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Disintegration of Nigeria-State Is the Answer: A Critical Conversation & Forward-Looking Strategy [Part II] By Carlisle U.O. Umunnah
Till date the Nation-state called Nigeria has operated its frontiers practically without elements of constitutionalism. Constitutionality of state[s] requires instruments whose intents and purposes are to facilitate order, good governance and egalitarian society. Such instruments are normally presented before the population for their validation [consent] through referendum and other ways and means of public-opinions before deployment. In other words, one cannot launch into constitutional-dialogue without peoples participation. The citizenry by virtue of birth, and/or naturalization are obligated to consent or reject instruments as a guiding principle[s] that is susceptible and compatible to indigenous driven industrialization. Furthermore, where these constitutional instruments are non-existence, one must be created through public-opinions via constitutional-sovereign-national conference[s], symposiums, polls, etc. Peoples’ participations through conferences are meant to defeat discrediting the said instruments when finalized. It is essential to state that any miscues escalates constitutional crisis. Under federalism, or, regionalism, when public-opinion is respected, it translates into public-policies which, become law accessible to the judiciary, bureaucrats, and other branches of government for implementations. Conventional constitutionalism is a regulatory working-document for the development of the citizenry and the society at large.
When state instruments are crafted, and consented by the people—the people takes ownership of its existence, because it participated in its process by actual-representation. The instrument eventually becomes the arrow-head and a standard to the nation. The public and public-officials are required by law to obey the laws of the land or face specified consequences when breached. A written constitution is subject to amendments—via Congress. In operating an affective Nations-States, constitutionalism must be demanded, defended, approved-of, by the citizenry at varying congressional constituencies of states makeup. Where constitution is obscured, its operationalities are obscured, gravitates toward fascism, fascism that attracts resistance and popular-rebellion. It is an aberration to run institutions—by ways and means of military fiats: edicts/decrees and call it constitution. Tyrannical usurpation of peoples’ will leads to anarchy, chaos and collapse [as if it has not collapsed].
Suffice it to say, that since 1966 till date, Nigeria-state and the citizenry are victims of military edicts/decrees. Worse still, this aberration seemed absolved by legal-practitioners as constitution in a country called Nigeria. In the face of constitutional failings or melt-down, few have boldly challenged, questioned the legality of this charade. Today, these military decrees egregiously called constitution include those of 1999. The oddity of illegitimate instrument within our borders has directly and indirectly disparaged integral parts of the states makeup by ways and means of containment-policies, quota-systems, etc. For instance, it is facts, that former Eastern region is disparaged, short-changed in all spheres. This quota-stupidity has negatively impacted her industrial-capabilities including those of her machines and engines. Moreover, ill-prioritized schemes have set-back her greatest assets found in science and technology. An indicator to this pitfall is East technological-cylinders that are today in declining state. Consumers must realize that these misguided policies are widespread and increasing in our land. I plead for patient as this writer will put-forward example[s] to back-up the foregoing disposition[s] for your considerations.
If I may digress a little, why would one remain in a compact whose unconstitutional-hostilities have disparaged its productive force? Since [1970] post-civil-war era, it is out-right containment policies and out-right disrespect for natural rule of law. There is limit to how much folks can endure. Endless genocidal policies have rubbished its victims and dehumanized her. Hypocritical federalism demoralizes disadvantages and holds victims’ hostage, as it gradually traumatize, and destroy her. Changing cause is a must. May I electronically and in-print appeal to human-conscience that people-centered program be immediately institutionalized to redress decades of failings in this estate. It is an act of aggression against a people to mesmerize them with impunity without considerations. It is a provocation when Nigerian-state’s actions copiously marginalize, discriminate against its population. Whereas fairness is concern, why rob and humiliate this population. Why would state actors repeatedly deny her subjects opportunities for self-fulfillments as obtainable in constitutional republicanism? It is common-knowledge that untapped indigenous ingenuities of our people abound within her frontiers and outside it. In a structure, whereby state-actors partner with greedy-multinationals whose activities interrupts freedom, productivity and modernity, must be overthrown. Subsequently, it is obvious that, Feds has over-played its hands by its double-standards and ignorance of new world order—freedom. It has misused EFCC, judiciary and other state-apparatuses against its opponents, made mockery of our local-industries. Rather than industrialization of the nation, it has fraudulently relied heavily on European and American industrial outputs against domestic-industrial productions.
