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Our Rapid Progress In Vain Without National Heroes By Farouk Martins Aresa
We still lack national heroes to challenge our commitment to the interest of all irrespective of ethnic or selfish agendas. That is why cynics say Nigeria is not a Country. There are so many progressive projects in Nigeria put in place by dedicated men and companies but not on a national scope for the people to identify with and rally around. If these projects, companies, estates, the brain behind them and their patrons all over Nigeria were put in one location as small as Sweden or Switzerland, we will be the envy of the world.
However, a few unproductive money bags’ influence on 140 million people overwhelmed our creative abilities; kept our stock market uncorrected while those of other countries falter. The more progress the brains behind our progress make the farther behind we find ourselves as the forces of evil hold us to ransom. They remind us that nobody is indispensable, yet it only takes one person like Nkrumah to make a difference while it only takes one destroyer like Akuffo or Acheampong in Ghana to unmake Nkrumah of Africa.
In spite of all the small businesses started by people with their own hard earned money made locally or after slaving abroad, majority of Nigerians are still underemployed or do not make minimum wage. The more they struggle to make ends meet, the less their reach on these basic commodities whose prices never come down. While many people wonder how far these prices are going before the whole market collapsed, easy money from the privileged few keep them up. Obviously one has to cut down on almost everything from food to rent. Families who used to have comfortable flats are forced into smaller rooms or farther out of town with long hours of commute and ration the little food available from less purchasing power.
The more progress we make in that Country, the farther behind we find ourselves but there are no hard working people on the face of the earth than Nigerians. All one needs to do is go to our commercial sites where men and women work from dusk to dawn almost to a fault. Our streets are full of children hawkers who should be in schools and adults sweating to support themselves or their families while politicians increase their own salaries and allowances in Abuja for doing no more than divide and conquer our weaknesses.
A friend asked me once if Nigerians have living National heroes. Of course, I said without telling him yes or no. Mention any leader and some section within or outside of his bases are ready to mow him or her down. We had those leaders who never made it to the national scene and others who were highly motivated but cut down as soon as they made it.
I have always wondered what Ironsi, Muhammed, Aminu Kano, Awolowo, Boro and Mbakwe would have been if they actually made it for four years each as the leader of the Country. At least one or two of them could have made Nigeria the best Country in the world. If we really search our souls there is nobody to blame but me and you. Nigerians always lament after missed opportunities and what could have been but we never encourage or appreciate what we have until it is too late. What use is the best thing that we never enjoyed?
None of these men gained universal affection. If they are not hated at home, they are despised outside. It is no excuse that no country completely agrees on a national leader. Africans have a way of pulling a good man down and will seek international help to do so if need be as we did to Lumuba in Congo. We should all think about what it was we had against each of these men. One way to make my point is to think of Akintola in the West or Ukpabi Asika in the East or Tarka in the North. We have some differences with them within their region of the Country.
Richard Akinjide answered one of the most important questions on this recently. He said his group was to the North what Aminu Kano and Tarka were to the South. It was easier, he claimed to negotiate with Akintola because he was weaker than Awolowo and they could get more out of him in return. Those of us who think deeply about it may have since seen Akinjide in a different light. If we want to make Nigeria stronger as a Country why do we treat those who reach across the Niger as suspects or traitors?
It goes beyond this unfortunately, Nigerians can not agree on a sincere savior in our midst. We trust neutral outsiders to clean up our mess rather than one of us. We are ready to point out the real or imagine flaws of those we know in order to make the job of dry cleaning harder. Even if the dry cleaner accepts that he used to be soiled but now wants to clean up, we will still reject her. Are there any Nigerian good enough to be a national hero?
Many of the professional coup plotters also confessed that they always gauge the mood of the populace before they strike. As soon as they come in we celebrate because we prefer the enemy of our enemy not because we are in love with them. Unfortunately, we do the same thing during elections. We allow one personal difference to override our common interest. Take the point of our ethnic or religious difference that overrides other common interest like socioeconomic status or loyalty to a cause no matter the level of our enlightenment or education.
Ask any Nigerian what our problems are, they will tell you. They will also delineate all kinds of hypothesis and theories that have worked in differences circumstances. When it comes to who will do a good job implementing whatever they want, we are back to pedestal level struggling to get our gut straight because our ego, our kin and our interest will be bruised. Are there Nigerians who can desert these parochial interests and choose the Country first?
We have so much suspicion, mistrust and hatred breeding disunity that makes it harder to come together and our politicians exploit that simply because we want them to. It is why some people say we are worse than our leaders. After all our leaders are the same products of our society, so every society deserves the leader they get. In Nigeria we also celebrate some of their vices.
I dare say that our dire needs are not technology, money or foreign aids. Our real need is a national hero that can commit us to a national policy. We need a diverse group of people around one of our passionate games: national soccer, on a kitchen table, that care enough about Nigeria to refocus our attention and direct us to a national goal. Rome was not built in a day neither was Abuja built in a day. Once a group of Nigerians devote their attention to a project, it can be accomplished. It has been done before and can be done again before the Country goes into taters.
If for example we turn Niger Delta into a goal for fairness, if we turn Niger Delta into a project that must be accomplished, if we turn Niger Delta into an experiment as a showcase of turning environmental disaster into green jobs for the people living there begging other Nigerians to join them because of labor shortage; we may all agree from Sokoto to Warri that Nigeria has come. It is not impossible; we are the same people that did it in Abuja with less money and technology that was available.
The leader of our national heroes can come from anywhere in the Country, from any ethnic group and can be an atheist, Christian or Moslem. Our focus should be her accomplishment not which mother or father happens to render her birth. There are many Africans looking up to us.
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