Many commentators often easily blame the Nigerian masses for their own (masses) failures and the failure of the entire enterprise called Nigeria. The point I am trying to make is that it is only governments (government leaders) that can significantly bring about development of the material conditions of their citizens through the critical leadership they provide, not even ‘leaders’ "working" outside government can “significantly” change the material conditions of a critical mass of the population.

There were poor people in Africa before the evolution of the modern state or government. I don't think conditions were anywhere near the hell called "poverty" today, which unfolded in Africa only after we were grafted into the modern world political and economic system, with the formation of many pseudo states. (Information from my grandfather's generation tells me they were subsistent farmers, but never slept hungry; rather it was in Europe that people died of hunger and malnutrition in the middle ages! Yes).

Let me zero in on the evolution of states, and the role of the modern state. The state can be defined as either a geographical entity (Africa has 50 states, Nigeria has 36 states) or an association of people who control these geographical entities. I will venture into some definitions to drive home the point I want to really make: “A state is a political association with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population.[i] And by states, I mean the people who occupy positions of INFLUENCE, influential enough to determine the direction of state policy and government processes. I mean people who constitute "government" (remember Luis XIV famous statement, "L'État, c'est moi", meaning: "I am the state, the state is me"): president, governors, permanent secretaries, ministers, local government chairmen, local councilors, commissioners...People who are "government" by the influence of their powerful positions within government offices.

NOT all the 3 million plus civil servants in Nigeria’s federal, states and local government bureaucracies who are just told to carry out the orders of the "state" even qualify as part of this “association” of people.

It is important to also look at the definition of “government”. I would want to agree with the definition of government in three mutually exclusive ways as expounded by Hague e tal: as a regular and settled pattern of decision making in a given [geographical] territory (i.e. state, region, province, division); as the framework and/or structures and processes through which these decisions evolve and are implemented or “executed”, to use common Nigerian parlance; and thirdly, as the collection of persons or individuals that occupy key or influential positions or offices within these structures.[ii] The last of the three definitions is what constitutes the “state”. In my conclusion, the “state”, the association of people that occupies influential positions determines not only the character of the structures and processes of government, but also the goals of that government.

In political sociology, the “state” is normally identified with these institutions in Max Weber’s definition: it is that organization [of influential people] that "(successfully) claims a monopoly on the use of "legitimate" physical force within a given territory," which may include the armed forces, civil service or state bureaucracy, courts, and police. 

As I proceed, I will use the term “government” and “state” interchangeably to denote a single meaning: the collection of people who occupy influential positions within the structure and framework of decision making and implementation.

Most individuals often take it for granted that in a given society or community, government is the people and the people are government. It is a difficult task to demarcate between the state and the people. Hitherto, the state was seen as the vanguard of the people in a given society or community. But modern concepts are increasingly viewing the state as separate and apart from the people, contrasted as “civil society”. People who have never had the chance or opportunity to have a say in the decision making process could never be construed to have ever being part of a government or a state, going by the contemporary bifurcated conception and analysis of political society in terms of the “state” and “civil society”.

In other societies and countries, civil society (including NGOs, individual citizens and citizen groups) are sometimes capable of influencing the state and significantly contributing to the decision making process. In some cases the civil society virtually compels the state to change decisions full circle. Certainly, Nigeria’s civil society does not have, neither have they enjoyed any say in the affairs that govern them and their future. In fact, all through my years as an adult, I have consistently witnessed a deteriorating alienation of civil society by the state, in the decision making process concerning the affairs of the society that constitutes the geographical entity called Nigeria.

In the past two centuries, the state has emerged as a key institution in the development of people and bringing about massive change in societies and countries. Take the development of education and health as social services for instance, or agriculture for food security, the state in many countries ensures the development of its population through carefully planned and implemented policy in these key sectors. In Nigeria, the state has failed in its responsibility in these key social sectors. No amount of public private partnership can give education and health to a critical mass of the Nigerian people. The state must get its acts together.

Most citizens need some modicum of good education, to better manipulate and change their circumstances for the better as individuals, even at that, the best of Nigeria still "andrew" (check out) because of the circumstances created or not created by the people who misuse state power in Nigeria! Imagine that half of the Nigerians succeeding outside enjoyed the atmosphere to flourish in Nigeria!

