Why I may consider a Revolution

Nero kept fiddling while Rome burnt to cinders. And that is what is happening across Nigeria. The government of Umaru Yar Adua remains directionless and visionless amidst chill penury and squalid pove...Read the full article.

[denker]

Again, i'm delighted to read a piece by an enlightened mind in NVS...i no go lie at all....thanks great MIND!

[otito]

Even Plus including the "arragee padee padee" between religion and state

one day go be one day! one day go be one day!! one day go be one day! one day go be one day!! one day go be one day! one day go be one day!! one day go be one day! one day go be one day!! one day go be one day! one day go be one day!! one day go be one day! one day go be one day!! one day go be one day! one day go be one day!! one day go be one day! one day go be one day!! one day go be one day! one day go be one day!! one day go be one day! one day go be one day!! one day go be one day! one day go be one day!!

[JAGA-JAGA]

Thanks Emmanuel for your brilliant and articulate article, but the draw back on this your write up is that it applies to a society that has agreed to exist together as a country.

Methinks that our so called leaders know that there is nothing like Nigeria so every one does what is in his or her own interest in order to maximmize personal gains from this free for all looting.

[Albany]

Emmanuel, i relished (almost) every bit of your article. It is true that Nzeogwu had to kill off the thieving leaders of his time, out of his love for Nigeria but you forgot to mention that there was a counter-coup on the 29th of July 1966.

I agree with you that Nigeria is ripe for a revolution but don't you think that the distrust that was palpable especially in the military then and eventually led to the counter-coup is still here with us ? In Nigeria today there is so much division along ethnic and religious lines amongst, unfortunately, even the so-called leaders of tomorrow that if a revolution were to be in the offing today, it would either leak out or there would be a counter-revolution later, since most of the victims would come from a particular ethnic/religious group in Nigeria. Wouldn't it be called an Igbo-revolution or something ?

I am afraid we are stuck in Nigeria. How i wish i was wrong !

[Domeremember]

Yes ,there will definately be a revolution sooner or later. And I shall be very happy like every Nigerian to be a part of it. It has become unbearable!

[MrOneNaija]

THE VANGUARD CONUNDRUM

Short of re-enacting a violent military coup à la Nzeogu that selectively decimates corrupt political figures, can one say that there exists in Nigeria today credible leaders - political or otherwise - that are imbued with a coherent worldview for societal transformation of the progressive kind? There is also the related issue of historical cum moral models or precedents: For many, the allusions to Brutus and Nzeogu may be quite problematic. While Brutus was a paltry dreamer of Shakespearean fiction that could easily have passed for a bumbling fool, Nzeogu was an idealist whose political (and intellectual?) inadequacies suggested the kind of shortsighted exuberance that readily lent itself to sectarian manipulation and bigotry. That is tragic for any self-styled revolutionary.

The difficulty facing those who are genuinely concerned with helping transcend the rot in Nigeria today is not so much that the conditions are not ripe for a sudden and violent uprising that would usher in a new beginning, so to speak. Today, the paucity of a truly honest and visionary vanguard that would lead a mass movement against the untenable status quo is apparently evident, for very obvious reasons.

For illustrative purposes, Nigerians vividly remember the electoral debacles of 2003 and 2007 in particlular. In either situation, confronted with the brazen and unprecedented transgression against the people's collective will by the incumbent tyrant and his allies, those that fancy calling themselves representatives of pro-democracy and human rights outfits instead sought refuge in primal allegiances of tribe and religion, not to mention other silly alibis, and basically dozed off. The critical question to ask today is, are we better prepared now to deal with the debilitating and essentially contrived lethargy that passes for governance in Abuja and elsewhere in Nigeria? Put differently, do we have the wherewithal to mount a revolutionary change in our dear Nigeria that is strewn with vermin in the Obasanjo and Babangida hue?

[fmkp]

W've been calling on any Rawlings in this country to stand up to be counted. So far, it looks like none has heard us. But judgement day shall come in this country, sooner than later! Today, the EFCC chair cleared 31 ex-governors of corruption charges, it is the saddest day of my 42 years of existence. The wheel of justice grinds slowly, yet surely. That day shall come!

[MrOneNaija]

TRANSCENDING THE STATUS QUO IN NIGERIA

The following article deals with some of the problems confronting the advocacy for positive change in Nigeria today. Happy reading!
http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/...-s-demo-3.html

[valteena]

Originally Posted by Albany

Emmanuel, i relished (almost) every bit of your article. It is true that Nzeogwu had to kill off the thieving leaders of his time, out of his love for Nigeria but you forgot to mention that there was a counter-coup on the 29th of July 1966.

