By: Engr. Bello Gwarzo Abdullahi
It is always easy, nay tempting, to blame a certain group of people for the calamities which befall society.
The veracity of this assertion is a subject of debate. Now, the question is: “To what extent is this assertion true? And if we cannot blame the leadership, then who are we to blame? Is the abandonment of our value system – sociocultural-cum-religious – the cause of our predicament?
Was there a time in the history of mankind when an ideal situation ever existed?” The answers to these questions involve a number of postulations. It is a well-known fact that societies evolve over time, and in the process, norms and values also evolve with them.
The level of education, developmental strides, economic conditions, and sociocultural evolution are factors worth considering when analyzing situations with a view to proffering solutions. No society is perfect, so such assessments should be based on the level of preparedness and commitment of leaders and followers – and here lies the problem.
There is no doubt that Nigeria is in a state of quandary – culturally, religiously, socially, and politically. This sorry state of affairs came about due to many factors, the consequences of which are creating insecurity, underdevelopment, and corruption.
The level of decay is unpalatable. Everywhere one goes, one is faced with poverty, infrastructural decay, and the wanton destruction of our value system. Despite all the challenges, we must try to salvage the situation. When faced with a situation like this, it is always easy to blame leadership for everything. But what else does one expect since leaders hold the ace and the buck stops at their desks?
During political campaigns, politicians traversed the nooks and crannies of the country to canvas for votes. Promises were made which, at the end of the day, never materialized. The process succeeded in producing mediocrities who do not have anything to offer. Other leaders – religious and traditional – are forced to play it safe for their survival. In light of the aforesaid, “who is to blame?”
But was there ever a time when the blame game served as a solution to problems? If blaming others does not bring succor, then it becomes a complete waste of time. For this reason, there is a need for sober reflection and a deliberate effort to find out what went wrong and strategize on how to bell the cat. Dr. Mahmud Tukur of blessed memory, in his seminal book “Leadership in Nigeria, the Relevance of Values,” opined that our values should serve as the benchmark for the socioeconomic well-being of our society.
Our situation presents a different scenario – manipulation of religious, tribal, sectional, and political fault lines to serve narrow selfish interests.
The traditional institution that used to serve as a rallying point is facing the most difficult challenges ever, and our political and religious leaders are compromised.
Education, the bedrock of development, is facing the most serious threat as the functional public school system, which produced the crème de la crème of society, is being killed, and the 419 type of private schools at all levels are producing half-baked, over-pampered products who pose a serious danger to our developmental pursuits.
The agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and transportation sectors are virtually grounded. The governments at the Federal, State, and Local Government levels seem complicit in this. The economy is in a coma due to dysfunctional fiscal policies.
The political situation does not give one any cause for optimism. What of the needless situation we find ourselves in due to steps taken by the government since 29th May 2023? Lest I be misunderstood, the downslide started long ago, but the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu succeeded in further compounding the problems.
The withdrawal of the subsidy and subsequent actions of the government have caused skyrocketing prices of commodities that affect every facet of life. Our representatives in the executive and legislative arms of government are complacent and seem oblivious to the dangers associated with this nonchalance. The confusion among Nigerians could almost be touched.
In conclusion, what options do we have for addressing these problems? History is replete with similar cases, though under different circumstances.
For any problem to have a solution, the knowledge and understanding of what happened before, and the measures taken to resolve the issues that brought them about, give a pathway that we prepare to tackle subsisting issues.
In other words, conditions – social, economic, and political – determine the course of action to be taken towards resolving any issue. There is a well-known saying “good old days,” but as Shehu Shagari said during the 1976 Speech Prize Giving Day at Government Secondary School, Yabo, “bad old days.” For me, each historical epoch brings with it unique challenges and opportunities. It is left for the people to strategize and come up with the best approach.
Political leaders should form a workable alliance across party divides to frontally address the situation. They should bear in mind that the sociocultural, religious, and political environment in Nigeria needs to be tailored towards addressing our problems, as opposed to the use of foreign models which are products of different histories, traditions, and values.
To approach the issue holistically, we need to refer to the Sokoto Caliphate, Benin Empire, Kanem-Bornu Empire, Oyo Empire, the Nupe-Igala-Igbirra-Koko complex, Arochukwu, and Ibo-Ukwu. No doubt, the disharmony between transplanted institutions and the ethos they represent, and the sociocultural environment in which they had to operate, presents a major challenge. Overall, instability becomes the order of the day.
Ultimately, the responsibility to change our circumstances lies within us. We must look beyond blaming others and focus on actionable solutions that align with our unique cultural and historical contexts.
Only through collective effort and a commitment to our shared values can we hope to overcome the challenges we face and build a better future for Nigeria.