Nigerians are not lazy. Some illiterate farmers in my village sold corn harvests and bought trucks, out of manual labor in the 1970s. They lived well and sponsored other children in the community to schools. Today, farmers continue to till the soil and the harvests continue to dwindle...they have no access to even the simplest of new cropping technology that was disbursed to them through extension services by local governments of the 1960s to 1970s. Let the "states" of Europe stop subsidizing and "pampering" farmers for one year and let’s see who would be blamed. Would the farmers then be blamed and labeled as lazy?

I am a product of the mass education policies of the Peoples’ Redemption Party (PRP) government in Kaduna State, which expanded day secondary schools to many villages and enabled a large number of us secondary school opportunities in the early 1980s. Before then, children who passed the interview to secondary schools would be announced on the assembly ground, may be five (5) in thirty (30). Few whose parents could afford went to on private secondary schools. It meant the end of formal schooling for almost all of the remaining 25 pupils, many of whom could read and write better than some of today’s high school graduates! The derailment of the (PRP) program is another issue all together. But a whole lot of village children ended up in universities and polytechnics in the 1980s. Today, there are even a few private secondary schools in my rural community, but less proportion of the village children in my community are moving up to the next level of education today than during my time!

Let the United States stop free public schooling (with free meals at state expense) today and we see the number of school age children that would be on the streets instead of classrooms.

The Nigerian state today is abdicating key social responsibilities under the shameful excuse that government cannot provide for all the citizens. This is unheard of in the history of all the countries that have developed!

Sadly, any amount of work done by individuals, NGOs and other private for-profit entities in key sectors like health, education and agriculture would amount to a mere drop in the ocean. In no country of the world was the significant development of the mass of citizens attributed to NGOs or "private sector", as our misguided leaders are singing today.

Could any NGO or multinational corporation mobilize the kind of educational foundation Obafemi Awolowo laid for the people of the west, for instance? No. Only states could do this!!

I do not think my generation of Nigerians has ever witnessed any state that responds to the citizen’s needs, except for very few exceptions or short aborted intervals in few geographical states, regions, or provinces. The laziest group of Nigerians today is those that control the state.

More than anything else, Nigeria could only realize her potential by having the right leaders to constitute and control THE STATE, and the instruments of state. Not by “hard working” people in the non-state sphere. Hard working people operating through various development endeavors outside government to improve their communities are doing great job, but let's not be blinded with the illusion that they can significantly change the Nigerian society .

While impacting positively on our communities in our own little ways, we must coalesce our energies into creating the right consciousness that would lead to the revolution that will dislodge the current political cannibals who constitute the state and raise the right people to constitute and control the appropriate “state” and “instruments of state”. The revolution must wrestle control of the state and then use the state to bring about massive material change that can positively touch the critical mass of the population.

Mobilizing people for revolution is another issue to discuss and another project to plan. But the Nigerian people must not be blamed for their poverty and the current mess in Nigeria today. I just don’t feel so comfortable when the masses of poor Nigerians are blamed for their woes, which are clearly not created by their own doings. If you think the poor masses are to blame, go to your village, gather your kinfolk and blame them!

Postscript:

Now, before people start condemning the revolutionary approach suggested here as a “bloody” option. I urge readers to understand that revolutions could also be peaceful. The few casualties from peaceful revolutions, if any, are usually caused by the “state”, the errant association that controls the instruments of violence. Peaceful mass actions that lead to revolutions take great organization, mass mobilization and discipline. We must begin to painstakingly think of modalities for preparing our people for one.

Again, for those readers who think the farce called Nigeria (I totally agree: Nigeria is a farce) should break up. My opinion is often that power must be wrestled from the “mafia” state first, then a “brand new”, listening state that derives authority from the people can legitimately re-structure the country (or break it up) equitably. All shouts that blame particular ethnic groups or regions only fuel and strengthen the “mafia state”. The Nigerian state is strongly monolithic, it has no ethnic colors. Its oppressive machine affects all ethnic and regional groups, so the masses from all ethnic groups are victims of state oppression. Let one reader whose community does not feel repressed by the monolithic Nigerian state come forward and declare as such.

