problems of insecurity, including armed banditry, boko haramism, militancy, kidnapping for financial ransom, Fulani herders and farmers conflict and agitations for self-determination. Several politologists and socio-economic observers ascribe the problems to economic determinants. As much as the factors are partly responsible, it is the refusal to accept the error of adoption of federalism without accepting to operate it the way it should be rightly done that is largely responsible for Nigeria’s disunity.
Second, what was wanted for the people in terms of national unity and national integration, was not made crystal clear at the time of Nigeria’s independence in 1960. When talking about indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria, is it in terms of unity or integration? National unity can have a geo-political connotation. Geographically, it can mean unity among all the constituent parts of a sovereign State. Politically, it has a wider scope and can mean serving the country whole heartedly.
As explained in Quora.Com, ‘national integrity refers to the idea of a nation being whole and undivided, both in terms of its territorial boundaries and its moral and ethical principles.’ In this regard, national integrity has two main aspects: territorial integrity, which is about the preservation of a nation’s international borders and national sovereignty, and moral integrity, which requires adherence to ethical standards and reflects a nation’s values and identity.
Put differently, ‘national unity emphasizes the sense of togetherness and solidarity among the diverse groups within a nation, regardless of differences in ethnicity, religion, or culture.’’ The two pillars of national unity are social cohesion and inclusivity. As Quora.Com summarily put it, ‘ in essence, national integrity focuses on the structural and ethical wholeness of a nation, while national unity is concerned with the social bonds that hold diverse groups together. Both are vital for a nation’s strength and stability, but they address different dimensions of national identity.’
With these definitional distinctions, where is the place of national integrity and national unity in the context of the political governance of Nigeria? Indissolubility can be synonymous with national integrity while national unity can imply indivisibility of the people of Nigeria. As noted in Frederick Pilkington in his “The Problem of Unity in Nigeria” (vide African Affairs, Vol. 55, No. 220 of July 1956, pp. 219-222, published by the Oxford University Press with the Royal African Society as the copyright owner), ‘Nigeria, attaining a status of importance among the nations of the world, is confronted with its own domestic problems of finding a bond of unity to weld together a nation that must assume a place among the foremost of the many nations in Africa.
More importantly, Frederick PilKington also said in 1956 that ‘national unity is never easy to attain and in Nigeria it is a three-fold problem aggravated by personal issue between different peoples speaking many languages, and by social and religious customs which often are bolstered by prejudice and obstinacy…’ And perhaps most significantly, ‘the first slant on the problem of Nigerian unity is the division of the country into three distinct Regions, each with a Government of its own and in actual fact each separate ethnic and geographic entity, despite the overlapping and cooperation that is to be found among them… Regional differences extend to the density of the population: in the Northern Region where half of the population lives, the density is 85 people to the square mile, while in the Eastern and Western Regions it is 400-500 to the square mile,’ Pilkington added further.
If this reality was already known even before the time of independence, was it why agreement was reached to have a three-regional system? If not, why was there no agreement on the inclusion of a secession clause in the Constitution? Chief Obafemi Awolowo wanted the inclusion of the secession clause in the Constitution while Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe did not want it. Today, Dr Azikiwe’s people want secession through IPOB, MASSOB, and all others. Can we truly consider Nigeria as indivisible and indissoluble in light of this situational reality? It is against this background that the recidivist debate on General Gowon’s doctrine of ‘keeping Nigeria one as a task that must be done,’ has become a desideratum for further discussion at this juncture.
Gowon: Go on with One Nigeria
The mania of prosecuting Nigeria’s war of national unity and mania of finally ending the battles prompted the coinage of Gowon to mean ‘Go On With One Nigeria’ following the instrument of surrender by General Phillip Effiong on January 12, 1970. General Gowon made it clear that there was ‘No Victor, No Vanquished.’ This idea of no winner and no loser only ended the battles but not the war. The war is still on as at today. It is partly because of the non-recognition of this point of fact that the agitations for regional autonomy have been unending.
