At independence our leaders failed to define the qualities of an
exceptional country so diverse yet so similar that other African countries
can discern a Nigerian no matter the ethnic origin. The emphasis was on
replacing the colonial masters and enjoying the benefits of a
distributional and extractive governance philosophy primarily designed to
enrich the home government of the colonialist. In adopting that philosophy
without the administrative competence of the colonial administration it
was only a matter of time before the vacuous organising principle of the
new state led to Africa’s worst pogrom and civil war.
The end of the civil war offered an opportunity for the wining coalition
to redefine the organising principle of the Nigerian state and propose new
ideals upon which, a state exceptional in its combination of three strong
and many other small ethnic groups that had overcome a civil war, can be
founded. Yet again we missed it. Administration after Administration we
have failed to build a modern Nigeria based on ideals that derive from our
essence and quest for nationhood.
Today, confronted by a dire economic situation; antagonised by separatist
agitations and religion inspired terror; and challenged by weakening
subnational governments and global hostility another opportunity presents
itself to redefine the essence of the Nigerian State. This redefinition is
not all about restructuring (if we can agree on the definition) but may
include it, it is not all about governance structure and distributional
formula, though it may be an aftermath, it is principally about a union
freely founded on ideals of respect for individual rights, freedom to
achieve individual potential and respect for multi-cultural, multi-ethnic
union that allows for unity in diversity indeed. The Nigerian state so
redefined and freely subscribed to by a majority would definitely endure
and overcome all the challenges that plague any nation so constructed.