At independence, 1960, Nigeria was projected to be the giant of Africa, all things being equal. Its size, population, resources (natural and human) gave credence to the projection. Nigeria started well. But not too long into its statehood, politicians of that era, a tribal class, who, in attempt to gain political relevance, most times, appealed to the base loyalties of their tribesmen, trumpeted ethnic sentiments in order to achieve political relevance.
In the First Republic, chaos, violence, thuggery and electoral manipulations were part of the electioneering process. Succinctly put, they could not sustain their newly won freedom from their colonial overlords.
The Military was impatient with the political class. Based on the Custodian Theory, which says that the Military sees itself as being in custody of the Constitution and if politicians continue to violate it, the Military can usurp political power, Major Chukuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and his comrades in arms, on January 15, 1966, truncated the administration of the Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Whether the coup was borne out of patriotism viz-a-viz love for Nigeria or that of some young, exuberant, blood-thirsty, military rascals, history has judged and will continue to judge them.
Hitherto, Nigeria operated on the basis of Fiscal Federalism, or as some put it, Resource Control. In it, the then Regions generated their revenues, collected their taxes and remitted agreed amount to the Federal Government. The Regions competed among themselves for development. There was no ‘free money’ or room for laziness. The Regions were so economically powerful that the then Premier of the Northern Region, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello nominated his deputy of the Northern People’s Congress, NPC, to the Centre, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, who later became the Prime Minister while he, Bello, remained as Premier of the North. But, the Military changed the course of history. The then Head of State, Major General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi, with his Unification Decree 34 promulgated on May 24, 1966, introduced Unitary System of government, effectively abolishing Regionalism.
From then on, the Federal Government arrogated to itself the right of ownership of all natural resources in the country. Decree 34 coincided with greater exploration of petroleum products from the Eastern and Midwestern Regions. Thus, unlike what prevailed in the three Regions – North, West and East, in the First Republic when revenues were sent from the Regions to the Centre, the Federal Government under subsequent governments from General Gowon to the present, started collecting revenues all over the country and shared same to the various States on the principles of revenue allocation. Since the Federal Government became a kind of ‘Santa Claus’ to the States, courtesy of the easy or free money from the black gold of Niger Delta, the groundnut pyramid of the North, the Cocoa of the West and the palm oil of the East died natural deaths.
The various Regions that hitherto competed among itself and made significant developments based on funds from agricultural produce, abandoned their farms and started looking forward to the Centre. Though the 36 states of the Federation have one or more types of natural resources, the Federal Government takes special interest in the oil of the people of Niger Delta. Today, with the exception of Niger Delta States and few others, most states in the country contribute little or nothing to the national treasury.
Rather, every month, they go to Abuja with cap-in-hand for their monthly allocations. This is what Ike Ekweremadu calls Feeding Bottle Federalism. And like Oliver Twist, they keep asking for more money. This has, therefore, made Nigeria and some states ‘lazy’ for deliberately refusing to harness other resources that would have brought more money for development and stealing by its elites. The deliberate refusal of some states to harness their natural resources for national development, mismanagement of resources, lack of accountability, coupled with the neck deep kleptomaniac disposition of some ruling elites, funds for development have become very limited. This explains the economic travails ordinary Nigerians are passing through today. But it was not so at the beginning.
Time was when Nigeria’s Naira was almost at par with the world’s currency, the Dollar, which today is over N1500. There was a country, Nigeria, when its people resided in any part of the country without fear of ethnic and religious discriminations. Banditry, terrorism, kidnappings, 419, et al, were uncommon. There was a time when Nigeria’s economy was so buoyant, its leader, General Yakubu Gowon, allegedly boasted to the world that Nigeria’s problem was not money but how to spend it. Consequently, seeing itself as the big brother of Africa with financial muscle, Nigeria spent millions of dollars supporting various liberation struggles for Africans in colonial subjugation.
Among the counties was South Africa. Today, because our leaders have brought us low in the comity of nations, South Africans have repeatedly carried out xenophobic attacks against Nigerians. Imagine the shabby treatment against President Tinubu, who was among other Heads of Government recently at the inauguration of South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa. Not only was President Tinubu the last dignitory on the second roll, Mr. Ramaphosa refused to shake him. As Nigerians say in the colloquial: na wall wen fall, say make small goat climb am. In the past, Nigeria saw itself so economically powerful that it declared to the chagrin of the West, led by the USA and the East, led by defunct USSR, that it was a Non-Aligned country.
Indeed, there was a Country!
Time was when companies and industries in Nigeria went to higher institutions to recruit staff in anticipation of when they will graduate. Part of the attraction was brand new cars for potential employees. There was a time when some students in Nigerian Universities protested because chicken was not used to serve them meal. Indeed, there was a Country! We cannot forget that there was a time when foreign Teachers/Lecturers, especially Indians and Ghanians taught in Secondary and post-Secondary schools in Nigeria.
Once upon a time, Malaysia came to the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research, NIFOR, near Benin City, and collected oil palm seedlings. Today, Malaysia, one of the Asian Tigers, is an exporter of palm oil while Nigeria is an importer. Who did these to us? Time was when many companies and industries, foreign and local, existed in different parts of Nigeria, providing jobs for teeming Nigerian youths. Today, most of them have exited Nigeria or closed shop because of unfavourable business climate. In their places are centres of worship where Nigerians now go to pray for jobs. What an irony! This explains the avalanche of crimes in Nigeria. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
It is time wasting to continue to remind us (except teenagers) of Nigeria’s past good years when, to a large extent, food was not its problem as it is today. Authors and scholars, including the legend, Chinua Achebe have written articles, essays and books on Nigeria’s seeming insurmountable problems, including the book, ‘There was a Country’.
Nigerians are gradually losing hope on their beloved country. This explains the ‘japa syndrome’. It is now the poverty capital of the world. With weaponization of poverty by the ruling elites against the masses, with many Nigerians barely surviving on less than one dollar a day, living from hand to mouth, not sure of when and where the next meal would come from, in a country God has blessed abundantly, the future looks forlorn.
However, most Nigerians love their country and are resilient people. They just need nationalistic leaders who would galvanise them to unleash their energies and talents into productive ventures. Surprisingly, even in their economic strangulation, with little or no hope in sight for their economic survival, because, according to Franz Fanon, ‘today, the vultures are too numerous and too voracious in proportion to the lean spoils of national wealth’, which aptly describes Nigeria’s reality, the world still considers Nigerians as the happiest people on planet. Fela Anikulapo Kuti could be right in his song, ‘suffering and smiling’, after all.
Despite their challenges, the average Nigerian is not only very prayerful but resolute that his tomorrow shall be better than his today. This, we pray. Our collective task is to ensure good governance from those saddled with the responsibility and continually interrogate and expose the thievery of the political class so that very soon Nigeria will rise again. After all, the Chinese philosopher, Confucius said: Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising each time we fall.
May Nigeria rise again! Amen.
