THE NORTHERNISATION OF NIGERIA (2)

There will be no unity without justice, argues Sonnie Ekwowusi

IF THE BUHARI GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO RID NIGERIA OF SECESSIONIST AGITATIONS AND SEPARATIST MOVEMENTS, IT SHOULD PROMOTE TRUE FEDERALISM

President Buhari’s lopsided political appointments are a betrayal of trust, a defeat of the oneness of humanity, and a violation of the principle of federal character as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. The murder of a 74-year-old Mrs. Bridget Agbahime for alleged blasphemy and the hacking to death of a 42-year old Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) lady pastor Mrs. Eunice Elisha in the course of exercising her freedom to religious liberty are numbing. It is a big irony that in a country where there is no state religion a citizen could be hacked to death by some religious fanatics for merely exercising her constitutional right and the issue is still being treated with the usual levity. It is also a big irony that whilst President Buhari keeps on harping that the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable or cannot be re-negotiated, the behaviour and actions of the Buhari government as exemplified in the lopsided political appointments are fanning the embers of disunity, disloyalty and secession among the various ethnic nationalities in Nigeria. If Nigeria federalism were functioning as it ought to; if the various ethnic groups and geo-political zones in the country were fairly accommodated in the Nigerian union there probably would have been nothing like the Niger Delta militant groups or Biafra agitations today and even if there were, they would have been nipped in the buds.

Akin Osuntokun did very well in his piece (On The Unity of Nigeria, THISDAY July 22, 2016) to dig deep into some aspects of the Nigerian political history in order to remind us that secession is neither a prerogative nor an exclusive preserve of the Igbo of the South-East. The phrase “unity of Nigeria” is a malleable concept, or, even an abusive concept being embraced or rejected at various times and circumstances by the various Nigerian ethnic nationalities. These nationalities have shown that oil wealth is thicker than “unity of Nigeria”. And secession is inversely related to access to Nigeria’s oil wealth. When a Nigerian ethnic group gains political power and controls the oil wealth they clamour for “unity of Nigeria”. But the moment they lose out in the political power equation and no longer control the oil wealth they begin to beat the drum of war and clamour for secession.

In his book, “Ethnic Politics in Kenya and Nigeria,” Godfrey Mwakikagile wrote that in 1950, barely four years after Nigeria became a federal union, Northern Nigerian threatened that unless it was allowed to assume the political dominance over the rest of country it would secede from Nigeria. The late Prof. Ali Mazrui also wrote that in the decades that followed the 1950’s before Nigeria’s independence, Northern Muslims, fearful of Southern domination, wanted to secede from the entity to be called Nigeria.

In 1953 Northern leaders organised a secessionist violent demonstration in Kano in which thousands of people were killed, similar to the 1945 violence in the North which claimed several lives. In the same 1953, Western Region wanted to secede from Nigeria but was prevented from doing so by the British Secretary of State for the Colonies Mr. Oliver Lyttleton. According to The Guardian Newspaper of London, June 3, 1967, the word “secession” has been used over the years as a re-negotiating tool by the various ethnic nationalities in Nigeria. The paper recalled that in 1960 Northern Nigerian openly threatened to secede unless it was guaranteed half the seats in the federal parliament. Northern Nigeria also threatened to secede after General Aguiyi-Ironsi issued his “unitary decree”. The paper states that “secession appeared to be Colonel Gowon’s original intention when he assumed office”.

Some continue to argue that the Yorubas would have seceded if the Obasanjo Presidency did not happen to pacify them after the annulment of June 12 Presidential Election. And following the attacks and invasion of their farmlands by some Fulani herdsmen last year, notable Yoruba leaders held an emergency summit in Ibadan, Oyo State, and threatened to review the status of the Yorubas in the Nigerian federation. And after former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae was abducted last year by suspected Fulani herdsmen, Yoruba leaders met and threatened secession from the geographical expression called Nigeria.

From the forgoing, it is obvious that failed federalism breeds secessionist agitations and separatist movements in Nigeria. Therefore if the Buhari government intends to rid Nigeria of secessionist agitations and separatist movements, it should promote true federalism. Now is the time for true amendment of behaviour and actions to avoid permanently sinking in the mud. Unity has a price tag. It is not something imposed from the top through executive fiat. You cannot say that unity of Nigeria is not negotiable while at the same time you are putting obstacles to that unity. According to Osuntokun, “You want unity, you bridge and heal divisions not deepen and aggravate them. You listen and respect public opinion, not dismiss and wave it away”. And I will add: if you want unity and progress, eliminate the circumstances that bring secession, separatist agitations and rebellions. Correct the present lopsided political appointments. Allow the citizens to exercise their freedom to religious liberty. Appoint competent technocrats to run the government irrespective of their tribes and tongues. Let commutative justice reign. After all, unity and peace spring from the crannies of justice. Without justice there will be no true unity and peace.