Politics
Nigeria at 61: The Entrenched Us verses Them Syndrome
Article by By Hashim Suleiman
Nigeria is 61 today and I have always maintained democracy has brought certain goods owing to individual performances as against a coordinated national one that would aim to put the country on a planned and predetermined expectations.
We are mostly having to deal with some states having good infrastructure that are not necessarily linked to other states because of the ownership of the linkages by the Federal Government that is overwhelmed and with major cash crunch that has led to massive borrowings which have to be rationed to the ones that are lucky if I may put it that way.
The reason why there is that lack of coordination of the developmental agenda of the nation is a matter that is less discussed in the polity and which I’m bringing on today as National Unity and Identity.
Growing up till date, I have practically become sick of the Us vs Them coloration of things I get from every angle of the society, this is without being unfair to some very fine Nigerians I’ve met out there, in fact ‘my Director’ Alero Tenumah of Delta State is worthy of mention. Highly detribalized and realistic Nigerian.
Sadly, this narrative which has become entrenched in people has made it become normal to the extent that those who exhibit it do not feel they are doing any hurt to the nation. It has permeated the major fabrics of Public, Private and even diplomatic services. The other day I attended the burial of a friends dad at Delta state and someone had to ask me what I went to do in ‘that place’.
I didn’t know what to do or say I shook my head and left in so much pain about the mentality. I have had conversations with some southerners regarding the presence equal number of illiterates in their zone as much as the north and the way they’ll insist it to be an only northern thing even when I prove to them I’ve lived there leaves me wondering what’s going on.
What is going to shock you about this matter is the depth with which it has penetrated the society and you’ll most times also wonder about the caliber of the people who imbibe such character.
It is enough to get someone worried about whether there would be any hope for the nation after all.
The major topic in the past weeks was The Southern Governors Vs their northern counterparts, you can see how deep it has gone. The VAT controversy is also there and the fault lines of the for and against are also very clear.
Practically every national topic must be presented in the Us Vs Them narrative with little or no discussions around the possible solutions to the inevitable problems we have at hand.
The other day, I was watching a programme on the TV and a southern public analyst was asked his opinion about the south and north governors debacle over the Presidential slot and he was blunt to say the southern governors were wrong in their approach and had a lot of work to do to lobby and present a candidate that could win the heart of Nigerians and it sounded more like it, but the question is how many people can be such? The number is certainly on the negative.
Everyone has to say pleasant lies to comfort their kins and this has gone on for too long now that there is a crave for truths and there are very little people to say them. The result is chaos.
Last night, a friend called from Kano and was asking about my opinion on the polity, I told him the north was economically disadvantaged and could run into troubles if these policies about VAT and fiscal restructuring scale through, he immediately retired into the usual syndrome and started to shop for consolation narratives around agriculture and I asked him if he was ready to pick his hoe to farm at that moment and if he also understood that agriculture was a chain up to production and once that is not there, there cannot be an economy from it.
His response didn’t tell me I was convincing enough to get him off the Us Vs Them thoughts and as usual all that was for conversations sake because I have long known what to expect per time from the different corners of this country. Shortly after my conversation with him, another one called about the issue of PDP, this one surely hates PDP with his blood and appears bigoted towards APC.
He tried to insist why I must believe it’s a work over for APC because the PDP governors had zoned national chairman to the north, I told him to never say never in politics as nobody can accurately predict what 2023 will come with, I encouraged him to imbibe the spirit of keeping his mind open about these PDP and APC issues and keep his support simple after all we are all Nigeria’s property.
Finally, I am very worried about the prevalent and most especially depth of this narrative and unless an emergency is considered on the need to mentor and heal these dangerous wounds, it is going to be very difficult to make a head way towards a coordinated national development.
Happy Independence Day Nigeria!
Hashim Suleiman can be reached via [email protected]
President Bola Tinubu has banned members of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, from purchasing petrol dependent vehicles.
The President has also directed the mandatory procurement of compressed-natural-gas-powered vehicles by all government ministries, departments, and agencies.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this in a statement on Monday evening, May 13, 2024.
According to him, the directive is in line with Tinubu’s commitment to ensure energy security, drive utility, and cut high fuel costs.
He said the President’s directive is also in furtherance of Nigeria’s effort to transition to cleaner energy as CNG-enabled vehicles have been adjudged to produce lower emissions, even as they present a more affordable alternative for Nigerian energy consumers.
Addressing members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the State House on Monday, President Tinubu affirmed that there is no turning back in the energy reforms initiated by his administration.
“This nation will not progress forward if we continue to dance on the same spot. We have the will to drive the implementation of CNG adoption across the country, and we must set the example as public officials in leading the way to that prosperous future that we are working to achieve for our people. It starts with us, and in seeing that we are serious, Nigerians will follow our lead,” the President stated.
“The President further directed the rejection of all memos brought by members of FEC seeking the purchase of traditional petrol-dependent vehicles, tasking the affected members of the council to go back and diligently seek value-driven procurements of CNG-compliant vehicles.
The President remains committed to effectively harnessing the nation’s gas potential, alleviating the burden of high transportation costs on the masses while enhancing the standard of living of all Nigerians,” the statement added.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says he made a mistake when he chose to support Sim Fubara to succeed him as the governor of Rivers State.
Channels TV said this when he spoke at a function in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State on Saturday, May 11. The governor at the function apologized to the people of the state for his “mistake”. He said he is a human who is bound to make mistakes, assuring the people, however, that the mistake would be corrected at the appropriate time.
“I want to say this clearly, in life when you have made a mistake, you say I have made a mistake, there is nothing you can do about it. I have made a mistake, I own it up and I say God forgive me and I will say all of you forgive me, but I will correct it at the appropriate time.
I am a human being, I am bound to make mistake, my judgement can be wrong, so forgive me for making a wrong judgement. That is life, so nobody should kill himself,” Wike said
Some days ago, Governor Fubara was quoted as saying that he appreciates Wike for supporting him to become the governor of Rivers State, but would not worship him.
In what seems to be a direct response to that statement by Fubara, Wike in his speech said that there was no time he told anyone to worship him as he is not God.
However, the Minister said that politicians ought to be grateful to those who supported them to attain office rather than showing ingratitude.
“I respect people who appreciate what God has done for them, who appreciates what God has used people to do for them. God does not come down, God uses people to help people. So, when you are helped you appreciate them and then God will know that you have also appreciated him. I have never told anybody to worship me, nobody can worship man. All of us believe that we only have one God and it is only that God we worship and we will continue to worship that God. But as politicians, you appreciate people who have helped you” he said
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has assured Nigerians that the fuel crisis being experienced in the country will soon be a thing of the past.
Bamidele gave this assurance in an interview with newsmen on the sidelines of the Oil Technology Conference in Houston, Texas on Friday.
He said the legislature is working tirelessly to ensure that fuel scarcity and frequent queues at filling stations are resolved and that there were plans to involve more private-sector players in the construction of new refineries.
In his words;
“The Senate is working to ensure that more private-sector players are licensed to own and operate refineries. This is to support other smaller ones that are springing up in several parts of the country.
“In addition to licensing new refinery operators, the Federal Government and Senate are working to ensure that the existing refineries are turned around with repairs and replacement of parts carried out where necessary,” he said.
Bamidele said the Senate had received an assurance from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited that two of its refineries in Warri and Port Harcourt would come on stream before the end of the year.
Opeyemi maintained that the focus was to ensure that Nigeria meets its OPEC production quota.
He further explained that achieving such milestones would provide more revenue for the government and halt lack and borrowings.
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