As Nigeria approaches fifty years of nationhood, any sincere observer will agree that we have not fulfilled our potential as a people. This fact has been stark in the way we have conducted our affairs since November 23, when President Umaru Yar’adua took ill. We make the country look foolish in the eyes of the world, and other nations and peoples must often wonder what sort of people we are? Like Hillary Clinton wondered, why should we have so much crude oil and import refined petroleum products? Why is it difficult to conduct credible elections in Nigeria? Why in deed do our elections get worse at every run? Why are we so self-destructive that we steal all our national wealth, only to hide them in other nations while we don’t have good hospitals, roads and airports? Why do we kill ourselves every now and then in the name of ethnic, communal or religious conflict?
I am convinced that one explanation for our national drift is that we have not answered some basic questions about what we want as a nation. Or perhaps our answers to those questions are so different, varied or inconsistent that as a group of people, we become dysfunctional? Our perhaps seeing that we have different perspectives to these questions, we agree to do nothing about them and continue in an inefficient compromise in which every thing is open to negotiation, and nothing is resolved. Can we progress as a nation, if we don’t resolve on our basic corporate vision and strategy? Is it possible to achieve development without a shared sense of purpose, nationhood and direction? Some will say we have Vision 2020; or that we had Vision 2010 in the past; or National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) or Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) before then; or a national anthem and national pledge all of which include lofty pronouncements on the issues I claim are unanswered.
My answer is that as a strategist, I know very well that strategy is not what you say; or what you write in your plan or strategy document; or the declarations contained in your vision and mission statement. Strategy is what you do, and do consistently! I have identified at least seven fundamental questions which our actions reveal we either do not have settled answers to, or our perspectives are so inconsistent or irreconcilable as to leave us hobbled and immobile as a nation.
Do we seek to be a modern, democratic nation-state, organised as a constitutional democracy based on the rule of law or are we a pre-modern, traditional, communalist or neo-feudal society ruled by men, negotiation, consensus or customs? Can we be both these things as we evidently seek to be? There is much evidence in favour of both of these conceptions of organising society in Nigeria. Yes we have a constitution, but we have difficulty obeying it, and are always looking for “political solutions” like our pre-colonial towns and villages in which when a conflict arises, every one assembles in the village square or traditional rulers palace to agree some consensus. We have governors, but mention one governor in Nigeria who does not defer to Obas, Emirs, Obis and other traditional institutions in matters of governance and policy?
Do we desire a competitive, free enterprise, private-sector led, entrepreneurial and transparent society or a prebendal, rent-allocating, state-controlled, dependent economy? Are we agreed on this question? Why do we for instance have difficulty privatising PHCN or the refineries in spite of the clear failure of these entities in government hands? Even our so-called private sector leadership turn into opponents of privatisation once they are in government only to rediscover the virtues of such liberalising polices after they leave their very rewarding government positions. Why in spite of the overwhelming evidence from telecommunications, broadcasting, financial services, aviation etc are we unwilling to deregulate power, downstream petroleum and solid minerals?
Do we want to build a progressive, dynamic, enlightened, forward-looking society in which everyone has access to qualitative health, education, employment and social protection or we are a conservative, archaic society in which everyone fends for himself and the poor are condemned to a sub-human existence? Why then have our leaders refused to invest in our human capital? Why do we leave over fifty per cent of our people in poverty? Why do we ignore the looming crisis of unemployment, illiteracy and social dislocation that threatens our society’s social fabric? What will be the relationship between the leaders and the citizens in Nigeria? Do we want a bottom-up society, a participatory democracy with access to information, free, transparent elections, fundamental freedoms and a free and ethical press or we are a top-down society ruled by cabals, cliques, oligarchs, patriarchs, chieftains or other unelected or unaccountable leaders? Why can’t our political parties-all of them-organise transparent party primaries? Why must our elections be rigged or violent? Why do we refuse freedom of information to the citizens?
There are others as well. Do we want a secular society in which we separate state and religion or we are a sectarian society? What we have today is a fudge that threatens to one day explode in our faces. Do we desire ethnic harmony or hegemony? Are we a nation or a group of peoples? Do we have one national interest or a set of (often conflicting) sub-national interests? As a people, are we interested in politics or policy? Do we seek development or decay?
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Interesting Times Part 2
Contrary to whatever you may have thought, our nation’s interesting times are far from over. As it begins to seem like the worst of our days of living dangerously are drawing to a close, new ploys emerge to remind us that perhaps some of the protagonists consider this a “fight to finish”.
