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The Enugu Summit Re-Visited By I. Thomas Dappa London, United Kingdom Thomas Dappa
I recently read a newspaper report in the Vanguard of a one-day summit of notable persons of Southern Nigerian extraction in which several decisions were made. As usual, the time worn clichés and rhetoric were employed effusively.
I am in support of power remaining in the South. It is only fair and “conscionable”, given that of the forty-five years of indigenous rule Nigeria has had, our brothers from the North have held the office of president for the longest intervals. The second argument that t he presidency, come 2007, should be the exclusive reserve of the South East or South South is also sweet music to my ears.
However, I have one fear, which is that the South’s fight to clinch and retain the topmost political office in the land may be abridged by no other persons than ourselves. You know why? Let us look deeply within our fold. Our enemies are the people of our household. I refer to the money- loving turncoats who will sell their own people for a mess of pottage, politicians who speak from both sides of the mouth-pretending to be at the forefront of the struggle to ensure power remains in the South while dawdling in covert alliances with our brothers from other parts of the country. These people, whether they come from Orlu or elsewhere are the main problems we must overcome to achieve that aim. I daresay, that th is particular problem is one reason why the Igbos have never, save for the Azikiwe and Ironsi stint, had the opportunity to hold Nigeria’s presidency.
As for the South South, desiring the office of the Nigerian president is a lofty ideal. But let us not deceive ourselves. It will not be an easy accomplishment. True, the South South produces 98% of the country’s income but that alone does not give it an automatic right to the presidency in 2007. Several factors must come into play before the South South’s desire can be achieved. Firstly, is there a candidate whose appeal cuts across the entire South South before being acceptable to Nigerian political landscape? Secondly, what concrete alliances have been formed with knowledgeable and consenting partners in the North in pursuit of this aim? Because, like it or not, you cannot win that presidency without the support of the N orth. You need northern votes any day (and that is if the elections really matter anyway, because I hear what we have in Nigeria are selections, not elections!). Next, what of the military? They may have become silent as it were but they still play a veritable part in Nigeria’s politics. They infact, I think, constitute the bulk of the political kingmakers holding Nigeria by the jugular.
Then, there is the issue of a third term for Oga Aremu, which has become a major topic in Nigerian politics presently. By what measure is Obasanjo qualified to rule Nigeria for a third term? Is his government’s performance the best that Nigeria has ever had? The problem with us, I imagine, is that we have become so used to bad governance and poor leadership that at the slightest improvement we, hastefully, pour accolades and praises on people who do a little thing right some of the time. I’d rather that Nigerians sought for consistency, for people who do the right thing MOST of the time. There is no perfect leadership anywhere, I agree, but there are consistently good leaderships all over the world if we look well. That should be our focus.
Politics I understand to be a game of consensus, partnerships/alliances, craftiness (discernment, I meant to say) to a very great extent, and an iron will. So that all the decisions reached in that summit do not amount to wasted words, the South South, in my humble opinion, must give serious thought to the issues raised here. Power remaining in the South will not be an achievement handed over on a platter of gold. |