Long before Nigerian politics descended abysmally into the realm of name-calling, abuse, vituperative musings and irredentism, we had written two articles on the need for a National Conference.
We followed these up by making clarifications of our definitions and backing our positions with formal logic, for the avoidance of doubt.
This was in 2011. Those in transient power frowned upon our well-researched and strongly held views on the drift in the nation and the utter need for remedies through the agglutinisation of national conversations, resolutions, policy-formulations and bold implementations, as a culture of governance.
We continued to use every forum to warn that we have been fractionally close to shipwreck. Those, who are beneficiaries of the status quo, have adopted an arrogant mien, quarrelling with those, who are better educated, more sanguine and more patriotic, every time there seems to be divergent opinion on national affairs.
With the ship of state veering dangerously towards the storm, the Federal Government belatedly announced that it would organize a National Dialogue.
A National Dialogue? This exposed the shallowness of those, who advise the President and pours scorn on our political sagacity as a nation.
I am surprised and amazed to think that all the erudite, inspirational, vibrant and ebullient views our compatriots have studiously expressed in our free press, radio talks, lectures, seminars, symposia, since 1960, did not constitute national dialogue!!! Of course they have been very important dialogue!
So, all along, the Federal Ministry and State Ministries of Information disregarded the wealth of information in the national media, which are inestimable for the purpose of national planning, research and use for national development. What a shame!
The way we appoint ministers is ridiculous. Instead of allowing the President to search and chose knowledgeable and experienced people, with strictly relevant exposure in the particular ministry, political neophytes very often get appointed because he or she assisted the Governor to rig election into office or has unholy alliance with the ruling party or probably both.
We once had semi-literate military officers as Governors and a highly qualified pharmacist as Minister of Information, with members of the Guild of Editors raising eyebrows.
Since 1960, we had perfected the sinister art of posting people with irrelevant qualifications to national offices, with the attendant disruptive and drastic consequences on national development. Only the truth shall set Nigeria free.
Soldiers are not for politics, a butcher is not a surgeon, a school teacher is not a professor, a herbalist is a pseudo pharmacist, a trader cannot run a private university, a thief cannot run a bank, a man-made god does not necessarily have it all, a gospel preacher cannot be a politician.
There is appropriateness for everything under the sun.
In Nigeria, all sorts are in politics for money, influence and rodent fame. Nigerian politics rotate around chance happenings, of manipulated souls being used as proxies for the destruction of our land.
There has been a total subversion of the Indigenization Acts, which attempted, with some measure of success, to transfer the commanding heights of the Nigerian economy to the custody of Nigerians.
Under the Obasanjo administration, self-serving economic reforms, which were neither here nor there only succeeded in selling off national wealth to the comprador class, who are now making returns to, you know who.
In poor imitation of Margaret Thatcher’s capitalist reform project of privatization, our eclectic President destroyed the basis of national wealth ownership and established a coven of subservient owners of our oil, gas and other national assets.
The National Dialogue must re-invigorate the INDIGENISATION OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY. WE must pay only passing attention to World Bank and IMF prescriptions, which are academic and of no social relevance to Nigeria and emerging economies.
We have had critical foreign policy failures. Our many flawed responses to the Iraqi crisis, the hurried eagerness to recognize the “Libyan rebels” and our muted response to the Syrian crisis and most shameful of all, our silence over the deaths of fellow Africans in Italian waters, do cast a cloud over the sensitivities of our “African leaders” or the lack of it.
Corruption in public office must be tackled frontally and there will be no avoidance to fish out defaulters.
The discontent of minorities must be laid bare for scrutiny. We must exorcise hegemonic tendencies, tribal irredentism, bigmanism, using stolen wealth to intimidate honest and decent citizens.
We must make the declaration of assets a cardinal condition for seeking high office.
INEC can only clear those politicians, who have been given a clean sheet after a National Accountant team verify and certify that they have not enriched themselves either directly or through proxies.
There are politicians, who are afraid of the convening of this National Dialogue, calling it a diversion. They should announce a substitute and restrict themselves to making only rational suggestions.
We are tired of professional presidential candidates, who do not put forward concrete proposals, except vain ambition, not “made of a sterner stuff”.W.S
We are tired of these “NOBODIES”, who regularly canvass how they propose to award contracts, appoint ministers, jet around the globe, without laying down the political, legal and economic underpinnings to turn Nigeria around.
I have written two books, which AZATA-NEPU political party will present at the National Dialogue for consideration, discussions and adoption.
The first book is entitled, “Commentaries on International Law and Diplomacy.” This epic work will give the relevant information on how to conduct Nigerian diplomacy.
The second book is entitled, “Commentaries on Contemporary Nigerian Politics.” It contains relevant information and highlights events and trends in Nigerian public life.
These books are being published by the fourth biggest publishing company, in the World, AUTHORHOUSE PUBLISHING COMPANY. Bloomington, Indiana, USA. They run into ca 1500 pages.
The books will be sold at the National Dialogue venue and around the World by GOOGLE ADVERTISERS.
Politics is a science, which only those, who have an intellectual habit of mind, can comprehend. It is not a subject for favour and fortune-seekers, expired brains, hegemonists, tribal irredentists, supremacists, power hungry cabals and money- miss roaders.
Things are going dreadfully wrong in our Confederacy. A National Conference with authority to act against existing social injustices and economic inequalities must be a national imperative.
The emergence of new political formations is healthy as long as it does not lead to rancor, fractious engagements and disunity.
A totally new Constitution for the people of the Federal Republic will be presented.
I suggest that whoever is concerned with the hosting or participation in the National Dialogue must bring written evidence of his advocacy for a National Conference or dialogue, before their appointments.
It should not be an opportunity for those, who had no idea of what it is all about to receive remuneration for being sympathetic undertakers.
To the National Conference of nationalities, WE MARCH!
