by Prince Abass Adeyemi, Adeyeye
The current state of the Nation has called for a repositioning and reorganization of our dear country Nigeria. Nigeria is currently divided along elites and oppressed lines. the major two tribes right now in the country are the elite tribe and the oppressed (Masses) tribe. The most obvious is that both tribes are faced with a common enemy in recent time which is very alien and unusual. Both the elite and the oppressed tribes of Nigeria are currently faced with insecurity and economic instability. Although these two enemies among other plagues of Nigeria are orchestrated by the elite tribe, their creation is now coming back to hunt them, which is just the beginning as it will eventually may consume both tribes and the country at Large.
It should be clearly stated that the whole noise that have overtaken the space of the country today is simply a distraction to take away the concentration of the oppressed populace of Nigeria from the highest level of corruption ever experienced at any point in time in this country as well a tool to use the oppressed in amplifying the dissatisfaction of the unpatronized few elites in the corruption galore currently at the highest level in Nigeria. This is a time for all well meaning Nigerians to wake up from their slumber and stand firm, stand their ground and insist on a referendum/restructuring of a Nigeria, one that works for all Nigerians and not just the elites.
Discussing 2023 election will only result in making mockery of the masses frustrations, outcry and dissatisfaction with the Nigerian government, current and previous, and the unrelenting injustices and regional bigotry if the Elites. At the current state of Nigeria, an election that will be conducted under the current constitutional provision is just a mockery of our displeasure as this will only further shift the doomsday of our country forward while we the suffering Nigerian populace continue to wallow in poverty, insecurity, injustices, the impact of corruption, civil unrest among others.
A unison decision of replacing Jonathan and the PDP with Buhari of the APC in 2015 should have taught the Nigerian populace a very great lesson that there is nothing good that can come of a Nigerian Nazareth that is been governed with the 1999 Nigerian satanic Constitution. The current Nigerian Constitution is the most unjust and anti-people documents on the surface of Nigeria today and this only favors the elite tribe, as such they’ll do everything to protect their means for selfish enrichment to the detriment of the Nigerian populace. The current uprising, injustices, communal imbalances, corruption and lack of empathy in Nigeria has been majorly caused by the elite using the 1999 Constitution as their major weapon. As such campaigning for anyone in the guise of the 2023 election without a proper assay and renegotiation of the Nigerian states and constitution is just a mere advert of continued anarchy in Nigeria.
To the Secessionists, let’s refresh our memory towards the Nigerian Biafra civil war and the Operation WET É of 1983, the Nigerians who witnessed these two eventful seasons in our nationhood can for sure recount how bitter the experience was. Again this past experiences have been a tool in the hands of the rulers because they already know that the masses have suddenly become cowards of their own conscience for the fear of the impact of war, but thanks to the renewed agitations of the IPOB and the recently botched ENDSAS protest which was characterized by tyrannical, anarchical and murderous responses from the same people in power tribe called government to the masses on a genuine agitation. These have helped reinstate the confidence of the people in self determination and as well served as a litmus test to the Elites. But seceding without a clear Constitution and organized agenda and approach will only be counter productive and even become more anarchical and force the regions into a South Sudan situation.
As such a well planned movement and agenda should be well designed so as not to end up into a sorry state . There’s no doubt that the Nigerian state must be renegotiated and the first approach to such is a constitutional redocumentation and reorganization. A constitutional review and redocumentation should be the first assay, as such no reasonable Nigerian should talk about a 2023 election without constitutional referendum. Before Secession, a clear cut constitutional referendum should be considered, as we could be better together as a country only when we consider a regional and true federated system of government.
For instance, the old Yoruba Country 63 years before a country called Nigeria, was a well organized system where all provinces were allowed it’s sovereignty and governance. According to a book written in 1851 titled “seventeen years in the Yoruba Country” by Anna Hinderer, this was 33 years short of the Berlin conference of 1884-85 that triggered the enslavement of a civilized people and this was 63 years prior to the British conquest and amalgamation of the present day Nigeria in 1914; the organization of the Yoruba Nation as identified by the comity of Nations was well defined.
During 1952 Yoruba self-rule, the political boundaries of the country were separated into Regional, Provincial, Divisional, District and Native authorities. As such the Yoruba Nation as at 1952 was well organized such that it consists of 1 Autonomous region, 9 provinces, 19 divisions, 40 Districts and well over 200 Native authorities. the Yoruba Nation was the best sort after before the 1960 Nigerian Independence until the system was suspended by the military and replaced with the institution of a unitary presidential system an unworkable political system in 1966.
So until we have a Nigerian Constitution that addresses a regional development, cultural differences and autonomy, there can never be a peaceful country, and talking about election without addressing these fundamental issues is like playing with matches and gun powder in a fuel station.
The Yoruba Provincial boundaries are very clear, and so are that of other regions, their autonomy have to be acknowledged in the redrafted and redocumented constitution. The Yoruba regional Provincial boundaries includes Oyo province, Ibadan province, Abeokuta province, Lagos colony, Ondo province, Benin province, Ijebu province, Oyo-Ife Province and lastly Ilorin-Kaba province. All these provinces had their resources controlled by the regions and the regional system was well development oriented. Also the monarchy and traditional institution autonomy can never be buried, unattended to, if we must attain a peaceful and well coordinated Nigeria.
In all these, how does Revolution comes into play? From the routine practice of Nigeria and it’s Elites, it is obvious that the ruling class will never do anything in the interest of the general masses of Nigeria except it favors their biddings. Also in a general saying that power is never given but taken, and power belongs to the people, it has become a national duty that all well meaning Nigerians both home and in the diaspora. In order to address all grievance, the oppressed Nigerians which are the second and largest tribe in Nigeria have to unite and ensure a surge in the current style of government and a social Revolution against the other oppressive tribe and enemies of the country (The Elites). They are hell bent on milking Nigeria dry irrespective of the dream-killing, unworkable, and inhumane situation and the evil constitution of Nigeria. The safest and most potent approach towards a lasting solution to Nigerian problem remains a social Revolution where all stakeholders are brought to the negotiation table and a new workable constitution is drafted and documented.
Social revolution is the only process that can create a surge that will give rise to reconstruction of our security framework, resources distribution and control, regional and monarchy autonomy, employment fairness among others. Most people become jittery whenever the word revolution is mentioned, and also war is too expensive to exploit amidst a situation like ours, there is two alternatives to choose from; A Revolution or a War situation. On the long run one is inevitable.
The earlier we deal with these issues of insecurity, the restructuring of the country and the re-writing a new constitution where every Nigerian participates in drafting, the better for all. The center no longer Holds water and we are in a War situation in Nigeria, the elites know this and only playing the hypocritical oppressed masses who keep shying away from facing their worst fears. Let’s all solve this national misery ones and for all through a sovereign national conference, a permanent solution at the least risk.
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