Over a century, African Nations have strife so hard to maintain her
position in global economy. But the reverse has not been favourable due
to various socio-political vices imbedded in policy direction and poor
leadership style. In a pre-colonial era and pre-slave commercialization,
Africans had a stable economic system and centralized unit of control
or power with which they led their own people.
This was mostly achieved through monarch and other form of centralised
unit of administration, this operational government system cut across
the continent of Africa as it were.
The continent was graciously
blessed by natural endowment. Starting from gold, copper, lead, crude
oil, natural gas shade, timber, agricultural produce (arable and aquatic farming),
and abundance of sun shine and rain. Her land was very fertile, yield
without artificial earthy or botanical energizer like fertilizers or
genetically motivated crops that is via through evolution science. All
things were naturally beautiful in their own God given way.
Africa
had a very stable and unique culture, which depit brotherhood or
neighbourliness. A unitary and a communion system of living was the cord
that bind citizenry together in all ramification until the advent of
slave trade by the Western world in 18th century, which consequently
breaded colonialism and neo-colonialism in the 19th century. In a
pre-colonial era, Africans economy was agro base until late 19th century
when other mineral resources were gradually being discovered in the
continent, prominent of these are Lime stones, crude oil, Iron Ore,
gold, bitumen, copper, lead, etc. the ironing of it all, is that, at the
return of self-governance of each State, most independent nation within
the continent refused to internalise her economic growth and
development. Rather, tailor or patterned their growth towards their
colonial masters’ ideology which ordinarily negated the value system of
the African people thereby hampering sectorial development.
This
situation enlarge the theory and principles of cultural imperialism
within African States, thereby largely influences and patterned the
structure of her socio-political and economic ideals towards their
colonial masters depending on whose divide the country belong to among
the Western Bloc (colonial masters). Nigeria, one of the colonies of
British had her own share of cultural vandalism and imperialist
mentality which has continued to be a stumbling block to her
socioeconomic and political development till date.
There is no
doubt, that Nigeria was once the giant of Africa continent, her big
brother role in liberalization of some African countries from colonial
slavery, military subjugation, assistance in on conflict resolution,
mopping up of multifarious arms in circulation, control/ dismantling of
militant prone region in the content, financial human resource
assistance, among others, earned her the ‘Big Brother’ accolade of the
continent. The discovery of large deposit of crude oil and gas and other
solid mineral resources in the late 1950s, gave the country the
economic leverage to stand out among her counterpart in the committees
of States. But, with all these charitable benevolent accredited to her,
she has become a toddler in the African economic scheme of events. Which
has been adduce to poor structural policy style, inconsistency in
leadership proficiency, long rule of military governance, elitist
corruption, lack of focused leadership direction etc. has humbled the
once known giant of Africa to mere economic toddler.
There are
three prominent problems confronting the growth and development of the
country, which we had ignore over decades, yet, our major setbacks as
long as they remain unattended to. These are:
Structural Problem;
Generational Problem; and
Regional sentiment
Africa
continent is great and God has given each of its nations seeds of
greatness and except there is paradigm shift in her generational
methodology, she will continue to remain the very way she is. We must
stop being sentimental and begin to think and do things in a new way in
our leadership portfolio if we must become greater and be recognized in
community of nations globally.
As a growing child in the 70s
things were better and life was pleasant, but busiest energetic economy
then was that of Nigeria. We were focused, proud and have our pride in
the country because our hope and fate was not dampened, our futures were
full with aspiration to uphold the tenant value system that was handed
over to us by our parents, teachers and our religious leader who
constantly drum the ethics of responsiveness, honesty and hard work in
our ears at all time. This kept us check and going. But unconsciously,
there was a satanic paradigm shift from credibility consciousness to
wealth consciousness leading to a gradual depletion of our values and
culture which was built fear of God, morals, respect to one another,
discipline, hard work, brotherliness, etc.
Structural Problem:
The deliberate of introduction of Federal Character structure and
Catchment Policy introduced to our education policy killed and brought
socioeconomic gaps in our polity as the region begins to segregate in
the oneness that once existed amongst Nigerians.
The decades of
military rules in the country helped to also polarize the polity.
Integrity was thrown off board, mediocracy, tribal sentiment took center
stage, military elastic corruption became the order of the day creating
a hug platform for regional and religious sentiment, wrong pegs where
found in the right holes paving way for nor performance and
inefficiency, just to mention but few of these challenges.
During
pre-independence of Nigeria, we had what looked like a perfect country
because our Heroes had one and common agenda with the Colonial, to be
liberated. And there were neither boundaries nor ideological or regional
sentiment. Rather, there was one common enemy one battle and one
‘Nation” to die for. No sooner, independent was attained in October 1st
of 1960 there was an urgent quest to pattern and structure the New Bride
‘Nigeria’ in a way that will benefit all Nigerians irrespective of
religion, tribal sentiment, beliefs and boundaries. We were one
indivisible entity.
Shortly
afterwards came the ugly civil war of 1967 which created ethnic and
regional barriers and political shift that triggered new class struggle
among the military and public servant elite class, regional and
segregation struggle emerged that created a gradual collapse of the
common ideas of one nation that was handed over to a new dispensation by
our forefathers.
The civil war brought about a new paradigm shift
in tribal sentiment, catchment differences, quarter system regionalism
in the federal and state public service, splitting Nigerians into three
major ethnic groups, religions differences etc. while another section of
Nigerian known as Minority Groups come together to fight as bloc of the
under-dogs in the country polity.
