Elliott Ugochukwu-Uko
Once again, I recall the constant admonition by a great leader who deeply understood the complexities of the situation, more than others: That no matter how you go about it, the folks in power would never yield to a reconstruction of the polity, unless it becomes impossible for them to hold on to the throne.
“Elliot, they will never, never agree to a reconstruction of the system, unless they can’t hold on anymore” he would always say.
“And whoever they suspect pushed for the reconstruction, they also would never forgive ” he always stressed.
The many hours I spent alone with him, several days a week, for over a decade with this leader, who led a war, spent twelve years in exile, and returned to a heroic welcome, brought me closer to the uncomfortable truth: Some people would never forgive whomever they note, consistently advocated for the restructuring of the country. They are very reluctant to see that happen. It doesn’t matter if that’s the only thing that would make the country great. They are very comfortable with the stunted growth, and the avoidable economic and political problems, the current unitary structure has brought upon the land.
They prefer voting scarce resources acquiring military equipment and deploying forces to contain the unending agitations and crises emanating from the frustrations from the suffocating unitary structure, than resolving the discontent from the root, through consensual restructuring, that would grant all sections a sense of belonging, which would restore peace, tranquillity and harmony in the land.
They are paranoid. They fear they would lose control of the country if egalitarianism is introduced in the land. Creating a level playing field for all, under a fair and just system, seems sacrilegious to them. Spending resources constantly battling agitations, and regularly setting up military operations in every region of the country, which has become our way of life, sounds just fine to them.
They prefer voting huge resources for Tucano jets for internal peacekeeping operations. For them, it is cheaper and better to mobilize the military to quell internal tensions, than resolving the issues that inspire the internal crisis from the root. That other countries of the world, spend their own resources, building infrastructure, developing healthcare, technology, education, agriculture, housing and other critical areas, do not prick the conscience of these our great leaders, who continue to oppose a peaceful restructuring of the country.
Computation of the humongous amount of money voted and appropriated for the fight against insurgents and agitations, within the past ten years, in a country that remains the poverty capital of the world, could bring tears streaming down your face. Yet, our countrymen insist that they are in love with the 1999 constitution, designed and bequeathed by the military. They insist the document is cast in iron, cannot be replaced by a better one, and that it can only be amended by a National Assembly, elected through a weak and uninspiring electoral process and system, crying for review and reform.
The economy is bleeding, inflation growing steadily, unemployment is at its peak, the national currency, at its weakest point ever, FRIGHTENING insecurity, never before experienced, ravaging the land, GDP, income per capita, and every index of development, in red and discouraging. Convulsions of agitation of all kinds, daily threatening the very survival of the country, poverty and hunger as a result of the high cost of food, banditry and kidnapping create a new panic mode. Fear and hardship merge, to truly define a new uncomfortable era of uncertainty. The country is truly at crossroads. Something sensible has to be done to heal the land.
In the midst of all these disturbing developments, folks in power obstinately refuse to convene a constitutional conference that would seek an end to the discontent and frustration reigning in the land. Rather, they target advocates of restructuring. They and their agents monitor well-known advocates of restructuring in the hope of blaming them for the agitation in the land. Traps are set for them. Lies are deliberately built to incriminate them one way or another. Facing the problem truthfully and addressing it from the root, remain unattractive to them. They are desperately searching for scapegoats instead.
They rather believe, they can find a way of holding on, without addressing the issues that drive the fears, frustrations and discontent, which inspires agitations and crises. They prefer military operations, to a consensual restructuring of the offensive unitary structure.
An announcement by the authorities today, that a wholesome restructuring of the country would commence immediately, would calm strained nerves, restore lost faith in the system and heal the land, but they won’t do that. Maybe it’s all about hubris, maybe it’s paranoia.
Maybe it’s the feudal cultural mindset of some people, maybe it’s the fear of losing their eminent position in the polity, maybe it’s all of the above.
The myriad of problems bedeviling the land are rooted in the unfriendly 1999 constitution and its unitary format that inhibits growth.
Everybody knows this. Those opposed to peaceful, consensual restructuring of the country, are now in search of who to blame for the crisis in the land. They and their agents are plotting how to rope in activists consistently advocating a restructuring of the country.
They are driving the narrative that proponents of restructuring, are also respected by the agitators, therefore they should link them somehow and get rid of them.
For them, sadly, crushing activists is more important than addressing the issues from the roots. Addressing the problem from the roots seem inconvenient. All through history, a man by his very nature, usually seeks other ways of solving his self inflicted problems because the truth is usually inconvenient. I have spoken up for the good of the land for decades now, formed my first group at 19. Believed that restructuring my country remains the solution to the loss of faith exhibited by the youths of my region who have been agitating for 22 years for a new nation.
I have organized over a hundred and twenty events in the past there decades, advocating the restructuring of the polity. I have written half a dozen books and dozens of pamphlets on the subject matter of creating a level playing field for all. I firmly believe that the genuine practice of true federalism, resource control and devolution of power, will in no small measure, restore trust and faith in the land, healing the country.
Arrogance, paranoia and hubris are largely responsible for the opposition to restructuring. Opposition to restructuring, dichotomy and nepotism feeds agitation. The application of lethal force inspires violence. The violence of any kind leads to crisis.
Brings me back to the teaching of my leader who passed on a decade ago.
He said, “they will fiercely oppose restructuring because they convinced themselves, it’s not good for them, when pressure increases and restructuring become inevitable, they will not forgive advocates of restructuring”.
“They will target activists known for advocating the restructuring of the country, they will blackmail them and come after them. Be expecting that ” he always stressed.
When the truth is inconvenient, man’s instincts lead him to seek other means and in desperation, he also searches for someone to recriminate for all the mistakes.
Truth remains; the land is overripe for restructuring. But regrettably, our brethren still remain committed to seeking other ways in order to avoid restructuring. Those other ways cannot produce helpful results. Only restructuring will reunite the land. Angrily searching for scapegoats will not unite and heal the land. We should do well to face the inconvenient truth.
