Personal reminiscences on Nigeria @ 50

This piece, written by Malam Mamman Daura in commemoration of Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary, was first published by Daily Trust in 2010. IN the name of Allah Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Fifty years is such a long period to reflect on and I only hope that my recollections will have some balance as unfortunately, human […]

This piece, written by Malam Mamman Daura in commemoration of Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary, was first published by Daily Trust in 2010.

IN the name of Allah Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Fifty years is such a long period to reflect on and I only hope that my recollections will have some balance as unfortunately, human memory can be selective and all too often subjective. During June/July, 1960 I was on holiday from schooling abroad having been sent to England by the Sardauna (in a group of six boys) in 1958 to acquire higher education in British universities. I therefore missed the October 1960 celebrations. Historians would be right to conclude that the British left Nigeria in reasonably good order. Most of the services worked. Before going to England I worked as a Programme Assistant in the Nigerian Broad-casting Corporation, in Kaduna. My schedule was: News Reader and Producer of Talks. I clearly recall that the afternoon news at one o’clock would be compiled and script submitted by the News Editor, Mal. Ahmed Joda (who later became one of the celebrated Super Permanent Secretaries in General Gowon’s administration). Before compiling the news a call would be put to all twelve provincial headquarters, namely Ilorin, Lokoja, Makurdi, Yola, Jos, Bauchi, Maiduguri, Kano, Katsina, Zaria, Sokoto, Bida and news collected from correspondents and stringers. Lines got through nearly all the time. “The lines are out of order” was a later experience.

Trains ran on time. The road network, though skeletal, was adequately maintained and traffic laws in towns and highways were strictly observed. Not anymore, A friend, John Godwin, Professor of Architecture, University of Lags who has lived in Nigeria for the last 50 years wrote to me recently and I quote: “It is a national dis-grace that the railway is defunct and the roads in such a bad condition that you take your life in your hands every time you use them.” Water from the taps, though limited, was clean and potable. Nowadays, except in a few hotels you drink tap water at your peril. One could go on and on. But we must count our blessings. When I was at school in Daura there were only 3 motor vehicles: the Emir’s Saloon Pontiac or Oldsmobile (1 can’t recall for certain), an Albion lorry whose horn sounded like the beginning of Armageddon and a pick-up (then called kit car) for use of the N.A. Works Department. On a recent visit to Daura I counted 30 cars each on two adjacent side streets.  That represents progress of some sorts. No?

By the time I returned home from schooling abroad the horrors of January, May and September 1966 had subsided and the civil war was looming, I had wanted to be a Lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University but found myself pitch forked into the civil service as Deputy Secretary to the Executive Council [cabinet] of Northern Nigeria. It was like learning to swim at the deep end. I was privileged to observe the workings of an efficient and purposeful government at dose quarters. The Cabinet was composed of General Hassan, Governor of the North and Permanent Secretaries of the various Ministries. Never before, and never since has there in Nigeria been an assemblage of such quality in a deliberative body to match the Cabinet of Northern Nigeria in 1966-67. Consider this list: Ah Akilu, Secretary to the government, Liman Ciroma, Sunday Awoniyi, Ahmed Talib, Yahaya Gusau, Bukar Shuaib, Ade John, Yusufu Gobir, Muhammad Lawan, Buba Ardo, Magajin Garin Argungu, M, Armaya’u, Ahmed Joda to list only the prominent ones. Only Malam Ahmed Joda survives from this distinguished company. All the necessary disciplines were represented: Economists, administrators, educationists, accountants, agriculturalists, foresters, lawyers, engineers, practical, versatile and experienced men of affairs were assembled. It was a great privilege for me to record their deliberations and decisions. We worked till mid-night to produce the draft minutes and by 11a.m the following morning the final minutes had to be circulated. Deliberations were on a very high level and centred mainly on keeping the North united and backing the Federal Military Government in the dispute with the East Public interest always predominated. Sordid matters like contracts and purchases were left to Ministerial Tenders Board and Council only “noted” or approved but never got involved in the murky details. Nowadays the main business of Executive Councils seems to be contracts.

The civil service kept the Government going even without politicians. People who ran the old system would cynically smile at the introduction of the new-fangled ‘due process” as if it is “new” or original. The “General Orders” later revised as “Civil Service Rules ‘s, “Financial Instructions” updated as “Financial Regulations”, “Guide To Procedure and “Stores Regulations” have been there all the time as operational guides to the conduct of good government. It is dishonest and fraudulent to claim “due process” as something of recent invention. In fact the biggest change overtaking Nigeria in the last 50 years is the decline of institutions which sustain the country. The civil service is perhaps the biggest casualty but the Armed Forces, Police, Judiciary, traditional rulers, the Ulema, the clergy – these major pillars and props of the society have all became venal. Consequently, we are experiencing a near systems collapse. Hardly anything works properly. In recent times international flights into Murtala Mohammed Airport Lagos were forced to abort landing on account of sudden power failure at the airport. Last month a flight from Abuja to Yola with many passengers was about to land around 9p.m. when the ground tights went out. The plane was forced to return to Abuja and the flight cancelled, Occurrences of institutional lapses have become everyday experiences in Nigeria. What do we do about our situation? What can we do?

There is no magic beyond going back to first principles. Since we are purportedly running a democracy the starting point is free and fair elections. A government which forcefully rigs itself into office is as illegitimate as a military regime which shoots itself into power. Consequently such governments would not regard them-selves as accountable or responsible to anybody. This explains the utterly reckless behaviour of our governments since 2003. Many blame the Presidential system. I believe the level of corruption would be the same in a parliamentary system and it would have been far more unstable with votes of confidence taking place almost every other month. This stagnation and decline has led some foreign governments and commentators to write the Nigerian obituary. One such commentator is John Campbell who served as U.S. Ambassador in Nigeria long enough to study the country has come out with a facile conclusion that the country is about to break up. In an extract of his forthcoming book published in the latest edition of Foreign Affairs carried in the Weekly Trust of September 11, 2010 he elaborates on this doomsday scenario. I have met Mr. Campbell a couple of times and my impression of him is of a man set in his ideas and impervious to other views. But Nigerians who have gone through crisis after crisis since 1960 and experienced how the country survived them will recognize and take comfort from the resilience, latent strength and resolve to keep Nigeria one and strong, What we need now is a good leader to pull us together, and 2011 offers an excellent opportunity for responsible people across the country to come together and support a capable and credible leader. That way we can prove that the country is greater than the sum of its detractors.