Reclaiming The Nigerian Dream Through Peter Obi
The Nigerian state which is featured as a heterogeneous one is not left without a dream. Its dream, which has its fragment contained in one of the lines of her National anthem was first conceived in 1978, ” To build a Nation where peace and justice shall reign”. Amidst other dreams is to have a nation of progress and one with strength. Nigeria has the dream of seeing herself as the Giant of Africa.
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This also affected her foreign policy. It made Africa the centerpiece of her foreign policy. However, the primary dream Nigeria has for its citizens is to have an atmosphere free from corruption, injustice, and every other social vice. Thus, this poses a question to us. How successful has this dream been?
Is Nigeria really on her way to achieving her great dream? This constitutes part of what we shall consider in this article.
Since the Independence of Nigeria, there has been a conscious effort to establish various institutions that would ensure we have a country where peace and Justice shall reign.
The Democratic system practiced in Nigeria is in a bid to ensure her dream is achieved. However, it’s also unfortunate to know that amidst all the efforts made by Nigeria to achieve her dreams, there’s still nothing to show as a result. Nigeria at 62 years of Independence still shows her citizens protesting and going around the cities clamoring for a better government free from disunity and crises.
Nigeria at her 62 years of Independence is struggling to play the big brother role which is part of her dream for Africa. Maladministration, insecurity, economic meltdown, etc., is still the order of the day. Does this show that Nigeria is in a bid to achieve her dreams? The clear answer is NO. Now the question at this point remains this “Is Nigeria not being able to achieve her dream an Intentional act?
It goes without saying that the dream Nigeria has for herself has been corrupted by her leaders. Its leaders have embraced corruption, bribery, and tribalism in her leadership. The country gave birth to the dream, the same country destroyed it. Hence, the adoption of a Democratic system to ensure we have a country free from inequality, one graced with the crown of peace and unity is far-fetched.
The quest for power and tribalism has drastically destroyed the dream Nigeria has for herself. At this point, it seems the damage is beyond repair.
Nigeria indeed conceived her dream. But what are the laid down strategies for its achievement? It is one thing to dream and another to achieve. In planning dream execution, step by step approach matters a lot.
The first mistake Nigeria made was to address herself as the Big Brother to Africa. This proclamation was made at a period when Nigeria have not yet gained her ground as a state. If I were to speak, I’d say that this dream is a great distraction to Nigeria.
If Nigeria continues turning her attention to external matters rather than internal matters which are Peace and Unity the main goal of the nation will never come to her grips.
The second factor that has been delaying the achievement of the Nigerian dream is her constitution. How possible is it to drag A and B to be just B? What would happen to the identity of A?
This is exactly the condition of the Nigerian state. The country has multiethnic groups in it with a constitution that is against secession. How possible do you think that achieving peace and unity would be in a country with over 250 ethnic groups, and divergent languages and cultures? Thus, disunity and crisis remain the major factors dueling against the attainment of her dream.
Changes Needed For The Purpose Of Achieving The Nigerian Dream
The situation in Nigeria today poses a question as to whether this dream that Nigeria had could still be achieved. It looks like there is no more hope because the country grows older every day without growing in her dreams. Nigeria will be 63 by October what has it achieved?
Will it still be celebrated with citizens marching and protesting for a better government? There is a need for a renewed commitment to this dream. There must be a continuous effort made to ensure the country is up and running towards the achievement of her dreams again. We can’t just fold our hands and see our dream as a country shrinking.
A revolution must occur to bring back this dream. For Nigeria to achieve her dreams, there is a need for unity in her administration. I would also advise that the constitution of Nigeria should be amended if this dream must be achieved. Some factors that would aid Nigeria to achieve her dreams include.
1. Restructuring the government.
Restructuring the government is one of the greatest steps Nigeria could take to achieve its goal. It’s quite unfortunate that several heads of state have made efforts to restructure the government yet it amounts to nothing. Nigeria is a heterogeneous country and would not do very fine without restructuring.
Each region should be allowed to administer its own economy. This would go a long way to help Nigeria achieve her dream.
2)Independence of the Judiciary
A Judiciary entirely free from government influence is highly needed for a better Nigeria and one that could achieve its dream. Just as we can see in Nigeria today, there is no effective judiciary that could ensure the rule of Law is taken seriously.
In a situation where the rulers seem to be above the law, there can never be a strong Nigeria that could achieve her dreams. We have had several cases in Nigeria where the leaders cannot be held accountable by the Judiciary, in situations like this, the leaders cannot be probed of their actions. A successful Nigeria that could achieve her dream starts with good leadership.
3)Integrity and accountability in Leadership:
A leader without integrity and accountability cannot lead a country to achieve her dreams. Achievement of Dreams depends on how seriously the leader takes the dream to be. Accountability in leadership starts with how the leader is elected to power.
The recent actions in the just concluded Nigerian election show a high level of irregularities by the electoral commission.
4. Re-articulate the Nigerian Foreign policy:
The Nigerian foreign policy should be re-articulated. The Afrocentrism ideology has drawn the government’s attention away from matters that concern its citizenry.
It’s appalling that the government channels its focus on other African states, giving out funds whereas various internal projects require those funds, yet they receive little to none. For instance, Nigeria supplies electricity to her neighboring country, Ghana, and they’ve boasted of one full year with light, however, Nigeria itself has not celebrated a day of full power supply.
This condition has brought about the dysfunctioning of infant companies across the country.
If Nigeria should continue her big brother role in Africa as discerned in her foreign policy, then there should be principles of reciprocity. A situation where Nigeria receives an equal amount of energy she gives out. However, as they say, “charity begins at home.” Thus, the Nigerian government should focus on attaining its country’s dreams before expanding it to other countries.
I believe that with the re-articulation of the country’s foreign policy, Nigeria will put heads together and fight for that “New Nigeria” all dream of.
Conclusion on Reclaiming The Nigerian Dream
The realization of a better Nigeria is an attainable goal that requires the collective effort of all Nigerians, transcending barriers of religion, ethnicity, geographical location, and gender. By actively participating in the progress and development of our nation, we can lay the foundation for a brighter and more prosperous Nigeria for generations to come.
Let us unite, collaborate, and work tirelessly towards this shared dream, ensuring that our collective efforts contribute to the legacy of a thriving Nigeria.
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