A former President of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Raph Uwechue, writing in a two-part article in The PUNCH sometime last year on the above, stated as follows:
“A truly strong and prosperous Nigeria has, of necessity, to be a politically stable Nigeria. Greater strength does not necessarily lie in the outwardly impressive but inwardly brittle togetherness such as binds the particles of a piece of rock but in the less obvious and more supple cohesiveness holding together those of a lump of rubber. Tested under pressure, the former cracks up; the latter bulges but does not break. Nigeria’s ultimate strength and chances of stable progress in sustainable unity lie in her ability to hold together in times of stress the various and divergent elements of which she is composed. They do not lie in setting up an over-centralised constitutional straight jacket with insufficient allowance for her varying angles and curves.”
I must extol our eminent brother for this most apt analogy. For all I know, Uwechue would make a very good material scientist.
However, I beg to disagree with the imposition of one particular “no-go area” as proposed by Gen. Yakubu Gowon 50 odd years ago, namely that a total break-up of Nigeria should not be considered or discussed at all. Pray, how then do the conferees come face to face with the true cost of a break-up? That is the only thing that will force all parties back to their senses, to make the necessary compromises towards bringing about a viable peoples’ constitution for Nigeria. Otherwise, statements like, “The unity of Nigeria is a settled issue,” will continue to be bandied around to the detriment of true dialogue.
The expression, “forever,” is also often used with triumphal certainty by some segments of the Nigerian society. Pray, how long is “forever”? Ten years, 50, a hundred? Ask the Russians. Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, quoting Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “Tout empire perira.” All empires, kingdoms and hegemonies sooner or later come to an end, meaning, perish! Emperor Constantine’s efforts ultimately came to naught. So much for “forever.”
Just like in the case of Nigeria, the British planted the seeds of disunity among the people of Sudan, making no effort to unite them in equity. See where it has led them. Several commentators have recently reminded us of the dissolution of once powerful nations, starting with the Soviet Union, Ethiopia, etc, and ending with the Sudan. Indonesia hung on to East Timor right from the departure of the Portuguese but eventually had to let it go. Heaven did not fall. Indonesia is today a happier and more secure and prosperous country. It even has spare financial resources to invest in Nigeria, money that would have been wasted chasing the likes of the late freedom fighter, Xanana Guzman. Here in Nigeria, we waste resources tracking Raph. Uwazurike when he is not at large, while the country is going to the dogs.
If, in the very unlikely event, the Nigerian peoples were to decide to rather go their separate ways and live peacefully as neighbours as opposed to the ongoing tearing into one another in a fractious marriage, heaven will not fall either. Nations and kingdoms do evolve.
So, let’s get on with an open-ended, free and unfettered dialogue over the national question. Nigeria will definitely be the better for it. Fear mongering, about the negative outcome of a long delayed but most necessary conference that has not yet taken place, is actually criminal. We have missed several opportunities in the past to set things right. Please God, guide us to succeed this time around.
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