Robot  Villager

# 1 The point I am trying to make is that it is only governments (government leaders) that can significa...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 19.08.2008 19:04

Dewdrops  Villager

# 2 =Robot;4295085675>The point I am trying to make is that it is only governments (government leaders) that can significa...Read the full article. A combination of both. But 99% the peoples' fault and 1% the goverment's fault. You get the government you deserve because they are your true representatives. Elected or not!:wink: If they were not your representatives, they would have found their ways out of those offices they so love to hang on to for life. Cowards often die many times before their death! Caesar: "Cowards die many times before their deaths, The valiant never taste of death but once." Julius Caesar (II, ii, 32-37) Posted by Dewdrops| 19.08.2008 22:26

TsuliyanDodo  Villager

# 3 =Dewdrops;4295085730>A combination of both. But 99% the peoples' fault and 1% the goverment's fault. You get the government you deserve because they are your true representatives. Elected or not!:wink: If they were not your representatives, they would have found their ways out of those offices they so love to hang on to for life. Cowards often die many times before their death! "True representatives" in Nigeria? How many "representatives" did you or the people of your area "elect"? How many governor's were truly "elected" by the voters? And tell how representatives can be "true", "Elected or not" (!) Posted by TsuliyanDodo| 19.08.2008 23:19

Ibadan  JJC

# 4 Originally Posted by Dewdrops A combination of both. But 99% the peoples' fault and 1% the goverment's fault. You get the government you deserve because they are your true representatives. Elected or not! If they were not your representatives, they would have found their ways out of those offices they so love to hang on to for life. Cowards often die many times before their death! Dewdrops, A point of correction, Nigerian leaders and so called government are never 'ELECTED' but 'SELECTED so its not the citizens fault, its the fault of the machinery that selected them. e.g the likes of Humphrey Nwosu, Morris Ewu etc. Posted by Ibadan| 20.08.2008 07:59

Tempest  Villager

# 5 Nigerian people cannot be considered as being lazy one bit. Is it not Nigerians who are organising the security of their localities now because the state police have failed them? Is it not Nigerians who are providing themselves with portable water, electric power, creating drainages and even tarring the roads around their homes? No, they are not lazy. Instead, I consider Nigerians as a people with a tough skin. The have developed a lot of adaptative features to enable them survive - for surviving is exactly what you do in Nigeria. If you have ever seen somebody that never got his salary for 6 months and above, you would probably have a clue. Our so-called leaders, not knowing what government is all about run from pillar to pole. Today, they want to implement the British system of government, tomorrow it is the American without even considering their practicability to the Nigerian situation. Now, they want us to believe that when everything is privatised and the society becomes completely capitalist then the massively impoverished Nigerians will suddenly begin to live like Americans! What a big laugh. They have probably never heard the Europeans repeatedly saying “we need to be able to feed our people”. These are governments talking. And governments of rich countries for that matter! =Dewdrops;4295085730> You get the government you deserve because they are your true representatives. Elected or not! Dewdrops, I would have ignored your comments. But the portion in bold simply shocked me. I guess I do not understand you. If I may ask; what exactly do you mean by that? Posted by Tempest| 20.08.2008 09:31

tonsoyo  Villager

# 6 =TsuliyanDodo;4295085740>"True representatives" in Nigeria? How many "representatives" did you or the people of your area "elect"? How many governor's were truly "elected" by the voters? And tell how representatives can be "true", "Elected or not" (!) All of you guys that have responded so far did not quite get or read Dewdrops right. What she is saying there to which I 100% concurred to is that your leadership is a r-e-f-l-e-c-t-i-o-n of the followership. Are our leaders imported from Bangladesh? Elected or not? A people deserve the leadership it gets. Followership is even worse in Nigeria than leadership, we breed and inspire bad leadership. Posted by tonsoyo| 20.08.2008 11:09

