Restructuring Not Nigeria’s Headache But Bad Governance

By Odunayo Joseph 

Nigerians who had the opportunity to read my write up titled “Bravo to Niki Tobi and Abubakar Tanko on their views  on corruption” published on page 4 in the P.M.NEWS edition of Monday, 4 April, 2005 being my contribution to the aborted National Political Reform Conference that was midwived by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration in 2005, will have their minds disabused over the unnecessary clamour for the restructuring/balkanization of Nigeria as the panacea for solving the myriad of both social and political problems presently facing Nigeria as a nation. They would rather support a school of thought that says the real problem  confronting the nation and threatening its existence as one indivisible nation is nothing but greed and corruption.

In that write-up, I commended the forthrightness of the Chairman of the National Political Reform Conference, Justice Niki Tobi and one of the delegates, Alhaji Abubakar Tanko, for hitting the nail on the head by agreeing that the root cause of the problems facing Nigeria is nothing other than the dreadful 10-letter word, ‘corruption’, and went further to opine that the duo’s opinion would no doubt help in rekindling the hope of well-meaning, optimistic Nigerians who believe that the fight against corruption in our country should not be taken as that of a mission impossible.

In the submission of Alhaji Abubakar Tanko during the debate on the economy and other national issues at the NPRC, he identified corruption as the bane of the country’s development.  He also opined that what was slowing down the country economically and politically is the widespread corruption in the polity, to which the NPRC Chairman, Justice Niki Tobi, retorded and said, “I support you.  Most people who spoke said the problem with the country has to do with its structure.  But you are saying it has to do with corruption.  You are right”.  The chairman added that “the problem is that there are too many rogues in this country”.  Nigerians who are discerning align with the candidpatriotic stance of both the chairman and Alhaji Tanko on the devastating effect and damage corruption has done to our country, as expressed on the floor of the conference.

In the opening of the write-up, I said, among other things, ‘If I had my way as a Nigerian and should I be saddled with the responsibility of drawing up an agenda for the conference, I would list corruption as the only topic for discussion during the 3-month duration earmarked for the conference, with an advice to all Nigerians that the solution of the problems, both political and economic, facing us as a nation, lies in our collective will to fight the corruption scourge that was steadily being allowed to permeate all the strata of our society.’  I also made reference to my postulation in  my article titled “Corruption and Dishonesty: Let’s fight the vices” published in P.M.NEWS of Monday, 8 November, 2004 where I pointed out that “the traits of corruption cut across all the nationalities in Nigeria. There is therefore the need for us all to address it in unison,” with a warning that “we should not be carried away by selfish and unpatriotic calls emanating daily from various groups, citizens and self-acclaimed messiahs who hold the erroneous belief that solutions to the myriad of problems facing our country today can only come through the convocation of the much touted sovereign national conference (SNC)”.

Further in the write-up, I opined that “the bitter truth is that the solutions to our problems as a nation liesonly in our collective will to fight the corruption scourge” and that “once we all agree to tackle the corruption menace headlong with all seriousness which it deserves, other things in the polity including the economy, just to mention a few, are bound to fall in place”.

Aside corruption as problem in the country, cultism is another prominent problem that has become worrisome to patriotic and well-meaning Nigerians owing to continued silence and pretence in the society about it.  In an appeal made to all news media in the country in my article titled “Cultism, FOI bill and electoral reforms” published in Daily Champion newspaper of Tuesday, December 15, 2009, I said in the introductory paragraph that “ I have no doubt that I, like other readers and lovers of your newspaper look forward to the day when you will sensitise our society on the effects of pervasive cultism in Nigeria in the same manner you have done on social vices such as kidnapping, election rigging, examination malpractices, just to mention a few”.

In the Nigerian Tribune of 5 December, 2011, a patriotic Nigerian, in an interview published in the paper under the title “Nigeria is prostrate because her leaders are cultists” pointed out that “Nigeria is suffering because the rulers belong to secret societies.”  It would also be recalled that in yet another of my article on cultism titled “ Gov. Imoke and cultism in Cross River State” published on page 10 in Daily Champion newspaper of Tuesday, December 22, 2009, I started the opening paragraph of the article by saying that “Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State can be said to have not only taken a bold step but will also be seen as the only public official in the country after the late Head of State, General Murtala Mohamed (29 July 1975 – February 13, 1976) to have bravely taken the bull by the horn by fighting against cultism, which no doubt ranks second to corruption among the social ills ravaging and militating against the progress of our country.”

This was followed by commending the governor for fighting cultism with vigour and determination by compelling all political office holders in his state, including those close to him such as all his aides, cabinet members, Local Government Chairmen and Councillors to swear on oath renouncing their membership of secret cults.  He was further praised for demonstration of his seriousness and unalloyed commitment to the fight against the dreadful social cankerworm, by facilitating the suspension of 10 Local Government Councilors in Calabar South LGA from office by the Cross River State House of Assembly and for his proclamation that no cultist would be allowed to gun for an office or be considered for appointment into any office at the Federal, State and Local Government levels which undoubtedly paid off as more cases of denunciation of membership of cult groups across Cross River State were reported in the news media.  An appeal was made to the remaining 35 state governors including the Minister in charge of the Federal Capital Territory to borrow a leaf from the bravery of Governor Imoke and followed by an appeal to all office holders in the public and private sectors to swear on oaths denouncing their membership of any secret cult.  A further appeal was made to all other state governors to emulate their counterpart in Cross River State so that their names can be written in gold when the history of the fight against cultism in Nigeria is written in the future.

In conclusion, I said in the last three paragraphs as follows:

“It is therefore hoped that as a start towards stamping out cultism in Nigeria with all seriousness, all the state governors should lead by example by renouncing their membership of any secret cult either in Nigeria or outside the country.  They should equally come together to deliberate on the issue of cultism in the same spirit and manner in which they met in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on Saturday, 7 November 2009, over the Federal Government’s planned deregulation of the petroleum sector.

It is also high time all Nigerians both at home and abroad got hyped up to foresee the inherent danger in allowing our society to continue to be a largely cult-driven one.  There is no doubt that the forging of an egalitarian society will continue to be a day dream should concerted efforts not be made to say no to cultism in all its ramifications in Nigeria.  Now is the time for all Nigerians in positions of authority especially the policy and decision makers to come out openly to identify with the fight against cultism in the society by shunning membership of any secret cult.

“It is pertinent for all politicians in Nigeria, irrespective of political affiliation to renounce their membership of any secret cult or association. Until this is done and addressed seriously, politics in our country will continue to be tagged not only as a dirty game but a game where cultists are seen as movers and shakers in party politics in Nigeria.”

It is high time the issue of cultism is addressed as a bane to the emergence of an egalitarian society in Nigeria.  There is no doubt there is need for an attitudinal change whereby religion in the country should not be used as a smokescreen to promote corruption and cultism in Nigeria.  The million dollar question is: For how long shall we continue to chase shadows while leaving the substance of the problems facing us as a nation?  Restructuring or balkanizing of Nigeria is not the problem but corruption and cultism.  Time will tell.

•Odunayo wrote from Kogi State. Tel: 08053488121, Email: [email protected]