I agree with you that Nigeria is ripe for a revolution but don't you think that the distrust that was palpable especially in the military then and eventually led to the counter-coup is still here with us ? In Nigeria today there is so much division along ethnic and religious lines amongst, unfortunately, even the so-called leaders of tomorrow that if a revolution were to be in the offing today, it would either leak out or there would be a counter-revolution later, since most of the victims would come from a particular ethnic/religious group in Nigeria. Wouldn't it be called an Igbo-revolution or something ?

I am afraid we are stuck in Nigeria. How i wish i was wrong !

True talk Albany. Most countries who have gone through some kind of revolution only have to go through it once to learn from it.

But that does not seem to be the case with our country Naija. If you count just the civil war it seem like we haven't learnt anything the first time around. How a second time around will teach us the lessons we refused to learn the first time beats me.

However if you count the Nzeogwu coup and counter coup, we seem to have had our second and third chances. And the chances of a fourth time around doing the trick is remote if you ask me.

Obviously things can not continue the way they are. Something has to give. So the chances of a revolution as articulated by Emmanuel cannot be ruled out as well. I hope that, that something will give to reason that will allow us all sit and discuss our continued co-existence or otherwise rather than to a bloody revolution.

Very thought provoking write up though Emmanuel. Nice one

[Norris]

Wonderful piece of intellect.

Revolution might be wishful thinking in an entity were common sense has been relegated to the background. A nation fractured by different tribes, beliefs, leanings and ideologies makes the coming together and happening of a revolution a rare miracle.The dictates of the numerous hungry bowels also beclouds such interventionist thoughts. Most are concerned with how they can survive the next 24 hours facing challenges obtainable only in the jungle.

How will a revolution start? How will the agreement be reached amongst strange bed fellows which make up Nigeria?If it starts from the south, will the north follow suit even though the President is a northerner and vice versa? Will 'he is a christian' or 'she is a moslem' be the basis of sentiments that will snuf the life off the revolution flame? Can 150 million people who stubbornly stick to one form of philosophy or the other actually agree to a revolution?

I hope fervently for a revolution but the aforementioned thoughts and more deems my hope; afterall everything x 100 that led to revolution in other countries have happened here yet the people prefer to jump over the wall do nights vigils, fast and pray expecting the Almighty to intervene like he did in the days of the biblical Moses but a pipe dream it will remain.

[Bode Eluyera]

BAD ARTICLE!!!!

Wake up from your slumber boy!!! Stop DREAMING boy!!! Revolution is not possible in Naijjeeria boy simply because the south is completely different from the north. Revolution is possible only in a situation where people are united, sincere and share common goals and aspirations. Go and read about all successful revolutions and you will find all the above present. Revolution will not be possible in Nigeria because we are even more divided now than almost 50 years ago when we got our independence. It is alsocomplicated with the fact that there is NO TRUST between the south and the north. How can you talk of a revolution when it's only the descendants of Usman dan fodio that are DESPERATE in keeping Nigeria intact.

In any case, unfortunately, the time for revolution has passed.

WE DON'T NEED ANY REVOLUTION. ALL WE NEED TO DO ARE:

1. GET RID OF THE UNGRATEFUL NORTH WHICH HAS BECOME A PERPETUAL PARASITE, BURDEN AND LIABILITY ON THE SOUTH;

2. CONCENTRATE ALL OUR RESOURCES ON OUR OWN DEVELOPMENT;

3. RENEGOTIATE LOPSIDED OIL AND GAS CONTRACTS THAT THE DESCENDANTS OF USMAN DAN FODIO NEGOTIATED ON OUR BEHALF;

4. BUILD A MARKET AND 'TRANSPARENT' ECONOMY.

5. BUILD A STRONG DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM AND CHOOSE THE BEST OF THE BEST TO REPRESENT US AT ALL LEVELS;

6. EMPOWER OUR PROFESSIONALS; I.E. GIVE PRIORITY AND PREFERENCE TO SOUTHERN NIGERIAN PROFESSIONALS AND NOT HALF-BAKED BRITISH, AMERICAN, LEBANESE, INDIAN, PAKISTANI CITIZENS OR/AND COMPANIES;

7. RENEGOTIATE ALL LOPSIDED TRADE DEALS THAT ARE NOT IN OUR FAVOUR;

8. INVEST HEAVYLY IN INFRASTRUCTURES, AGRICULTURE, EDUCATION AND HEALT CARE SERVICES;

9. MAKE ALL GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS TO BE TRANSPARENT AND INDEPENDENT;

10. WAGE A FIERCE WAR ON CORRUPTION;

11. INVEST IN INDUSTRIES;

12. CLOSE OUR BORDERS TO THE DESCENDANTS OF USMAN DAN FODIO FOR AT LEAST 100 YEARS SO THAT THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SABOTAGE OUR PLANS AND EFFORTS.