Indeed, as domestic industries crumbles due to financial squeeze on one hand, there is massive-corporate-take-over [without biddings] and trade-offs of national establishments like NEPA, NNPC and others by local gatekeepers and their cronies on the other hand. This dysfunctional administration and their sycophants harm us all to the point of no return. Revolutionary means must repel these institutional-ills. Today, we have witnessed Chinese, Americans and European corporations brazenly profiteering-off of our backs because of brazen lawlessness in the land, a practice they now called free-trade. The truth is that privatization, liberalization and globalization as benchmarked comforts foreigners at the determinate of our population. We demand fair-trade not free-trade. These multinationals and local-latecomers have abused the land, and continue to degrade her, as hapless population watches in disbelief; this grandstanding against our peoples as demonstrated in this administration and those before her is heart-wrecking—desolation. Our country-men and women now live under a dollar per day. Isn’t time to call-off their bluff and intensify the struggle against enemies-of-the-state and free ourselves from political-mutiny—political-calumny? Did I mention the destruction of eco-system from oil-explorations? Well, brutal-emissions and more have left our hamlets, towns and cities destroyed. It’s beyond corruption—perhaps ominous leprosy is the name. These bastards have created so much misery, chaos and havoc on the republic, their act is triggered by greed, mean-spiritedness. They are selling and buying oil-blocs to themselves and to their foreign collaborators. Yet, they disrespect our folks, disrespect natural laws [including environmental laws], laws they normally obey in their home-countries. Confronting them heads-on is our bests bet. Ours has become a fool’s paradise. Radical revolutionary change must be unleashed to take-down bogus-federalism. It is time to re-insert indigenous industrialization and developments, re-insert self-reliance, self-esteem, and self-actualization for a visionary constitutional society to emerge. In addition, it is pertinent to note that our public space[s] have become a dumping ground for fake-drugs, washed-out-electronics and other toxic-wastes-materials from around the world; ours has become institutional bastardized waste-land created by these bunkums and their foreign-patrons. International trade, codes, rules and regulatory frameworks found within host countries are compromised in Nigerian-state. All elements of nationalism, federalism stand compromised. Ours is jaundiced as one bogus-leadership after another abuse defenseless citizenry with impunity. Any public-space with illegitimate-decorum is bankrupt, backward, miscarriage—a national shame.
Permit me, to zero-in with point-by-point explanations of industrial miscarriage locally. I would like to quickly draw your attention to recent developments at the engineering sector. Proudly, we have witnessed some breakthrough in the industrial sector albeit dampened by sabotage. Some indigenous-industrial landmarks were made but, were compromised at the Nigeria Research Production centered in Abuja. A case in point is the first-made-in-Nigerian Car: Abuja verses Engineer Ezekiel Izuogu. The question of Maazi Izuogu’s first made in Nigeria-Car is a milestone in negro-historicity. Another technological break-through was recorded East of the Niger: a solar-powered helicopter was built in Enugu [the name of its maker/designer has escaped me]. In all these industrial developments, the feds actions were those of defeatism. Feds behavior reflects stormy irresponsibility. It refused to throw its weight behind local engineering, modernity—industrialization. It is a clear act of cowardice and sabotage, as it systemically game the system. Our sources reliably gathered that what ought to be classified as first made in Nigeria-car, etc, was classified as Igbo-made. According to Maazi Izuogu, in conversation with federal officials at Nigerian Research Production [NRP] to discuss the model and motivation in designing ZN 600 in Abuja, revealed that after the summit with federal officials, he felt satisfied and went home and hoped for the best for the nation. However, to his disappointment, feds came-up with a conspiracy theory stating that the issue was not about mass-production of the automobile, rather a case was made of: “why would Igbo-man be credited with first made in Nigerian-car”. If your estimation is anything right, well, brace-up for further institutional bottlenecks.
According to insiders familiar with the report, it was gathered that some days later after the aforementioned summit with NRPC officials, the unthinkable happened. Sources [names withheld] gathered that SSS and officials from Nigerian intelligence community invaded Ezekiel Izuogu Motors Inc., and carted away with the ZN 600 Model from its Owerri manufacturing plant. Till date there is no trace of this anti-industrialization-elements, as feds placates robbers. The truth is, there is no shred of truth in this cover-up. Despite these challenges and difficulties, Izuogu, made it to the drawing board to re-forge the model. Today, he has been invited by President Mbeki, to launch the NEW-Car-model for mass-production in South-Africa.
From the above analysis, it is critical to state categorically clear here that evil and immorality has its limits, with time, universal morality imbedded in man will always rise up against bigotry, envy, greed. No oppressive regime will remain forever; there is always time for freedom, liberation and self-determination. Fighting evil to a standstill is a must for us to be free. Breaking-free from these beastly destructive-elements in our borders is everybody’s moral responsibility. Those on the Lord’s side must stand now and be counted.
