Preparing for Day After Nigeria

Recent sounds from the Nigerian Senate should tell Nigerians something: pretense cannot last forever. What is more difficult to teach is that once one has built one's house on lies and pretenses, it is so hard to make corrections after one finally accepts the facts and truth of the matter. That should be a lesson: hug a lie in pretense for a while, destroy the power to work on truth when truth finally gets through. Nowhere on this planet is this lesson more useful and more needed than in Nigeria.

March 21, 2014, The Will: “Senate Renews Call For State Police” (http://thewillnigeria.com/news/senate-renews-call-for-state-police/ )

Do you realize how long the people have supported, written about, suggested, recommended and asked for decentralized Police in Nigeria? Do you recall what the reasons and or excuses which were put forth by Nigerians are? Especially, by the Senate? Well, hello-oo! Now that the Nigerian Senate has finally seen the light, how effective can it be in making this correct change? Judging from previous performances, “not at all” is the answer. Why? Here's the answer. The fierce effort spent by the Senate up to now defending the faulty one centralized Federal Police has used up any energy to push for the correct structure at this time. And, it is not just about the question of past record and present sincerity (hypocrisy). There is another thing going on here: it is the same thing that goes on within the Self, as when one looks in the mirror at one's own self in self-examination and true self-reflection. Don't for one moment think that the Self is not disgusted into inaction by this type of situation. Self-disgust leads to withdrawal of self-Will, and “no Will” means no serious effort. So, if and when “State Police” happens in Nigeria, it will not be because of the efforts and actions or words of the Nigerian Senate.

The day will also come when the Nigerian Senate will be credited with something like “Senate Renews Call for Conference of Ethnic Nations in Nigeria”, just as with the “State Police” example above. Do the wise thing today: take this seriously (other examples will be presented below) and prepare for that day. By the time the Senate accepts this reality, the Senate will have no energy to do something about it; but the process of Self Determination of Ethnic Nations will occur anyway without and in spite, not because, of the Nigerian Senate. Prepare for the day after this event.

Boko “this”, Boko “that”
No one needs a quote to point to the Nigerian Senate's words on Boko Haram these days. Nor the words of other Nigerian folk now that most, if not all of them, have spoken up one way or another. One could summarize this present-day development with a title such as: “Senate Renews Call to fight Boko Haram Terrorists and Terrorism”. But, perhaps unnecessarily so, one is reminded of the earlier position of the same Senate and the same Nigerians mentioned above, starting in 1999, up to even early in the year, 2014. Remember how these groups refused to accept that Boko Haram was / is an ethnic cleansing program, a “culture-cleansing” pogrom (at least in so far as condemning and criminalizing Western education and Western culture, and carrying out the punishment of death and destruction against “offenders”)? They denied that Boko Haram was / is an Islamic religious cleansing program directed against non-Muslim and even those Muslim which it considered not Islamic enough. Remember how they deceived the Nigerian population (including even the ethnic / religious groups singled out and targeted for cleansing) by claiming that Boko Haram was a reaction to and result of poverty and lack of education? Who lobbied the world, EU, but especially the US (very strongly, effectively and successfully, too) to keep the name of Boko Haram off the list of Terrorism? It is the same group. In their pretense and lying, they advised Nigerians and the Nigerian government to “reach out” to Boko Haram, to negotiate with Boko Haram, to somehow “dash” (transfer) wealth and “education” to Boko Haram since Boko Haram was poor and lacked education. (Were it not not funny, one would have wondered who needed education more: those advocating Western education for Boko Haram; or Boko Haram which means “Western education is forbidden” and kills school children and burns down their campuses to prove it!). After all the lies and pretenses, they all now accept the obvious: Boko Haram is a Terrorist organization. (Some may still refuse to admit Boko Haram's ethnic, cultural and religious cleansing motives and actions, thereby once again deceiving themselves. Ethnic cleansing, religious cleansing, Jihads, are all forms of Terrorism.)

But, this is only half the story. Now that those who practically fought tooth-and-nail to support, defend, encourage, protect or use Boko Haram have seen the light (apparently), they nowadays call loudly for actions to defeat Boko Haram and its terrorism and terrorists. The point being made here is that such call and such actions do not have the force or power to achieve what is called for today by these groups who for about fifteen years spent all their energy supporting and defending Boko Haram. If and when Boko Haram is defeated, it will not be because of the contribution of these groups.

Non-sovereign, Non-ethnic, Non-solution “National Conference”

The same type of picture can be painted, as another example, with President Jonathan's so-called National Conference. Jonathan, in this round, just like his predecessors, after having vehemently rejected real Sovereign National Conference, is the face of Nigerian leaders, elite and others who reject a true sovereign ethnic nations' conference to resolve Problem Nigeria. The fact that he allowed what might be pretended as a substitute for (or worse still, even falsely celebrated as) the real thing, does not mean that he changed his mind. Obasanjo recently, and Gowon in the 60's, did the same thing, too. Such efforts as Jonathan's National Conference or Obasanjo's National Political Reform Conference only support their opposition to the real thing demanded by the peoples suffering in Nigeria looking for a real and lasting solution through the avenue of Self Determination: the exercisable right of each ethnic nation to determine its own political and socioeconomic fate and its mutual and consenting inter-national relationships. So, expect one day to read: “Senate Renews Call for Self Determination of Ethnic Nations in Nigeria.” At the same time, don't expect that whatever the Senate does about this will add to the process of Ethnic Nations recovering each its sovereignty and Independence from Nigeria. However, know that such a process will occur in one way or another.