Without any whiff of doubt, General Gowon made strenuous efforts through his three-Rs policy of Reconciliation, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction, to bring about national unity. For instance, Chief Femi Okunnu, former Commissioner of Works and Housing under the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon, recalled some important legacies left behind by General Gowon the ThisDay newspaper of Wednesday, 23rd October, 2024. They include the many two-lane North-South and West-East dual carriage ways, and closure of the educational gap with the establishment of a Universal Free Primary Education programme.
Besides, the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) scheme was introduced by General Gowon in the spirit of keeping Nigeria united. When the war broke out in 1967, the official slogan adopted by Gowon was ‘To Keep Nigeria One is a task that must be done.’ The task has not been concluded with the ending of the battles. It is still expected to be performed for as long as there are agitations for separation. But for how long can the task be sustained with the impact of the recidivist corruption-driven-governance of Nigeria? The controversy over Nigeria’s national unity was renewed when General Gowon celebrated his 90th birthday anniversary last October 19, having been born on 19 October 1934 in Kanke, Plateau State.
The celebration was considered a national day celebration. In the eyes of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, General Gowon is a ‘man of destiny’ who is worth to be ‘nationally celebrated while (he) is still alive.’ The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, sees General Gowon as a symbol of ‘unity, humility and accommodation.’ In the eyes of Is’haq Moibbo Kawu on Monday, 21 October 2024 in Your Face, the Only Access platform, even though the Gowon era was considered a ‘truly golden’ one, ‘the Gowon era ended in July 1975… and the regime had burnt itself out winning the war and keeping the country together, as well as putting in place the ambitious Second National Development Plan. The general situation in the country spoke for change and it came.’
Put interrogatively, does the problem of Nigeria begin with the end of the civil war? The civil war ended on a good note and the development of an oil boom that prompted General Gowon to openly say that Nigeria’s problem was not money but how to spend it. If the situation of Nigeria under General Gowon in 1975 warranted a change and which came, why have the changes made thereafter not change Nigeria for the better or foster a strengthened Nigeria? Why have there been changes in continuity in terms of the political governance of Nigeria? Why has Nigeria been on a declining path since then? Why should anyone be talking about indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria when it is the Government that is fostering national disunity and institutional corruption?
The Nigerian government is always in the habit of sanctioning Nigerians for its own ineffectiveness, inefficiency and bad administration. Imagine, for example, on Wednesday, 23rd October, 2024 the Federal Government of Nigeria reportedly gave owners of its titled properties nationwide a 60-day deadline to pay their outstanding ground rent and other statutory charges, or face revocation of their Certificates of Occupancy (C of O). As much as we do agree that responsibility requires the owners of C of O to promptly settle their bills without being compelled to do so, there is the need to ask questions about C of Os issued more than 20 years ago but not released? What about the bills that have been fully paid for to date and for more than six months, but which the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory has reportedly not released to their owners?
Caleb Obiowo, in his report in Nairametrics, said that, at the 29th Conference of Directors of Lands in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) with the theme ‘Equitable Land Stewardship: Challenges of Land Administration and its Impact on Climate and Community Rights,’ held in Abuja, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Musa Dangiwa, told the conference that ‘the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is aware that several owners of its titled properties have failed to pay ground rent and other statutory charges to the Ministry for several years now. This non-compliance has resulted in the loss of trillions of Naira in revenue to the Federal Government.’
More importantly, as this can no longer be tolerated under the Tinubu administration because the revenue ‘is much needed to deliver the Renewed Hope Agenda to Nigerians, all Federal C of O title owners are hereby given a 60-day notice to settle all outstanding ground rent and statutory charges. Failure to make payment within this period will result in the revocation of their C of Os.’
This manu militari order is good to the extent that it only covers government’s inefficient administration and general governance. I fully paid for a 4-bed room flat bought from the Federal Government during the Monetisation Programme put in place under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. My file was only processed in early 2024 after bitter complaints. My file was reportedly renumbered and could not be easily traced. For more than six months, after all the statutory levies have been paid, again more than six months ago, the C of O has not be released. Why should title owners be blamed for government’s ineptitude?