According to H.G. Wells, “no man is good enough to be another man's master". A dysfunctional administration under Obasanjo, wants everybody to capitulate to her. Oddly, the purported-democratization proponents have turned to totalitarianism, made fool of us, fifty years later. They have set an avalanche of ills that have defiled all known solutions and are reaching a cataclysmic dimension. This is what is threatening the disintegration of Nigeria-state today and may have far-reaching consequences if correcting measures are not deployed immediately. Obasanjo and his cronies at Abuja have made a huge mess. It must swallow its pride and consult with former Eastern region—Middle-belterns and the nation for a national-dialogue to facilitate the efforts to retrieving the sinking ship.
A new-direction is overdue. The republic must quickly beat a retreat; present a new-road-map that will save millions of defenseless peoples from futilities past. The gathering storm has socio-economic-political implications and dangerous. Our men and women are around the world serving in foreign lands as nationals in different capacities including armed forces of other nations-states including here in the United States rather than her shores. Why? Some scholarly thinkers call it brain drain. Former Biafran-scientists and engineers are spread across the world developing other lands, because of unproductive elements—rejectionists. They will be happy to return to the motherland, under people’s consented-constitution or embrace a new-Biafran-state to serve her with pride. If our leadership is not wanted in the governance of the republic, Biafran-state is always an alternative.
We are monitoring the great-era-of-bastardization of states-establishments by these mischief-makers; a practice which, has increased and strengthened in scope, and, thickness. We have little time to fool around, fellows. As indicators show, Igbo-nation is not wanted in the current Nigerian-makeup. The international community including the United Nations has been put on notice and is watching closely. Besides petroleum, former Eastern region are scientifically and technologically driven and can sustain itself through its indigenous ingenuities. I and others will pack and return home today to the motherland if Nigerian-state goes away with its fallacies—pseudo-federalism. A peaceful disintegration of this mistake: false-federalism, to regionalism, as it is the case in the newly Independent-States of former USSR and former Yugoslavia will salvage her. Freedom is very liberating and very satisfying. As Patrick Henry remarked, “give me liberty or give me death”. We have not forgotten our historical achievements!
In three years of freedom, we built engines and machines and maintained them locally. In those heady days, necessity became the mother of invention. If, Maazi Izuogu, in 1980 or so manufactured NZ600, then, we would have accomplished more in that sector this past 48 years of contraption. The chances are that under new-market-industrial-competition, we will be at par or ahead of Japan, technologically. Japan is the second largest economy after the United States. Japan has no drop of oil in its frontier, but it has made great strides in industrialization of its public-space through forwarding-looking strategies via, educational campaigns and has strategically inserted new-innovative-initiatives in its reconstruction period after WWII, while ours is distressed. Japan’s achievement is called leadership-availability. Nigeria-state is delaying progressivism by holding-hostage the former Eastern-region from its industrial advancements through its containment policies, financial squeeze, and interventionism. Feds is clueless when it comes to anything industrialization-compacts. Our tiny-satellite is managed somewhere in London or Beijing. That is not nationalism—it is neo-colonialism. It is widely believed that regionalism not federalism will satisfy all stakeholders given the state of things. Nigeria, as presently compartmentalized is fallen. Southwest and north, will be better-off with fledging independent-states developmentally. Here is a remark by Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu, in 1994 at University of Lagos Law School about human potentials within our frontiers thus:
"The war has come and gone but we remember with pride and hope the three heady years of freedom. These were the three years when we had the opportunity to demonstrate what Nigeria would have been even before 1970. In the three years of war, necessity gave birth to invention. During those three years, we built bombs, we built rockets, we designed and built our own delivery systems. We guided our rockets, we guided them far, and we guided them accurately. For three years, blockaded without hope of imports, we maintained engines, machines, and technical equipment. The state extracted and refined petrol, individuals refined petrol in their back gardens, we built and maintained airports, we maintained them under heavy bombardment. We spoke to the world through a telecommunications system engineered by local ingenuity. The world heard us and spoke back to us. We built armoured cars and tanks. We modified aircraft from trainer to fighters, from passenger aircraft to bombers. In three years of freedom, we had broken the technological barrier. In three years, we became the most civilized, the most technologically advanced black people on earth."