YOU DON'T NEED ANY REVOLUTION TO ACHIEVE ALL OF THE ABOVE.

THE REAL REVOLUTION IS GETTING RID OF THE NORTH AND IMPLEMENTING ALL OF THE ABOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE 'REAL REVOLUTION' AND IN THAT FAKE REVOLUTION THAT BOY IS ASKING FOR!!!!!!!!!

[Anioma777]

Very interesting article but with one line ( SEE HIGHLIGHTED SENTENCE BELOW) that I don't believe or its so obvious coming from the CIA is quite humorous. Remember the "INFAMOUS SMOKING GUN AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION".......

This accounts for the CIA’s intelligence estimate that Nigeria risks implosive disintegration in 15 years. And every variable seems to be justifying this conclusion.

The question of revolution is a noble one but unrealistic I don't know many Nigerians in Nigeria or the diaspora that are willing to sacrifice their lives for a better Nigeria. The civil war did not help Nigeria one bit. Infact it has in a subtle way created even more divisions and the loss of life pre and post war is not something that should be repeated.

In my travels around the world, I have met a few people who asked me questions about Nigeria and what the future might look like. My answer I wish I had a crystal ball . There is a particular point a few have made but at the time I just ignored it. They often state "If we fought a bloody war of Independence against the British could that have helped matters? " Something I am still thinking about ...........

One solution the writer mentioned that seems to have paid dividend in say Ghana for instance is probably a Nigerian style Nazi "PURGE" of these Elites that have held Nigeria to ransom. Our very own "NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES". My respect for human life and religious convictions makes my heart sit very uncomfortably with this idea, but its a FINAL SOLUTION that might be needed for "OUR BELOVED NIGERIA" and set us on a NEW,PROSPEROUS AND PEACEFUL EXISTENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Agidimolaja]

Bode,

I agreed with you 100%. Anyone talking of revolution in Nigeria is really talking bunch of useless nonsense.
Only a united nation can start revolution.How united are we in Nigeria?
Did we unite when IBB threw MKO's Presidential victory into the pit?
Did we unite when Abacha was wrecking havoc on the nation?
Were several people then not trooping to Abuja to beg demonic Abacha to remain in office perpetually even in the face of his curelty? Notable among those who travelled to Abuja to beg Abacha to stay put was a lorry load of Igbo red-cap chiefs from Igbo Kingdom.
While MKO was languishing in detention,were the likes of Kinibe,Bode Olajumoke,Agboola Gambari,Sam Aluko,Emeka Ojukwu etc not running errands for Abacha the destroyer?
Those who organized the two million-man march for Abacha;were they not Nigerians and are most of them not active members of various political parties today including PDP the ruling party?
What revolution are we then talking about?Where is it going to come from? Who and who shall lead the parade of that revolution?
We fought the civil war and destroyed several of ourselves on both sides yet the war did not unite us neither are we better than before we went to war.
Those who did not see war nor experience it are the ones asking for war and revolution.It is easier said than done.
Instead of revolution,why don't we come together and renegotiate Nigeria?
It is quite evident that it is hard for us to stay together as a nation;why don't we find away out of the yoke that binds us together?That is much better than any kind of quasi revolution which shall spill so much blood and yet would returned us back to status quo.
I maintained that revolution in Nigeria won't work.

[Anioma777]

Bode Eluyera:-

I agree with your 12 point solution, especially #6. I am not saying these nationalities should not be employed but its very ANNOYING when I see or hear Nigerians overlook our own people and believing anything foreign must be better.


It will be interesting to see what most captains of industry privately think about a revolution in Nigeria. I have a friend in Abuja who whenever we speak on the phone or visiting keeps laughing at me as a JJC based on the notion that I feel strongly about making a change no matter how small. He says that he had these my "emotional good will gestures" when he relocated 3 years ago but after 6 months he realized it was a pipe dream and that when your in Nigeria you have to "ADAPT" whatever that means. But deep down I sense he is UNCOMFORTABLE with his current stance!!!

I suppose the word "PATRIOTISM" is very alien to most Nigerians....

[fxo]

Originally Posted by MrOneNaija

Nzeogu was an idealist whose political (and intellectual?) inadequacies suggested the kind of shortsighted exuberance that readily lent itself to sectarian manipulation and bigotry. That is tragic for any self-styled revolutionary.

