10 Dec 2004 |
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| The Status of Nigeria: a rethink… Nigeria is the ‘Giant of Africa,’ the most populous black nation in the world: one in four black persons around the world is a Nigerian. These and many others, my generation and those after me have come to know by heart. Recently we have added to it, the country with the largest political party: the PDP. Many more will come. Nigeria is a frighteningly large country, no doubt about it. If you travel by road from Lagos to Kano, or from Sokoto to Uyo, you will appreciate better what landmass this entity called Nigeria comprises. Then enter natural resources: Nigeria used to be the largest producer of palm oil before the diligent students from Malaysia and Indonesia took over. Her cocoa plantations used to cover the entire former Western region, with cotton, tin bauxite ore and coal being other endowments of the other regions that make it up. Rivers Niger and Benue draw beautiful geographical patterns that criss-cross the landscape. Then oil. Nigeria is the seventh largest producer of petrol in the world and the second largest in Africa. Nigeria is rich and big by all standards. Unfortunately, that is how far this truism can go. As we all know, big is not always good and beautiful. Take the example of the now dead and buried Nigerian Airways. It became so big that it could no longer fly so it had to crash land with a thunderous bang of failed promises and national shame. Also consider this other example of big not necessary being good and beautiful. NITEL. As at last count, it was all but big to the tune of borrowing money to pay staff salaries, even with the help of the bright boys from Pentascope. But for international relations that lays more emphasis on pecuniary gains and diplomatic face savings, Nigeria should have been granted the unenviable status of a failed state, for that is rightly what it is. The catalogue of woes is unprecedented to the point that Nigerians are openly questioning the moral justification of our present democratic exercise. It is really difficult not to sympathise with them for the entire democratic exercise has so quickly gone awry. The predators of destruction, politicians with demons of pride, greed and covetousness have taken over, leaving unimaginable waste in their trail. Because our politicians are so obsessed with power, they’d rather be served than serve. Their pride and vaulting ambitions have plunged the polity into an abyss of moral decadence and disease. There is no control. But the Italian tyre manufacturer, Pirelli, clearly captured it in words of gold: ‘power is nothing without control.’ Both the elected and selected from the presidency down to the sates and the local councilmen, it is an all too familiar tale of woe and shame. Early this month, Anambra state was in the news again for what she is all to known for: mayhem and blood letting. Still smarting from the ignominious discovery of the shrine of death at Okija, the demons swooped in on Awka, destroying property worth billions of Naira and killing so many innocent bystanders, probably a sacrifice to the gods of the other shrines yet undiscovered. Chinua Achebe, the reknown literary icon, in his rejection of OBJ’s award, had expressed how dismayed and appalled he was by the actions of a clique of renegades, who are determined to turn his home state into a bankrupt and lawless fiefdom, with the silence and connivance of the presidency. With such goings on, who will say Prof. Achebe is not a modern day prophet. Anambra state today, never mind the actions and inactions of the fundamentalist in Zamfara government house, constitute the greatest threat to this present democratic exercise, that is so quickly becoming ludicrous in the eyes of our neighbours. Only the ruling PDP sees it as a family affair, a misunderstanding between two stubborn brothers. Nigeria is a country where the demons of immoral self-enrichment, greed and covetousness have taken over. Government policies only favour the rich, while the poor continue the free-fall into wretchedness in a land of plenty. Baba’s on inspired and misjudged medicine for the economy, NEEDS, only serves the needs of the fat cats in the society. And the chaos continues: without a substantive ministry, which has been recommended by stakeholders of the Nigerian project, the petroleum sub sector continues to experience unimaginable decay under the supervision of Baba. It is a fact that has defied all logical reasoning that Nigeria, as the seventh largest producer of petrol in the world, still imports about 90% of fuel for domestic consumption, because none of its refineries is working at up to 25% installed capacity. The alienation is such that the numero uno citizen, the assumed Minister of Petroleum Resources, does not know the price of kerosene that is used by about 85% of his fellow compatriots. To crown it all, we have all returned to ‘Dark Ages’, no thanks to NEPA’s generation and distribution wahala. Another area of our bigness is in respect of the NFA and its supervising ministry. The Ministry of Sports is made in the image of Nigeria; hence it too is big. However, fifa doesn’t seem to be impressed by this overblown and pompous grandeur, so they have given us a deadline of 31st December 2004 to either reform or face the consequences of a ban. But for the demon of ego that reigns in this administration, that won’t have been a problem. What we have is the stupid and useless dilly-dallying of the Minister, while fifa’s axe dangles ominously over football in Nigeria. Can somebody tell this Minister that Nigeria will be worse off if this axe falls; that it will be another waste for a generation of talented footballers. Nigeria is big, no doubt about it. But from what we have on the ground, big is not always attractive. In the same vein, power ultimately must have control, without which it becomes nothing more than a recipe for chaos, lost dreams and deceit. Can someone please tell the vultures of destruction already circling overhead, waiting to swoop in come 2007… God is watching us.
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