What Nigeria should focus on at 49 –Archbishop Onaiyekan

I thank God. We have reason to thank God. The problems we have are self-inflicted. We can’t blame God for them. We have remained together despite the problems. For that, we owe God the gratitude. We have to thank him for not allowing the full consequences of our stupidity and wickedness to befall us. We […]

I thank God. We have reason to thank God. The problems we have are self-inflicted. We can’t blame God for them. We have remained together despite the problems. For that, we owe God the gratitude. We have to thank him for not allowing the full consequences of our stupidity and wickedness to befall us. We have a leaders that are not carrying us anywhere and they don’t like other people to take their place. At independence in 1960 I was there, in Lagos. I was in Lagos, at the big Square. It was called Race Course, now Tafawa Balewa Square. I was there as a 14-year old representing my school at the independence celebration. Expectations were high for a greater new Nigeria. From then on a lot of things have happened. Our complaint is not that things have not happened, it is that a lot more should have happened, positive things, especially when we compare our country to those with which we were at the same level of development.

Specifically, which countries do you have in mind?

Take Malaysia, take the Asian Tigers: South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan. They have all gone far ahead. We can’t remain backward as if it doesn’t count. We need our own approach that will propel us forward. Finding the answer to our problems is about looking inward, looking deeply at ourselves. We should begin to care very much about what other nationals think of us. We can’t afford the attitude that it is not our business what other people think about us. We can’t be an island onto ourselves. We should be conscious of the rest of the world and be concerned that when the world gathers, we have our respect, we are regarded as being relevant. We should be there when important nations meet on where the world is going. We can’t be there until we acquire and retain our dignity. Nobody will do that for us. It’s responsibility to make Nigeria work.

How?

We require a thorough value re-orientation. Let the squabble about who gets what cease. It’s sad that our leaders expend so much energy on considerations for themselves. The focus ought to be on such things that make a nation great. Forty-nine years is a good time for us to think seriously. Next year will be Nigeria’s 50th. If we get to 50 the way we are now, I am afraid we will be unable to convince Nigerians to celebrate. I say this because I believe one year is enough time to put the country well on the path to recovery.

You said Nigerians should look at themselves. What do you mean?

I do not believe in what some people say, namely that the problem is with all of us. I don’t share that. If you talk about corruption they say we are all corrupt. I say, no. Talk for yourself. Nigerians are hard working and honest. They want to work and earn their living in all honesty. They make strenuous efforts at whatever work they do. It’s leaders that abdicate their responsibility and look for people to take the blame. The change that must come will be almost exclusively from the leadership. They cause the problems. Now, we have people who become leaders because they can manipulate elections, not because they are the ones we want. It is the same thing as when we had the military who came into government because they had guns in their hands. They made us submit to them irrespective of whatever we felt. Now, politicians present the same picture. People ‘win’ election not because the people gave them the votes they claim. At all levels of government you find nameless characters who are manipulating the processes and the people to get to where they want and remain there.

How does the country get around that?

I am coming to it. Getting out of where we are has little to do with the people down there, the cheated and suffering masses. The masses have always complained, but have always gone short of doing any more than that.  We’ve always decided to let peace reign. So, you can’t blame the masses. It is our leaders that should ask themselves questions of whether where we are is where we should be. It’s such a shame, for instance, that when our leaders are ill they fly abroad. In civilised places people go home for treatment when they are somewhere else and fall sick. In our own sake when government officials are sick they go out of the country. When our head of state is ill he jets out. Is it not shameful that we do this at 49? If they are not ashamed, I am. I feel bad when I go out and see highly qualified Nigerian doctors taking good care of citizens of other countries. It tells me we have the people if only we can keep them.

How do you get at where the potentials will be fruitfully harnessed?

There is hope. Things won’t remain the same. NTA went out for people’s views on Nigeria at 49. People agreed unanimously that the nation hasn’t moved on in any significant way.  You could see that there is frustration out there. You could feel the anger from their voices. Those who are ruling should listen. That kind of anger piles up. We don’t know what will trigger it. There could be a young group of people who could want to cause a change by any means. I won’t subscribe to violence but reasonable Nigerians should begin to be more assertive. I am not talking of the so-called opposition. Opposition political parties are not better than the ruling parties in Nigeria. That is why when they are overrun in an election, they don’t bat an eye about returning to the fold and abandonning the party under which they campaigned to us for votes. Some get ‘elected’ into an office via a particular party but ditch that party, for self-reason, and cross to a party the people rejected.

Do you think the military got it right?

No. It’s a stupid approach to the problem, as if we have not seen it before, as if we have not seen soldiers in government and found them wanting. That’s the only good thing the military have done: they have helped us to see that they are unhelpful and unwanted. So, young military men who may be thinking of any coup should shelf the thought. We’ve travelled that road. It hasn’t helped and it will not help us. I’m not asking politicians to continue in their recklessness. Some hot-headed individuals could still want to try a change, which could be violent. Politicians must not tempt providence.