They were visionaries and they articulated their mission statements with vigour.
“The rich, and the highly-placed in business, public life, and government, are running a dreadful risk in their callous neglect of the poor and down-trodden.” – Chief Obafemi Awolowo
Premier of the Western Region
“It is our determination that everyone should have absolute liberty to practice his belief according to the dictates of his conscience.
The cardinal principle upon which our University is founded is to impart knowledge and learning to men and women of all races without any distinction on the grounds of race, religious, or political beliefs'”– Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sarduana of Sokoto and Premier of the Northern Region.
Suddenly, we lost the plot. The struggle to dominate others and grab the largest slice of the pie (if not all) has become all-consuming to the detriment of nation building. Even the “Federal Character” principle which was meant to create fairness and equity has become an instrument for torment, torture, frustration and oppression. It had even become subversive if we are to rely on the verdict delivered by the late Pius Okigbo the Chief Economic Adviser to the Eastern Nigeria Government (1958–1962)
“It means that even the village idiot can be appointed to head critical positions/agencies in the Executive branch or the political arena to the detriment of merit or incompetence.”
Yet it was not so long ago that we devoted our brains, zeal and brawn to nation building. Along with the National Youth Service Corps whereby graduates would serve for a year in various parts of the nation other than their own state of origin, schools were to be encouraged (at both primary and secondary levels) to ensure that students learnt a language other than their own.
The goal was to ensure that a Yoruba would speak either Ibo and/or Hausa while Ibo, Hausa, Ijaw etc. would also master any of the other languages. Hopefully, over time we would be able to communicate with each other and thereby engender mutual cooperation and understanding.
Additionally, we were set to create wealth all over our nation by galvanising production instead of consumption and taking cognizance of those aspects, skills and resources where each state has a comparative advantage. Now, the nation is on edge and all we are sharing are poverty, misery and debts.
As for accountability, we threw it out of the window when the military embarked on the massive purge (which backfired) of the public service – in 1975 with the sacking of officers by radio announcement “with immediate effect”. Forty-five years after, many of those who believe they were denied fair hearing have not recovered. Now, you can even be sacked by Zoom!
There is a cartoon circulating on social media showing a little boy whose father had asked what he wants to do when he grows up. The boy without any hesitation replied: “I want to be a criminal”.The dad demanded – “in government or private sector?”. The boy coolly replied: “Government, of course.”
This prompted the father to enquire:
“Why?”
The dead pan response delivered by the little boy was:
“Because they never go to jail.”
These are the structural misalignments which have created huge distortions and impediments to our progress as a nation.
How can we justify a situation in which our nation’s cash-cow (the Niger-Delta) has become the victim of massive oil pollution on a scale that is unequalled anywhere else in the world? Recently, CNN showed dwellers close to the oil fields defecating into the same river from which they drink!
Also, there is a video going around on social media showing students in a school in Lagos while it was raining. Rain was pouring on the students from a gaping hole in the roof while those seated at their desk had water gushing from the ground right up to their knees!
Yet in this same country, the Management Team of Niger-Delta Development Commission allegedly blew a whopping N81.5 billion within a period of five months with nothing to show for it.
How can we justify a situation in which our nation’s cash-cow (the Niger-Delta) has become the victim of massive oil pollution on a scale that is unequalled anywhere else in the world? Recently, CNN showed dwellers close to the oil fields defecating into the same river from which they drink!
It is now self-evident that we owe an apology to late Arthur Prest who was a great friend of my father. When the agitation for independence was in full sway in the 1950s, Chief Priest’s mother asked him an innocent question.
“All this talk about Independence and sending the white people away, instead of replacing them with black people, why don’t you try the half-caste first?”
Perhaps I should add the friendly fire between Chief Arthur Prest and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe in the 1950’s. The great Chief H.O. Davies Q.C. had in his weekly column in the “Daily Service” newspaper “Political Reminiscences” taken “My Friend Zik” (Azikiwe) to task over his credentials and commitment to racial equality. This was at a time when what is now General Hospital, Marina/Broad Street, Lagos was known as “African Hospital” while the nearby Creek Hospital (now known as Military Hospital) on Awolowo Road, Lagos was “European Hospital” and was exclusively for expatriates – even to the exclusion of Lebanese and Greeks. Anyway, Prest who was half Ijaw and half-Scottish took sides with Davies. In his own newspaper, “The Pilot”, Azikiwe replied to the allegations against him by Davies “seriatum”. He then veered off to launch a below-the belt attack on Arthur Prest.
“As for Chief Prest, since he is neither black nor white, he is not in a position to adjudicate on the matter.”
It says a great deal for the character of Chief Arthur Prest that he did not take offence at all.
Another leading politician from the North, Alhaji Dan Baba was asked a very direct question by his father:
“This agitation for Independence is not a bad idea but for how long do you want Independence?”
However, it was late Chief Michael A. Agbamuche, SAN former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation who used to regale his friends with his anecdote regarding the exasperation of his aged mother who on the eve of Nigeria’s Independence (1st October 1960) offered him her counsel in a last-minute effort to avert what she believed to be an imminent disaster.
“My son, instead of sending the Europeans away, why do you not give Nwobiko (an albino) a try? At least, he is more white than black.”
What a monumental tragedy and a ghastly contrast to the foundation laid by our own parents and grandparents who truly believed that the “Nigeria Project” would deliver endless possibilities – “Life More Abundant” (to quote Chief Obafemi Awolowo).
As for Zik, an Ibo and a Christian, some of his most ardent and unrepentant followers were Yoruba Muslims such as Alhaji Adelabu Adegoke and Chief Kehinde Sofola, SAN.
A by-election was held for the Lagos seat in the Legislative Council of Nigeria in December 1945 to replace Jibril Martin of the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM). It was won by Abubakar Olorun-Nimbe of the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP).
They were determined to flatten the curve between fear/ignorance/poverty and security/education/prosperity.
Our ancestors gave each other the benefit of the doubt. Also, they spoke in parables because they did not want to be misunderstood.
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