Under law and regulatory process citizens are confidence in its elected leaders. Under rule of law, it is irrelevant to argument an Ogoni, Ibibio, Idoma, Ijaw, etc, of becoming the president representing East and the republic. It comes down to trust. I have faith in them under law and development. Therefore, under rule of law and development anybody cannot be impeded from political positions on issues affecting our peoples today. Ethics, religion, and politics will effectively work under constitutional republicanism. In constitutional-space, fiscal responsibility, integrity and honor become the ensign to the nation. Otherwise, we would prefer our own piece of land, where we are able to govern ourselves, build our own military, police, naval and air-force, a compact susceptible to defensive mechanism of our territorial integrity. We envision a land, free of external interventionism and imperialism, free from puppets running to world capitols suing for individual peace—security. A land where our capital is equals on security and other technical matters with other lands; a land where international dialogues will be initiated based on actual-representation, as security, international and national strategic interests of world peoples’ tops agendas of platform-of-action, not unilateralism and state-sponsored terrorism that leaves all with potent vulnerability.
Honestly speaking, I crave for a day our educational will rise-up with greater readiness and preparedness for scholarships. Where teachers are not burdened with professorship and entitlements, rather were they see themselves as reservoirs of enlightenment and modernity, and restoring the honor of teaching [er] as a noble profession. I envisage a day teachers get equal remunerations for equal work, without committing academic treacheries—including sexual-humiliation of our young-girls and young-men for dime; a day academic excellence is restored without favoritism. A land whose essence is not driven by ideological ideals of socialism, communism, capitalism, liberalism, not nationalism, not messianism, but a land built on Judaism where the scepter shall not depart from the house of David. A land we can proudly call the motherland. A land we will hold sacred, where memorials and malls are built for our fallen heroes. A land that will eventually rehabilitate our injured heroes abandoned at Oji River and elsewhere 40 years later of actions, in defense of our towns, villages and hamlets; a land of our fathers, were their names will be immortalize in national landmarks for their bravery, resiliency and heroism. For, they fought in defense of our destiny and fundamental human rights including rights to self-determination. A land where nations will flock to it for its beauty, serenity, industrial high-ways, and its human decency; a land free of fool’s paradise; a land that pride itself for ethical standards, free from institutionalized corruptions, free from oligarchical-system with beholden: “born-to-rule mentality”; free from South-West chameleonic-control of our off-shores and on-shores economic-engines yes, free from all forms of degradations and man-made pollutions—modern-day-imperialism. S Can one contemplate a situation where petro-dollars were derived from Kano-State or Sokoto-state, or, derived from Ado-Ekiti or Ibadan; imagine Easterners flooding to these shores drilling billions of petro-dollars from her lands to develop Niger-basin and at the same time, have the audacity to bomb, destroy at will their cities, towns and villages at the slightest provocation. Imagine! If petro-dollars were derived from the aforementioned blocs they would have declared independent-states long ago. Contemplate if gates of hell will not break loose if their wishes are met. We are not surprised at Obasanjo—Atiku show of shame without end. Ladies and gentlemen the generational aggressions are over petro-revenues, it is about who has the greatest looting-skills in emptying national treasury, as Easterners and the rest of the nation perish in depravity. Yes, oligarchical-north would have expanded its quest for Arab-nationalism in its bloc, dismissed foreigners from its soil and establish Arab-nationalism in its purest form. Oodua-nation would have abandoned junk-journalism and other attention seeking-stupidities to establish Oodua-Republic; and would rather set it ablaze in the slightest provocation rather than have Easterners and multinationals drill billions of petro-dollars from her soil, with impunity. They would have repeated their mantra they perfected during Cocoa-era; an era that witnessed Awoism under AG, an era of destruction, terrorization of anything outside her ethnic-geo-political bloc. An era dominated by cocoa-power, the economic-stay of the republic. I respect Awo—the man was good for his region. In the same vein, I salute, and say God bless Easterners for their long-suffering, kindness and multitudes of patient in the face of aggression and provocation. Time has this changeability thing. Today, with the climate filled with uncertainty, we cannot encourage or engage in tranquilizing egalitarianism in the face of everyday of humiliation and provocation. Be warned, kind gestures must not be interpreted as cowardice or weakness, otherwise you will be disappointedly overwhelmed.
We demand for our own piece of land, where honesty and integrity will be re-inserted again. It is my sincere hope that as bogus-federalism gives way to regionalism, it must be replaced with candor and love for country. Moreover, with the realization that we were criminally and cowardly patched together by the selfish-creatures called British in 1914, we would conscientiously made mends and develop new-road-map. By returning to regionalism, quasi-federalism or, peacefully disintegration of the enterprise we would have made pioneers of us creating a new chapter for generations unborn, restore accountability and bring government closer to our peoples. A tradition of class—a tradition of friendships will come; a class that embraces honesty, true brotherhood, sisterhood, an order, where justice and fairness thrives.
