This week, I have chosen to reflect on everything, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. I am doing so owing to the intriguing nature of the moment. The blind alley in which the country has found itself demands a radical engagement. How did we get to the crossroads? Ordinarily, an apocalyptic dissection of the Nigerian situation could be compelling. But the possibility of a silver lining restrains us from an outright dismissal of our situation as hopeless.
What are we telling ourselves now that the world is about to birth a new year? The tradition in Nigeria here is to offer hope. The leaders have filed out, admonishing the citizenry on what it means to be Christ-like and how this can impact on the country’s unending search for a road map. The leadership does this in every festive season, be it of the Christian or Muslim variety. It is a ritual of admonition. It does not flow from the heart. It is meant, as the Scripture tells us in the gospel of Matthew, to fulfill all righteousness. The pretentiousness of this lip service is not lost on the people. And so they treat it for what it is, a mere periodic ritual.
This vacuous admonition has always been with us. At the very beginning, some of the founding fathers of the country meant business. They were idealistic in their outlook. They thought it was feasible for Nigeria to graduate from being a mere geographical representation to a nation-state. The truly patriotic ones among them envisioned a country that would stand in brotherhood, regardless of the multiplicity of tribes and tongues. It was truly ideal to romanticize about the country’s future. It was such idealism that normally translates into a world view, indeed in a way of life in countries and institutions that are destined for greatness.
Regrettably, our romance with the promises of a better tomorrow turned out to be airy fairy. It was not founded on anything concrete. It was a mere mental flight. That was why the flight of fancy collapsed like a pack of cards even before the idealism was fully birthed. Since then, all that the leadership does is to present the people with a papier-mâché realized image of the country of their dreams. This subliminal encapsulation of the dream country appealed to the imagination of the country’s early birds. They relied on this ideal as they massaged their sense of nationhood. But there is always a difference between projection and practicality. It is in that difference that the reality of our situation lies today.The fact of the Nigerian situation is that of motion without movement. Better still, the country fits into the metaphysical conceit in which motion is busy standing still. That explains the inhibitions that the country suffers at every turn. The absolute sense of direction is almost grounding the country’s ship of state. But at no time has a rescue come. Rather, we have had a horde of adventurers who tried to outdo one another. In those days of military incursion into governance, we saw the miles glorious in his elemental best. The braggart soldiers entertained us with so much swagger and authority. The result was the continued derailment that the system faced in the hands of the jackboot.
But we cannot safely claim that the story has been significantly different since civil rule took root in Nigeria. In the next few months, the country would have been governed for 24 unbroken years by civil authorities. What has the experience been like? The story, largely, is one of retrogression. After many years of military rule, the spectacular return of civil rule in 1999 represented by the Olusegun Obasanjo presidency meant a lot to the people. The new day was greeted with so much fanfare. There was hope on the horizon. Obasanjo, a die-hard advocate for one, united Nigeria, did his level best to move Nigeria forward. But whatever successes he achieved were not built upon. The mad chase for power overshadowed the need to rescue Nigeria from the quicksand that it has been standing on. It was that mad contest for power that has taken us to where we are at moment.
Just a few hours ago, President Muhammadu Buhari, for the first time since I knew him, publicly celebrated his birthday. We are told that the President turned 80. That is a ripe age. And so, the President found reason to celebrate. The occasion afforded him the opportunity to reflect on a few governance issues. Strangely, the President was made to speak on whether he is the real Buhari or a certain Jubril from Sudan. The President dispelled the mischief. He told Nigerians that those peddling the falsehood were diverting attention from the real issues of governance, which, according to him, should centre around the provision of infrastructure.
I am indifferent to the Jubril angle to the President’s story. Rather, I am interested in the President’s declaration as he prepares to bow out that he is a leader for all. This claim is highly contestable. As a matter of fact, issues around it have been at the centre of Buhari’s reign as the President of Nigeria.
Many do not think that he made any appreciable effort in unifying Nigeria. If anything, it is widely believed that his era is the most fractious that the country has ever gone through. But whatever may be the case, Buhari is already close to the exit door. So, we have to allow him to depart in peace. Our challenge and concern should rather focus on what happens after Buhari. Who takes over and what lies ahead for the country and its peoples? Hazarding a guess on this all-important issue is what should engage us. Having been suffused with the ridiculous after the initial subliminal excesses of the country’s founding fathers, what should we expect in 2023? Will the new year alter the direction of Nigeria’s quest for and march to greatness? The answer lies in the bowels of time. But there is always a snag. Nigeria is not a free country where the will of the people prevails. If it were so, we would have been excited to see how Nigerians would like to resolve the lingering issues afflicting the country. Unfortunately, we operate a system where the establishment cajoles everyone and enforces its will. It has always been so. Will there be a change this time? As I noted earlier, Nigeria can only save itself from itself if the citizenry are ready to do something out of the ordinary. But there seems to be so much resignation to the status quo. The people do not seem to believe in their abilities. They have the impression that nothing matters. For them, life and living in Nigeria have been prearranged to the extent that no one can alter anything. Only the establishment reigns and rules. What a people. If we carry this disposition into the new year, then we should take that to mean that our story of the ridiculous will continue to endure and fester.