Read Part I here
The bane of socio-economic development in Nigeria is not ethnic pluralism. It is the existing unjust, inequitable, vicious and exploitative capitalist socio-economic system which prioritizes the greed of a few over the need of the poor who are in the majority. In other words, the fundamental cause of lack of development (measured in terms of the welfare of ordinary people), is not ethnic division/pluralism; it is division along class lines.
Democratic Procedure in Agitation for Yoruba/Oodua Republic
IT is also important to insist that no matter how laudable the self-claimed altruistic justification of the separatist agenda may be, the proponents of Oodua Republic should be democratic in their approach. They need to obtain the democratic mandate or consent of majority of the people in the South West in a referendum rather than imposing themselves and their idea of an Oodua Republic on the people.
Before anybody claims to be the leader of an ethnic group, he/she should have been elected by majority of the members of that ethnic group. Being elected leaders or spokespersons of an association should not be mistaken for being elected leaders of an ethnic group. Otherwise, even where the proponents of Oodua Republic succeed without the democratic mandate of majority of members of the ethnic group, it would mean that ultimately, the South West would be governed dictatorially by the whims and caprices of a few self-imposed individuals. That would mean enslavement of the people.
The proponents of Oodua Republic have a duty to convince people in the South West and the world that an Oodua Republic would be an example of a democratically run society, which guarantees freedom of expression, not a totalitarian society where the right to dissent means being blackmailed, framed, killed or tried and condemned to prison. It is not only the attainment of set goals that matters; the procedure and manner of attaining the goals also matter in determining the quality of governance in the proposed republic.
What Programme is Primary in Resolving the Problem of Poverty: Ethnic Nationalism or Fight for Improved Welfare and Security of Ordinary People?
The bane of socio-economic development in Nigeria is not ethnic pluralism. It is the existing unjust, inequitable, vicious and exploitative capitalist socio-economic system which prioritizes the greed of a few over the need of the poor who are in the majority. In other words, the fundamental cause of lack of development (measured in terms of the welfare of ordinary people), is not ethnic division/pluralism; it is division along class lines.
The fundamental cause of poverty and degeneration in the society is not related to divisions between nations and nationalities but conflicting interests between the rich and the poor, the ruled and the rulers. The interests of the poor classes in all ethnic nationalities are the same, just as the interests of members of the ruling class of all nationalities are equally the same. But the capitalist economic arrangement being operated ensures that the rich classes not only monopolize societal wealth at the expense of basic needs of ordinary people, they also use their wealth to impose themselves on the people or to capture political power and influence.
We should adequately appreciate that in Nigeria today, there is class rule, capitalist class rule; not a government predicated on an ethnic group. In other words, there is a ruling class with membership from all the ethnic groups. The federal government is not ruling in the interest of any ethnic group. Hence, poverty is more pronounced in the North than in the South. If the central government were ruling in the interest of an ethnic group, the living standards of members of that ethnic group ought to be better than the living standards of people of the other ethnic groups.
As Vladimir Lenin explained in Critical Remarks on the National Question in Collected Works, Vol. 20: “On the hordes of joint stock companies we find capitalists of different nations sitting together in complete harmony. At factories, workers of different nations work side by side. In any really serious and profound political issue, sides are taken according to classes, not nations.”
Numerous examples could be cited to drive home the point made by Lenin: Leading members of the two major political parties, at all levels of government, legislative and executive, are from different ethnic groups. They are usually united against the masses in the imposition of obnoxious policies, earning of disproportionate salaries and sharing of contracts. They are never divided on policies such as perennial increases in the prices of petroleum products; non-payment of national minimum wage; increase in electricity tariffs, non-payment of salaries, and so on. On each of these issues, positions are taken, not on the basis of ethnic affiliation but on the basis of class status. The poor, including workers, the unemployed, farmers, artisans, traders, and so on, should therefore not be hoodwinked by the deceptive bellicose nationalism of the bourgeoisie or aspiring bourgeoisie.