I made bold again that it is indecent of Government to expect the citizens to be patriotically responsible while it is preaching godliness, on the one hand, and being itself satanic and fraudulent on the other hand. I hold this view because, in 1994, when Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande was Minister of Works and Housing, his government advertised a housing scheme and asked interested Nigerians to apply. The advert was placed in April 1994 and houses were to be allocated in December 1994. We paid the first advertised deposit before it was increased. We also paid the required new deposit. Up till this time of writing, there is no allocation of house since thirty years. There is no refund and Government says it is fighting fraud. Who is more fraudulent and corrupt in Nigeria: Government or the armed robber?
There is no refund of monies deposited. There is no information on the project. Anonymous calls to me advise me to be careful as I may be victim of unknown gunman attack. Because of the threats of killing I have continued to remind other Nigerians about the consequences for honesty of purpose and dint of hard work in Nigeria. If I am killed for fighting for what belongs to me rightly, if I am being sanctioned for my integrity of purpose, let God welcome me for doing the right it.
It is important to note that secession does not mean that political governance might be better. When the OPIC scheme began, I collected application forms for allocation of land for many of myself and four colleagues at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos. We all filled the forms and submitted them. I discovered that my application was the only one to which there was no response. The other four filled by citizens of Ogun States were responded to. I was apparently the only person, not from Ogun State or from the Sun Shining Ondo State that was punished by non-allocation. And yet, the Government of Nigeria is asking me to support national unity. What type of national unity is that if I am discriminated against?
Again, in Lagos State, the Buba Marwa regime came up with the Isheri North Housing Scheme. Land allocation is measured 800 square metres. When the new Governor, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu, came in, he cut down the size to 700 square metres but without refunding for the reduction in size. He allowed all those who had fully paid for their land to retain their allocation but sharply increased the cost prices for those that were yet to complete their payments. I again got application forms for colleagues in ThisDay Newspapers. We applied, paid fully for the land, and land was allocated on paper. Most unfortunately, however, Isheri North is said to be water-locked and no one was able to take effective occupation of the land. Since then, no information is given by Government on the matter up till this time I am writing.
What is my offence for seeking accommodation in another State of Nigeria? I applied for land from the Federal Government. It was to no avail. I applied to Ogun State, it is to no avail. I applied to Lagos State, it is to no avail. My children advised me to check out of Nigeria. Never. Rather than check out of Nigeria, I will hand over Nigerian leaders and oppressors to God for divine judgment.
The truth is that, in Nigeria’s public administration, Nigerians are unofficially required to come and beg, if not ‘settle’ the Nigerian way before one’s entitlement is given. If Government adopts an official policy compelling action to be taken by every public official on every matter of public interest within a maximum period of 72 hours and sanctions are taken promptly for non-compliance, institutional corruption cannot but be reduced by 70%. The urge to secede will be greatly reduced. So will it be for ethnic and religious chauvinism.
For me, the Government of Nigeria is the most corrupt and the major source of why some ethnic communities want to secede from the current Nigeria as it is. It is because Nigeria is governed as a personal fiefdom by political leaders that agitations for separation are strong and increasing. How many leaders of Nigeria really know what Nigeria’s problem is? Are the socio-economic, militaro-cultural, and the ethno-religious factors often raised as causal factors of Nigeria’s problem, really the bane of the Nigerian society? Are they the main obstacles to national unity and integration? Our view is that the greatest problem of Nigeria is that Nigerians themselves do not know what their real problem is all about. True, Nigeria does not exist patriotically in the minds of the so-called Nigerians.
Chief Obafemi Awolowo saw this problem long time ago by describing Nigeria as nothing more than a geographical expression. Nigeria is a place for government officials to loot recklessly. It is for fantastic institutional corruption. It is a place where highest honours are given to strongest criminals. The more one steals, the higher and the more the traditional chieftaincy titles. It is indecent to be sustaining political chicanery, institutional corruption and religious chauvinism on the one hand, and also preaching the sermons of indissolubility and indivisible of Nigeria at the other hand. This is wallowing in sins and seeking divine blessings. God does not bless the deliberate commission of sins after warning, Hebrew 10:26.
