Nigeria is Negotiable: A narrative of Nigeria's leadership crisis

By

Godwin Onyeacholem

A new and provocative book titled Nigeria is Negotiable has blamed Nigeria's leaders for the country's woes.  Written by journalist and rights activist, Chido Onumah, the book is due for launch on Tuesday, August 20, in Abuja, Nigeria's capital.

Nigeria is Negotiable, a collection of essays spanning more than two decades attributes the problems of Nigeria to the twin issues of bad leadership and the country's flawed geo-political structure. It calls for the restructuring of Nigeria through a Sovereign National Conference.

The book discusses the political history of Nigeria in the last twenty five yeas and makes far-reaching recommendations on the way forward. According to Dr. Anthony Akinola in the prologue to Nigeria is Negotiable, "Theghostof theannulledpresidentialelectionofJune12,1993 has remainedwithusfor20years.It willcontinuetohauntthe perpetratorsofthatunpatrioticactfor therestoftheirlives.

"Theelectionof1993wasnotintendedtoleadtodemocracy;it wastheculminationofpoliticaldeceitbyGen.IbrahimBabangida, author oftheannulment, whohadpostponed histransitional programmeontwopreviousoccasions,1990and1992.Theannulment,asitwas,wasBabangida'sdesperationtohangontopowerfor as longashepossiblycould.

"GeneralBabangidacouldnot,onhisown,haveheldournation's fortunestoransomashedidwiththeannulmentofafree andfair election;hehadthesupportoftopmilitaryofficerswhowerebaskingintheatmosphereof corruptionandself-enrichmentattheexpenseoftherestofus.Theyweregeneralswhocouldnotriseabove ethnicbigotry.

"Of particularnotewasGen.SaniAbachawho eventuallybecame militaryrulerbetweenNovember1993andJune1998,havingpushed asideaninterimgovernmenthastily cobbledtogetherintheafter- mathofBabangida'sforcedexitonAugust27,1993.Therehadbeen "gossip"ofapresumed"pact"betweenBabangidaandAbachathat thelatterwouldalsotakehisturninbecomingHeadofState and Commander-in-ChiefoftheArmedForces.

"TheAbacharegimewascharacterised byunprecedentedterrorand assassinationofpoliticalopponentsandactivists,notleastbecauseof thedeterminationofthelattertoactualisethemandateNigeriansgave Chief MoshoodAbiola,thewinnerofthe1993presidentialelection.

"Thedishonestyofmembersoftheso-calledpoliticalclasswasquite evidentinthesustenanceof theAbacharegime,aswasalsothatof foreigninterestswhosepre-occupationwasmainlywithoil".

The author notes in an essay written in August 1998 titled "transition and illusions", "InAugust1985,acertainMaj.Gen.Ibrahim Babangidatookpoweramidstsmilesandafeelingofconviviality. Hepromisedtoexorcisethepoliticalhorrorsofthepast andrestore democraticrule.Beforetheeuphoriadieddown,Nigeriawasinthe throesofdeath.  Itwas atragedyofinfinitemagnitude;atragedy whosenecessaryoutcomewastheemergenceofapsychopathwho couldnotdrawalinebetween personalambitionandnational interest".

According to Onumah, "Theexitofonepsychopath sawtheemergenceofanother;andyet anothertransitiongravytrain.Fromtheoutset,Abachadidnothide hisdisdainforourpoliticians.However, thatdidnotdeterthem. They soonforgotthehorrorstheywent throughunderBabangidaandjumpedontoAbacha'stransitiontrain. Whatthepoliticians lackedinfortitudeandintegrity,theymadeup withclowneryandservitude. Abacha'stransitionwasnotlackingin rogues,thugsandvillains.Wewereneverinshortsupplyofthethings thatgavepoliticstheepithet: 'dirtygame'."

The author describes the late military dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, as a certified outlaw. "ItwasnotfornothingthatAbachabore thetag"Africa'sNo1outlaw".WhenheseizedpoweronNovember17,1993,hepromiseda quickreturntodemocraticrule;butthatwasnottobe.Inthefive yearsthathereigned,Nigeriawitnessedanarchetypeofmilitarydespotismwhichmarkstheperiodas thecruelestandmostshameful periodofhernationalhistory", the author notes.

On Gen.AbdulsalamiAbubakar the author remarks, "HeemergedasthenewmaximumrulerafterthedeathofAbacha.Thefirstsigns ofthe schizophrenicnatureoftheregimeanditstotalincapacity tocomprehendthecurrentcrisisemergedfewdays afterAbubakartookover whenhepromisedtocompletethe transitionprogrammeofhispredecessor".

On Gen. Obasanjo, the book notes, "In1979,Obasanjohadthechance tolaunchthecountryonthepathofgenuinedemocracy, buthe bungledit.Twenty-eightyearslater,in2007,aftereightyearsascivilianpresident,hehadtheopportunitytomakeamends,buthesquandereditinhischaracteristicdeviousmanner. Obasanjounderstandswhatdemocracyentails, buthedoesnot havethemoralcouragetobeguidedbyitsrule".

"Recently,Obasanjoblamedpoorleadershipforthecountry'swoes. Heforgottoaddthatapartfromhisforgettableleadership(1976-1979 and1999-2007),heorchestratedthepoorleadershipwehadin 1979andagainin2007.Fortunatelyforhim,we haveinPresident Jonathanarulerwhohasredefinedthemeaningof poorleadership whichinawaymakesObasanjolooklikeamessiah.

The book also looks at the role of diplomats and the international community during the period of military dictatorship. According to Onumah, "Forfiveyears,AbachaheldNigerianshostage andthebestNigeriansgotfromKofi AnnanwasundignifiedsilencewhileEmeka Anyaokubecameadeptatinconsistentoutbursts.Whydidthey not makeeffortsto stopAbacha?ItwasnotintheinterestoftheirmastersinWashingtonandLondontodoso.

"ItisnotfornothingthatAnyaokuisdeeplyinvolvedinthefresh shenaniganstosubvertthepopularwillofNigerians.Ofcourse,he oncebelievedthatAbachawaspursuing acredibletransition programmeandoughttohavebeengivena chance.

"WhydidBillClintonnotpersuade,firstBabangida,andlater Abacha,toreleasetheresultsoftheJune12,1993election? Wasit becauseAmericadidnotbelievetheelectionwasfreeandfair? Why wouldMr. ClintonpreferAbacharunningforpresidentinatravesty ofdemocracyratherthancallingforthewinnerofademocraticelectiontobeinstalled president?

For the international community, the author had this to say, "ThesuddendiscoverybytheWest ofAbacha'spoliticaldeception is hypocritical.TheWestsawAbacha,tutoredhimand proppedhimupagainst pro-democracyandhumanrightsactivists andaboveallagainstthedemocraticallyelected presidentwhois spendinghisfourthyear inprison.NowthatAbachahasbecomea hydra-headedmonster,theWestseemsincapableofdealingwithhim".

"NigeriaisNegotiable,acollection ofinformedjournalisticessays andcommentaries,remindsreadersofthepolitical injusticesand crueltiesofanera.Itcallsfordiscussionsonthewayforward. Withpersistentcorruption,religiousextremism,armedrobbery, anewcultureofkidnapping,co-existing withpoliticalintolerance andendemicchaotic elections,itwouldbedishonesttoassumethat alliswellwithournation".

·Onyeacholem is an Abuja-based journalist. He can be reached at gonyeacholem@gmail.com