Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko
78 In a land not faraway, central authorities and the elders and leaders of a particular orient region, are presently embroiled in an untidy attempt to pervert the needful and inevitable reconstruction of the country, by burying certain deep truths and hurriedly arranging light interim relief measures, that only suits the desires of politicos on both sides, without fundamentally addressing the problem from the root. Again, as usual, all the eggheads, leaders across the board and even the ivory tower, are all silent, pretending they do not know, that the wishy-washy plot and plans for temporal relief, would not only fail in healing the land, but complicate the crisis, delaying desperately needed peace and harmony, crucial for stability and development. The interim, temporary measures, in the works, may soothe frayed nerves for a while, but definitely won’t heal the land. Preference for shallow, flimsy and superficial responses to critical issues in the past, actually created all the problems bedevilling the country today. When will leaders learn?
79 Again, the political class are about to experiment with another short term scheme that looks like a permanent solution to the loss of faith, the crisis of confidence and divisions ravaging the country, but actually hollow and cosmetic. Those who know these proposed schemes won’t heal the land are quiet because they don’t want to offend the owners of the land. Politicos on all sides, are congratulating themselves, they’ve solved the problems quaking the land, while the naive and the gullible assume the storm is over. The truth is: Only truthfully addressing the fundamentals, will bring resolution and closure. What are the fundamentals? Granting every region a sense of belonging, by convening an all-encompassing constitutional conference that would deliberate and agree on a new people’s constitution, anchored on devolution of power and true federalism, affirmed at a referendum. A new people’s constitution that would allow every region to develop at her own pace. A new constitution framed after the earlier constitutions, agreed by the founding fathers. Incidentally, some persons do not want that. They seem committed to sustaining the current unworkable unitary constitution, which they believe helps them hold unto the power and hold down everyone else.
80 Accordingly, in partnership with the compliant political class of certain Southern regions, they are trying to fly certain political kites that would massage and appeal to the ego and senses of politicos, appearing fair and just, but only scratching the surface of the fundamental issues responsible for the restiveness in the land. They are hoping the masses will buy into their scheme and bingo, the land is healed. They know only justice, equity and a level playing field for all, can heal the land, but they seem determined to experiment with something fake and counterfeit, in the hope that this may temporarily assuage the frustration and bitterness of aggrieved younger generation of certain regions and sections of the country. That, they believe is safer for them than the wholesome restructuring of the country through a new, fair constitution. Why? Paranoia.
They are unsure a new constitution would still afford them total dominance of the polity. They are scared a new constitution may throw up a new format and structure, where they would no longer call the shots, determining who gets what, dispensing patronage to others and deciding the tempo and the destiny of the country. Sharing such privilege they’ve been used to having all to themselves, sounds unacceptable. Sharing power with other regions, after you’ve been used to lording over all others for decades, isn’t exactly something anyone will easily adapt to. That’s the bone of contention.
81 Over the decades, ethnic, religious and class differences, and overbearing military regimes, made it very easy to exploit and manipulate the citizens, manoeuvring the firmament, applying low-grade governance, offering mediocre services, imposing unfriendly unitary constitution, swimming on through the ocean of corruption, impunity, bad policies and unwholesome practices and bad behaviour, that was tolerated and accepted over time as the prevailing political culture. This general indolence seemingly enabled people in power to have their way at all times, no matter what. The general assumption that the authorities will always have their way in every situation, reinforced the belief that standing up to the authorities, is an unproductive, unpredictable and very dangerous venture. Haven forcefully instituted these fears over time, people in power seem to have concluded that, the absence of strong institutions, proper checks and balances within the system, easily affords them great powers to turn the whole country and her people towards any side they want to turn them to. No qualms. No complaints, no opposition. They are unaware of the determination of the younger generation, to correct the injustices of the past. Time and circumstances changes all things. The only little problem now, is that the Ogas at the top, do not seem to know that time and circumstances have greatly changed not just the consciousness, but the mood and temperament of the people. That is where everyone may have to learn new lessons.
82 The refusal to do the right thing, demands burying the truth and cleverly substituting it with a totally different, but look-alike narrative. It also consists of denying the facts of the matter and presenting constitutional amendments as the solution. Some of the proposed schemes include zoning offices and blinding the world that justice has been done. None of these very many proposed strategies, by the politicos, will restore lost confidence in the system nor grant oppressed sections, the necessary sense of belonging, that will bring about peace, harmony and stability. The decision to reject the needful, and try other shortcuts, will only prolong the misery and difficulty in the land. Offer false hope, deceive the people and create occasion for the agitations to rebound with greater vengeance and ferocity. The plot to bury the truth whilst trading with and treading on the imitation substitute, certainly will not heal the land. That fake option is currently being mooted and preferred over the rightful wholesale reconstruction of the polity, through a brand new constitution that will ensure lasting peace in the land. There are plans afoot to bury the truth and choose temporary relief over permanent resolution and closure. Silence means acquiescence and complicity. Those unaware that sweeping the truth under the carpet, in preference for expedient short term respite, which won’t heal the land, might be forgiven, but those who know too well, that attempts to bury the truth for temporary measures, won’t work and refuse to say anything, because they wish to be politically correct, are guilty of prolonging the miseries in the land.
83 Finally, the planned attempt to bury the truth, will certainly not work. The fear of egalitarianism, the hatred for level playing field and the decision to prefer papering the cracks, instead of boldly rebuilding and genuinely reconstructing the edifice with solid concrete of equity, equality, fairplay and merit, under a new consensually and mutually agreed constitution, will not hold water. Because it isn’t designed with truth and justice, it will fail. Burying the truth, has never unified any entity, all through history. It always leads to discontent and frustrations. Those intent on burying the truth, which is that only a wholesome reconstruction of the country with a new fair and just constitution, suffices now, while obstinately hoping that granting the Presidency to a region for a season, and carrying out only piecemeal amendment of the choking unproductive unitary constitution, can heal the land, are badly mistaken.
The plans and attempts to bury the truth will definitely fail to bring lasting peace. The paranoia over egalitarianism is uncalled for, the hatred for level playing field is unhelpful. That country not far away from here, cannot thrive and grow under the current suffocating constitution. Only a new constitution can heal the land. Burying the truth in preference for “convenient” manipulations that will only offer short term relief, is unhealthy and actually unintelligent.
To be CONTINUE
