I have always narrowed Nigeria's political instability to past wrong elective and appointive choices.
Some section of the citizens prefer ethnic connectivity to visionary technocrats during choice period.
The fact is, Nigeria presently deserves younger brains, natural diplomats, intellegent and academically sound President with a steel will to succeed, purposeful home front builders, competent strategists, Nationalists, individuals without passionate for wealth and looting, and not business moguls who in all their lives have been chasing profits without being nationalistic.
Let us reason, a successful business man could become a total alien to people oriented governance, true or false?
Presently, some very powerful Nigerians are being pressured by interest groups to declare their intention for the Presidency, mainly because they have warehouse stacked with foreign and local cash to spend. Some are persuaded by their majority ethnic groups or their business associates connected to very powerful foreign countries and influencial investors basically for ethnic identify and business connections. How does it all help the unification and development of our nation?
Yours truly crave for that man/ woman whose interests, activities, character, vision, and name represents all Nigerians. An individual who will be soughted for, based on his/her selfless and meritorious services to his State of origin and the Nigeria State.
Currently, there has been serious cross ethnic consultations amongst big political players in the two main parties. The APC has zoned their Presidential ticket to the South, while the PDP adopted an all comers open contest. Expectedly, other weaker parties will fall in line at the appropriate time.
Dispassionately speaking, as a true Nationalist, a firm believer in visionary governance and the application of the sacred principles of given authority to a deserving public servant. I believe Nigeria deserves as President, a good, visionary and humble character like RT Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, a former Senior Special Assistant to His Excellency Dr Peter Odili when he was the Deputy Governor under His Excellency Chief Rufus Ada George, a former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, a former Governor of Rivers State, a former two time Campaign Director to President Muhammedu Buhari, the first African Campaign Director to democratically unseat a ruling party, and the present Minister of Transportation. Amaechi's profile does not describe him as a business man, he has served the public right from his school days till date.
Time and space will not permit me to enumerate his administrative successes, the internet will provide those answers.
Without prejudice, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi represents South West, South East and South South as North is off the Presidential bid. A man's name and character defines him, S/East Chibuike- God is Strength, S/West Rotimi- Stay with me, and S/South Amaechi- who knows tomorrow.
This name analysis is drawn to dislodge ethnic bigotry and Amaechi's successes depicts why he merits the Presidency in all ramifications.
Country people, let us for once reason outside our different political confines, and view issues of National identify as Nigerians.
What kind of Nigeria do we deserve? What kind of Chief public servant do we deserve?
Dispassionately, I have drawn the first line on those ignored but burning questions on National demand which makes the present Transportation Minister eminently qualified to be the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023.
In retrospect, in 1960, Nigeria's economy is far bigger than that of Malaysia. But today, Malaysian economy is bigger than that of Nigeria. Why? Because, the average Nigerian citizen is chronically ethnocentric. Plunderers were voted into power leaving behind individuals with natural skills for governance and vision for National development; we must change this trend in 2023.
For Nigeria to get out of poverty and become a middle income country, we at least, need a $4 trillion economy, e.g 1000% of what we currently have; and who can achieve that, a collection of astute progressive technocrats led by a seasoned public servant can achieve that. The internally generated revenue from the Transformation Ministry speaks volume of my Nationalistic view of Amaechi's readiness to lead Nigeria.
The scramble for which region or geographical zone should produce the President in 2023 is gradually eating deep into our fabrics as a people and Nation.
The North East, North West and parts of the North Central Zone are technically at war with insurgents. Hundreds of thousands of lives, including that of children are already lost, millions are displaced, economy and livelihood disrupted. What we need is an individual in 2023 who can foster National cohesion through a team of thinkers and not a team of business men.
Each time I reflect on Kennedy Paul's work on Spain's Road To Empire: The Making of A World Power, 1492 - 1763. I realize that Europe never emerged significantly as a powerhouse until it overcame that dark era of ethnic bigotry, only when it resorted to great thinkers and political technocrats as public servants; only then was it able to march into political Renaissance, industrial revolution and true Democracy. With Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, a believer in technocracy, Nigeria can achieve the path of greatness her citizens wish for.
Honestly, We must see issues of national interest rationally as true Nigerians. We can not continuously exhibit religious and ethnic aparthy in our quest to pick the next President of Nigeria.
Europe, in the 17th century between 1618 and 1648 experienced the clash between Ethnicity and Faith. What was the end result? Irretrivable 30 years of divisiveness and bad governance, who were mostly impacted, the old, young and children.
