Restructure Nigeria 1
NATION Building... part 1
For every building there is a foundation, the foundation determines what structure should be built. It will be unworthy for a contractor to erect a duplex on a foundation planned for a bungalow. If eventually this is done, everyone knows how great the collapse of such building will turn out to be (just a matter of time). I could recall the collapse of the building under construction in the Synagogue Church of Nation on the 12, September, 2014, how the building collapsed and killed several innocent lives, making them victims of the situation. Report revealed to many that the building collapsed due to the inefficiency of the foundation to carry the structure placed on it.
However, the fact remains that no matter how beautiful and strong a building might look, the foundation remains the major factor that determines the life span of the building.
The above illustration is just the case of Nigeria. The transformation started way back 1960, when Nigeria gained her independence, Nigerians as at that time were enthusiastic that our world was about to be a better place than how it was during Colonial rule. It is disappointing to take note that after 57years and still counting, hopes have been shattered and our enthusiastic forefathers would also feel disappointed in their graves too. Nigeria is blessed; the British Colonial Masters did well in their little greedy capacity to handover a good and efficient systematic platform of governance that would have easily made us one of the Best Nation in the world if well administered. I find it difficult to understand why the masses console themselves with a popular slogan ‘e go better’. Which serves as our caller ring back tone to suffering; It is absurd to hear such statement from the citizens of this country, for how long shall we continue to beguile each other?“We are like a man who is patching a building he knows will eventually collapse” (a matter of time).
In piecemeal, here's a critical look at how the Nigeria structure has been built from 1960 till date.
The turning point for Nigeria which seems to be the 1960 INDEPENDENCE eventually became the unfortunate corner-piece to our Nation Building process...one could resonate with the fact that the first three years was so promising that every Nigerian could dream big for her country.
You see this I don't care and born to rule mentality of the northerners is one major crack on nation building.As at the time we became a Republican State in 1963, Nigeria started to experience several fundamental crack which was as a result of the political imbalance between the Northern, Eastern and the Western region. The Northerners with their popular placard;“born to rule” pulled the first trigger with the majority seat possessed by making sure they determine all important decisions as they ‘WILL’. This action resulted to rivalry and open conflicts between various political personnel and regions which prompted major crisis like the Census Crisis of 1964, Federal Election Crisis of 1964 and Western Region Crisis of 1965.
At this junction the Nigeria Structure was becoming weak day after day, as it only took a short time for the awakening of what welcomed us to the first Military coup staged on the 15th January 1966.
However, the emergence of Military regime brought about a drastic change to the structure of Nigeria...the decrees and policies of Major General Aguiyi Ironsi gave Nigeria a new phase of governance. Major General Aguiyi Ironsi who audaciously introduced a Unitary system of government abolishing the former (Federalism), under Decree 34 with an attempt to change the Nigeria’s structure prompted the Northern Leaders who interpreted the ‘Unitary System’ idea as an Eastern domination of the Federal Administration, swiftly interrupts the regime with a brutal ‘bloody coup’.
Such an unfortunate scene to note... well, I personally feel the Northerners were too extinct to see beyond the cubicle of tribalism and ethnicity.“They could not see beyond the wall and unwilling to peep through the wall”
Matters got worse immediately Ironsi’s government was toppled in July, 1966. Lieutenant Colonel Yakubu Gowon became the new Head of State on the 1st,August,1966. He returned Nigeria back to the old, rickety and weak Structure of FEDERALISM abolishing the Unitary System.
I think it would have been welcoming if Gowon had maintained the Federal system "fairly", but quite disheartening to take note that the same Northerners who accused the previous Regime of being one-sided at the Federal level, pushed General Gowon to infuse ethnic bigotry and nepotism into the Nigerian Army under disguise of federalism.
As if that was not enough, Gowon frivolously and ineptly altered the Background of the Nigeria Structure by beginning to create 12 states out of the Four Regions; Western Region, Northern Region, Eastern Region and the Mid-west Region...which is totally against the backdrop of our architectural plan... I mean, how a building contractor will cut out 12 rooms from a building designed for just four! So doing, Gowon broke the first rule of Nation-Building.
You don’t destroy the Structural plan at which a Nation is being built.
Nigeria was built on the basis of 4 Regions and would have been bearable that way but unfortunately Gowon through his inept, frivolous and tribalistic mentality decided to use the heavy hammer on the walls, breaking a Nation as wide as this into cubicle rooms...no wonder our Building is Cracked... This act triggered the first ever Civil War in Nigeria that lasted till January 1970. Ever since then, Nigeria’s Foundation has gotten weaker and weaker with every Regime and Administration.
“If the foundation is destroyed, the laborers work in vain”.
So, before my candle burns out... In continuity is a thematic x-tray between 1975-1980 when General Murtala Mohammed became the Head of State made it glaring that the Northerners are blessed with same mentality... that all he had to do within the short time of activity was to set-up panels for different reasons, hit the cracked walls with hammers, creating 7 more States(rooms) plus his biggest achievement with the help of his Northern fellows moved the Federal Capital Territory down North(Abuja). Obviously he followed the trend of his brother, Gowon.
Ask me how?...
Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the first executive President of Nigeria (Northerner) started a Second Republic on the same bad foundation. A country structured and operating a Federal System of Government on a weak foundation was violated with a new Presidential system of government, that the country began to operate a PRESIDENTIAL form of government under a disguised FEDERAL STRUCTURE. WOW!!!
Will a good contractor deck a weak Bungalow?
Without mincing words, the Second Republic for Nigeria was Pathetic. I find it difficult to understand how a Democratic Administration of such with all the Human Resources and loyal interest intact will have to operate a two different system of government. No wonder it was a total democratic-failure, even the unlearned ‘khaki men’ abolishes the former to start a new one.
In this dubious act, brought the emergence of the "brutal I don't care" General Mohammadu Buhari in 1983 who was more of a distraction and torture session on the masses, inflicting more pains on the suffering masses with the extinct War against Indiscipline ideology which I believe was a good move with wrong tactics.
Without flogging a dead a horse. The military regime between 1983 to 1999 could be tagged confused, unfortunate and a mistake to the Nation Building concept.
One doesn’t want to imagine the stagnancy and destructive measures past Administrations have caused the image of this country...I'll rather skip the stupidous Governance of our "Maradona lord" in Babangida and our "Whip Master" in Abacha... A disastrous era one shouldn't take note of....
But I strongly believe this Country still have a CHANCE to rejuvenate someday through a thorough and careful innovation active concepts I shall be sharing in the continuation Chapter of this revelation...
WHATS NEXT??? …
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