Be National
By Abdulrazaq Hamzat
Speech delivered by Abdulrazaq Hamzat at the National Convention of National Open University of Nigeria Alumni Association (NOUNAA) on 2nd December 2017 held at the Public Service Institute, Abuja.
Honorable ladies and respected gentlemen, all protocols dully observed.
Permit me to state that, I acknowledge that this platform is provided as the last avenue for presidential candidates seeking office in our noble association to present their agenda for final scrutiny before the election.
However, the need for such campaign became secondary for me, having seen the methods of canvassing support by some individuals during the build up to the congress. To a significant extent, most aspirants and their caucuses campaigned first and foremost on the basis of regional interest, then for the interest of the association. But I find this practice unbefitting of an association like ours, which should be a breeding ground for nationalism in this 21st century.
So, rather than speak about my agenda to convince you for the last time before the election, I shall instead talk to you about the need for us all to be nationalistic in our thinking, approaches and actions. This is the only way we can fulfill the aims of those who founded our University and in extension, the aims of the association.
Before I proceed, let me use this opportunity to specially thank all those exceptional individuals' among us, whom in-spite the pressure mounted on them to ditch nationalism for regionalism, they still hold their ground in solidarity with national integration. I greatly commend your rare zeal, personal discipline and unity based world view.
Respected colleagues,
Nigeria is our country and every Nigerian, irrespective of tribe, region or religion is either our brother or sister. If that is the case as we already know it is, we must out grow the pettiness of creating divide among ourselves on the basis of none existing barriers.
While growing up, we all sang the Nigerian national anthem and pledge every morning at school. The anthem and pledge we sang are not mere songs with sweet melody and rhythm, they are promises and vows we made with Nigeria to uphold her honor and glory. Those pledges we took every morning at school are to imbibe brother and sisterhood in us and help us visualize our nation as a joint big family.
We promised ''to serve Nigeria with all our strength'' '' defend her unity'' and ''uphold her honor'', but if anyone asks us today, if we are keeping our vows and promises, not many among us can sincerely answer this question in affirmation. Rather than uphold Nigeria's honor as a nation, we have become so individualistic, tribalistic and regionalistic. Very few among us can truly claim to be nationalistic and this is something we must work to change and improve going forward.
During our short campaign and preparation for the congress, I have heard numerous disparaging remarks about different regions and tribes. Some of the things I heard cannot be repeated here because it breaks my heart.
Honestly speaking, i can't believe despite attending National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), the only national institution in Nigeria, many of us have still not imbibed any nationalistic ideal strong enough to make us jettison divisive strategy when seeking opportunities. We are still stuck with our inherited, but shallow and regionalistic epiphany.
This is not to say we have acted out of context considering the scheme of things in Nigeria, i am just saying we can be the change Nigeria needs. We can be those few people that will correct the wrong in our society and set it on the path of sustainable peace and sincere unity. So, don't get me wrong please; i am not in the position to blame anyone because everyone can't completely claim innocence. We are all victim of circumstances. We grew up seeing only ethnic and regional slant as a source of campaign from those we call leaders. But I must inform us all that we are not under any obligation to follow their bad examples. We can do much better.
Sirs and Ma's, when we say don't be tribalistic or regionalistic in approach; some people can't really understand what we are saying. To them, it is practically impossible not to whim up these sentiments as a basis for campaign. But you can't really blame them. This is the only thing they grew up to know. We all inherited some part of the divisiveness right from our childhood days.
If you look at Nigeria's three (3) founding fathers, in persons of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello populaly known as the Sarduana and Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, you will hardly fault anyone sticking to regionalism as basis for campaign.
These 3 figures in our national history rose to prominence on the basis of regionalism. Sardauna for the North, Azikwe for the East and Awolowo for the West.
So, if tribe and region could be so beneficial to these guys until they attained their legendary status and got to zenith of their political careers, what could be our justification to discourage others from towing the same path?
Here is what I think distinguish ladies and gentlemen.
If you ask me, there is nothing so annoying like knowing that an excellent personality and super intelligent human like Chief Obafemi Awolowo championed a regional agenda. How i wish his intelligence and excellent personality is deployed for national solidarity. Nothing would have been better.
Additionally, it is even more demoralizing that a legendary Nnamdi Azikwe, who happens to be a role model to people like Kwame Nkuruma of Ghana also could not deploy his magnificent skills to national progression. He, like Awolowo also championed a regional agenda.