Professor Taiwo Alimi’s remark as chairman of an opening ceremony of a workshop organized by Jama’at Ta’awunil Muslimeen in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung at See-Bee Hotel and Events Centre, Iwo-Ibadan Expressway, Iwo, State of Osun on Wednesday, 24 April 2013 shows that when Nigeria is compared to India, ethnic pluralism and size of population cannot be valid reasons for Nigeria’s socio-economic backwardness.
According to him, in the remark entitled: “Participatory Governance: Building Synergy for Effective, Responsive, Accountable Governance for Development”;
“India is more populous, has larger number of ethnic groups, larger number of religions than Nigeria. Both are colonized by British and are not significantly different on age of independence. If all these factors affect development negatively, India should be less developed than Nigeria but India is far ahead of Nigeria in development. India manufactures and export cars, has good medical facilities patronized by foreigners, etc. What then are the likely factors for differences in development?
“Some other factors are corruption and indiscipline. It is in Nigeria that highly corrupt individuals are celebrated as heroes. Punishment is meant only for the erring downtrodden not the influential, thereby encouraging bad behaviours among the elites and the ruling class.”
Find below the comparative analysis between Nigeria and India, according to Prof Alimi.
| Characteristics | Nigeria | India |
| Population size | 160 million | 1.2 billion |
| Number of ethnic groups | 250 | 2,000 |
| Colonizer | British | British |
| Age of independence | 52 years | 65 years |
| Multiplicity of religion | 2 are prominent (Islam and Christianity) | Many |
At the same time, the point must be made that India does not provide a path for the Nigerian governments to follow. Like Nigeria, it provides horrendous poverty for many and extreme wealth for a few. Recently, this has been mixed with bloody religious conflicts with Hindu Chauvinism encouraged by the National President.
I therefore call on members of Ekimogun Youths Connect to channel more of their efforts around issues dealing with improving the material wellbeing of ordinary Yoruba people and subject the ruling class in Nigeria (within and outside the proposed Yoruba nation) to merciless criticism as far as the criminal neglect of the socio-economic rights of the downtrodden are concerned.
It is clear that those who practically own Nigeria and are monopolizing the wealth of Nigeria and determining outcomes of electoral contestations are less than 1% of the 200 million population of Nigeria. Indeed, the fundamental cause of physical insecurity is the criminal economic and political exclusion of ordinary people of all the ethnic groups. The father of physical insecurity is economic exclusion of the masses of all ethnic groups. The mother of physical insecurity is political exclusion of the masses of all ethnic groups. Unless the welfare of ordinary people is quickly addressed, either within Nigeria as presently constituted, or within each of the geographical units that may constitute the emerging republics, physical insecurity would continue to be a menace.
We should adequately appreciate that in Nigeria today, there is class rule, capitalist class rule; not a government predicated on an ethnic group. In other words, there is a ruling class with membership from all the ethnic groups. The federal government is not ruling in the interest of any ethnic group. Hence, poverty is more pronounced in the North than in the South. If the central government were ruling in the interest of an ethnic group, the living standards of members of that ethnic group ought to be better than the living standards of people of the other ethnic groups.
AMCON (Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria) assumed the debt of some companies and individuals running into N5.4trn. Those who took advantage of that sum are capitalist/comprador capitalists and/or their agents from all ethnic groups. Indeed, 350 individuals were reported to be responsible for over 80% or N4.3trn of the N5.4trn debt portfolio. This means, on the average, each of the 350 individuals owes 12.3bn. It has further been disclosed that only 100 BVNs control over 60% of bank loans in Nigeria. Those individuals are not the ordinary Hausa, Fulani, Igbo, Yoruba or the ordinary persons in any of about 500 ethnic groups making up Nigeria.
