By Chidi Nkwopara
LET us devote a few minutes to day, for our dear country, Nigeria. This reflection, in the writer’s considered opinion, has become absolutely necessary because patriots believe that Nigeria does not need to fail, even as it is crystal clear that the country is in dire straits. There are a number of things that sadly brought Nigeria on its knees. Take the Federal Character Law as an instance.
It appears to discerning minds that it has been abandoned completely. Appointments have continued to be manifestly nepotic and made in favour of particular sections of the country. Those who strongly feel shortchanged, have been complaining, but the powers that be remain unconcerned. Agitation for Independence has not necessarily ceased to rent the airwaves. Again, spiralling poverty, insecurity and the militarisation of the South East, are also serious issues in this day and age.
Banditry, armed robbery, Boko Haram, kidnapping, unknown gunmen and killer herdsmen, who go about killing, maiming and rapping women and girls in our rural communities, are also nagging problems bedeviling the Nigerian society. How unknown gunmen wreaked havoc on Easter Monday, in Owerri, in still fresh in our minds.
It remains to be seen, how many of these criminals have been nabbed and prosecuted for their crimes. In the light of all the above, however, we still have citizens who are visibly troubled by these happenings. We do not need to tell anybody that these concerned citizens, from all works of life, have been talking and thinking out measures that will bring the country back from the precipice. It is sad to note that most times, these very outspoken patriots, and they are many, are either branded “opposition elements, anti-establishment fellows”, or a lot more bizarre coinages are used against them.
For the record, we have the likes of Femi Falana, SAN; Mike Ozokheme, SAN; Professor Wole Soyinka and the late Gani Fawehinmi, SAN. Songstars like Sunny Okosun and Fela Anikulakpo Kuti did theirs through music. Among the clerics, you have people like John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kuka, Archbishop Olubunmi Okogie, Archbishop Anthony J. V. Obinna, Most Rev. Professor Godfrey Igwebuike Onah, Most Rev. Dr. David O. C. Onuoha and Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma.
These patriotic citizens and religious leaders, have never expressed any conscious wish to take up any elective or appointive posts in either the state or national levels. They have remained the voices of the teeming voiceless citizens. It is trite to believe that these patriots have continued to applaud or criticise certain policies and programmes of government because the nation’s leaders have failed, unwilling or incapable of taking the necessary steps to check ugly trends.
A few examples will suffice at this point, and the views of Archbishops Onuoha and Obinna readily come to mind in this reflective exposé. Delivering his Presidential Address at the synod of the Okigwe South Anglican Diocese, at St. John Church, Umunumo, Ehime Mbano local council area of Imo State, few days ago, the Anglican Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Dr. David O. C. Onuoha, came down hard on the National Assembly, NASS.
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He accused the NASS leadership of being totally helpless in fulfilling their constitutional role of law making, appropriation and effective oversight of other arms of government, to ensure checks and balances. His words: “One of the things that has infused fear and suspicion, thereby creating unease in the land today, is the total disregard of the Federal Character principle that was built into the Constitution, to ensure that every section of the country, feels accommodated and welcomed in the scheme of things.
“The impunity with which this principle has been jettisoned, also meets the ready willingness of the National Assembly, especially the Senate, to approve appointments that did not meet the requirements of the very law enacted by them, is a great disservice to Nigeria. “The deafening silence of this arm of government, in the face of total disregard of the federal character in appointments, failure to do the needful with the nagging issue of open grazing and its attendant problems of herdsmen menace, banditry, hoodlums kidnapping, as well as their disposition to put party and personal considerations above those of the nation state, adversely affect their rating and perception, which are presently average.
“At a time of near national emergency, when Nigeria assumed the unfortunate status of a killing field, the Nigerian Senate recently spent time, debating on a Bill seeking to create a database for livestock. “That the Senate had time for this trash at a time insecurity, corruption, inflation, poverty, unemployment, etc, is bringing the nation down on its knees, is not only ridiculous but also very unfortunate.
“Nigerians have lost confidence in an Assembly that owes its loyalty to a person than our nation. A National Assembly that makes laws and watches it flagrantly abused, is a disaster to any people or nation. “An Assembly that prefers to guard and protect a regime instead of a nation and her people, an Assembly that chooses to play lullaby to a sleeping leader, instead of shaking him up from slumber, an Assembly that chooses to preserve its political career and interest at the cost of the blood of the innocent citizens, is a disaster.”
While calling on the leadership of the Ninth National Assembly to “resign and allow true patriots to lead this important arm of government for the rejuvenation of Nigeria”, Onuoha also reasoned that “at this critical stage of our national life and history, every legitimate means should be employed to remove whoever or whatever that is threatening the corporate existence of this country, as a way to guarantee peace and safety to her citizens.”
Delivering the homily during a Pontifical Mass at Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri, to mark this year’s World Communications Day, Archbishop Obinna berated the Senate President, Alhaji Ahmed Lawan, for criticising the Asaba Declaration of the Southern Governors. Lawan was of the view that being elected political office holders, they should not be the arrowheads in the calls for secession or restructuring of the country, adding that if they are interested in restructuring, they should start from their respective states.
Replying, Obinna said: “If elected governors, as well as the National and State Assembly members cannot speak on behalf of the people, then they have no business being in the office. “We congratulate the Southern Governors and pray that they will continue to speak up more, and demand the rights of the people, rather than begging for our rights.
“I am happy that the Southern Governors have woken from slumber because before now, they have been, individually going to beg the Federal Government and those in the Presidency, in order to secure their patronage and their goodwill, instead of securing the rights of our people. “Our representatives in government, only represent themselves in order to capture contracts and capture money for themselves.
This has left us in this ugly situation.” Decrying the rising insecurity in Imo State, the cleric said: “We are worried about the ambiguity that followed it, as we do not know who is doing what. “I know that MASSOB, IPOB and ESN, started as a reaction to the way the Federal Government has been treating Ndigbo.
We didn’t want to talk about Biafra but now, Biafra has become a daily talk, because of the way we are being treated. “Following the defeat of Biafra, during the civil war, Ndigbo were forced back into Nigeria, but unfortunately, having come back to Nigeria, we are not being treated fairly as fellow Nigerians. This is the whole problem.”
Now that these religious leaders have spoken the minds of many voiceless citizens, will anybody listen? Will those concerned make amends in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians? Only time will tell. We must please, reflect on these issues before Nigeria fails. A stitch in time saves nine.
*Nkwopara, a journalist, wrote from Owerri
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