Lets we forget, our destiny is ticking as both individual and collective honor, character and integrity is challenged today more than anytime in history. Morality cannot be legislated but behavior can be regulated. Confrontation is what the man seeks. Give him confrontation for our freedom to come. Regionalism is a better alternative when compared to pseudo-federalism. Disintegration of the enterprise is an option, and perhaps the only way-forward out of this predicament. Our constitutional struggle is legitimate, as universally oppressed peoples’ world over demand for freedom and self-determination when their will is threatened or truncated by evil-doers. Evil must be defeated. To be victorious we must struggle with consistency, constancy, and uncompromising stance. We do understand that the institutional-law of eye for an eye will leave everybody blind—nevertheless, standing-tall, defending our families, brothers and sisters in the face of belligerent postures, unprovoked aggressions from official-detractors and treacheries is justified. Regardless of official conspiracy and designs, we must remain steady, steadfast to confront evil-machinations today. We have every right to be discontent, non-cooperative with criminals in their evil-designs—wicked-devices. I will rather die confronting evil than butchery of my conscience. Indeed, it’s time to call-off their bluff and speedily drive them out from our land in order to save her from comprehensive catastrophe. Identify with history or history will judge you harshly if we fail today. Postponement of dooms days does not by any means replace affronts from state organized crimes against its citizenry. The nation will face unheard insurrection if it fails to act righteously. Nigeria and Nigerians must repent; Oodua-nation must repent; Arewa-nation with its Arab-nationalism must repent; Biafran-nation must repent to pave way for her nation-hood that would facilitate grounds for her uncompromised state-hood—Independence.
We must remind them that in the ‘60s, they fought our fathers, whom we are proud of. By their bravery, gallantry and resiliency we are privileged to live and see another day under the sun. Enemies of God listen: be informed that at the turn of 21st century, you will have to contend with their children and we are ready to confront you. We will not disappoint our living and fallen heroes. It will be insanity not to revisit and critically review the historical perspective of dastard-destruction done in Niger-Basin in particular, and devastating destruction unleashed across the land in general. Armed with precision-guided-nexus, one can see that the gathering storm is real, imminent and would not be business as usual as Aburi-Accord remains an unfinished business. Conversely, the census figures remain a big joke. There was no census in former Eastern territories as MASSOB and MEND declared its geo-political space a foreign land. In short, there is no way one could come up with accurate-census-figures in the face of killings, destructions, pillaging and other atrocious dehumanization in the land and call it census. It is clear the census is a conspiratorial miscalculation, another unholy-alliance that is constructed marginalize further our peoples. Is it too little too late to remedy the situation? Yes, the damage has been done unless a divine intervention from the Providence takes precedence over these daily calamities and unprovoked hostilities our people face.
In conclusion, I would like to project the following forward-looking strategies for any who cares: we must begin today to encourage indigenous-industries not sabotaging them; support the industrial engineering housed in the former Eastern region and, persuading all stakeholders within the enterprise to support Presidential candidature from this region to calm nerves; this will assist to restore trust for equal opportunity, for a peaceful co-existence today. There is no other time better for constitutional sovereign national conference than today. Sovereign national conference is a must, since electioneering campaigns cannot operate under hostilities created under this fascist regime, whose unconstitutional-democratization rob, rape and ravage and pollute the public space. There will be no election as evil-machinations of Obasanjo are readying to repeat their 2003 re-riggings. The population must be alert, prepared and ready to confront these latecomers. We have a duty to resist evil through popular uprising. To accomplish this, we must remember that the challenge and difficulties ahead may demand supreme sacrifice where necessary should the need arise. We will not allow perilous-cowards in their mockery of ideals to mortgage our future further to our own peril. We appeal that a constitutionally neutral body be instituted by actual representation to conduct and oversee the sovereign national conference outside Obasanjo/Atiku stock in trade, shamelessness. We must also take into cognizance other appendages of these fraudsters for example, taking-out their sycophants as their postures may threaten a smooth democratic process. If we reject this political-compact, history will be harsh on us, predicated on greed, avarice, and extreme selfishness and, due to inordinate ambition we inflicted this pain on our generation and generations unborn, and will definitely go-down in history as the greatest embarrassments that walked the planet earth. After-all, what is life for if we cannot live, and if necessary die for something we believe in—except we are exceptionally added to this corrosive-corruption. Some think-tanks locally and internationally, groups, consumers and others have inquired why we cannot get along. It is an interesting inquiry that’s worth providing a critical explanation[s]. The answer is simple: we don’t get along because you are untrustworthy.
Carlisle U.O. Umunnah Is New York-Based Freelance Writer February 2007
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