NWANZA  Villager

# 7 =tonsoyo;4295085972>All of you guys that have responded so far did not quite get or read Dewdrops right. What she is saying there to which I 100% concurred to is that your leadership is a r-e-f-l-e-c-t-i-o-n of the followership. Are our leaders imported from Bangladesh? Elected or not? A people deserve the leadership it gets. Followership is even worse in Nigeria than leadership, we breed and inspire bad leadership. Northerner cry foul when you talk about probing the gap-tooth monster & Co. South-West scream murder when you talk about probing Baba & 40 thieves. South-South increase kidnapping and pipe-line vandalism when you talk Odilli & Co. South-East do want you to mess with some of their untouchables & Godfathers. You are pretty much stuck in the mud - it is a wild wild world out there. Waiting for a few dewdrops in the morning so I can sow my cassava/ganja! Posted by NWANZA| 20.08.2008 11:52

lumumba  Villager

# 8 Again, for those readers who think the farce called Nigeria (I totally agree: Nigeria is a farce) should break up. My opinion is often that power must be wrestled from the “mafia” state first, then a “brand new”, listening state that derives authority from the people can legitimately re-structure the country (or break it up) equitably. or regions only fuel and strengthen the “mafia state”. The Nigerian state is strongly monolithic, it has no ethnic colors. Its oppressive machine affects all ethnic and regional groups, so the masses from all ethnic groups are victims of state oppression. Let one reader whose community does not feel repressed by the monolithic Nigerian state come forward and declare as such. The monolithic Nigerian state is still in the process of becoming. It can only "arrive" when an ethno-nationality succeeds in neutralising other ethno-nationalities. Indeed it was the attempt to create a "monolithic Nigerian" state that generated all the fuss in Nigeria. In the West, "Nigeria", through the NPC, had the Akintola group under its wing and this was used to destabilise the West. In the North, "Nigeria", again, through the NPC, "pacified" the Middle Belt; in the East, although there is still some dispute on the reasons for the failure, the failure of the Nzeogwu coup led to the attempt to "capture" the Nigerian State a la the Unification Decree 34 of 1966--the result was Biafra. Based on this, and many more, it can be argued that the Nigerian state is not monolithic, it is ethno-centric. To destroy this state therefore requires region-specific strategies that can then coalesce into an all-embracing effort for the quest. The monolithic Nigerian state cannot exist without the destruction of other ethno-nationalities. In other words, the focal point of that state has to be within a particular ethno-nationality. And that was what had been happening in Nigeria. As far as I know, and I stand to be corrected, no state in history has been formed outside of this scenario. Even if you take the sanitized version of American history as true, the "melting pot" was based on the destruction of Native Americans--between the Native Americans and the new arrivals, one simply had to give way to the other. The Soviet Union is another example. The "monolithic" Soviet state was borne out of the neutralisation of the Georgians, Kazkhs etc who were vassals of the old Russian empire. Oppression or repression is also not experienced the same way. Even labour theorists who use the wage system to claim that all workers are uniformly oppressed have found out that there is a difference between "economism" or wage worker struggles and political/social emancipation based on the particularities of the conditions under which such struggles are waged. So, I think it is counter-productive to strive for a monolith. Thanks. Posted by lumumba| 20.08.2008 15:55

NWANZA  Villager

# 9 =lumumba;4295086114>Again, for those readers who think the farce called Nigeria (I totally agree: Nigeria is a farce) should break up. My opinion is often that power must be wrestled from the “mafia” state first, then a “brand new”, listening state that derives authority from the people can legitimately re-structure the country (or break it up) equitably. or regions only fuel and strengthen the “mafia state”. The Nigerian state is strongly monolithic, it has no ethnic colors. Its oppressive machine affects all ethnic and regional groups, so the masses from all ethnic groups are victims of state oppression. Let one reader whose community does not feel repressed by the monolithic Nigerian state come forward and declare as such. The monolithic Nigerian state is still in the process of becoming. It can only "arrive" when an ethno-nationality succeeds in neutralising other ethno-nationalities. Indeed it was the attempt to create a "monolithic Nigerian" state that generated all the fuss in Nigeria. In the West, "Nigeria", through the NPC, had the Akintola group under its wing and this was used to destabilise the West. In the North, "Nigeria", again, through the NPC, "pacified" the Middle Belt; in the East, although there is still some dispute on the reasons for the failure, the failure of the Nzeogwu coup led to the attempt to "capture" the Nigerian State a la the Unification Decree 34 of 1966--the result was Biafra. Based on this, and many more, it can be argued that the Nigerian state is not monolithic, it is ethno-centric. To destroy this state therefore requires region-specific strategies that can then coalesce into an all-embracing effort for the quest. The monolithic Nigerian state cannot exist without the destruction of other ethno-nationalities. In other words, the focal point of that state has to be within a particular ethno-nationality. And that was what had been happening in Nigeria. As far as I know, and I stand to be corrected, no state in history has been formed outside of this scenario. Even if you take the sanitized version of American history as true, the "melting pot" was based on the destruction of Native Americans--between the Native Americans and the new arrivals, one simply had to give way to the other. The Soviet Union is another example. The "monolithic" Soviet state was borne out of the neutralisation of the Georgians, Kazkhs etc who were vassals of the old Russian empire. Oppression or repression is also not experienced the same way. Even labour theorists who use the wage system to claim that all workers are uniformly oppressed have found out that there is a difference between "economism" or wage worker struggles and political/social emancipation based on the particularities of the conditions under which such struggles are waged. So, I think it is counter-productive to strive for a monolith. Thanks. Don't forget the religious differences that create melt-down or boil-over - melting pot cannot be actualized either. Let's break-up this nonsense called Nigeria - there is no future from my looking-glass. Posted by NWANZA| 20.08.2008 16:29

