- Written by Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba
Truth be told. The Hausa/Fulani would like Nigeria to break up. The Igbo would like Nigeria to break up. They had tried it before but failed. The Yoruba would like Nigeria to break up. They could be possibly the most vocal for now in seeking such an outcome. The Deltans would pay any price to see that happen. The Middlebeltans would want this outcome also. But Nigeria will not break up. It cannot happen, not in 2015 or before or after. In fact Nigeria would be fussing together stronger and stronger with each passing year. Each tension, each crisis event would make it clear that the knot that the Lugards’ tied cannot come undone.
My statements above seem contradictory.
How can a nation that each segment wants torn apart be said to be growing stronger?
The answer lies in the state creation and in the Nigerian Biafran war.
If the Western Region can be resurrected with Midwest as part of it; if the old Eastern Nigeria can be reconstituted; if the solid North can be made solid again; then Nigeria can be broken up. Each region is big enough to stand on its own. But if the Igbo were to break up, it is almost certain that they would be surrounded by hostile neighbors in south and north. If the SS were to severe from Nigeria, they too would be surrounded by hostile neighbors to the north and west. The same would be experience of West and North.
There is no way the Yoruba could convince the Midwest to join them in an act of rebellion. The Igbo would not have any better luck nor would the Hausa/Fulani. Without such collaboration any effort at separation would be moribund. Going without the neighbors would not be attractive. So each group is stuck with Nigeria.
As I have written before it cannot be done militarily either. Each zone has now strong enough military divisions to force back any zone that wants to break up the nation. There is enough tribal integration in the divisions to make conspiracy impossible. There is also enough distrust between divisions to make cooperation possible.
The existence of militias also makes the separation impossible. BH, MASSAOB, MEND, ODUA, AREWA militias are not likely to work towards the same goals in any foreseeable future. Once one militia enters the fight on one side two or more would enter the fight at the opposite side. Once more bringing a balance of power or terror – your choice of words.
As strong as these points made are, the greatest force preventing the break up is lack of leadership. Who would lead the combined 6 states that currently make up Yoruba? How would such a leader get Kwara to join? Or will the Yoruba leave without Kwara? Who would lead the Igbo states? SS states? NC states? NW and NE? Nobody.
It used to be said that Igbo “enwe eze” (the Igbo had no kings) but you can make the same assertion on behalf of the Yoruba, the SS, NW, NE, NC etc. The Awolowo of the Yoruba land is dead as his counterparts in all zones. The last Ojukwu in Nigeria is dead. Those who harbor the thought of a minimized Nigeria should jettison such pipe dreams.
As much as we hate what Nigeria has become we are stuck together. We must morn and suffer within it.
Or we can do something else try to reform and clean it up it so that the stench does not kill us.
We can do this by:
Standing up for injustice wherever it takes place even when the perpetrator is from my tribe Cooperating when good ideas are put on the table even when Sanusi or Okonjo-Iweala is the author
Condemning massacres or people who actively seek to do in the only country we have by acts of brigandage. By seeking to settle disputes through our justice system and in insisting that justice be delivered by laws as opposed by the power of naira.
By putting in a day’s labor for a day’s pay whether we work for the state or for private enterprises Electing men and women of integrity and insisting that those in office appoint men and women of honor also.
Being attentive as citizens to what our servants are doing. It is not enough to send somebody to Abuja. We must ensure that he is doing what we sent him there to do. Nigeria’s problem could more with followership than with leadership. If the people are asleep, it makes it possible for the leaders to be asleep also.
etc
If we fail to do our job, Nigeria will not break up as we would wish. But the burden of living in it would kill us as individuals. As we make our beds so must we sleep on it.
And even if it mysteriously breaks up we would carry the lessons we learned to Odua, to Biafra, to Arewa Republic, to Delta, to Niger Central.
Old habits die hard.
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