Akunyili and the Angry Senator
In re-constituting his cabinet, political imperatives appeared to weigh more on Acting President Goodluck Jonathan’s mind. This is mildly understandable given the complex politics surrounding his position and the unfinished work of political consolidation. Even though merit and competence may not have been completely dispensed with, political calculations are more evident. We hope however that Jonathan would now focus the ministers on delivering value to the Nigerian people. The nomination of Murtala Yar’adua, nephew of the ill older President Yar’adua and son of late General Shehu Musa Yar’adua was a politically significant entry into the cabinet; Governor Daniel in Ogun State would obviously be very uncomfortable with his former mentor, Senator Jubril Martins Kuye’s re-appointment; all of the core Yar’adua clique have been displaced with only one or two of their moderate allies making it into the new team.
Clearly the highlight of the screening of the Ministers was the intemperate haranguing of Professor Dora Akunyili by Senator Kanti (“it’s not Kanta”) Bello, the Senate Majority Whip from Katsina. The angry Senator did not have any questions of policy or national development for the ministerial nominee. His only grouse with her was that she had betrayed his cabal by turning against Turai Yar’adua, for whom according to the Senator, she previously used to cook! Thankfully Kanti Bello’s senatorial colleagues took a much more matured approach to the issue and did not turn the ministerial confirmation process into an occasion for throwing emotional brick bats! Indeed the Senate President, David Mark and his colleagues appear to have acquitted themselves as Statesmen through these difficult times.
Yar’adua and the Imams
It emerged last week that four prominent Northern (Hausa-Fulani) Islamic Clerics had visited with ailing President Umaru Yar’adua. The four-Ustaz Musa Mohammed, Chief Imam of the Abuja National Mosque; Dr Sheik Datti Ahmed, President of the “Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria”; Sheik Yakubu Musa, leader of the Izala Muslim Sect in Katsina; and Sheik Isa Pantami of Bauchi-claimed to have visited Yar’adua on behalf of the Muslim Community in (Northern?) Nigeria. Ustaz Mohammed thereafter announced details of the meeting to Friday worshippers at the Abuja Mosque. The Acting President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chief Justice of the Federation are yet to see the President! Additional reports indicated that the clerics had previously presented several complaints all relating to concerns of Northern Muslims to Acting President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Gusau. They reportedly advised Jonathan “to be sensitive in his appointments to reflect religious and ethnic balance in the country” (I wonder if they ever gave Umaru Yar’adua the same advice?) and warned the re-constituted Executive Council of the Federation against attempting to remove Yar’adua from office, threatening “serious crisis whose ramification cannot be comprehended” according to THISDAY of Sunday April 4, 2010. Anyone attempting Yar’adua’s removal would according to Ahmed be “playing with fire”! Interesting!!!
The previous Friday, word had been spread around Abuja of Yar’adua’s intention to show up at Friday Islamic prayers. The Sultan of Sokoto has also warned against the removal of Muslim Service Chiefs. Increasingly Yar’adua’s loyalists are moving their ambitions from the realms of politics, to an ethic cum regional power struggle and are now recasting it as a religious issue. Interesting? No! Very dangerous!!!
Switching Cabals
Meanwhile there have been a lot of publications inciting Nigerians against those perceived to be the strategic backbone of the Jonathan regime-Generals Obasanjo, Danjuma, Aliyu Gusau and Babangida. Suddenly the advertisers and their sponsors abhor cabals of any hue and colour. Interestingly these people did not have any problems with the Katsina mafia of Turai, Dahiru Mangal, Tanimu Yakubu, Sayaddi Abba Ruma and others when they held sway but all their democratic instincts have been aroused now that there has been a switch in cabals. Even Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi, a former National Security Chief and prominent politician has joined the fray. He complains about the “pervasive influence of cliques, cabals, kitchen cabinets and what have you on constitutional government” and seems to have a grouse with Jonathan’s Presidential Advisory Council chaired by General T.Y Danjuma. Now I would rather have a proper democracy in which the will of the people, rather than “godfathers”, “cabals” and “chieftains” prevails, (and the sooner we establish that real democracy the better) but compared to the Turai cabal of third rate provincial politicians, middle-level security officers and housewives, I suspect Nigerians should be more comfortable with the new “cabal”!
Danger Signals
The bottom line is that there is a strenuous effort to transform what should have been a simple matter of a president proceeding on medical leave of absence after forwarding a letter to the National Assembly as required by section 145 of the 1999 Constitution into a simmering national crisis that seeks to re-open all our political, ethnic, regional and religious fault lines. The blame for all this is squarely that of Yar’adua and/or his advisers and handlers who blatantly refused to comply with the dictates of sections 144 and 145 of the constitution. It is not yet clear where all this will end.
