Random Reflections With Okafor: Okorocha, Don’t Play With Our Unity

Frankly, we cannot divorce the nations of Hausa-Fulani, Igbo and Yoruba from the raging ethno-religious strife and other challenges threatening to halt Nigeria’s march to common ethos and nationhood.  Over the years, these three major ethnic nations have continuously frustrated genuine attempts geared towards eliminating all barriers of differences and disagreements which are plaguing the Nigerian nation using their sheer population, contacts and influence.

In the past, we have seen the Igbo nation rise in unity to defend one of their own who had fallen short of discharging his duties as government official with utmost dignity, patriotism and love. The same thing is applicable to the Yoruba nation which uses its control of the Lagos-Ibadan press to shield their sons and daughters from charges of incompetence, nepotism and corruption and the Hausa-Fulani nation is not a saint either. We are not unaware of the manipulation and lowering of standards in order to give the Hausa-Fulani undue mileage in the distribution of national privileges, offices and advantages under military regimes headed by Northerners in the past. Continue....

Beyond that, Nigeria suffers from self-denial and selective hypocrisy which arise as a result of deliberate encouragement of ethno-religious superiority which the actions and inactions of these three major tribes promote. But selective hypocrisy and ethnocentrism are the gravest challenges which these three major ethnic nations add to the tonnes of national problems and challenges facing us as a nation today.

For instance, ethnocentric tension and hypocrisy were almost elevated to breaking point when Chinua Achebe authored his autobiography two years ago. Even without waiting for the release of the book, Yoruba leaders declared full-fledged (media) war against their Igbo compatriots based on the synopsis of the book they read from Western media. As if that was not enough, we saw the worst when Governor Babatunde Fashola chose to carry out his illegal but retinue deportation of Nigerians he termed (Igbo) “destitute” from Lagos to Onitsha last year.

As the controversies trailing the action of Governor Fashola raged, ethnocentric, mischievous and anti-Nigeria elements had field day inciting treasonable hate, fear, tension and violence amongst Nigerians while well-meaning Nigerians cringed and wept for the future of Nigeria because the issue at hand was so much pedestrianized that it almost questioned the unity of the Nigerian State.

Perhaps, taking a cue from Governor Fashola and smarting from the successful deportation of 84 Katsina indigenes who were undergoing skills acquisition program at Imo College of Advanced Professional Studies to Katsina last January (see Vanguard January 28, 2014 edition), Governor Anayo Okorocha and his galloping administration proposed to profile all Northerners living in Imo state after the discovery of IED in a church in Owerri about one month ago.

In a rare display of selective hypocrisy, all Igbo “federalists” who fumed and condemned the deportation hobby of Lagos State government using all means necessary have lost their voices today as Governor Okorocha seeks to introduce anti-Nigeria and inhuman policy in Imo State. It is a great shame that except the manful intervention of Senator Chris Anyanwu on the floor of the senate, no prominent son or leader of the Igbo nation has taken a clear stand against the proposed policy of profiling Northerners in Imo State.

Of course, Senator Chris Ngige who has gained notoriety for supporting all manner of illegalities including the deportation policy of the Lagos State government spoke on the floor of the Senate that day but he was more interested in raising a Point of Order on perceived use of offensive and insulting language on Governor Okorocha than the unconstitutional policy of profiling Northerners. Indeed, the Yoruba senators and nation are silent after all “e no concern dem. Make Ibo people and Hausa-Fulani finish off dem selves if dem want.”

But the fact remains that apart from the retinue deportation policy of the Lagos state government of Governor Fashola, no other state government policy challenges our nationhood as the crass policy of profiling of our Northern brothers and sisters living in Imo State. Today, some radical and perverted elements, led by one misguided Alhaji Abubakar Umar who doubles as the ACF Deputy Secretary-General, are waiting in the corner to unleash mayhem on Southerners living in the north if caution is not applied because of Governor Okorocha’s policy.

In a public statement, Umar warns that the profiling of Northerners in Imo State “could endanger the multi-billion naira investments of Igbo businessmen living in the north.”  If Umar was issuing empty threats, then the case was different from what an amorphous group called Concerned Arewa Citizens did; the group mustered the hateful stamina to present an evil bill to the Kaduna State House of Assembly: the bill  seeks to profile all Southerners living in the North and save Northerners from brutal acts of human and drug trafficking, robbery, kidnapping, terrorism, baby factories, pipeline vandalism and other anti-social vices spearheaded by Southern Nigerians!

