Remembering to read news notifications nowadays makes one’s heart to skip. Reason being that it will not end until reports from across the federation hits the pages or one’s screens of not a few people killed either by an inexplicable fatal accident, collapse of buildings (apparently constructed with substandard materials) and with human casualties, bandits, Fulani herdsmen or unknown gunmen ransacked, torched police or military formations particularly in the South East region.
The mayhem is catastrophic. The government, whose primary responsibility is to secure life and property of its people is practically befuddled, bombarded and besieged inside out. The entire nation is under a siege and the hope of survival is grossly minimal. There is no luxury of mincing words, or trying to paint words to make it sound nice; it has gotten beyond those euphemism stage.
Things indeed have fallen apart, (apologies to Prof Chinua Achebe). I have long pocketed my criticism stance and poking of this government whole lot of administrative flaws. To be frank, I want to believe that they are truly hapless and helpless but they are too shy to come out of their shell and hanker for support and reinforcement, locally and internationally. Without prejudice to the standing allegation that this puma turned monster insurrectionists cum terrorists may have been the brain child of certain top government echelons, obviously at the moment the dog has turned to back and bite its owner.
The structure they helped to construct is collapsing right upon their heads. Whatever purported unilateral agenda – the execution has gone awry and devastating. If respite isn’t forthcoming in the next couple of months if not days henceforth, an undulating disaster is bound to occur that will be strong enough to raze the nation. Even if this travailing situation which is now a national burden meets the orchestration of certain Nigeria fiendish elements; well, let us not begin to pursue shadows while neglecting the objectives of the matter. The Igbo adage that says that “onye oku nagba ulo ya, adighi achu oke”, (which is translated thus: he whose house is on fire, does not pursue rats”) is instructive here.
Any wonder, the new anomaly cases of suicide in Nigeria which was alien to Nigerians is becoming rampant at the same pace with the “wholesome” and deliberate destruction of lives incidences. Many feelers are of the understanding that the outright disintegration of Nigeria will not be the envisaged El dorado for the would-be disparate autonomous entities post-Nigeria as we have it today. If you think they are ranting, you do not be rash yourself, read further.
They have cogently argued that a major economic asset which Nigeria enjoys today being their stupendous and burgeoning population will be jettisoned at the instance of break up. The economic scale will be slashed, consequently. They will cite many other countries like Yugoslavia, Croatia, Pakistan, Southern Sudan, etc who successfully detached from their former bigger body mother nation but today are grappling with difficult situations and gapping for air for survival, yet with no glimpse of hope in sight, after decades have gone down the drain.
Without knowing it, Dr Charles Onunaiju, a veteran journalist and the founder of Center For Chinese Studies, Utaku, Abuja during my phone conversation with him concisely rephrased the theme of a book I read recently titled The Sovereign Individual: How To Survive And Thrive During The Collapse Of The Welfare State, by James Dale Davidson and Lord William Rees-Mogg. The rider of the book’s title already has informed the reader the objectives and subject matter the author wishes to enunciate and elaborate. I will expose a passage of the books blurb herein… The duo authors predicts, among others, “the collapse of the welfare state and the death of nations worldwide”. “that governments will lose their capacity to arbitrarily regulate economies”. Speaking so convincingly, Mr. Charles further corroborated the strengthening of the economic forces which is a function of laissez-faire market, not by the government lame duck fiscal policies but more efficiently by the private players and entrepreneurs.
The singular buster point to whatever hypothesis for the salvation of Nigeria is the fact that going back memory lane, the best of the best catalyst solution have been applied by successive government both military and democratic administrations, yet it only fetched us retrogression instead of the desired development.
I opine the dissolution of the entity called Nigeria into proper federalism, whereby structural regions are empowered as neo autonomous integral part of figurehead Nigeria so we may put paid to this other speculations that we have entangled ourselves with all these unremitting years. The central government shall then have few national responsibilities to be saddled with. I’m reluctant to cite this bashing quote arguably by Albert Einstein “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”.
Doesn’t that sound rebuking and reproving enough? But we deserve it over and over again if not more of the kind. When a country of more than 200 million inhabitants appear effectively bewitched by few irresponsible callous cabals, any tantrum hauled at them should be received with cynical obeisance. No matter how timid few people are characteristically unwilling to delve into the process of restructuring Nigeria present outlook, it is no longer sustainable. Like the packs of cards, isn’t the whole edifice rapidly crumbling right on their swollen heads?
I want to reiterate that in whatever circumstances I encounter in life, I am unapologetically inclined to seeking and finding workable solution that must be lurking around the corner. Often, diligence and not desperation do help direct ones steps to locate the point where the solution lies. Agitation, clamoring, demonstration, strife, protestations and any manner of dissident acts will only amount to greater jeopardy, ultimately. Breach of public peace and sweeping wave of uprising are all flanks of revolution that the handlers of governance in Nigeria must not, through their insensitivity and nonchalant responses to the people’s aspirations, instigate.
Must every negative chastising and exhorting quotes be fulfilled by our political leaders… What happened to the positive ones. “Power intoxicates and absolute power intoxicates absolutely” is the grave digger of many African leaders. While “those who make peaceful resolutions impossible will ultimately make violent revolutions inevitable” is a standing promise which the Nigeria masses including the bourgeoisie have the wherewithal and arsenals to keep.
Orajiaku is a freelance journalist and social activist.
