Gani Fawehinmi
READERS of the Nigerian Tribune might have been piqued by a rather familiar advertisement in the paper’s edition of last Thursday. Titled, “Yorubas at Crossroads – Be Aware!!!”, the half-page announcement made a case for the unity of Nigeria’s loquacious tribe in an atmosphere of perceived siege against it by the rather mythical and ceaselessly scheming North. “God has given the Yorubas the grace and strength to survive our plight in this country,” the advertorial, signed by nine prominent shons of de shoil, bellowed, adding, ” … The Yorubas must not be left in a lurch in the ongoing political transition programme and everything that needs to be done should be done to ensure a dignified and cohesive approach to give a Yoruba the Presidency in the current programme.” The advertisers, despite the ethnic slurs that marred their postulation, were pragmatic enough to note that the Presidency could be turned over to the self-conscious tribe only through a democratic setting.
Many of us have accepted and campaigned for the imperative for power shift to the South. But this column had once indicated that the South does not necessarily mean the South-west, thus creating a breathing space for those political Maradonas in the North that resist ethnic blackmail vis-à-vis the nation’s most prized post. Thursday’s advertisers have not assuaged the anxiety of many Northerners that they are expected to hand over power, willy-ninny, on a platter of gold to the South-west or else. Unfortunately, even though the average Nigerian politician is an ethnic champion at heart, no one wants to be intimidated or threatened. Not least the proud Northerners.
All this does not, however, preclude many Northerners’ informed determination to ensure that power shifts, threat or no threat. Thus those wanting to see that this happens may turn out to be the ones most concerned, arguably out of true patriotism, with the indivisibility of tile Nigerian state, warts and all. What beats one’s imagination, though, is the unbending posture of some prominent South-westerners. These are the many noisy doubting Thomases who, despite the olive branch extended by the present administration, do not believe in the whole transition programme. For, in spite of what has been achieved in the last three months, there are many that regard the political transition programme as yet another fraud by the military government, a contraption that would eventually collapse with grave consequences for the nation.
There is almost an instinctive urge to, this time around, defend the Abubakar regime for its watershed policies, especially in the area of human rights and political programme. Here’s a government that drew us back from the brink of anarchy and put us on the road to stability. What Nigerians missed in five long years — freedom and the liberty to keep hope alive — were restored within three months only. The ongoing experience has shown that it’s not really military regimes per se that the influential Western nations loath, but the style of military rule. Gen. Abubakar’s style has ingratiated him into the hearts of most, including the U.S., which lifted restrictions on the head of state visiting God’s own country. His two-time, epochal visit to South Africa was crowned with a world press conference adjudged as the greatest PR job a Nigerian leader accomplished in years.
The refusal by Gani Fawehinmi and his colleagues in the JACON to join in the applause or, at best, play a cautious role in the unfolding events is, to say the least, curious. Yes, the pro-democracy activists reserve the right to be suspicious or censorious, but this should have been up till a point. It is unreasonable to suppose that the government is taking the world for a ride the way its predecessor did. Even the hitherto uncompromising NADECO has given the government the benefit of the doubt. On a similar note, Megaforce, the Tribune column known for its careless, rabid ethnic jingoism, has for once recognised that this is a government even members of the opposition could do business with. It even had a word of advice for the Lagos lawyer and his pals last Wednesday. “Megaforce is calling on Gani and all tile pro-democracy groups to join in the new crusade for political emancipation,” it intoned.
Political emancipation — a rather fanciful and dicey Eldorado for any nation — can only come through a transparent electioneering process. The Abubakar regime has its imperfections — all governments do — but it has scored more than an average of success. The unlistening men in the JACON have since begun to be sidelined, more so with the Afenifere’s active endorsement of the transition programme. More political losses could come Gani and Co’s way. They might not have been on Catherine Acholonu’s mind when she entitled her novel Men Without Ears. However, they appear to have been too long in the opposition as to appreciate the sunny side of things. Such stubborn men are known in Hausa as “boney-eared.” In Acholonu’s parlance, they do not even have ears at all; hence their inability to listen to good counsel. Too bad. Honestly, every Nigerian needs to wake up and listen. Choosing to remain deaf and dumb doesn’t help the cause of political emancipation.
* Published in my column, Melting Pot, in the New Nigerian Weekly, today