Somalia, ethnically and religiously homogeneous African State, whose war lords divided it along clans, is yet to escape from the destruction and darkness of her own wrong elective choices. Ironically, Rwanda, another African State, to the contrary is matching forward, having buried the ghost of hatred, and wrong choices. Though, It is making development a National focus through a group of technocrats who give deaf ears to external and internal negative influences.
An instructive and insightful issue that gets me thinking is, in the quest for political power and resources in history, individuals always try to outsmart each other by creating divisions within race, enthicity, or faith. People do this to gain group sympathy and support for otherwise private agenda or whip followship for personal disappointments or loss, as it presently is. I don't think this is what we want.
My view is that, all human beings are of the same ancestry according to Acts of Apostle, 17:26.
Tragically, those individuals who butter up violence and ethnic discrimination have occupied respected offices in Nigeria at one point; and are the ones fanning the ambers of current ethnic bigotry over the principles of meritocracy, technocracy and National unity. The petrifying truth is that, we are the same people, more than the microscopic glasses of anti- progressives want us to see.
Nigeria may have diverse languages, but the cultures of most Nigerian ethnic groups are the same, pointing to the same roots in distant history and here are my reasons; the cosmogony, religious rites, history and cultures of most Nigerians whether pre-colonial and pre- Arabic influence are to a large extent the same, despite the diversity in language.
The destruction of African Civilization: Great issue of a Race by an African American scholar, Chancellor Williams through his work laid a solid foundation of what Nigerian voters must know. Williams explained that two possible factors accounted for why Africa with less than 3% of global trade, is home to highest numbers of languages and dialects in the world, but same cultural heritage. Just as Nigeria in Africa.
These factors are first, the wave of migration that took place in prehistoric times because of the dry up of the Sahara which used to be home to a previously thriving culture and existence.
The second was a forced migration owing to constant wars of conquest.
According to Professor Williams, when people flee, they go in small bands in different directions, carrying the memory of their cultures and cosmogony, but often lose their original languages as they travel far.
Decades ago, it was unimaginable for great Patriots to place Ethnicity first before meritorious profile. It was a period when political heavy weights resolve their economic and political differences in Nigeria in the election turf keeping ethnic division and religious bigotry out of it. A political period when mainly Christian voters of Gboko elected a Kanuri Muslim man, Abubakar Imam to represent them in the Northern State Assembly. That period when Chief Obafemi Awolowo campaigned for Ernest Ikoli, an Ijaw man in the Lagos elections, against a fellow Ijebu man, Akinsanya.
The history of Meritocracy should be revisited before 2023 to lay a solid foundation for love and National unity. In the early 1960's to 70's, Easterners like Kalu Anya served in Borno Judiciary, as well as Justice Olagunju a Yoruba man from Offa, who trained many other jurists in the Sokoto Division as it was then. The positive trend of the merit principles are unlimited. The seat allocated to Kebbi State at the Supreme Court was occupied by a jurist originally from Delta State, who practiced in the old Sokoto State and married from Argungu, Justice Amina Adamu Augie. Kebbi people do not treat her as a foreigner but as a loyal daughter of Kebbi. Oh, what a glorious period in history.
In 1952, Mallam Umaru Attine a Fulani/Hausa cattle rearer from Sifawa in then Sokoto province almost 700 miles from Eastern Region who was married to an Igbo lady, Esther Ozuah became the first elected Mayor of the Enugu Municipal Council, voted massively by an Igbo ethnic political party the NCNC. A position he held till 1958.
The concept in this discuss is evidently solid. Early 17th - 18th century the Arochukwu and Ohafia people of the then Eastern Region were accepted and allowed to dominate the Iwhuruohna (Ikwerre) people Native Courts of Arbitration without question of ethnic identify, but mainly based on "Merit". Again, prominent politicians of Igbo extraction were massively voted for, by the indigeneous people of Rebisi (Port Harcourt) into the Mayoral office of the then Diobu (Port Harcourt) Municipal Council. I ask, Is Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi not eminently qualified to be President? Yes, he is over qualified to be Nigeria's next President.
Conclusively, today's setbacks are not determinant factors of our inability to live together, but challenges we must overcome if we apply those profitable principles of Meritocracy, Technocracy that solidifies National development and unity. Nigerians must crave for that man with superlative character and selfless vision for his country.
We must begin to change our views in other to achieve our aspirations as a people and Nation.
Sir Rowland Ndidi. Orlu wrote from Port Harcourt.
Happy New Year in advance.