More surprisingly, if it is disappointing that Chief Awo and Dr Zik jettisoned national agenda for a regional one, what could one say about Ahmadu Bello who unites the entire North with more than 300 ethnicity under One North? I have been asking, why could Sardauna not see beyond the North to champion a national agenda under One Nigeria?
It is important to note here that, while Nnamdi Azikwe coined one Nigeria in rhetoric, Sarduana's practical unifying characteristics as displayed in Northern Nigeria were lost to shallow world perspective. But this must not continue. We can re-write the history of this country right from this hall. We can re-direct the polity.
Talking about regionalism.
Some while ago, i came across the autobiography of Chief Obafemi Awolowo released shortly before our independence in 1960. The book is titled Awo.
In the book, I found out that Chief Awolowo had one regret as we match proudly into our independence. What could be hurting Awo after successfully securing independence for Nigeria? His regret was that, intelligent Nigerians including himself, who should be using their God given talents to promote nationalism that is destined to take Nigeria to its promise land, are rather locked in their small corner of regionalism. Awo is hurting because, instead of using their talents to bring Nigerians together and make them one big happy family, they were using it to set them apart into regional and tribal lines.
I can sense from the tune used in the book that this particular issue was hurting Awolowo so greatly, but he his helpless. He is a regional leader.
To escape from personal guilt over their emotional balcanization of the country along tribal and regional lines, Awolowo blamed his friend and colleague, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe.
Awo hold the view, it was he Azikwe who forced him into going regional. According to Awo, it was Azikwe who first abandoned nationalism to mobilize support on the basis of region and he was left with no option than toe the same line, else he would be left without base. He felt like is regional agenda came as a result of the circumstances he found himself.
What I understood from that book is that, even a great man like Awo that is seen as a regional leader, knew in his mind that regionalism is not the way forward for Nigeria. He wished he can do things differently. He also wishes he could avoid being a regional leader, something he tried to correct before his eventual demise.
Similarly, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe also rejected the concept of regionalism. He knew regionalism doesn't pay and Nigeria should not be towing that line at all. Through out his life time, Dr. Azikwe maintained that he is a national man and not a regional leader. He consistently maintained also that, it was Awolowo who went regional and also frustrated his nationalistic ideals by mobilizing support on tribal and regional basis.
After the civil war, when media campaign was rift against Azikwe, painting him in regional and tribal color as a result of the Biafra war, the legendary Zik of Africa gave some insight, into why he could never have been a regional man.
According to him,'' in 1945, the Richard's Constitution was promulgated. I opposed the division of Nigeria into three parts. I felt that regionalism was not in the interest of Nigeria and that it would lead to provincialism and parochialism. It means that we began to think in terms of our region and not of one Nigeria. Then, I coined the concept of one Nigeria and the slogan 'One Nigeria''. The great Zik of Africa didn't stop there; he went further to cite some historical references to support his position.
Hear him:
'' In 1953, the NPC under the leadership of my good friend, the late Sardauna, threatened to secede from the federation unless their 6-point proposals were adhered to. I had to use personal diplomacy. We had been personal friends since 1940. So, I saw Sir Ahmadu Bello and prevailed upon him that the unity of this country was greater than him and myself and the other people too helped so that the North shifted grounds and agreed and so the country was saved. That was in 1953. Again, however, when the 1954 constitutional conference started, my good friend, Chief Obafemi Awolowo tabled a motion to the effect that in the new constitution, provision should be made that any state which feels like seceding should do so. I opposed to it and said 'no' and said that once we have a federation, we are indivisible and perpetual. That was when we began to use that expression - 'The Indivisibility and perpetuity of the federation' - and that to secede would amount to treason. And so, a debate ensued.''
''The Secretary of State then was Oliver Littleton, later Lord Chandos and he was very much interested and that was his first time in saying that the people of African descent were people actually debating at a high level. So a full day was given to Chief Awolowo to make his points. He spoke brilliantly as a lawyer. He made his points why secession should be incorporated in the constitution. He cited the case of the Soviet Union which is a federation, and that secession is written there so that any state in the Soviet Union can secede at will.
He also cited the case of Western Australia and eventually he finished his case and was applauded. We adjourned. The next day, I had to reply. I availed myself of the opportunity to, well, demolish the arguments of my friend and I cited the case of United States which based its constitution on that of the Swiss Confederation. That is Switzerland. I pointed out a case, I think, that of Texas versus White, where Mr. Salmon Chase, the Chief Justice laid down the principle - he was really an arbiter - that the union was intended to be perpetual and indivisible and that any attempt to divide the union by secession was treasonable.
