By Comrade Kindness Jonah
Many politicians have tended to deciphering the real problem of Nigeria. Some have clamoured for solid support base to solve it. Others have proffered verbal solution. Yet, others have written treatises to decode that problem. The prevaricating slogan has been One Nigeria since the boomerang of 1966. Yet, like the elusive cat with nine lives, true peace has eluded Nigeria. What then is that problem of Nigeria?
Parallel lines in cultural permutation met in 1914 to panel beat elephants and buffaloes to no small dissuasion. The 1884 Berlin conference was Ngwa man’s hypertension in Igboland as midwife of Aba Women’s riot. Yet, the problem persisted. The ideological dissimilarity with the amphibious Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa’s government was the launchpad of Major Chukwuma Patrick Kaduna Nzeogwu in the botched 1966 coup, the second in Igboland after 1929 Ngwa’ Aba Women war.
Sabre rattling has continued anyway and anyhow. Political gerrymandering has been justified on the gambit of getting at this slippery owl of night cry called Nigeria’ problem. Islam has dominated the scene since 1970 end of the fratricidal war. Yet, this problem has defied solution. What then is Nigeria’s problem?
I personally feel that before anybody can solve the problem of Nigeria as a nation, he must have to understand the problem. Problem of Nigeria is not corruption. It may surprise us to read this in this analysis. All these people clamouring to be president of Nigeria, who amongst them, really knows the problem of Nigeria?
As educated as Nnamdi Azikiwe was, he never understood the problem of Nigeria, Do you agree? The sharp witted Marcus Ubani knew the problem , but he was greatly checked by Wilston Churchill in the ’40s who used Nnamdi Azikiwe . Do you agree?
Aminu Kano knew the problem, but he never understood how to go about it. Do you agree? Obafemi Awolowo understood the problem, but he later joined them to propagate the problem when he felt he was frustrated. Do you agree?
Odumegwu Ojukwu knew the Problem, but he never understood the way out. Do you agree? Igbo are not the problem of Nigeria. Do you Agree?
Yakubu Gowon, Zamani Lekwot, Theophilus Danjuma, Jeremiah Useni, Martin Adamu, Joshua Dogonyaro, and the host of other Northerner christians, including Hausas were and are still being used by the same problem today. Do you agree?
Aguiyi Ironsi was not the problem of Nigeria. Do you agree?
Yoruba and South South and Middle Belt were being used by the same problem but they were deceived to fight the Igbo man, supposing that the Igbo man was the problem of Nigeria. Do You agree?
Yakubu Gowon changed his name from Jacob to Yakubu supposing to please the problem. Do you agree?
Yakubu Gowon, since 1970 end of the war, has not addressed Nigerians to identify the problem. Do you agree?
The same problem deceived the present South South to believe that Igbo man is their problem. Do you agree?
Yemi Osinbajo who I believe personally has the gut initially to confront the problem amongst other contestants then, is now making the same mistake made later by Obafemi Awolowo, who much later regretted it and left Gowon Government in frustration. Do you agree?
Osibanjo said: “I will continue the legacies of Buhari”–Too Bad for Osinbajo. Do you agree?
Peter Obi, Nyesom Wike, Yahaya Bello, Bola Tinubu, Pius Anyim or any other Igbo candidate for 2023 Presidency does not understand the problem of Nigeria. Do you agree? Goodluck Jonathan was in power but he never understood the problem of Nigeria. Do you agree?
Jonathan goofed by supposing that by building many Almajiri schools for them, he could please the problem of Nigeria. Do you agree? Jonathan committed the sin of David to Dawda Jawara of Gambia. Do you agree?
Ikwerre people and Agbor, Kwale , Umunede or Ika people were deceived by the same people to deny their Igboness and say that they are not Igbo any longer to be used by the same problem to fight Igbo in the war supposing to please the same problem. Do you agree?
Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and all those who staged the Coup of January 1966 had the good intention of correcting Nigeria, but they never understood the problem of Nigeria. Do you agree?
The same problem in 1962, told Sowemimo, the Judge, to say “my hands are tied” and sentenced Obafemi Awolowo , his fellow Yoruba man, to live jail. Do you agree?
The same Nigeria’s problem tied the hands of Sowemimo. Do you agree?
The hand as the problem of Nigeria, tied, and is still tying the hands of the indigenous Northern Nigerians today. Do you agree? The same problem has been using all other tribes that fought Igbo in the war to propagate lies against the Igbo in Nigeria until now. Do you agree?
The same problem as alleged had between January 15 to 25, 1970, at National Executive Meeting, called “Glass Ceiling” that No Igbo man can be President of Nigeria in the next 100 years, until 2070, and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was present in that meeting. Do you agree?
The same problem used and dumped Obasanjo in 1979 when he denied Awolowo, the presidency, and gave it to Shehu Shagari, despite the fact that Awolowo won. The same problem, thereafter, told Obasanjo to use Ovie Whiskey, the then Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) Chairman, to use the frivolous policy of 2/3, to oust Awolowo to favour Shagari. Do you agree?
The same problem penetrated the people of South South, marketing Igbo phobia to them to be siphoning their oil since 1970 but making them believe that Igbo man is their problem. Do you agree? The same problem was the mastermind of abandoned property saga to castrate the Igbo man, using Igbo man’s South next door neighbour. Do you agree?
The same problem used Maman Nasir between 1975 to 1977, to balkanize Igbo and shrink the natural boundaries of Igbo in Nigeria. Today, the Annangs are claiming some parts of Ngwa land and Ukwa land, Annang also in Umuahia, Ikom also in Arochukwu and Ohafia, Itigidi in Abomege, Ikom in Isu of Afikpo, Igalla in Umuobanam, and others. Do you agree?
The same problem reduced the erudite Dr Alex Ekwueme to an errand boy of Shagari, and still now reducing the scholarly Osinbajo to the errand boy of Buhari. Do you agree?
The same problem messed up the education sector in Nigeria. Do you agree? The same problem threw away the merit system for JAMB/ UME, as well as employment into federal civil service for “Man-Know-Man” syndrome called quota system. Do you agree?
The problem of Nigeria is identified spiritually as “Use and dump”. But who is that protagonist of the maxim: “Use and Dump”?
This submission ideologically exposes all eggheads in Nigerian to identify this lingering Nigerian problem, and proffer lasting solution.
What is the problem of Nigeria, I ask again?
The problem of Nigeria is religion. Perhaps, this was why many people particularly from the Southern Nigeria kicked against the intended programmes by President Muhammadu Buhari such as Ruga, Grazing Reserve Bill, Water Resource Bill and all such islamization bills.
The solution to the draggon-headed problem of Nigeria is secularity of state as well as perfect restructure of Nigeria. Comrade Jonah, Civil Liberties Organization–CLO South East Zonal Headquarters Enugu, and Convener, Voice from the East—VEAST, writes from Enugu.