Dewdrops  Villager

# 10 =tonsoyo;4295085972>All of you guys that have responded so far did not quite get or read Dewdrops right. What she is saying there to which I 100% concurred to is that your leadership is a r-e-f-l-e-c-t-i-o-n of the followership. Are our leaders imported from Bangladesh? Elected or not? A people deserve the leadership it gets. Followership is even worse in Nigeria than leadership, we breed and inspire bad leadership. Thank you very much. I really did not want to elaborate further, since what I wrote was quite explicit. I guess most missed the point.:wink: Thank you for doing such a wonderful job explaining. Matters of the "Nigerian" nature are very sensitive and if I cannot discuss them without acrimony and malice. . . . . .I have learned to walk.:biggrin: _________________________ _________________________ =Tempest;4295085913> No, they are not lazy. Instead, I consider Nigerians as a people with a tough skin. The have developed a lot of adaptative features to enable them survive - for surviving is exactly what you do in Nigeria. If you have ever seen somebody that never got his salary for 6 months and above, you would probably have a clue. Our so-called leaders, Dewdrops, I would have ignored your comments. But the portion in bold simply shocked me. I guess I do not understand you. If I may ask; what exactly do you mean by that? I think Tonyoso answered you very well. But since you asked nicely, I will answer you nicely. We are not only physically lazy but also mentally and spiritually lazy!!!! These same leaders you are complaining about are from "our" villages abi? When people like Ibori and Alameyesigha embezzled money meant for our upkeep and were taken up on such matters, what did we do? When they came back to our villages, we welcomed them with open arms, jubiliating that their lives had been spared. Now tell me what kind of "thick skin" that is? If we codone thieves ruling us. . . . then we are thieves ourselves. In a country of over 150 million people or more, you find less than 1000 holding it to ransom. So whom do you blame? _________________________ _________________________ =NWANZA;4295085996> Northerner cry foul when you talk about probing the gap-tooth monster & Co. South-West scream murder when you talk about probing Baba & 40 thieves. South-South increase kidnapping and pipe-line vandalism when you talk Odilli & Co. South-East do not want you to mess with some of their untouchables & Godfathers. You are pretty much stuck in the mud - it is a wild wild world out there. Waiting for a few dewdrops in the morning so I can sow my cassava/ganja! Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez! I love you too. You have answered your own questions. Classic hopelessness of the situation. No need to blame the government at all. We allow these thieves to come and sleep in their mansions and protect them from all evil. Despite the fact that they have wronged us. Have you ever gone to Ibori's home in Oghara or Igbinedion's mansion in Abuja?:biggrin: I have.:wink:( I be south south babe now. . . . So I must know my governors or ex-governors wellu wellu):D It amazes me that someone can sleep very well at night with the squalor around him. Most surprisingly, the dummy populace just go about like nothing is wrong. . . . fasting and praying. . . . Waiting For Godot" I guess. Posted by Dewdrops| 20.08.2008 17:38

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