Enenche Enenche: Before Nigeria dies

BEFORE NIGERIA DIES

By Enenche Enenche

The north especially north west and south especially south west have determined the political tides of Nigeria.

They both are the most politically sophisticated zones in Nigeria. While the north west has the hardcopy, the south west has the soft copy formulae of the political engine room of Nigeria.

This is because the leadership ideologies of Sir Ahmadu Bello and Chief Obafemi Awolowo found more expressions in the leadership fabrics of Nigeria than that of any other person(s).

Nnamdi Azikiwe’s nationalistic approach suffered a great set back. His ideologies would have been more healthy for Nigeria but the first military coup that dethroned him, the civil war that he never supported and his people lost, isolated him and his ideologies from the centerspace of Nigeria’s politics till he died.

The north central is the most politically polarized zone, no single political identity. They are always a tool in the hands of either the south or the north. I call them the “follow follow zone”.

The leadership ideologies of Sir Ahmadu Bello and Chief Obafemi Awolowo are too regionalistic than nationalist. They have their merits at regional levels but several demerits at national levels.

These regionalistic ideologies of Sir Ahmadu Bello and Chief Obafemi Awololo can’t survive the modern day Nigeria, if Nigeria must move forward.

The ideologies were built on tribalism and religion and lack basic ingredients that boost the immunities of a federal state against her vulnerabilities like Nigeria.

As it appears today, those ideologies have failed Nigeria. They were strong when tribalism and religion was everything in Nigeria. But as it appears today, this generation of Nigerians are even more united than they were when they brought in these ideologies in the 1950s and 1960s.

There are more inter-tribal marriages, relationships and alliances now than they were those days when they sowed the seeds of those ideologies.

President Buhari, running with that ideology, concentrate appointments in one section of the country, you see how it ended. It polarized the nation and almost broke it. It is obvious he is operating with a mindset whose time has passed.

For Nigeria to rise again, we most break from ideals that are built on tribe and religion and move to those built on capacity and competence.

I think the average Nigerian youth today is not concerned with the tribe and religion of her leader, but competence and capacity to unite and produce results that would manifest in growth and health of the populace. It is the generation before us that are still running with the illusion of tribe and religion, but the future belongs to the youths and they would determine that in 2023.

President Buhari, running with that ideology concentrating appointments in on section of the country, you see how it ended. It polarized the nation and almost broke it. It is obvious he is operating with a mindset whose time has passed.

Good morning Nigeria!

Enenche Enenche
Abuja, Nigeria.