Nation Building

Nation Building: National Reform Conference is not enough

Victor E. Dike

Confronted by public criticism and dissension within his party Chief Obasanjo could no longer dismiss public demand for a conference to discuss the many issues facing the nation, which the National Assembly has least bothered to resolve. The public has been furious with the administration because the political life of the country is becoming increasingly corrupt. And that has hampered the project of nation building. However, nation building involves tremendous hard work, patience, and personal sacrifice from leaders (and followers), but it appears Nigeria lacks requisite number of self-sacrificed leaders that could devote themselves for this cause. Whatever the administration’s motives are the fact remains that a mere convocation of a National Political Reform Conference is not enough to move Nigeria forward.

Nevertheless, let’s hope that the delegates are not there just to get their share of the national cake because some of them are already complaining that the fund appropriated for the exercise is not enough. Yet, quite a few of them have been caught by roving cameras sleeping away their time at the conference. It is sad that not many Nigerians would endure some personal inconveniences for the benefit of the society. And it is ironic that some of those who have had the opportunity to immortalize their name by contributing to the development of Nigeria, but squandered the golden opportunity, are now pointing accusing fingers on the leaders for the ills of the society. This is sheer nonsense! This group has failed to understand that they are part of the leadership that bastardized and pauperized the nation. If they are complaining about the sordid state of the nation what should those of us the struggling poor souls and the masses deep in poverty, do? However, now that the conference has been convened, it is necessary that we reflect on what it takes to build a viable humane nation.

Everyone should understand that nation building is a serious business and that how well a nation becomes depends entirely upon the ability of the leaders and the followers to fight against the odds that are pulling the society down. Building a good society does not require continuous convocation of national conferences, or setting up of probe panels as Nigeria has been doing since her political independence. We believe that nothing but the ‘strictest adherence to honesty, fair play and charity’ can advance the interests of Nigeria. Therefore, the leaders should realize their responsibilities and honor their pledge to serve Nigeria with all their heart and uphold her honor and glory! It is believed that a good leader is one who has the requisite commitment to carry through his or her pledges, even at death. Since the business of nation building is a serious business, those elected or appointed to lead the process should show both in word and deed that they are serious about it. However, human beings are imperfect, but ‘when imperfection is observed in a person in a larger degree than usual,’ as Gandhi had observed, then the world is apt to blame the person. That has been the crux of the matter with this administration. The President could be a decent person, but there are many structural problems in the society, and those working for him may not be decent individuals. So, the buck stops on his table!

For instance, Nigeria does not need a national conference to realize the importance of investment in education, and to know that human resource development is the engine for national economic growth and development. As it were, good schools will produce good political leaders, engineers, doctors, teachers, lawyers, clerks, economists, accountants, et cetera. The educational institutions are healthy when the government in charge of them is corruption-free, fair and just. Nigeria’s educational system is designed without proper regard to the needs of the society and the result is the low quality graduates everyone is complaining about. And related to this is the issue of funding and ‘brain drain,’ which has remained a contentious one for sometime now. It is certain that the government cannot adequately fund higher education alone, but one wonders what is holding the federal government from granting the tertiary sub-sector a genuine autonomy to device alternative source of revenue. It is also important to enhance the working conditions of university teachers’ and the support staff to stop or reduce the ‘brain drain’ phenomenon. (Nigerian scholars are known to be leaving Nigeria for Europe, the United States, or other African countries).

The President does not need to spend billions of Naira on a conference to understand that the epileptic NEPA, bad roads and bridges (the Niger Bridge for instance) and perennial scarcity of petroleum products are detrimental to the nation’s economy. Manufacturing industries are not expected to run their plants (not many of them could afford the cost of private generating plants) and delivery trucks with water. Even at that water appears a scarce commodity in the society because NEPA recently said that shortage of water is one of the causes of the poor performance of its plants. And the leaders do not need a conference to know that the hospitals should be equipped and the staff (doctors, pharmacists and nurses, et cetera) to be paid regularly. Does it take a conference for the administration to realize that clobbering political opposition and rigging elections are against the principles of democracy? It requires a good moral force and proper philosophical foundation to build and sustain a nation. It appears that the crop of leadership currently in Nigeria at the federal, state, and local governments do not have the commitment and drive to lead the nation to the Promised Land of a stable and genuine political democracy. On matter the good things some political pundits might be saying about the conference, that would not change the opinion of those that believe that it is ‘a jamboree.’

