Nothing remains to be written and said about Nigeria in the bid to make it become what she ought to be, considering her potentials but to no avail. Ndi Igbo usually say that he, who is being cured of protruding hernia and he simultaneously develops incurable constipation has an appointment with death in the evil forest. Nigeria is indeed treading on the highway to mortality and disintegration. Quic quid initium habet finem habet i.e. whatever h as a beginning has an end.
When Britain was amalgamating two incompatible entities, she knew it was temporary solution to her shortage of personnel, finance, etc to take care of her colonies as the First World War was raging in 1914. The insincerity of Nigerian rulers has even aggravated the incompatibility and hopeless situation. The fooling the wise and wising the fool, the monkey de work, baboon de chop in Nigeria which is becoming unbearable has continued to widen the North – South chasm thus fastening the break-up process.
When America, China, European countries among others are busy thinking about how to transfer and develop lives and existence in other planets, Nigerian Government is busy planning how to deal ruthlessly with her citizens that reject their dehumanization. If government can fund the purchase of ammunitions to be used in countering the possible insurrection of the freedom fighters while Nigerians are dying of hunger, electricity epilepsy, job unavailability, universities gloried secondary schools hence ASUU strike, who is fooling who and who is wising who? Is the government for Nigerian people or for the selfish individual desires of these government agents? Though Aristotle opined that we make war that we may live in peace, is the recourse to war better than Sovereign National Conference? Even though the Roman Generalissimo Julius Caesar was credited with the saying: “If you want peace, prepare for war,” is war also better than resource control?
My state of origin has no oil but I unequivocally support resource control as it will bring out the best of every state, community and individual. Have Nigerians forgotten the Aburi Accord of 1967? When Nigerian teams were not living up to expectations in a football tournament, the late Ernest Okonkwo would lament, “Oh Nigeria, this is a mission impossible.” War for Nigerian the second time, is a mission impossible forNigeria will not be the same again. Nigeria ought to remember the wise adage, “Not all that laughs with or claps for you is your friend. It is when the “War” starts that those bearing grudges against the Nigerian nation will make it open. On the other hand, millions of youths are idle and want something doing no matter how odd or dirty. To say the least, in the bush are contained those who hunt hunters. But then, why did Nigeria not fight Cameroun for Bakassi but cowardly and hurriedly relinquished its God given territory to a midget-nation while contrastingly still retains that portion as her territory in her constitution? Had Nigeria fought Cameroun, the disunity of Nigeria would have been exposed. Betrayal and sabotage would have undone Nigeria. Who thinks that any reasonable human being can die for Nigeria that does not care for one, more so when the cause is unjust and unreasonable? Whether government agrees or not, whatever contains in the land belongs to the land and land owners under Federal structure.
In the Northern Nigeria are found many solid minerals including iron ore, ophir, sardius, topaz, diryl, turquoise, emerald, jasper, onyx, sard and pearl. Others are crysoprasus, lignite, coal, uranium, limestone, tin, gold, columbite etc. Who takes the financial accruals of all these; individual, State, or Federal government? Again, how much revenue does each accrue to Nigeria as that of oil is monthly published?
Is it not fooling the wise that, of the revenue realized from oil, over 75% are utilized in the non-oil producing areas? Worse still, majority of the looters of oil money are found in the North (Source: London Times 1999). Do Nigerians ask why it is only the Northerners who discuss and panic about the freedom fighters and rehabilitation? The clique of Nigerians who plunder Nigeria’s wealth are afraid so want the freedom fighters not oil producing communities to be pacified for them to return to status quo ante. Because of Nigerian situation those destined to be kings now spend oil money as beggars while those destined to be beggars spend it as kings. The Abuja city is built with the revenue from oil. The Third Mainland Bridge, National Theatre, National Stadium, Dual Carriage Highways and Bridges all over the country etc are all oil money projects. Where are their likes in the oil producing states? By the way, where is Oloibiri now in the scheme of things in Nigeria? Take the meat in the snail and throw away the shell? When the land owners complain, instead of government admitting her mistakes as glaring truths, warships, helicopter-fighters etc are procured to be used to fight the complainants. What a fooling the wise when government is using even Niger Delta indigenes to fight for her exploitative course. What is not fooling the wise when a Minister, Legislator, Governor, etc is forced to make pronouncements that are anti-his people and knowing full well what they are saying and their implications all for a political appointment. Some religious leaders are not spared of this heart breaking dirty jobs as some are equally willing tools.
