Any time I review the Nigerian political history from 1914 to present day, one personality always cuts my attention. And that person is the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and the former Premier of the Northern Nigeria. I admire this rare gem because of his unique vision for his people and the Nigerian people in general. He was a selfless leader who chose to serve his people within the northern enclave rather than taken up the Prime Ministerial post even when he had every right to it as the founder and leader of the Northern Peoples’ Congress (NPC). Rather, he relinquished that to Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and chose to build his people back home. He was a forthright personality who would not play politics with his emotions. He was rich in political sagacity, yet chose to be poor materially even with all resources at his disposal. What a perfect example of selfless service to his people.
During a conversation with the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the former ceremonial President of Nigeria in the first republic, he said: ‘let us understand our differences, you are a Christian and a Southerner, I am a Muslim and a Northerner, if we understand our differences, Nigeria will move forward’. That was in response to Azikiwe’s position that we should forget our differences so that Nigeria can move forward.
The two founding fathers of Nigeria admitted and agreed that differences exist between the northern and southern part of the country, but disagreed on how to deal with those differences. It is between forgetting our differences and understanding them. It is only an irrational being that would forget his background and exchange it for a foreign identity; in fact it is the essence of our socio-cultural existence as a nation. However, in identifying with our tribe we must strike a balance by understanding the feelings of other nationalities within the same geographical entity in other to achieve harmonious living. The import of this argument lay the basis that what exists amongst Nigerians is social contract which was later reinforced by Chief Awolowo’s assertions that Nigeria ‘‘is a mere geographical expression’’. At this point, we must admit that we are people born of the same father, but different mothers. But our fatherland must not be destroyed because we want to maintain at all cost our ‘maternal’ lineage.
The failure to ‘forget our differences’ may have informed the reason behind the ‘Northernisation Policy’ of Ahmadu Bello during his tenure as the Premier of the Northern region. Though conceived as a balancing act to catch up with the development in other regions of the country, the thrust of that policy was first and foremost to unite the North irrespective of cultural, religious and political inclination. Ahmadu Bello worked closely with non-Muslims to achieve his vision for northern unity, which was a rare feat for a core Fulani living or dead. It was a brilliant manifesto and remains till date an attempt to unite a people of a region, making it to forget their differences as a major block in a united Nigeria and focusing on socio-economic transformation in which everybody became a major player and participant. Although the Northern Peoples’ Congress (NPC) was not the only political party in the north during the period, Ahmadu Bello succeeded through this policy to mobilise the people and made them see themselves as one and indivisible entity using socio-cultural appeal which today is manifesting in strong political structure that threatens the southern block.
My quarrel with late Sir Ahmadu Bello of blessed memory is that he failed to turn this idea into a national agenda. As the leader of the defunct Northern Peoples’ Congress (NPC), one thought he could have incorporated this document into the manifesto of NPC which controlled the centre. Rather, he chose to make it a regional policy for consolidating the political ideologies of the northern Nigerian to further harness the economic and political potentials of his people.
It is rather sad to note that 50 years after independence, we are still looking for common identity; common direction and agreed terms of corporate existence. We have failed to identify grounds for the consolidation of our paternal relationship. It is only at public fora that our people identified themselves as Nigerians or when they are outside the country, whereas in the comfort of their homes and in their private discussions they thump their chest as Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Ijaw, Tiv, Fulani, etc the list is endless. Where is our national unity, when, a Yoruba man from south west cannot contest and win elections or get political appointment in South Eastern part of the country; and Igbo man from South East cannot feel at home in the northern part?. We have failed to see ourselves as one indivisible family.
To face the truth, the unity of Nigeria is under threat except urgent measures are taking towards replicating the ideals of the founding fathers of Nigeria. Ahmadu Bello’s ‘Northernisation Policy’ document could serve as a guide for producing a prototype on ‘Nigerianisation Policy’ document. Such a policy if modified to reflect modern realities and backed by adequate act of the parliament would usher in a new Nigeria where all will be proud to live in and call his own. To achieve this, one of the objectives of the policy must be geared towards making true Nigerians, out of the present arrangement, with inalienable rights to contest political office in any part of the country outside their primary state or region. This will engender growth by bringing on board fresh ideas and innovation for the rapid transformation of our nation.
GOD help Nigeria!
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