OPINION
BY ERNEST CHINWO AND CHIEMELIE EZEOBI, 4 MARCH 2013
TRIBALISM is a barrier to progressive democratic dialogue in Nigeria. A few weeks ago, I wrote an article for Vanguard newspapers. The title was "Obasanjo says the darnedest things." In this article, I was generally critical of leaders who only understand Nigeria's problems in retrospect.
In fact, I alluded that this has become a trend with Nigerian leaders. They correctly identify the problems with Nigeria only once they leave office and lack the political power to positively change the lives of Nigerians. Doing so offers them an easy path to statesmanship and transforms them into kingmakers that Nigerians should revere and follow.
To buttress my point, I used Obasanjo as an example because of his recent statement made at ValparaisoUniversity in Indiana. He said that the problem with Nigeria and Africa is corruption and a lack of infrastructure.
I do not wish to comment on this issue again. I have covered it extensively in my previous write-up. And, as a matter of principle, I do not write sequels or follow-ups. Otherwise this article would have been a sequel or response to some of the comments made by readers. For instance, one reader wrote that an Igbo man will never be president of Nigeria.
Considering that I was critical of Nigerian leaders not as an Igbo man, but as a Nigerian who is deeply worried about the future of Nigeria and its citizens, I wondered what such a comment had to do with the opinion I expressed in that article. The only fact revealed by that reader's comment is that tribalism is a barrier to any type of meaningful and progressive democratic dialogue in Nigeria.
However, I partially agree with the comment. An Igbo man will hardly be president of Nigeria. The only way an Igbo man can become president is if Nigeria's political landscape allows progressive and honest dialogue about the future of the country.
When Nigeria's political discourse begins to revolve around real democratic values, and when Nigerians begin to make political decisions based on who is suitable to tackle the problems that face them, only then will the chances of an Igbo presidency be realistic.
Obviously, the current system of quotas, zoning and desire for tribal dominance does not allow the discussion of real problems. Besides enhancing the chances of Igbo presidency, a political system based on real democratic values will offer Nigerians the opportunity to choose from the best of its citizens.
No other form of government offers its citizens the privilege to choose from the best amongst them besides democracy based on sound principles. That was why Winston Churchill said "democracy is the worst form of government, except for those other forms that have been tried from time to time."
To promote this very important democratic idea, the system must allow honest, open and unbiased dialogue about the future of the Nigerian society. Jonathan Casper captured this notion when he wrote that "free expression, openness and honest dialogues are crucial to the process of true democracy.
For any nation to survive the sophistication of democracy it must allow these values to reign supreme." That is how a democracy survives. That is how the collective dreams and the collective aspirations of any society are achieved.
If these were the guiding principles of Nigerian democracy, my opinion about Obasanjo would not have been seen from a tribal perspective, especially when my criticism of him had no tribal connotation. When the values that promote true democracy, as Casper outlined, are absent, the ultimate losers are the people. It is obvious that Nigerians are the ultimate losers in the current system.
When the values that Casper outlined are not the guiding principles of any democratic society, the ultimate losers are the common citizens. On the other hand, the winners are the current crop of leaders and politicians who have zero interest in improving the lives of common Nigerians.
They have traded the progress of Nigerians for selfish interests. They prey on the minds of that reader who commented that an Igbo man will never be president of Nigeria. It is depressing that the very element of diversity that makes other nations great has been turned into a disadvantage in Nigeria.
This is the handiwork of leaders who have discerned that when the real values of democracy are plugged into the Nigerian equation, they have no business leading and looting Nigerians.
Do you remember who first preyed on the nature of Nigerians as tribal irredentists?
The British colonial masters were the first to prey on Nigerians as tribal beings. The British colonialists knew that the Nigerian tribal nature gave them the opportunity to exploit Nigeria's natural resources.
Today, many of us blame the British for bringing people of different cultures and heritages together as a nation. Yet, we fail to see that Nigerian leaders have continued to benefit from the British legacy. Nigerians are divided as a people.
This is why when the argument that a Nigerian revolution is imminent is made, it is reasonable for one to argue that tribalism stands in the way of an all inclusive revolution that will save Nigeria in its current hodgepodge form. In fact, it will not be outlandish to argue that the prospect of ethnic cleansing is more realistic than the prospects of an all inclusive Nigerian revolution.
But let us give credit to the current crop of Nigerian leaders who realise this fact. They know that the idea of a Nigerian revolution is impractical. They also know that if the Nigerian revolution happens, Nigeria will never survive as a united nation.
Mr. HAMILTON ODUNZE, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.
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