The political leaders of Nigeria have established their kingdom in London and the US where they always fly in for medical check-ups at the slightest headache (and serious aliments) while they starve the local hospitals of funds. This trend should not be allowed to continue! They should be denied they luxury of good medical care they have denied the society and be made to take their health problems to the unequipped hospitals staffed by unpaid doctors and nurses just like the ordinary Nigerians. They should know that they are the ‘servants’ of the people and not their ‘patrons’ and, therefore, should be made to feel the pains of the masses that toil under the hot sun and drink dirty water. It is only then that they will rightly claim to be representing the people. In other words, they should not be allowed to live like kings while a large part of the population lack the basic necessities of life.

One of the characteristics of democracy is freedom of the Press and expression and it does not take a National Political Reform Conference for the administration to observe these important principles that it has often abridged. Some time in September 2004 the State Security Service (SSS) and the Police, on the apparent order of the presidency, stormed the office of the Insider Weekly magazine and the Global Weekly Star. And the Police and the SSS have been misused to suppress political oppositions, not to mention the unresolved political assassinations dotting the political landscape. Does it take a national conference for the administration to understand that it should properly equip the police for proper security of life and property or to realize that the military should not perform the functions of the Police? As the Daily Independent of March 10, 2005 reported on February 9, 2005 the village Odioma in Bayelsa State was bombarded by the federal troops killing hundreds of the villagers, thereby causing a flashback to the similar incidence in Odi on November 1999. Such behavior is expected in a Fascist regime, and not in a democratic society. Does it take a conference for the leaders to understand that the main function of the military is to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria? What the society needs is a government not based on force, but one grounded on democratic principle, create employment, and provide for the needy.

Because of the magnitude of the nation’s problems we cannot ask enough questions here. Does it require a conference for the National Assembly to realize that the 1999 Constitution, which requires a surgical operation, should be amended? It does not require much reflection to see that it is through the Constitution that a government establishes its authority and performs it functions. Therefore, the National Assembly should bestow the nation with peoples’ Constitution and lay a good foundation for equity and justice in the society. And they should quit if they are incapable of performing their duties well! They are being paid to manage the affairs of the nation and that it is an indictment on their part for the society to pay others to do the work they were elected to do. Will the taxpayers continue to pay them if they cannot perform their job duties well? The “no work, no pay” policy should also apply to the elected gods in Abuja that do not seem to represent the people, but their own interests. If they were there for the welfare of the society they should have been engaged in quality debates to solve the myriad problems facing the nation. But, because of their inaction Nigeria is today confronted with many debilitating sociopolitical and economic of challenges.

Nevertheless, it does not require a conference to redress the injustices and unfair practices in the society. For instance, the Niger Delta area that is suffering from the hazards of oil explorations is denied access to the oil wealth in their land. Currently the oil windfall is said to be rising due to the recent increase in the price of oil in the global market. According to the Vanguard of March 18, 2005 the “world oil prices soar to record high of $57 per barrel.” But it appears that the bigger the oil revenue for Nigeria gets the poorer the people becomes. This may explain the unending crisis in the society. As Gandhi rightly pointed out “a man [woman] suffering from an injustice is exposed to the temptations of having his [her] passion roused on the slightest pretext.” The resources in the society should be utilized to improve the living conditions of the citizens and this will not be possible without reducing the magnitude of fraud, corruption, exploitation, narrow mindedness, and selfishness in the society. Therefore, everyone (leaders and followers) should turn the searchlight inward and clean their ‘minds and souls’ and think of how best to improve the condition of things in the country. The society should strive for a Constitution that could release Nigeria from the shackles of corruption and fraud, which has been the bane of the nation. As the Daily Champion of March 19, 2005 noted, Justice Niki Tobi was correct in observing at the on-going conference that “There are too many rogues in this country, too many rogues." But complaining about this is not enough!

Finally, it was not proper to convene a National Political Reform Conference that does not have the ability and constitutional power to effect changes in the society. Experience has shown that previous ones were not effective. If Nigeria is to make any progress we should not repeat history, but should strive to make new and good history. Therefore, unless the leaders (and followers) have the indomitable political will, and unless they are willing to endure some personal inconveniences and sincerely get committed to the business of nation building, a million National Conferences will not solve Nigeria’s problems.

Victor E. Dike, CEO, Center for Social Justice and Human Development (CSJHD), in Sacramento, California, is the author of Fraud or Democracy? The Presidency of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, 2003-2007 [forthcoming]