Obasanjo and "Tazarce"
By
Abubakar Jika
No
man is without a good side. No man is without a bad side. One of the enduring
legacies of late General Sani Abacha former Nigerian strong – man is his
inadvertent addition of “Tazarce”
to Nigeria’s political lexicon. It is one single word that is threatening to
upstage all others in our political dictionary. “Tazarce”
promises to redefines not only the colour of our politics, but even the
national question itself.
To
those unfamiliar with the term “national
question”, it refers to ethnic, religious and tribal relations in a
society. It looks at the question of ethnicity, ethnic politics and geo-ethnic
politics. It addresses the very basis, and structure of interaction amongst
ethnic groups in a polity. Abacha’s famous “Tazarce” is poising to redefine how these questions are to be
addressed, and hopefully resolved in fractious Nigeria.
“Tazarce”
like all great and sometimes tragic phenomenons has a rather humble beginning.
Infact it has a very ubiquitous origins. If I am not mistaken it owe its humble
origins to a tailors shop in sprawling Kano. Though the exact origin is shrouded
in mystery and even disputations, many are inclined to trace its genesis to late
Abacha’s ingenious Fagge tailors shops.
It
commenced, according to legends, from an initiative of late Abacha family’s
tailor in Fagge, who designed the usual Hausa long Jumper (robe) to touch the
ground. Before then it is usually about a foot from the ground. The Abacha
Tazarce
rope touches and actually sweeps the ground majestically.
The
Tazarce
fashion came at a time, Daniel Kanu, and some analysts even finger Obasanjo’s
current Man Friday, Tony Anenih, were pressuring Abacha to “zarce”
(Proceed). It was the political fart then, which caught on. Tazarce became synonymous with the calls on Abacha to “Zarce”
(Proceed). That was to succeed
himself.
More
humorous analysts after the death of Abacha liken it to forceful self-succession
bid, which if God over rules and the mortal insist, may claim his life. Thus
instead of “Zarce”
to second term in the cozy comfort of the state house one may “Zarce” (proceed) to the grave. A very lonely place indeed.
Ofcourse
many governors, virtually all of then are today so enmeshed with the Tazarce
project that issues of state are defined and redefined with their
relevance or other wise to Tazarce.
From project constructions, donations, to even appearance in functions are
decided by the Tazarce
phenomenon. That is when they are mid term.
Such
is the political tragedy of the third world that elected officials in mid term
are worried about additional four years, when they have not completed
“eating” even the first four years. They are more concerned with staying
than performing in office. This is discouraging to some of us from politics.
Even those who are there are not performing but worried about hanging to power,
where is the hope for the people?
Olusegun
Obasanjo, a retired general, former the head of state, an eminent African states
man, the tutelary conqueror of Biafra who extinguished the hopes of the igbos
for nationhood, a pardoned ex- convict and a potential symbol of Nigerian
nationalism, was spirited from prison to Aso Rock.
Nigerians
were near unanimous that if there is a single living Nigerian who can heal the
wounds of June 12th and reunite us it is Olusegun Obasanjo an Egba
chief. I had my reservations even then on two counts, which I voiced privately
to my friends.
One,
his prison experience would need a Mandela forgiving spirit to allow him over
come desire for revenge. It was normal for mortals to hold grudges and divinely
to forgive. Secondly, his ethnic group, the Yorubas are known to place more
importance to their ethnic group than the nation. In other words even though
they rejected him, once he occupies Aso Rock, they would surround him and
appropriate the powers and privileges to the near exclusion of others. These
were my fears.
As
he moves to celebrate his third year in power, the Jury is virtually out. There
are many that feel his government’s treatment of the Abacha people,
particularly Bamaiyi, Hamza and Mohammed stemmed from their opposition to his
cause in those days. This was made more telling when OPC factional leader Ganiyu
Adams was released while the others were not.
As
for the appropriation of Obasanjo mandate by southwest power elite, we all known
the situation on ground. The National Assembly had to reject the appointment of
his nominee for Auditor – General, because his minister of state for Finance
(Who
many believe is the engine of that ministry) and his Accountant – General are
all Yorubas.
His
minister of Internal Affairs Sunday Afolabi and late Attorney General Bola Ige
were Yorubas from former Oyo state, one former Deputy Governor, the other
Governor. When Bola Ige was murdered and some southern papers were looking for
the usual “northern links”.
Tanko Yakasai and Wada Nas reminded the whole world that the Commander – in
– Chief, Minister of Internal Affairs, Inspector General of Police, Chief of
Army Staff, and Director SSS are from the same geo – political zone –
southwest.
These
are what give ammunition to those in the north that is vehement that this is a
southwest power elite regime. Many are saying, they prefer “hunger” to lapping
dogs of remnants from the main table of “eaters”,
to use Afolabi’s historic statement. You may paste posters of Obasanjo and
make noise in newspapers. You can hod Ghana must go preparatory to 2003, hoping to buy voters
opposition electoral monitors so as to rig the polls as claimed by Senator
Abubakar Gurei, who is representing my constituency at the Senate.
But
the fact remain come 2003, the north know those who are for it. Northerners may
be poor, hungry and illiterate. Their elite may out of hunger and desire to be
part of the show betray them. Their National Assembly members particularly
Senators may frolic in the three arms zone and sell them. But at the right time,
the people would move. It is not possible to marginilized the north and enjoy
two terms, no matter who are your quislings.
That
brings me to Obasanjo and his Tazarce.
It was Tony Anenih, who claimed there is no vacancy in Aso Rock in 2003. Well he
may not yet realize it, there would be vacancy in 2003 at Aso Rock. Who will
fill it we do not know. But PDP cannot sit in caucus to decide who will rule
Nigeria. Nigerians, including northerners would decide who would sit in Aso Rock
in 2003.
The
Comet
of January 25th 2002 front page has virtually confirmed my consistent
analysis that Obasanjo, if the vote is to be taken now, would lose disastrously
in northwest, northeast, southeast, most parts of northcentral and even some
significant
Parts
of southwest. It is better for him to be a Mandela than choose Tazarce.
JIKA teaches at the Dept. of Mass Communications, Bayero University, Kano.