By Chido Onumah
Not too long ago, a young man called me to arrange a meeting. He had a project
he wanted to share with me. I listened to him talk passionately about his
project titled “My Dream Nigeria”. He was planning to write a book of one
million pages and he wanted me to contribute a 500-word essay on “My Dream
Nigeria”. His grand idea was that if he could find one million Nigerians to dream
about a united and prosperous Nigeria, and live their dreams, then perhaps
there is a chance that our nation could begin the long and arduous journey of
national rebirth. I was impressed for a number of reasons.
In
the weeks since the April 2011 elections, I have had the difficult task of
relating with a lot of young Nigerians who passionately believe that nothing
can be done to make Nigeria work. I have found myself “defending” Nigeria at
great discomfort. For these young, idealistic, and I must add, patriotic
Nigerians, the solution to all our problems lies in carving up Nigeria into
several countries.
I
have been wondering how we got here. As a youth in the 80s, my comrades and I
in the students’ movement believed we had a duty to enthrone an egalitarian and
humane society. Whether it was against the school authorities or the different
military regimes, we never wavered in our quest. We made sacrifices that
threatened not only our future but our lives. We were buoyed by the laudable
efforts and rich tradition of those before us and those before them.
I
have been told not to blame the current generation; that Nigerian youth have
never had it so bad; that when my generation marched against military
dictatorship, we went to school for free, we had three square meals in school,
and many of us had jobs when we graduated. I empathize with our youth. Their
feeling of frustration and alienation is justified. They have been duped and
betrayed, not only by the Nigerian State, but by an opportunistic generation.
It is
enough to be cynical about Nigeria when a lot of those who some years back were
in the forefront in the struggle for a better Nigeria, for a society of social
justice and the rule of law have given up the struggle. For them, democracy has
become an end in itself! I can understand, therefore, why our youth have given
up hope. Add to this feeling of hopelessness the excruciating material
conditions in the country. Everywhere they turn, there are roadblocks,
literally, that prevent them from living their dreams and fulfilling their
potentials. After spending years acquiring a degree, for those privileged to
get higher education, our youth are made to roam the streets endlessly in
search of not existent jobs. It is difficult to dream under such harsh
conditions.
But
as a product of the progressive movement of the 80s, I dare to dream. I dream
of a Nigeria where our lawmakers will make laws in the best interest of the
public. I dream of a Nigeria where our best and brightest will not spend their
most productive years building other countries; a Nigeria where the police will
indeed be your friend; a Nigeria where you go to court for justice not thinking
there is a malevolent judge somewhere willing to pervert justice for a little
fee. I dream of a Nigeria where the value of citizens is not in the amount of
money they have or number of cars and houses they posses, but their integrity
and contribution to society.
There
is a video (http://www.gbooza.com/forum/topics/jungle-justice-nigerian-boy-bu#axzz1R...)
that has gone viral in the last few weeks. It shows a young Nigerian who was
beaten to death and burnt alive in broad daylight by his contemporaries, with
onlookers clapping and jeering, allegedly for stealing a piece of
jewelry. I dream of a Nigeria where human life is worth something, where
human rights are respected, where good governance, right to life, security, and
environmental safety are the norm rather than the exception. I dream of a
Nigeria where our graduate will be worthy of their degrees, not recipients of
“sexually transmitted degrees”, in the words of Okey Ndibe. I dream of a
country that will be a global contender, a country where our God-given
resources will be a blessing and not a curse.
Let’s
go back to basics. President Goodluck Jonathan has talked about a
transformation agenda. Recently, during the retreat for new ministers and
senior government officials, he threatened that he and the vice-president would
not protect any minster whose integrity is called to question. Mr. President
boasts as one of his achievements the enthronement of a freedom of information
regime, yet two months after he was sworn in, and amidst deafening calls by
civil society groups, he has yet to declare his assets. Talk about
transformation by example!
Four
years ago, after much pressure, then vice-president Goodluck Jonathan put out
some figures as his net worth. Since then, he has done no other job apart from
being vice-president, acting president, and president. How difficult can it
possibly be to add what he has earned in this period to his asset declaration
of 2007?
I
have always been fascinated by Chinua Achebe’s position that “the trouble with
Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership”. Achebe was again at
his erudite best when he wrote in the New York Times shortly before the April
elections that “there has to be the development of a new patriotic
consciousness, not one simply based on the well-worn notions of the ‘Unity of
Nigeria’ or ‘Faith in Nigeria’ (and I would add ‘we are not going to condone
corruption’) often touted by our corrupt leaders; but one based on an awareness
of the responsibility of leaders to the led”.
I
truly believe that we can redeem Nigeria. There is nothing we are going through
as a nation that great nations did not go through. The only difference is that
while they worked to make progress we have resigned ourselves to fate. But no
nation in human history has developed without vision and sacrifice or on empty
talk.
Seth
Oyinloye, this piece is dedicated to you and the millions of young Nigerians
who are justifiably angry, but who dare to dream of a New Nigeria. I believe it
is possible.
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