Why A New Nigeria Is Impossible By Bayo Oluwasanmi
After nearly 61 years of independence, Nigeria continues to grope in the dark with no ray of hope that things will get better. Indeed, things are getting worse by the day. Out of this hopelessness grew the desire and determination for oppressed and marginalized Yoruba and Igbo to fight for self-determination that will extricate them from Fulani domination and bondage.
As expected, some Nigerians opposed break up. Some believe in revolution. But how can there be a revolution when Fulani/northerners are spectators? Yesterday, those who still believe in one Nigeria held The People’s Alternative Summit 2021: “A New Nigeria Is Possible” at National Women’s Center FCT, Abuja. Prominent among the speakers were Femi Falana (SAN) human rights lawyer and activist and Omoyele Sowore publisher SaharaReporters, activist, and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC).
I watched the summit from the beginning to the end. As usual, Falana and Sowore spoke eloquently and brilliantly dissected the ancient problems facing the directionless and ungovernable Nigeria. That’s how far I agree with them. Like majority of Nigerians, I believe a new Nigeria is absolutely impossible for the following reasons:
The Fulanis in charge of the central government are alien to civilization, rule of law, democracy, and constitution law. All the worst dictators that ever ruled Nigeria are Fulanis. The present dictator General Muhammadu Buhari is a Fulani Sunni Muslim. Like they have demonstrated time and time again, they prefer Sharia law to constitutional law. The fight for a better Nigeria is mainly by Yorubas and Igbos. The Fulanis being the major beneficiaries of federal power, purse, and nepotism, are missing in action. They are totally against anything that will radically transform Nigeria. The 1999 Constitution was written by and for Fulanis. The Constitution gives them undue advantage over other ethnic groups which is why they opposed a new constitution.
They have made the country so ungovernable. Anarchy reigns supreme everywhere you turn. There’s no law and order. Court judgments are vacated with impunity. Getting justice in Nigeria is as impossible as for a camel to pass through the needle’s eyes. The protracted case of Sowore is a classical example. The case has been delayed, adjourned and postponed many times.
Fulanis see themselves as the rightful owners of Nigeria. They feel superior to other ethnic groups. In their arrogance and obduracy, they believe they were born to rule Nigeria forever. It’s their way or the highway. To a large extent, they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. As long as Fulani is the president, they don’t care how Nigeria is governed.
Every strategic positions are controlled by Fulanis: armed forces, federal civil service, justice department, federal corporations and agencies, federal institutions, foreign service, name it. They are the prosecutor, jury, and the judge. They are anathema to a new Nigeria that will level the plain field for all Nigerians. They are against meritocracy.
INEC is headed by a Fulani. Fulanis will never allow free, fair, and credible elections that will make way for a progressive, visionary, and revolutionary president like Sowore because it will hurt and halt their hegemony. It is instructive to note that all the progressive ideas - a new constitution, creation of state police, new revenue allocation formula, restructure based on devolution of power, state autonomy, etc., suggested at the National Conference initiated by former President Goodluck Jonathan were flatly rejected by Fulani/northern delegates.
In the National Assembly the Fulani/northern Reps and Senators are more than the Southwest and South-south combined. Any progressive legislation is DOA - dead on arrival! We all know the easiest way to remove incompetent politicians from office is through election. When Americans got tired of Donald Trump, they threw him out through the power of the ballot box. That’s not possible in Nigeria. In a country where Fulani federal government equates dissent, criticisms, protests, freedom of press to treasonable felony, how can you hold such a regime accountable? How can you call such a government to order?
Yorubas, Igbos, and Hausa/Fulanis have nothing in common. For example, Yorubas are urban dwellers, Fulanis are nomads. Yorubas are highly educated, enlightened, liberal, civilized, sophisticated, creative, intelligent, warm, friendly, accommodating. Whereas Fulanis are barbaric, hostile, violent, feudalistic, uninspiring, uneducated, raw, and unintelligent. These and other differences make our union unworkable and impossible. Dissolution is the answer.
We know there will be challenges in Oduduwa Nation. Our situation cannot be worst from where we are coming from. Yorubas have the capacity, capability, resources, creativity, and the resolve to make Oduduwa Nation one of the best emerging nations. There will never be one united Nigeria. Our best bet is separation. Then we can live happily ever!
bjoluwasanmi@gmail.com
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