Perhaps, it is on the strength of the foregoing that the National Security Council reconvened last Monday to outlaw the profiling and deportation of Nigerians by any state government under whatever guise. Let the truth be told: the federal government is wading into this deportation/profiling issue rather too late if we put into account that Governor Peter Obi had had cause to write the presidency about this satanic trend since 2012; but we can still be happy because the federal government has averted what could have been another round of hate propagation and unnecessary waste of blood as a result of some clueless agenda of a failing government in Imo State.

In reality, one fact stands unassailable in all these: the deportation/profiling of any Nigerian based on indigeneship by any state government, be it Imo State, Lagos State  or Kaduna State, is unconstitutional, grossly illegal and unquestionably criminal and must be resisted by all Nigerians irrespective of ethnic, socio-economic, political and religious status. Luckily, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria we operate recognises citizenship above indigeneship and is unambiguous on who is a Nigerian citizen together with all the quantum of rights and obligations that goes with it.

In a way, it is a grave indictment and irresponsibility for any state government to deport or profile any Nigerian under whatever guise. The attempt to christen the profiling policy of Imo State government as “identification” cannot eclipse the attendant moral burden which comes with it. This is because it indicates government rascality and inability to take care of the well being and security of its people which is the primary aim of any responsible government. It also challenges our national ethos and psyche as a people who, instead of solving their problems, develop an attitude of escapism which end up leaving insecurity and terrorism stride unchallenged as they continue to decimate the greater percentage of our people daily.

There is certainly no two ways about it: government must be alive and responsible in securing our people through modern policing, intelligence gathering and use of sophisticated system to tackle crimes and domestic terrorism. In addition, it goes without noting that profiling of citizens encourage the spread of radicalism and domestic terrorism in any country.

As a point of fact, the political class manipulate the impressionable nature of Nigerians to instigate maximum controversy and hate mongering in our polity. But our government and leaders must also learn to stop instigating our people against our people in attempt to cover their failure while the elite must be made to understand that it is in their best interest that all ethno-religious tensions in Nigeria are eradicated.

Furthermore, the essence of federal character principle in our constitution is beautifully desirable, if not perfect but the observance of the principle based on state of origin impels a feeling of “tribalism” in us all.  Therefore, it is high-time we need to face the journey of nationhood completely serious and diligently collapse our differences as the Great Nnamdi Azikiwe urged us in the build up to Independence. And we can do this by electing to elevate all that promotes our unity and shared future while replacing divisive status like state of origin in our statute book with state of residence so that Nigeria can work for all Nigerians bearing in mind that just as in the recent Imo profiling policy, the ceaseless troubles in Jos, Plateau State revolves around indigeneship against constitutionally guaranteed citizenship. Let us honestly settle the indigeneship versus citizenship question once and for all for the good of the nation now

In a nutshell, the debate on the unending profiling and deportation of Nigerians in Nigeria by various state governments ably led by the Imo and Lagos State governments respectively presents us a veritable opportunity of addressing the question of citizenship Vs indigeneship and strict observance of the provisions of the constitution. And we must not fail to stand up and find solution(s) to these challenges no matter how hard unrepentant tribalists, crass bigots, ethnic jingoists and uncaring elite try to attack, confuse and distract us; this is fitting because Nigeria is ours to build and posterity shall have no kind words for us should we fail in this onerous task of chiselling Nigeria for peaceful co-existence, nationhood and sustainable development.

As such, we must strive to evolve practical strategies of holding our government responsible and end the violation of our constitution by those in authority as displayed by the Lagos deportation ordeal and proposed Imo State Profiling policy. Government at all levels in Nigeria should be encouraged to uphold all articles of the constitution in practice however inconvenient they may be because the constitution exist to protect us all.

Similarly, let us also advance the teaching and learning of "Citizenship Education" formally and informally in our national life, this is because Citizenship education elevates all that makes Nigeria great and one in reality.

Finally, we owe ourselves and posterity through this Imo brouhaha and Lagos state ill-conceived deportation policies, the duty to learn and develop into a great nation. And the time to debate and build a greater Nigeria founded on common ethos, peace, equity, progress, unity and love is now. But can our generation stand up to this national task?