The above aptly puts the unfortunate examples of inadequate attempts by Nigerians to gloss over reality. Killing off people is like chopping off weeds from their stem. The roots will sprout new stems, tougher and more parasitic weeds.
There is a cultural short coming that is inherent in the psyche of the nationalities that make up Nigeria and many other African communities. The unfortunate political culture we cry about are product of myopic family structure, weak and inadequate mental preparedness. The same vicious cycle that kept us behind in the stone-age, in empire building, in science & tech and et al.
We go around pretending that our conditions and lifestyle is born out of some noble, " I am above it all" thinking. But today we have to put up with the inexcusable disgrace that our communities represent. Simply because we have failed to set a minimum standard for
How our children should be educated,
How our streets should be policed,
How our street should be cleaned,
How justice is to be dispensed,
How business is to be conducted,
How services should be rendered.

Who should teach, who should supervise the teacher, who should set the mandate of the teachers' supervisor.
Who qualifies to police our streets, how does he qualify, "what is the carrot and stick" of controlling the street and the police.
Who cleans, when does he do it, how does he do it, until when does he do it.
This are our cultural shortcomings that we have not come to terms with.
Go ahead do a revolution, kill people, you will end up back here exactly in a few years, until you acknowledge that the problem is not corruption itself, its the environment and the culture that sustains it.

[Eja]

If one is really serious, then the best place to consider a revolution from is in front of Aso Rock while fondling a Kalashnikov.

What a great example your painful death will set!

Oya all revolutionaries, Nigeria needs its own Jesus Christ or Che Guevara. Make una no jus take mout-gun fire bullet O, make una pick up de real ting - pick up de machine....

If you are serious...

Which you aren't - because if you were, the last place where you would be talking about your 'revolution' is on an open board.

So, why should anyone even pretend to take you all seriously?

Truth is, anyone talking "revolution" here is either a lunatic or a chronically juvenile play-actor.

Ah beg, make we talk about concrete matter wey we fit implement jare. Revolution ko, masturbation ni.

And even gan sef, if a real revolution happens in Naija, what makes any of the elitists on this board think that they will not be hanging from the poles alongside the Obasanjo's and the IBBs? Una tink say Area boys go know de difference between una?

Get real.

A revolution in a place like Nigeria, if in fact it is a revolution, will see many members of this board running into Europe or the Americas for asylum (if they are not already there). Therefore, instead of praying for an axe just because you have a bad headache, you all better be looking for a way to sort the country out without inviting in chaos.

Because believe me, when that pot breaks, where the pieces fall will be beyond your control.

[Anengiyefa]

Originally Posted by valteena

True talk Albany. Most countries who have gone through some kind of revolution only have to go through it once to learn from it.

But that does not seem to be the case with our country Naija. If you count just the civil war it seem like we haven't learnt anything the first time around. How a second time around will teach us the lessons we refused to learn the first time beats me.

However if you count the Nzeogwu coup and counter coup, we seem to have had our second and third chances. And the chances of a fourth time around doing the trick is remote if you ask me.

Obviously things can not continue the way they are. Something has to give. So the chances of a revolution as articulated by Emmanuel cannot be ruled out as well. I hope that, that something will give to reason that will allow us all sit and discuss our continued co-existence or otherwise rather than to a bloody revolution.

Very thought provoking write up though Emmanuel. Nice one

Valteena, the civil war was not a Nigerian revolution. It was a struggle for secession. Two very different things sis..

[valteena]

Originally Posted by Anengiyefa

Valteena, the civil war was not a Nigerian revolution. It was a struggle for secession. Two very different things sis..

My bro the civil war was a revolution. What is a revolution? According to dictionary, revolution means to rebel against, rise against, restructure, alter dramatically. And that is what the Biafran bid to secede was.

It was a revolt against the composition of the Nigerian state as it was then and has remained todate and it sought to dramatically alter it by breaking it up. Only it did not succeed. So that that extent, it is a revolution

Yes that the civil war has now been narrowed down to mean just secession like you now claim.

[Ewuro]

Originally Posted by valteena

My bro the civil war was a revolution. What is a revolution? According to dictionary, revolution means to rebel against, rise against, restructure, alter dramatically. And that is what the Biafran bid to secede was.

It was a revolt against the composition of the Nigerian state as it was then and has remained todate and it sought to dramatically alter it by breaking it up. Only it did not succeed. So that that extent, it is a revolution

Yes that the civil war has now been narrowed down to mean just secession like you now claim.

The biafran civil war was reactionary to the killings (progrom) of Igbo and other easterners. There was no plan prior to the progrom to rebel against, rise against, restructure or alter dramatically.

Anger and perception of injusice arising from the progrom was the main reason. There were no articulated ideological reasons, be they capitalist, socialist, or a mixed economy.

Biafran war was a sectarian war. A separatist war. It therefore does not qualify to be a revolution.

In my view, there was justification for demanding an autonomous state by Igbos and other easterners. When and how the war was prosecuted by biafrans was of course another matter.