Between 2014 and 2015, the majority of Nigerians across the globe were very optimistic about the future of Nigerians as a people despite the fact that many Nigerians considered Nigeria as a congregation of many nations forced into one by a British Colonialist, Lord Frederick Lugard, in 1914. President Muhammad Buhari, the then leading presidential aspirant, who later became presidential candidate of the then main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) party, was favored to take over the baton of leadership from his predecessor, the then outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan.
President Buhari was reputed to be an upright, incorruptible and disciplined leader who almost every Nigerian then believed to be the brain behind a short-lived, but very productive, leadership stint that his team exemplified between December 31st, 1983 and August 27th, 1985 after toppling the then adjudged corrupt political leadership led by former President Shagari.
Soon after President Buhari was sworn in as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in May 2015, Nigerians and lovers of Nigeria across the globe expected a replay of nostalgic experiences witnessed in Nigeria starting from January 1, 1984.
People optimistically expected immediate steps to be taken by President Buhari’s newfound administration in curbing various acts of indiscipline like corruption and similar social vices. While we read and heard about a number of high profile indictments and or prosecutions of some corrupt Nigerians, the grassroots corrupt practices blossomed instead of abating. Security agents openly extorted money from common Nigerians with impunity. Victims of crimes continued wailing partly because justice was becoming more and more for the highest bidders. Many citizens that had reasons to lodge criminal complaints at some police stations across the nation often alleged that they were asked to pay money before the police would agree to take their statements and that they would have to give the police money before the police would agree to perform their civic duties of investigating the alleged crimes. All these allegedly happened without apparent deterrent as if it was not the same Buhari that led the purification of Nigerian nation in 1984.
Many ministries allegedly became stations of extortion of various forms to the extent that many Nigerians complained that they had to bribe their ways before they could get their needs addressed in different ministries across the nation. Issuance of Nigerian International passports to Nigerians by the Nigerian Immigration allegedly became racketeering syndicate endeavor. Different videos were making the rounds alleging extortion of tens or hundreds of thousands of naira from each applicant of Nigerian passport. It got worse to the point that the officials of the Atlanta Consulate office of Nigeria in the State of Georgia, USA were alleged extorting extra one hundred and thirty dollars (equivalent of about eight thousand naira) from each applicant for passport renewal aside from the official fee that each candidate must have paid online before even being attended to at all.
As if all the foregoing atrocities were not enough, the insecurity in the country topped it all. Nigerians were being kidnapped from different parts of the country with many families having to go bankrupt in order to pay throat cutting ransoms demanded by the kidnappers while hundreds of innocent citizens lost their lives during various kidnapping proceedings. The herdsmen of Fulani extracts, who were allegedly considered to be overtly or covertly supported by the federal government of Nigeria, started reigning havoc against unarmed Nigerians using sophisticated weapons like AK-47 guns.
All the foregoing cumulated into different tribal groups, who previously believed in the ideology of one Nigeria, to start rethinking their memberships of Nigerian nation. Within the last few months, different groups and or individuals openly clamored for sovereignty of Oduduwa Nation. Before this, it was the Biafrans that were considered as agents of secession from the Federal Republic of Nigeria. One of such newfound agitators is a group called Yoruba Unity and Freedom (YUF), which was very creative about its campaign. YUF published a currency specifically customized for Oduduwa Republic in the following video while seriously creating awareness for a proposed referendum or plebiscite:
As the calls for sovereignty of Oduduwa Nation or Republic became louder and stronger, a number of questions require reflections:
First and foremost, while sovereignty of Oduduwa Nation may ensure some levels of safety by means of controlling borders of Oduduwa Nation against invasion by foreign kidnappers and mercenaries, how will such sovereignty curb or eradicate corrupt practices among the current Nigerians that will eventually become citizens of Oduduwa Nation?
Secondly, Nigeria currently operates quasi-federalism with individual states led by executive governors that have executive powers to effect many changes. Yet, many states in Nigeria that may eventually fall within the boundaries of the proposed Oduduwa Nation are seriously mismanaged administratively and fiscally. These states are not controlled or governed by non-Yorubas. How would sovereignty of Oduduwa Nation change the leadership styles of these Yoruba leaders?
Third, education is the bedrock of the development of any nation. Western Region, which would have formed the bulk of the proposed Oduduwa Nation, had significant advantages over other regions in Nigeria and Africa because of the visionary leadership styles of the likes of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo who ensured that quality primary and secondary education was affordable and accessible to almost every citizen of the then Western Region irrespective of socio-economic status. Contrary to this progressive leadership style Chief Awolowo however, the current elementary and other levels of education in the states that may soon become members of the proposed Oduduwa Nation are largely commercialized in favor of the affluent families and to the detriment of the majority. Sadly, these retrogressive educational policies started and continued happening under the watch of many of the post-Awolowo generations of political leaders of the states that may soon become Oduduwa Nation. How will the sovereignty of Oduduwa Nation change the mindset of these political leaders that will end up occupying leadership seats in the proposed Oduduwa Nation?
The list of the unanswered questions is long. While it is true that Nigeria is fast becoming a failed nation, the bigger question is that what is the most feasible solution that will take us to the Promised Land as a people or as peoples? Is it secession? Is it referendum?
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