A former Minister of State for Health and ex-President, Nigerian Institute of Architects, Chief Gabriel Aduku, bares his mind on some salient issues, in this interview with Alex Emeje and Keturah Elijah.
Why are we where we are? Why are we not progressing in this country?
We have stated it repeatedly why we are at this stage, at least, if you take it from independence till now. Forget about the colonial times, because the management of Nigeria was thrown faultily at us at the independence. Which countries are we comparing ourselves with? There are many of them globally.
But the submission is, Nigerians is a blessed country. The mangrove Delta of the southern region, up to the desert region area in north, through the Savanna in the middle belt, and so on. All of them are blessed with natural resources, the one which you can see, the trees, the ground, down to what the sea can offer and to what the earth can offer. So, we have no reason to be where we are because these are instruments for development.
Again, there are too many things that have affected us. It is either we were not ready for independence before we got it, or we didn’t prepare ourselves clearly to know the challenges facing us to become a nation. Maybe a few people are exposed to it because the southern people had already been in touch with our colonial fathers. They lived in the United Kingdom; they graduated there as lawyers; they did all sort of things there, even before the independence.
And whatever it is, we were amalgamated to become a nation, and we took that ground of a nation, perhaps honourably, with dignity that we can manage ourselves and do better, which is true. You have read your history and all the rest of it; it is all summarised there. Those of us who come from the centre of this country, those of us who surround the conference of River Niger and Benue, we fill the North, we fill the south. Is it a difficult thing set by nature for us to say, can we put ourselves together with all these diverse cultures and languages, cultures in particular?
Can we put ourselves together to be a nation like the UK, like the British people who have occupied us, or who became our colonial masters? Can we copy them or France who have also occupied a number of countries and shared between themselves, or even Germany, not to of talk of US, Russia that are far away from us? There have been big questions like that from the beginning. We’ve proved it that we cannot manage the nation as it ought to be.
We now have regional security outfits like Amotekun, Ebubeagu, among others, is this the way to go?
The federal system we started with is either we misunderstood it, misapplied it, or whatever. It has not succeeded, isn’t it? That is why we are looking for another way. So, looking for another way will make you reflect on what it was when the regions existed. What was it like? You can ask yourself and see. It was quite evident that those who put us together, the colonialists, they know what we have or what we had which we still have to simply put to make the system work.
In the northern region in the upper savanna, agriculture was top. They did not bother too much about what is on ground. The few minerals and the rocky place of Plateau, where they could easily manage and all that, mining it away, to build industry in their own place, instead of turning the place around. The vast and beautiful environment offered itself for development, and from what we read about, the groundnut pyramids were very fascinating. Where else are the pyramid catching the eye, but in Egypt? The pyramids have been there for centuries, and still exist for tourism. People go there every time despite the insecurity because they are so amazing.
Nigeria also has such spots like that, but these things were being managed at regional basis. Those regions want to exist on their own. They are encouraged to because the constitution provided for that; that if the people want it, they can have it. So, the regions when they existed, even during independence, there were still opportunities for more regions to appear under that constitution. All that was destroyed by military intervention. So, we are sort of recalling the regional arrangements, bringing nearer people who can reason together, develop together, and understand themselves because of the vast nature of this country.
Amotekun is from one large ethnic group, the Yoruba. They have full advantage of knowledge and they are also very resourceful and intelligent. They are maximising, trying to defend what they have very quickly, seeing the way the government was going. They said, ‘let defend ourselves; after all, the western region was one of the main regions. So, Amotekun was a force of necessity, and they were united on that. All the governments were contributing to that local security. If you like it or not, it is a move for self- preservation.
The Igbo too believe in self-preservation, although what we are witnessing is not palatable because we can’t have war twice. They were the ones that started the first war. We cannot allow them to start another war in this country because if it happens again, they would not have learnt anything, neither has the country learnt anything. That too is part of our failure.
And the South-South, since they became the main stem of Nigeria, they have to cry out. Their mangrove forest, which is a pride to the country, is being destroyed by the exploitation of oil, and the whole nation depends on them for development. They wait on how much petrol has been drilled; how much oil has been sent away. They calculate the money. Every day, they are calculating the barrels. If you live in that region, will you be happy?
There are agitations everywhere, South-South, South-West, among others, what do you think about the zoning arrangements?
Let us even have a country first, we are at the crossroads now. Are you sure we are going to have a country next year? You can see the government is trying its possible best to defend what it has and to convince the younger ones to support them to continue as a country. They are still struggling with that. The country has the highest, open, naked criminality. The value of a human being is nonsensical, the chicken is more valued. As we are just chatting, let’s remove the possibility that they can just come from any angle now and say what are you talking about?
I keep making reference to the way and manner in which the CAN chairman was taken and murdered. If we must preserve our country, there must be harmony; harmony in families
Do you agree with in the school of thought that canvasses the Jerry Rawlings of Ghana’s approach in Nigeria?
Forget about that, how has it benefited them? Are Ghanaians all enjoying what he did in Ghana today? Is Ghana still not struggling? Is it just that Ghana is a small country, so it touches their heart? Yes, there will be discipline. What gives us a better way of life in a society? I can come to wake you up at 1am and 2am, but you are not bothered of what will happen without anybody hurting you. I go to any place I want, is that not freedom? Wont you be secure? You will feel secure that we have a nation. How do we achieve security? The target that we need is the constitution, moral studies, everything that will makes us to be there.
Security of individuals, properties and lives are the basic duty of any government anywhere. The other one that contributes to security is discipline which is like law, rules.
Discipline is very important and the last one is sincerity. If we accept that, we will be disciplined.
What is your message for Nigerians?
There is nothing to advocate in this country other than to allow peace to reign. And the context of peace is intricate. Let Nigerians struggle to maintain peace. Let us by faith know that it has been provided by nature, now that we need to sustain ourselves, no matter how the population doubles.