Purchase of helicopter-fighters and warships with scarce resources to control the security in the Atlantic Ocean is given as reason. What irks a man is not his wife’s infidelity but the castigation, aspersions, invectives the adulterer smeared on the husband to be able to convince and lure the wife. Federal government should think out other reasonable lies for the purchase of the ammunitions and the neglect of the oil producing communities. Nigeria territorial waters have not turned into Indian Ocean Somalia. Every year, promises, promises, promises … Government wants to develop Niger Delta .. Every now and then, Government will develop oil producing areas … In fact, an endless war even shames a hero. Is rehabilitation of the freedom fighters the problem of the oil producing communities? What relationship has amnesty with provision of infrastructure and amenities in the areas? By the way what is amnesty? Is it applicable to an innocent person or convicted criminal? But then, assuming the amnesty is proper Nigerian Government has deceived her citizens for so long. Are the lives of the freedom fighters truly safe and secure when the chips are down? Can Nigerian Government be trusted? A case of fooling the wise. The demands of the freedom fighters are simple and straightforward, fiscal federation, demilitarization of the areas and Sovereign National Conference.
Michael Dumumpart once said, “One who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears.” Putting Sovereign National Conference on “No-Go-Area for Discussion” is a failed strategy. Nigeria’s break up may not even come from holding a Sovereign National Conference but from avoiding it. By shying away from it, a fool is wisened that there is something hidden in the Sovereign National Conference hence its avoidance by successive regimes of Gowon, Murtala, Shagari, IBB, Abacha, Abdulsalami, Obasanjo, Yar’Adua. For instance, why should Islamic States of Kano, Zamfara, etc, partake in the sharing of VAT proceeds from Breweries while outlawing the drinking of alcohol, one of the sources of VAT revenue. The call for VAT abolition or State collection of VAT may arise. Even if Nigeria breaks up today, the oil producing areas are still the losers. Their capital city will have to be built. Rail lines will be laid from Yenagoa to Calabar, Eket, Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, Sapele, Asaba, Ondo, Izombe, Ukwa etc. The earthquake prone areas have no insurance cover, no insulation, no immunity from nature and its disasters. The backwardness and degradation of the areas will take hundreds of years to heal. But then, will oil last for ever? Even if it lasts long, will oil revenue be continual more so as scientific researches are beginning to develop vehicles that will be electric motor and solar powered? I have a premonition that before ten years, oil may not continue to be goldmine and source of wealth.
On the other hand, Nigeria’s break up will generate more employment opportunities (political, military, civil service), corrupt-free society, peace, return of Nigeria illegal immigrants from abroad etc. It is only when Nigeria breaks up that oil producing areas will heave a sigh of relief. It is only when Nigeria breaks that oil producing states can with ease compensate their communities, youths and posterity adequately for the degradation of their land for years. If Nigerian Government can pay each freedom fighter a monthly salary of N65,000, Niger Delta as a Country can afford to pay each of her youths N350,000 per month besides other estacodes. The rumour making the round that government would relocate the oil producing communities to the Middle Belt for proper development of the area is unfounded. Where has such a thing happened? The case of Bakassi Peninsula is quite different. In fact there is no need for panic. However, Rehabilitation or Relocation is not what oil producing communities want but development.
Angola is now a goldmine for Europeans particularly Portuguese, the colonial masters. This is oil induced immigration. Even, the Angolan government is reported to be investing wisely outside the Country. It is interesting that Angola is now among the oil producing nations like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, United Arab Emirate etc where Europeans besiege to look for greener pastures. But here in Nigeria, even as world number six oil producer and exporter, Europeans are scared while Nigerians run away from their country, leaving the oil wealth for a few clique of people to “swim in”. According to John Naishift, “ the new source of power is not money in the hands of a few but information in the hands of many. Nigerian government action is suggestive that the new source of power is money in the hands of her few cliques of people and pauperization of the majority. It is regrettable that Government plays the role of coffin sellers and grave diggers for her citizens. Things cannot continue in this way otherwise, Nigeria will become a hell.
Finally, hell begins the day God grants you the wisdom and vision to see all that you could have done, should have done and would have done, but did not do them hence your predicament. Is nigeria turning into a hell because of fooling the wise and wising the fool?
Mr. Ezennaya writes for the World Igbo Times Magazine, London.
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