The North (NPC) supported Action Group. The question was then: Should we have secession? The Colonial Office came to our rescue. You know, the usual principle of Britain - 'divide and rule' (laughs) but this time, it was in our favour. So, the colonial office backed us. Lord Chandos said that on the face of the arguments before him it would be suicidal to incorporate secession in our constitution and that is why we have section 86 in our constitution that if any region or state should secede, then it will be an act of treason and that was what led to this war, because Col. Ojukwu seceded and so violated the constitution'' he concluded.
What Nnamdi Azikwe was trying to tell us here is that, regionalism is not the way for Nigeria. Even though he was also seen to have championed some regional agenda, he was able to establish that regionalism is not the way. However, he was also a culprit. He wished he could not have been seen to be regional. He also wishes all intelligent Nigerians should not devout their intelligence to be promote such shallow concept as regionalism.
This is what I am also asking us all to start doing henceforth.
To my understanding, the idea behind the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) is to raise Nigerians that would think beyond regionalism. That is why the name of the institution started with the word, '' NATIONAL''. Those who named the school could have called the institution, ''Open University of Nigeria'', but they didn't for a purpose. They resolved to put the word national in the front to emphasize the importance of thinking beyond tribal or regional consideration. While the aim of NOUN is to have centers in all communities across the country to ensure no one is left out of access to quality education, it also provides enabling platform for students to move around any part of the country without any restriction. This is why we must specially thank the former president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who is also a member of this noble association.
As much as Mr. Obasanjo can be accused of any other crime, no one can sincerely accuse of being a regional leader. While OBJ as is popularly called may not be that popular in his own region due to perceived unfavorable policies, the former president has great admirers in other part of the country.
Just recently, former President Goodluck Jonathan was reported to have said, OBJ is the leader of all leaders. This remark, i believe is not because OBJ is the best, but because of his nationalistic foot prints that cannot be uprooted in all parts of the country.
My dear brothers and sisters, what I have tried to establish here is that, even those who led Nigeria into regionalism also regretted their action. If they had another opportunity to do things differently, maybe they would have done so.
Therefore, I want to urge you all, most respectfully to jettison regional agenda for a national one. I want to urge you, most respectfully to only mobilize support based on capacity and national ideal.
In conclusion, let me submit that there is a very thin line between individualism, tribalism, regionalism and nationalism. And that thin line is cynicism. I don't know if there is any study that has established this as a fact, but from my careful observation so far, I have come to the conclusion that the difference between individualism, tribalism, regionalism and nationalism is cynicism.
Individualism is about me and me alone. Every action taken is geared toward personal benefits. This is not really a bad idea if it is not done at the detriment of others, but unfortunately, the great Nelson Mandela opined that, nothing about ''I'' can be for the interest of all. Those who think deeply were able to see beyond ''I'' to tribe. So, they become tribalist, not just to protect their own personal interest, but their own tribal interest.
Tribalism is when someone only advocates for the interest of his tribe. But, while this may not be a bad idea on it own if is not done at the detriment of other tribes, but unfortunately, this is the case. I am of the view that, nothing can be about ''my'' and be for ''all''.
Again, having realized the shallowness and limitation of the tribal concept, those who also think deeply were able to see beyond tribe to region, so they become regionalist, not just to protect their own tribal interest, but to protect the interest of all tribes in their region.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have said it repeatedly also that regionalism is not entirely a bad concept, if it is not done at the detriment of others, but, this is the case. I have been asking, why limit our grace of brotherhood and sisterhood, if we can actually expand and accommodate all? Just a little deep thinking and reflection would reveal to us that we can do much better than our fore fathers.
Those who had a little more deep thinking and reflection were able to see beyond their shallow regional interest and they embrace nationalism. Just so you know, nationalism is when you factor in the interest of all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe, region and region. It is a situation in which you do not place your regional interest above the interest of others, but instead, you place them side by side for joint problem solving.
While you understand that your regional interest matters, you know also that it doesn't matter more than those of others. So, in choosing who lead and how resources are allocated, you factor in the capacity of all those involved and entrust the mandate to only those who have the capacity to purposefully handle the interest of all on the basis of priority, importance, value and sincerity.
You can't build peace in a multi tribal and multi religious country like ours without being national. So therefore my dear colleagues let us all ''be national''.
Abdulrazaq Hamzat, Human Rights Ambassador and Executive Director, Foundation for Peace Professionals
Email: discus4now@gmail.com
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