The above sentiment, led to a
gradual systemic and structural decline of the country’s Unitary force
that once bind the country together which further enthroned scientific
disintegration and the opening up of primitive acquisition of wealth,
multifarious arms possession, poor political class, regimental policy
framework, poor administrative efficiency of appointees, and the
heighten of power struggle amongst the ruling class took the center
stage of our socioeconomic and political platform to the detriment of
national peace.
The pre-colonial structural heritage was thrown to
the wind. Traditional respect and values became a taboo while greed for
power, wealth and position took the norms and values of most Nigerians.
Regional sentiment grew out of proportion given a wider margin of
structural or systemic failure of post-independence ideas gradually
became elusive.
Here we are today, unable to define what system of
government we truly practice. Some regional glamour for regional
government, some true federalism, some presidential system of
government; what a confused state of nation we are. Any nation with the
aforementioned will definitely collapse. The current economic recession
in Nigeria is a pointer to this undisputed fact.
Our selfish drive
for power, led to the killing of our foremost nationalists who were not
given enough time to instill and mentor younger generational for
leadership was one of the country’s greatest undoing. Here we are almost
60 years post independents we are still complaining whether to remain
in light or darkness. While nations with almost same years of
independence from same colonial master have gone far ahead in
development, we’re still picking the pieces of structural failures
pillared by lack of leadership style.
Nigeria structure is based
on Neofanatism, tribal, religious, regional sentiment. Nigeria is one
country that have perfect hatred for those who are intelligent, love for
mediocracy, and those who are very lazy who possesses greater skills
for manipulate them at will.
Nigeria is a country where most of
their socio-political parties are bereaved of nationalistic ideas,
rather the parties are garnish with administrative wickedness, illogical
manifesto, and unrealistic ideas that has further lunch the nation
retrogressively into a neolistic era of the current ongoing economic
recession witnessed in Nigeria. Although, the current recession should
been seen as a teacher of experience, this means that, Nigeria should
domesticalise her development purposefully with the intention to avoid
her past mistakes in her derive for development. Thus, our structure
needs serious visitation or else, we are likely to be confronted with
depression.
Generational Problem:
Nigeria is
one country that kills or distorts the growth of the younger generation
deliberately. Leaders, either die in power or bequeath power to their
next of kin with the intension to strategically position them for future
leadership position whether qualify, fit or not. As long as his/her is
from their lineage he/she fits.
Take a look at the class of those
ruling or had led this country, Late General Murtala Mohammed, Obafemi
Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Aminu kano, Anthony Enarhoro, etc they were
known as Nationalists. But, this can’t be said of our present leaders.
Now the absolutism am talking about is found in obsolete ideology
promoted by older generations who have lost touch with modernity,
science and technology. A threefold element that drives the global
development is: technology, socioeconomic policy and human capacity
development of countries of the world which Nigeria is aspiring to
become.
Every developed economy entrenches younger generation to
the scheme of events with a view to mentor them into good leaders when
they finally passes on. But this can’t be said of Nigeria leaders. If by
chance younger generation gets close to power, they are pushed or
frustrated out with various forms of treats. When a generation out
leaves its usefulness it can’t generate new ideas that will move a new
generation forward. Surely older generation should give way to a new
dispensation, while the old order stays as advisers or mentors.
Fundamental theory of nation building recognizes change. It is only the
principles of positive change that can trigger meaningful development.
As long as the Nigeria Nation continue to recycles her older generation,
thing will only remain the same old ways of doing thing and can’t be
better. The theory of absolutism is a quest for radical change that will
effectively energize industrial development. Serious thought should be
accorded to this concept. Hence, the country will continue to move in a
circle of non-achievement.
Regional Sentiment
Any nation that want to grow and develop must approach it daily
activities with the best of hands not trading on sentiment of any such.
The argument in some quarters in the country is that, Nigeria is
multicultural ethnic groups with diverse cultural heritage. It’s a
statement of fact. But, no country I n the world has one culture or
value system. What they have in common is one linguist or a common
language, yet they are fact developed. What makes them tick? Is self
determination to get the best in all spheres of their endeavors? Until
we realign our divided boundaries of hate, religious bigotry, tribal
sentiment, nepotism, etc. we might remain static in the Common Wealth of
Nations. The currently crisis perpetuated by different militias groups
in the country is a trickle impact of long neglects of one minority
social groups or the other within a particular region.
Sentiment
is a social killer, it hinders growth and efficiency and
unproductiveness within the system where its encouraged to function or
where it’s dominant. Nigeria has no business being in the current
position she finds herself. A country that is much endowed with high
potentials of natural and human resources, none has seen in other
developed and developing economies of the world. Our inability to
effectively manage these resources has led us to where we are. Nigerians
level of intellectualism in every facet of discipline across the globe
is amazing. Yet, we are where we are today. The gains of creditability
outweigh the dividend of mediocracy. Sentiment encourages laziness and
enthrones woeful failure and retrogression.
Knowledge of
tremendous increase globally, and actuation should be enforced in
Nigeria, skill and scheme developed for others, the slogan, ‘this is my
brother, friend, religious affiliate’, etc. should be done with; while
meritocracy take front stage in polity of our country. Only at such
instances we could be bold enough to collectively confront our lapses,
fears, worries and enemies and being leap-frog further in growth and
development. Once these steps are taken, structural development will
begin to set in.
Nigerians should appreciate the current ongoing
recession. It means the country is great and she has the power and
potentials to bounce back to economic acreage. What this mean is that,
we must domesticalize our industrialization process and markets
strategies, motive the labour force to be result oriented, harness our
natural human resources, bravely and boldness to execute profitable
policy direction and structurally reposition the public sector towards
functionality driven sector and economy diversification will give the
country a new socioeconomic independence to develop.
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