I reject Buhari’s One Nigeria; THIS ONE NIGERIA IS A FRAUD NOT WHAT WE FOUGHT FOR

Even when you thought that seventeen years of renascent democracy had
gradually moved Nigeria towards some semblance of geopolitical
equalisation, a forgotten fossil of the Nigerian civil war, General
Muhammadu Buhari, is brought back to power. He relaunches the worst form
of extreme nepotism which even a Northern reactionary commentator, such
as Junaidu Mohammed, recently openly condemned. Who would have, in their
wildest dream, believed that 46 years after the civil war, it would be
possible to have a Federal Government in which the kinsmen and religious
acolytes of a sitting President would so predominate in total defiance
of the Federal Character principle enshrined in our Constitution?

And this is Buhari’s idea of One Nigeria which he vows to maintain? He
can count me out of that! This is not the One Nigeria that the people of
the North Central, South-South and South West fought for, and certainly
not the One Nigeria which the ex-Biafrans looked forward to when they
returned in 1970. This is not the One Nigeria which the Constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) prescribes because it
does not give me a feeling of belonging. I reject Muhammadu Buhari’s
lopsided One Nigeria!

The Awoist version of One Nigeria recognised the differences between the
various groups and sought to establish a structure in which all these
groups could live within their geopolitical enclaves and aspire
competitively for the greatness of a united nation. Nobody’s ethnic,
religious or cultural hang-ups would slow down the progress of others
who do not share these hang-ups, and yet all would belong equally and
equitably to one nation in spite of their complex diversity. This
arrangement is often described as “true federalism”.

So, in this Nigeria of my dreams, those who want to practice Islamic
Sharia in their home zone can go ahead. Those who want to cut off the
hands of their thieves and overpopulate their home zones with illiterate
citizens will not be an impediment to my section which wants to exercise
population control, give good education to the young people and offer
them a modern, civilised lifestyle comparable to the best in the world.
You use what you produce to cater for your people but pay rents to the
Federal Government to maintain the common services that bind us together
as people of One Nigeria. But you do not use your landmass and
population to parasite upon and terrorise others and suck their
resources dry in the name of “One Nigeria” which, you insist, is
“non-negotiable”.

Buhari made reference to what General Gowon told them as young soldiers
during the civil war, which was that, “to keep Nigeria one is a task
must be done”. Gowon’s charge to his soldiers was meant to bring back
the former Eastern Region which was forced by injustice and insecurity
within Nigeria to seek safety in a breakaway Republic of Biafra.
Majority of Nigerians (not just Northern Nigerians of Arewa extraction)
eagerly participated in enforcing the unity of Nigeria through that war.

The question we must ask ourselves is: why is it that 46 years after,
those who fought in the war and are now in their seventies and eighties
are still in charge running the country with their archaic and
retrogressive mentalities? Why are they still putting a gun on the heads
of Nigerians, threatening that to keep Nigeria one is a task that must
be done? Is there any country in the world apart from Nigeria that
maintains “national unity” at gunpoint? Why is it that more and more
groups are copycatting Biafra with either secession or
self-determination bids if, indeed, the civil war kept Nigeria one?

In any case, is it indeed true that Nigeria’s unity is “non-negotiable”
as Buhari says? For me, it an old lie told a million times by people who
do not even take time to check what they are saying. The truth is that
the negotiation of the unity of Nigeria is constantly ongoing and
(unfortunately) never-ending. The Aburi Accord was a product of
negotiation of Nigeria’s unity. All the constitutional talks after the
civil war in 1977/78, 1989, 1994, 2006 and 2014 were acts of negotiation
of Nigeria’s unity.

After the annulment of Moshood Abiola’s victory in 1993, the North
negotiated among themselves and gave up the presidency to the Yoruba
people to entice them to remain with the Nigerian project. They banned
Northerners from contesting the presidency, and overwhelmingly gave
their votes to Olusegun Obasanjo.

The Yar’ Adua regime negotiated with the Niger Delta militants to drop
their arms and accept “amnesty” and some lollipops in return. Nigeria
has been begging to negotiate with Boko Haram since the days of
President Goodluck Jonathan till date, and even Buhari himself is still
on his knees begging the Niger Delta Avengers for negotiation and
offering to do “justice” (the same justice he has refused to do since he
was elected a year ago!).

All these negotiations were efforts to wrest some justice, fairness and
equity for people who are not happy with Nigeria. They were thwarted
because Nigerians are very easily fooled by cosmetic red herrings, such
as concession of the presidency, creation of more states, granting of
“amnesty” to aggrieved agitators, appointment of a few of your people to
glamorous government offices and flashing of cash to shut up noisy
mouths. It also comes in the form of intimidation, persecution by
prosecution, freezing of accounts, detention and (in extreme cases)
outright elimination of recalcitrant opposition.

Even when you thought that seventeen years of renascent democracy had
gradually moved Nigeria towards some semblance of geopolitical
equalisation, a forgotten fossil of the Nigerian civil war, General
Muhammadu Buhari, is brought back to power. He relaunches the worst form
of extreme nepotism which even a Northern reactionary commentator, such
as Junaidu Mohammed, recently openly condemned. Who would have, in their
wildest dream, believed that 46 years after the civil war, it would be
possible to have a Federal Government in which the kinsmen and religious
acolytes of a sitting President would so predominate in total defiance
of the Federal Character principle enshrined in our Constitution?

And this is Buhari’s idea of One Nigeria which he vows to maintain? He
can count me out of that! This is not the One Nigeria that the people of
the North Central, South-South and South West fought for, and certainly
not the One Nigeria which the ex-Biafrans looked forward to when they
returned in 1970. This is not the One Nigeria which the Constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) prescribes because it
does not give me a feeling of belonging. I reject Muhammadu Buhari’s
lopsided One Nigeria! ning?

Vanguard