By Abu Shekara
Named after a river that flows astride its landmass, Nigeria has an eventful history – a tale that reads like “The Tempest”, with all the trappings. If compressed to a two hour tale, the story of our country would be a true thriller and what’s more, it’s all true.
What haven’t we gone through, what haven’t we seen? On our soil was the tumult of war; genuine, extreme nationalism and supreme sacrifice against the murderous, insatiable hunger of alien expansionist treasure hunters.
There were the years of alien subjugation, when the citizens’ lives were far less worthy than what sprouted off their own land. Then, after spirited struggle came the anti-climax, when freedom was merely a flag, an anthem and coat of arms and much less than desired to start a nation.
Opposing currents rocked our boat, as we turned on ourselves with more gusto than we hitherto did against the departed alien masters. Nigeria, before it was truly Nigerian, almost tore apart. Half a century after the Civil War, we’re still embroiled in heated debate as to whether we are or not, or will ever be a nation.
The dynamics that prove Nigerians are more united than divided are however, obvious to all discerning and sincere observers. Above the discordant voices that seek to echo our division, beyond group slogans and rhetoric, our individual dreams, aspirations and daily quests for survival are indeed, the same for all citizens be they in Sokoto, Enugu, Oyo, Port Harcourt or Yola.
Narrow desires of individuals and fractional groups distract from the realization of the fact that it is common ground across all strata of the Nigerian society on the street, corridors of power and corporate boardrooms; that each class is truly more united by its members’ common concerns than divided by primordial interests. Our disputes are certainly more contrived than real.
The worst victim of dispute is the truth; especially if the dispute is caused by purposeful denial of the truth, which is the case in Nigeria, the proverbial Tower of Babel, where conscience is all but lost. And “conscience”, Sheikh Usmanu Danfodiyo said, “is an open wound. Only truth can heal it”
Nigeria indeed needs healing in its conscience, if at all it is to recover from the crises that ravage its wellbeing and the only remedy is the truth. We need not to search far, though. The medicine is with us and within reach. What is simply required are healers to prescribe and administer.
This need is several times expressed by Nigerians, who often entertain moments of reflection on the state and future of the nation. Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, echoed the fact, when he recently said, “the unity of Nigeria as of today has never been this bad. We need a leadership that has the capacity to hold the county together and that is why I insist that we must rescue Nigeria from the hand of a clique.”
Who then, bells the cat; to not only lead the nation to realize the truth about itself but also, make the citizens face its reality and settle for what the truth entails? That is certainly not an easy task but not as uphill as the long standing and sustained effort to split Nigeria by self serving cabals.
That the divisive “cliques” have failed in their self serving designs, after over sixty years of trial, proves the existence of stronger but more composed forces, who at all times rise to the occasion to pull the nation back from the precipice.
Here in, lies the cure, the unmistakable cue to the once in a lifetime chance to sort the chaff from the grains in the confusing cacophony that makes uncertain, which way to turn. Unity of purpose, driven by a national front of progressives is the sole panacea for Nigeria’s recovery and advancement.
Nigeria needs not search far for this emancipating group. Their identification is not so hard a task. For, their postures and actions set them apart from the crowd. They are individuals, who at one time or another, seized given opportunities to unify, rather than divide, to be inclusive, rather than exclusive.
These eligible yeomen do not have the tendency to proclaim or reclaim disintegration or unity at the whim of their personal, primordial interests. To them, the affairs of Nigeria are not just a game of cards, in which, the deal after every shuffle determines the move and position and privilege are not chips for securing the best personal bargains.
As the Sokoto State Governor advocates, we need to retrieve and secure Nigeria from the clique of power prospectors, whose penchant is to use and dump our individual and collective capacities, as it suits their caprices. In fact, Tambuwal’s rise in politics is a lesson in the demystification of godfathers.
From his first successful attempt at partisan elective office, Tambuwal has at each stage, followed his conviction against the desires of political demigods. And his serial successes (from the National Assembly to his two terms Governorship) prove that the solidarity of progressive forces is superior to the machinations and subterfuge of self appointed political tin gods.
The outcomes of elections, since 2019, with the very recent example of Edo State make this fact more and more obvious and the realization is catching on so fast in Nigeria: the era of power cliques who divide and rule the people is ending. So, the moment should not be lost on us, to seize the chance that is once in a life time.
