NIGERIA: A COUNTRY IN DISARRAY.
BY: BODUNDE BABATOPE MOSES
Nigeria as a federal republic is composed of 36 states and a capital territory. The country is estimated to have a population of 120 million. This population consist of more than 250 ethnic groups, with different languages and culture. There are four large ethnic groups which comprise two-thirds of the country’s population. The Hausa and Fulani in the North, the Yoruba in the south west, and the Igbo in the south east. The fifth largest group is the Ijaw in the Niger Delta area followed by the kanuri in the north east and the Tiv in the middle belt.
It is these different ethnic groups that were merged together by the British during colonial period to form a country known as Nigeria. The cultural and political differences of these groups were not taken into consideration before the merger. The British were only interested in the administration of the area to achieve their economic objectives.
At the end of colonial rule in 1960, it was agreed upon that Nigeria would be administered as a federation where each region can develop on its own resources and chosen pace.
The Federal government was to co-ordinate the regions. But Nigeria has been administered as a unitary state since 1966 when the military under the leadership of late Major General Aguiyi Ironsi seized political power and this has since made it impossible for each group to develop at its chosen pace and resources.
The relationship which exists between the Nigeria Federal Government and the federating units or states is comparable to that between a government ministry and its public utility corporations or parastatals. And this is a brazen violation of the only Pact with which the people of Nigeria can co-exist in harmony; Federalism. This violations has resulted in many problems which may eventually disintegrate the country.
Today there is no peace in the country. There are different kinds of militias fighting to defend and protect the interests of their groups. Some of these groups are fighting for self governance. The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) in the south east is fighting for the actualisation of a Biafran Nation. In the south west, the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and of recent Oodua Republic Front (OFR) are fighting for a sovereign nation conference and a referendum on an Oodua Republic. In the north, the Arewa Peoples Congress (APC) is also fighting to protect the interest of the northerners. Some northern states adopted the Islamic religion as state religion in a secular country. This results in religious and ethnic riots most of the time in these areas. In most cases it is religious. It is usually the indigenes versus none indigenes which may be Christians or muslims. The religious crises is a cover up to intimidate none indigenes.
The Ijaw Youths in the Niger Delta are fighting every time to have control over the oil produced in their area. They feel cheated in that the oil which is the major source of revenue for Nigeria come from their region and this region is the least developed in Nigeria. The people in the Niger Delta area live in abject poverty. The Youth recently declared war against the Nigeria State (CNN.com Sept. 28, 2004).
The struggle of the Niger Delta inhabitants for social development and equity in the distribution of the oil wealth, has to date brought to them, more woes than joy.
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has been at the fore front in this struggle.In November of 1995 about 12 prominent leaders of the group led by Ken Saro Wiwa, playwrite, and human rights activist, were executed by the then military junta of Gen.Sanni Abacha (deceased).This execution was carried out despite worldwide protest.
The multinational oil companies, Shell BP,Texaco,Agip,etc have over the years been partners in crime with the Nigerian government.This is one of the reasons why militant groups in this region resort to the desperate measures of hostage taking and holding these oil companies to ransom, thereby distrupting production.The oil companies sometimes comply but these are short-term measures and the Federal Government has been adamant in working out a revenue allocation formula that will bring peace,stability and social justice into this region.Rather than do this, the Nigerian State has only increased the militarising of this region with active financial and material support of the oil companies.A few years ago, the Nigerian Government of Olusegun Obasanjo (Gen.rtd.), signed a military pact with the United States of America to deploy about 5000 marines in this region but off shore.This deployment of course is among other reasons, to protect the oil companies and somehow assist the Nigerian Military in crushing any protest or opposition to the smooth flow of oil.
Where there is oil, there you will find the USA.
The reality is that all these military solutions has not and will not bring peace and stability to the Niger Delta region.There can be no peace without justice.
Couple with these problems is political assassination of prominent politicians which cut across the whole country. All these problems made Nigeria a country that is not save to live. These problems emanated as a result of the state not addressing certain basic fundermental issues of the Nation. This includes political and economic equity, safety of lives and property, human rights and resource control. Until these issues are properly addressed Nigeria may not witness real peace.
There is need for an urgent convocation of a sovereign national conference where all groups including the ethnic militias can table and discuss their fears and grievances and work out a compromise acceptable to all. Unfortunately this conference does not go down well with President Obasanjo Government which more or less run the country as a unitary entity. One obvious reason is that a re-organised Nigeria as a product of the sovereign national conference will undermine some of the sumptuous largesse enjoyed by the federal officers while redistributing resources to grass root development. On the other hand there is likely to be disagreement during the conference which may lead to individual group asking for a separate state. If disintegration is the best solution to solve the Nigeria problems, then the earlier the better. However running away from the conference is like postponing the evil or the dooms day for Nigeria. The current situation if not urgently addressed may lead to another civil war in Nigeria, which will be very catastrophic for everyone.