Whether we use the figure 350 or 100 as stated above, it is clear that those who practically own Nigeria and are monopolizing the wealth of Nigeria and determining outcomes of electoral contestations are less than 1% of the 200 million population of Nigeria. Indeed, the fundamental cause of physical insecurity is the criminal economic and political exclusion of ordinary people of all the ethnic groups. The father of physical insecurity is economic exclusion of the masses of all ethnic groups. The mother of physical insecurity is political exclusion of the masses of all ethnic groups. Unless the welfare of ordinary people is quickly addressed, either within Nigeria as presently constituted, or within each of the geographical units that may constitute the emerging republics, physical insecurity would continue to be a menace.
Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, guarantees socio-economic rights: free education from cradle to grave; employment or unemployment allowance; free healthcare for all; social housing; the mandatory obligation for government to be humane, reasonable national minimum living wage, guaranteed old age care and pension, and so on.
Is it the Fulani oligarchy and/or hegemony that has prevented and tied the hands of the governors in the South West from implementing Chapter 2 of the Constitution? Is it until they breakup Nigeria that state governments in the South West would begin to be humane to ordinary people in their states by implementing Chapter 2 of the Constitution? Is it after the breakaway from Nigeria that governors in the South West would stop taking humungous security votes they do not account for? Is it only when they breakaway from Nigeria that they would stop benefiting from the governors and deputy governors’ pension laws?
Nigeria is owned and governed by the prominent politicians who move cash about in bullion vans and Yoruba politicians are prominent in that group. Class rule, not ethnic rule, is the menace disturbing Nigeria. It condemns the masses to abject poverty and many of them cannot otherwise survive than engaging in criminalities and/or serving as agents of insurgents, domestic and international. The root cause that ought to be addressed is poverty, whether within Nigeria or within Oodua Republic.
However, the notion and practice of “born-to-rule,” lopsided appointments, destruction of farm lands, land-grabbing, Ruga, etc, must be unapologetically resisted, regardless of the quarters they may come from, particularly because they fuel divisive forces/movements.
But let nobody be deceived. The average politician is not interested in the welfare of ordinary people. They look for power by all means with a view to using it against public interest. They look for power by fuelling ethnic and primordial sentiments just to create a social base of support in their ethnic groups. Assuming there is equity in the distribution of appointments, it serves only the interest of the elite politicians. What we should be bothered about is the policy (pro-people policy) that should be implemented. But politicians of all hues and ethnic groups are united in imposing anti-people policies.
The Yoruba nation, within or outside the framework of Nigeria, should be built around the ethical values of Omoluabi, in government and out of government. The concept of Omoluabi shows concerns not only for the quality of life (which covers economic and political inclusion) of people of the same ethnic background but humanity as a whole, regardless of any primordial differences, in race, ethnicity, language, or religion.
To this extent, I invite you to concentrate on campaigning for the implementation of the content of Chapter II of the constitution.
Take the proponents of Oodua Republic to task on these issues. Let the proponents put it down in writing that the Oodua Republic would be predicated on Chapter II of the Constitution. Unless commitment is expressed in writing to the implementation of Chapter II of the Constitution, those who support Oodua Nation may discover that in the long run, they have escaped the oppression of the bourgeoisie within Nigeria only to enter the embrace of the capitalists in the Oodua Republic. It would therefore amount to struggling to remain enslaved.
If members of Ekimogun Youths Connect are committed to fighting for the welfare of ordinary people in the South West states, such as the fight against increase or imposition of school fees, increase in fuel price, increase in electricity tariffs, non-payment of salaries or part-payment of salaries, non-payment of national minimum wage, and they are part of ‘where is the light campaign?’ etc, they would discover that, in reality, they need to join forces with the masses of other ethnic groups rather than the members of the ruling class in the South West states. The members of the ruling class in the South West states are actually the class enemies of the masses in the South West states.
Comrade Aborisade, human rights activist and Principal Partner, Abope Chambers, an Ibadan-based law firm, made this presentation at a meeting of the Ekimogun Youths Connect on 9th May, 2021 at 7pm by WhatsApp voicenotes
Concluded.
