Posted by by MFREKE IKPEKPE on
Who will believe my report? I am not an elder statesman. I am not from any of the majority tribes. I have not tasted high political or administrative office in this country. I have no people so I am not speaking "for my people". But let the truth be told. This time from the mouth of "suckling babes".
Who will believe my report? I am not an elder statesman. I am not from any of the majority tribes. I have not tasted high political or administrative office in this country. I have no people so I am not speaking "for my people". But let the truth be told. This time from the mouth of "suckling babes".
I have witnessed several years as a Nigerian. I need no prompter to tell me that it is not well for my country, Nigeria. It is trite knowledge that when a house divides against itself, it cannot stand. Nigeria is looking for patriots and we have them in their droves. Check them out: with high political profiles championing ethnic crusades or in the garb of the cleric preaching religious bigotry. Others dazzle as civil rights defenders or Non-Governmental Organization (NGO's) but are busy lining their pockets with local and international funds while the nation totters. And they are all honourable patriots!
Year 2007 is here. I can hear the nagging drums of the babble of political voices each proclaiming their differing loyalty to their paymasters. None is more convoluted than the claims of the South-East and South-South zones. According to them, the South-East fiddled with political power for just six months and must now grab the presidency as of their right of turn. Their drums have hardly died down when the south-south vanguard started orchestrating their rights to the presidency on the claimthat they have never tasted it anytime in Nigeria's chequered history.
All these came on the heels of the northern claim to their turn based on the north-south rotational formula. We know these are all logical claims indeed!
But I fear that in the course of executing these rightful claims, Nigeria or a large chunk of her citizens shall be used as fodder. This is why I rise to present this report and where nobody is listening and taking advantage of it, I shall have satisfied my conscience.
I was born to see the east and west of Nigeria at political enmity. It came to the fore in the 1983 elections where there was pseudo-posturing by the late Zik and Awo to come together in a formidable alliance to present one candidate from the southern Nigeria. It ended with each gladiator claiming the right to the throne over the other. The rest is now history. Are we playing the same cards again and waiting for the same result again? That will be the "fate of a cockroach" or mild insanity.
The stage is well set. The west are not in line for the presidency and so are indifferent to it. The North as usual will play up ethnic and religious sentiments as their selling points to whip up their people to toe the line of any candidate they present. The south-south are busy throwing dusts and casting aspersions on the south-east. The south-east are busy stomping and threatening anybody who they imagine as stumbing block to their dreams. In the end it may well work out that following the historical trends and not wanting to be seen to be taking sides with the confused bunch, the west may go with the north. The north on their part will present a block vote to their candidate with scoops from the west and from the greedy fifth majority. The south-east and south-south in their solitary confused march will fall and in the dying minutes of the game, will troop voluntarily to support the north.
If General Yakubu Gowon who fought the east to have a united Nigeria should in his wisdom age declare that the south-eat should have this turn, should we not listen to him? I say this because maybe I love Nigeria more now that I am not fighting for any political office. As if patriotism is measured by the political office one occupies. The south-south should rise above yesterday's prejudices andgive a handshake to the south-east. They should do so not because the south-easterners are to be trusted but because nobody is ever trustable with political office. They should do so on the clear understanding that the south-east will stand by them in their own turn. Yes the south-south should agree with the south east under a well worked out arrangements of mutual political dividends so that their insistence on their individual rights will not rub both of them of their much coveted dream. It should not stop here. Together the south-east and the south-south should now go as one to solicit the co-operation of the north and the west not by name-callings, threats or lamentations of marginalization but by rational dialogue ending with a mutual working understanding.
The north should remember that from the days of our founding fathers in politics, the votes of the south-east and south-south have always been critical to their overall electoral success. They should reson withthem because Nigeria is not finishing by 2007 and if the present crop of politicians from the north will not sit at the presidency, their children will, surely. This time with a good foundation that was laid by their fathers. When we yearnfor a new Nigeria this should translate into our burying the hatchets of yesterday's pains; it should mean the ‘core states' should not forget the injuries of thesouth-east and the south-east should assure the south-south of accomodation in the ensuring political configuration. The west should not suddenly forget that the votes of the south-east and south-south overwhelmingly determined the success of Obasanjo's first term, there would have been no second term for him.
It iswell, that the ethnic vanguards of Nigeria now have their formal fora for effective mobilization. It is gladdening that the south-south has now come up with the south-south people's assembly just as the southeast has strengthened its grip on Ohanaeze. The acid test of the seriousness of the south-east and south-south for the presidency will be their willingness and resolve to work as one. Therefore this shall be the sign, when the south-east and south-south shall prefer to go their seperate ways, it will be that they are pretenders to their fight for the presidency. This is my report.
•Ikpeikpe wrote from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
e-mail unclemikpe@yahoo.com