Akunyili and the Angry Senator
In re-constituting his cabinet, political imperatives appeared to weigh more on Acting President Goodluck Jonathan’s mind. This is mildly understandable given the complex politics surrounding his position and the unfinished work of political consolidation. Even though merit and competence may not have been completely dispensed with, political calculations are more evident. We hope however that Jonathan would now focus the ministers on delivering value to the Nigerian people. The nomination of Murtala Yar’adua, nephew of the ill older President Yar’adua and son of late General Shehu Musa Yar’adua was a politically significant entry into the cabinet; Governor Daniel in Ogun State would obviously be very uncomfortable with his former mentor, Senator Jubril Martins Kuye’s re-appointment; all of the core Yar’adua clique have been displaced with only one or two of their moderate allies making it into the new team.
Clearly the highlight of the screening of the Ministers was the intemperate haranguing of Professor Dora Akunyili by Senator Kanti (“it’s not Kanta”) Bello, the Senate Majority Whip from Katsina. The angry Senator did not have any questions of policy or national development for the ministerial nominee. His only grouse with her was that she had betrayed his cabal by turning against Turai Yar’adua, for whom according to the Senator, she previously used to cook! Thankfully Kanti Bello’s senatorial colleagues took a much more matured approach to the issue and did not turn the ministerial confirmation process into an occasion for throwing emotional brick bats! Indeed the Senate President, David Mark and his colleagues appear to have acquitted themselves as Statesmen through these difficult times.
Yar’adua and the Imams
It emerged last week that four prominent Northern (Hausa-Fulani) Islamic Clerics had visited with ailing President Umaru Yar’adua. The four-Ustaz Musa Mohammed, Chief Imam of the Abuja National Mosque; Dr Sheik Datti Ahmed, President of the “Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria”; Sheik Yakubu Musa, leader of the Izala Muslim Sect in Katsina; and Sheik Isa Pantami of Bauchi-claimed to have visited Yar’adua on behalf of the Muslim Community in (Northern?) Nigeria. Ustaz Mohammed thereafter announced details of the meeting to Friday worshippers at the Abuja Mosque. The Acting President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chief Justice of the Federation are yet to see the President! Additional reports indicated that the clerics had previously presented several complaints all relating to concerns of Northern Muslims to Acting President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Gusau. They reportedly advised Jonathan “to be sensitive in his appointments to reflect religious and ethnic balance in the country” (I wonder if they ever gave Umaru Yar’adua the same advice?) and warned the re-constituted Executive Council of the Federation against attempting to remove Yar’adua from office, threatening “serious crisis whose ramification cannot be comprehended” according to THISDAY of Sunday April 4, 2010. Anyone attempting Yar’adua’s removal would according to Ahmed be “playing with fire”! Interesting!!!
The previous Friday, word had been spread around Abuja of Yar’adua’s intention to show up at Friday Islamic prayers. The Sultan of Sokoto has also warned against the removal of Muslim Service Chiefs. Increasingly Yar’adua’s loyalists are moving their ambitions from the realms of politics, to an ethic cum regional power struggle and are now recasting it as a religious issue. Interesting? No! Very dangerous!!!
Switching Cabals
Meanwhile there have been a lot of publications inciting Nigerians against those perceived to be the strategic backbone of the Jonathan regime-Generals Obasanjo, Danjuma, Aliyu Gusau and Babangida. Suddenly the advertisers and their sponsors abhor cabals of any hue and colour. Interestingly these people did not have any problems with the Katsina mafia of Turai, Dahiru Mangal, Tanimu Yakubu, Sayaddi Abba Ruma and others when they held sway but all their democratic instincts have been aroused now that there has been a switch in cabals. Even Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi, a former National Security Chief and prominent politician has joined the fray. He complains about the “pervasive influence of cliques, cabals, kitchen cabinets and what have you on constitutional government” and seems to have a grouse with Jonathan’s Presidential Advisory Council chaired by General T.Y Danjuma. Now I would rather have a proper democracy in which the will of the people, rather than “godfathers”, “cabals” and “chieftains” prevails, (and the sooner we establish that real democracy the better) but compared to the Turai cabal of third rate provincial politicians, middle-level security officers and housewives, I suspect Nigerians should be more comfortable with the new “cabal”!
Danger Signals
The bottom line is that there is a strenuous effort to transform what should have been a simple matter of a president proceeding on medical leave of absence after forwarding a letter to the National Assembly as required by section 145 of the 1999 Constitution into a simmering national crisis that seeks to re-open all our political, ethnic, regional and religious fault lines. The blame for all this is squarely that of Yar’adua and/or his advisers and handlers who blatantly refused to comply with the dictates of sections 144 and 145 of the constitution. It is not yet clear where all this will end.
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