Day After Nigeria
There is going to be a day when ethnic nations of Nigeria re-acquire each its own sovereignty and Independence, and then decide on meaningful, mutual, equal and beneficial relationships and partnerships among themselves. Today, President Jonathan may be the symbol of those who reject this inevitable; but it will happen. Yes, Mr. President, in response to your statement: Heads of State can and have presided over the dissolution of their own unions when the parties support, ask or demand it, in order to avoid futile wars and bloodshed—know your history. No, Mr. President: there is no evidence, as stated and or implied by you, that God initiated, designed, put together or sustains the sorry state known as Nigeria, least of all, blessed this Hell called Nigeria; know your facts. Reminder, Mr. President: Hell is a place where 3 million youths pay applications fees for 3 thousand jobs of which there are actually only 3 hundred remaining openings, the desperate youths including few pregnant being lured from all over and then herded like animals into access-controlled stadiums to suffer and a few die from the indignity of water, food and toilet deprivation, dehydration, stampede, humiliation and dehumanization; and there is nothing anybody can do about it. Perhaps God is compelling you to reconsider your claims about Him and Nigeria?

All that energy poured into trying to impossibly keep Nigeria one will, when you finally admit the light, rob you and all of the power and will to implement the correct solution, which is to assist the peoples equally in the exercise of their Self Determination rights.

People make nations; nations don't make people. Without people, there is no nation. But, without nations, people still exist. Nigeria can never make a nation of the peoples suffering under its forceful and forced influence. It is the peoples who will make a nation called Nigeria; at this time, these peoples are incapable of that (for no fault of theirs, for that matter); do not want to, are not interested in, and are tired of being manipulated and forced into trying. On the day that the headlines read: “President Renews Call for Peaceful Dissolution of Nigeria”, it will prove too little too late, because the process will proceed and complete of its own energy—regardless of the President and the stakeholders he represents at when that time arrives.

The peoples suffering in Nigeria today will get that day—the real day of Independence. It is therefore necessary and important to prepare for the day after, though. The Day will be here when you wake up and find yourself in your own nation, your own country. What are you going to do?

It is now time to begin to think of the behaviors and conditions inherited from Nigeria which must change, else the future nations face the same difficulties and the national fate of Nigeria. Thinking of such in terms of (in)famous symptoms (corruption, poverty, etc.) will not address the issues effectively. It would be like chasing Fever and trying to fight it while failing to figure out and deal with the cause of the fever, like an infection, heat exposure or medication, for example. Or, like trying to steam out Jaundice with herbal baths which will not address the real cause of the Jaundice, from which the victim will certainly die. Make a list of problems, issues and conditions which trouble Nigeria. Find the source—the real root-cause—of each item. Search for a solution.

It is not enough to seek for and discover a problem. It is not enough to announce a problem. It is not enough to dramatize a problem—like the Nigerian Police parading non-convicted suspects of crimes (no need to go further there). It is not enough to bask in, revel in or romance a problem. It is not nearly enough to sing and talk about or analyze a problem. What is required is a solution: find a solution. To find a real solution, the real cause has to be found first. Interacting with a problem ought to be done with the singular purpose of finding a solution.

Make a list of the problems. Find the cause of the problems. Look for the solution: find a solution, if not the solution. “Work the solution, not the problem”. No, it is not easy—agreed.

Finally, it is a huge mistake to assume that finding a solution to a problem is the same as tackling the problem effectively. No. Solving a problem is as stated: “solve + problem”. There must be the will to apply the solution to the problem. There must be a commitment to implement the solution with respect to the problem. There has to be a culture of applying the right solution, once found, to the problem at hand. A nation must teach, embody and empower the discipline of application of correct solutions to problems as an institution. That's what successful people and their nations do.

And that's why Nigeria's failure is sealed. Nigeria is a place where the most energy is applied to denying that a problem exists at all; when finally admitted, the problem is then pretended, shrilled, prayed and wailed away (in illusion!) with equal amount of energy, with no notion of analysis towards a solution. In the few occasions when an analysis is ordered and solution sought (“commissions of inquiry”), the report does not see the light of day and there is no intent at all of its implementation even if it succeeds in making it out of the Black Hole (recall Oputa Panel report in 2002). When, on occasion a “report” is released, it is doctored to negate the original findings and recommended solution, to suit and protect the whims and wishes of the principalities and egos controlling Nigeria, which is exactly what happened to the so-called 1999 Constitution of Nigeria. To this day, most Nigerians do not even know that the original constitution penned by the “constitutional committee” to help resolve burning issues for Nigerians is not what General Abdulsalami Abubakar presented and foisted over Nigeria in 1999 as the official constitution. Don't let this happen to your future nation; do not allow this in your future country.

Start your preparations now for the day after Nigeria. Start working the solutions already. Don't wait.

Oguchi Nkwocha, MD
Nwa Biafra
A Biafran Citizen
[email protected]