This third term controversy of the present administration is beginning to attract unsavory global publicity that is capable of eroding the Nigeria brand once again. The battle for the political soul of Nigeria is switching from the familiar turf of Lagos to faraway America. In the last few weeks, top officials of both American and Nigerian governments have traded words over governance and interference in our government. Are the Abacha days here again?

It started like a rumour. The third term controversy has gained momentum like a wild fire and is fast spreading beyond Aso Rock to the four corners of the earth. There have been seasons of sycophants, suspicions and suspense. The Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, Chief Gani Fawehinmi and the former military Head of State and 2003 presidential candidate of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), General Muhammadu Buhari have spoken dispassionately against the purported third term bid of the present administration. Could it be an apocalypse lurking in the dark?

America has shown interest in the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria, seems to be unfavorably disposed to supporting the third term bid of the present administration and allegedly committed to monitoring us. We have said it over and over again that the business of political leadership in Nigeria is governance, and good governance at it. America is now reaffirming that our political leadership should organize themselves and settle down to real business of governance. Is it the handwriting on the wall?

There is nothing wrong if America showed interest in how we govern ourselves for the sustenance of our infant democracy. It is a commendable goodwill. Nigeria with its over 300 ethnic groups of diverse culture, religion and resources is the most populous black nation in the world. Do we need to remind ourselves that one out of every six Africans on the continent is a Nigerian? It is naïve to assume that oil is the sole reason why America is interested in Nigeria. Peace, stability, human dignity, rule of law and free enterprise are the by-products of democracy. There is hope in Africa if democracy is entrenched and thrives in Nigeria. If Nigeria disintegrates, the individual separatists regions/states/ethnic countries will go their different ways and survive anyway, but the mode and consequences of disintegration will be too titanic for the continent to absorb. Ever think of disintegration conflicts? Large-scale refugee crises? Famine? Civil unrest? Millions of children soldiers than United Nations can handle? Billions of dollars that will be sunk into provision of emergency relief materials?

The hope of democracy in Africa is in the growth of Nigeria’s infantile democracy. We do not intend to sound imperialistic or messianic. Our brothers and sisters in Africa respect Nigeria for its sheer size and vast resources that have been left underdeveloped. If only they have half of the wealth that we mismanage. If Nigeria disintegrates, Africa will flatter. If democracy thrives in Nigeria, Africa will see a new dawn. Democracy, properly practised, is the antidote for ignorance, poverty, tyrannical government and sit-tight leadership in Africa. What Africa needs today are efficient political leadership, peace, stability and economic prosperity. Nigeria has the capacity to lead other countries on the continent by example, providing effective leadership in governance and promoting true democracy. To this extent, America is right to show interests in our internal affairs.

It is, however, an aberration for a sovereign nation the size, influence and resources of Nigeria to have America monitor her. This is not said with the intention of pitching tent with political vultures, propagandists and third term campaigners. It is said with due respect to the history of the evolution of nations, a deep sense of responsibility and posterity. Nigeria is neither a surrogate nor a satellite nation of the United States of America. We are friends despite the imbalance in our different capabilities as nations.

Before we prosecute the ideology that America should not monitor us as a sovereign nation, it is ironic that we cannot actually ignore its mighty powers on earth. If America sneezes today, Nigeria will catch cold. Saddam Hussein knows better now. Our intelligence community is weak, vulnerable and incompetent in equation with MOSSAD, etc. You need to relive the 90 Minutes in Entebbe to understand the point here unless we are on an irreversible journey to self-delusion.

We are actually dependent on America and other developed economies. We are not an inter-dependent country. Have we not been begging the superpowers for debt forgiveness? Have we not been inviting them to monitor our elections because we lack social integrity and civil trust amongst ourselves? Do not our military depend on their technology to upgrade our military hardware and develop our armies? Have they not infiltrated our military high command and gathered classified information about our competencies and capacities to wage war? Do not CIA and FBI have the most reliable and current information about us as a nation? Do we not depend on IMF economic reforms to transform our economic? Do they not currently benefit from the current economic reforms of our political leadership? Do we not rely on their prompting to begin to tackle corruption in high places?

No nation can claim sovereignty in reality when it is dependent in any form on another super nation. Our political leadership has a huge responsibility of raising the country to a state of inter-dependence in today’s interconnected world before we can truly lay hold on our sovereignty and just thank America for their interests. We need America as a friend, a true ally but we should not be dependent on America. We need their advancement, technology, science, market size et al for our mutual benefits. America cannot ignore us. America needs our labour, market, Black consciousness and ingenuity to promote peace and stability in the continent. They are not only interested in our oil. If there were no oil in the Niger Delta, America will still show the same level of keen interest in how we govern ourselves. Oil may dry up. Our human resources, large market, Black consciousness and ingenuity will not run dry as long as the sun endures.

Our political leadership should not be myopic. They should understand the ultimate objective of a superpower like America and respond in equal magnitude to its good gesture in developing our economy and nation. How did Japan rise from its knees of defeat after World War II? General Douglas MacArthur during the first week of assumption of duty as the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP) said, “I am not concerned with how to keep Japan down but how to get her on her feet again.” The vanquished Japanese too brushed aside humiliation and were humble enough to collaborate with the victors who brought in their vast wealth, technology and resources to transform their nation. Shoulder to shoulder today, Japan stands tall with America.

It is common survival that is permanent in global politics, there is no permanent friendship or enmity. Nigeria should not make the mistake of thinking that America should not criticize our political leadership on the third term bid because they are supposed to be friends. This type of morality does not count in international politics. A case is point was when US Army Intelligence in Germany was allegedly recruiting post-WWII Germans known to have been high Nazi officials to report on missing Nazis and supply information about Soviet forces, even when the whole world was hunting down Nazis for war crimes. We should explore opportunities for our mutual survival as interdependent nations. Counting on mere friendship for American support to enable our political leaders disrespect our constitution for selfish gains will not work.

Interdependence should define our relationship with America. In actual sense, we do not need to depend on America the way we do now, if our political leadership can grow our economy by entrenching a sustainable democracy. I doubt if a third term bid by this present administration can achieve this sustenance in Nigeria. What will give us a sound democracy in Nigeria is a successful transition in 2007, sustainable fight against corruption of political leadership and the empowerment of the electorates.

Sustainable fight against corruption of political leadership and the empowerment of the electorates are closely knit elements for national transformation-from-within and an enduring democracy.

If the present administration can hand over in 2007, fight corruption of our political leadership until its last day and set machineries in motion to empower the electorates, the leadership and its team will go down in history as the greatest corps of statesmen and women that Nigeria ever produced, greater in time and eternity than Awolowo, Zik and Balewa.

Robot  # 1 | 17.02.2008 16:55

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