America

Myths Versus Realities In Nigeria: What I Saw In The Guardian Of June 3

Dr. Mohammed Raji Bello

I’m sorry to say this, but why do Nigerians seem to have a rather poor perception of reality? Why are we ever-willing to ignore reality and believe in myths? A lot of the everyday political discourse among Nigerians, for the most part, has little to do with what is REALLY going on around us. There are a lot of myths about our national life which are conceived and propagated by the elite for their PERSONAL aggrandizement but which are forced down the throat of ordinary Nigerians who in turn believe in these myths without asking any questions.

A lot of Nigerians in the South have always believed that it is the North that is not interested in true federalism. This myth was propagated over the past decades by the Southern political elite, ably assisted by the Southern press. The REALITY is that there WAS a federal state in the 60s and it was a SOUTHERNER (Aguiyi-Ironsi) who replaced it with a unitary state. Then another SOUTHERNER (Obasanjo) brought in the Land Use Decree which finally nailed the coffin on the ambitions of those Nigerians who desire to control their own resources!

A few years ago after Moshood Abiola’s ambition to become president was scuttled, some of his die-hard sympathisers propagated the myth that the North did not want Abiola to become president. Many apparently well-educated people from the Southwest and elsewhere have believed this myth. The REALITY however, is that a MAJORITY of Northerners have actually voted for Abiola!

It is a common belief among many Northerners that President Obasanjo is using the privatisation exercise to sell government assets to his people to the disadvantage of the North. When I consider the reality however, I find that the Chairman of the National Council of Privatisation for many years is Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the Director of the Bureau of Public Enterprises for the first few years was Nasir El-Rufai. The REALITY it seems to me is that if indeed government assets are being sold to Yoruba people, it is Northerners that are conducting the sales and not Obasanjo!

There are many other examples of such myths but the must popular one so far is that of MARGINALISATION. This word, which is so firmly rooted in the vocabulary of contemporary Nigeria, is cleverly used by different sections of the Nigerian elite at different times as a potent instrument for calling attention to themselves and extracting patronage from those in power. It has nothing to do with the improvement of the living conditions of the ordinary Nigerian. The average Nigerian (including, unfortunately, a majority of the educated middle-class) is extremely gullible to the extent that those who propagate such myths for their own personal benefit always succeed in getting a huge army of passionate supporters. Well, I’m proud to be a different kind of Nigerian who believes in examining such claims critically and asking very hard questions.

One of the enduring myths in Nigeria is that of the ‘marginalisation’ of the Middle Belt. When I examine the REALITY however, what do I see? I see that a native of the Middle Belt was, until recently, the longest-serving Nigerian Head of State. Plateau State has produced so many influential army generals that they constitute a ‘Lantang mafia’. Not to talk of several natives of Southern Kaduna, Plateau and Niger States who were appointed military governors and ministers over the years. I’m not sure whether the Middle Belt is a geographical entity or just a euphemism for Northern Christians. If it is a geographical entity, then it has also produced Ibrahim Babangida and Abdussalami Abubakar. But even if it refers to Northern Christians, that group is not marginalised either as I have shown above. President Babangida once appointed two governors (John Yahya Madaki and Fidelis Makka), both Christians, from the same state, and at the same time! Jos, the Plateau State capital is hosting more Federal Government institutions and industries than Sokoto, the centre of the supposed ‘marginalisers’. Even in this government, two of the nation’s three military Service Chiefs come from the Middle Belt. Yet, the myth continues! And why does it continue? Because it pays off handsomely! Chief Solomon Lar is an influential and well-patronised chieftain of the PDP, his WIFE is an ambassador and his DAUGHTER a presidential assistant! What about the average man on the Plateau? He is still where he has always been! One of the main exponents of Middle Belt marginalisation, Dan Suleiman is now an ambassador. Mission accomplished! That is all what the Nigerian elite who cry of marginalisation want to achieve. Patronage for THEMSELVES!

Now, let me focus on the region where the most vociferous cry of marginalisation is coming from: the Niger Delta. The Guardian of June 3 published a breakdown of Federal Government statutory allocations to states for the month of April and it makes interesting reading. Bayelsa 8.9 billion, Rivers 8.1 billion, Delta 6.0 billion and Akwa Ibom 6.3 billion. Others are Lagos 2.2 billion, Adamawa 1.5 billion, Sokoto 1.6 billion and Yobe 1.4 billion. The oil-producing states have been receiving large allocations from the Federal Government since the 13% derivation came into being in the year 2000. Their allocations have now reached unprecedented levels probably as a result of the high oil prices in the global market. Before anyone misunderstands me, I’m not saying the oil-producing states are not entitled to their money. They are perfectly entitled to it having suffered environmental problems and relative neglect in the past. What I can’t understand is why with all this money, the cry of marginalisation still goes on! Instead of asking what their governors are doing with all that money, the people of the Niger Delta are allowing themselves to be sucked into a brand new campaign for 50% and 100% derivation! What a clever way to keep the Niger Delta people from asking hard questions! It looks like some people are desperate to keep the agitation going no matter what.

Inside the same newspaper where I saw the statutory allocations, there is an advertisement announcing the second session of the Middle Belt- South South Summit. Even without seeing the agenda of the summit, I know that such a meeting cannot end without a discussion of marginalisation. Yes, the region that has produced the longest serving Head of State and the ‘Lantang mafia’ is teaming up with the region that receives extra-large revenue allocations and has produced two former Deputy Heads of State (Aikhomu and Akhigbe) to discuss marginalisation! One of the conveners of the summit is Jerry Gana, a hyper-patronised native of the Middle Belt. Why can’t Nigerians look at REALITY instead of believing in these myths? The reality is that these two regions in the present time are NOT suffering any marginalisation. All the conveners of the meeting and the people on the guest list are some of the most privileged people in Nigeria today, who have enjoyed government patronage over the years. Where then is the marginalisation? What problems do they have in Rivers and Bayelsa States that a MONTHLY allocation of 8 billion Naira cannot solve?

I know I’m expressing a minority opinion here. I know that the average Nigerian prefers to simply side with his own people in the on-going accusations and counter-accusations about marginalisation. I know that the well-oiled marginalisation industry in Nigeria will only grow from strength to strength because it yields handsome personal dividends for its exponents and because it keeps the masses from asking their local rulers hard questions about how they spend what they are presently getting from the federal government. I can only continue to hope that one day the Nigerian masses will realise that their problems are not caused by marginalisation from Abuja but rather by corrupt local elite who always collect the monies but never give them their share.

Dr. Mohammed Raji BELLO,

Ibadan, Nigeria.