By Chike Nnamani
The proponents of restructuring Nigeria will soon understand the reasons why Biafrans prefer to opt out of the contraption entirely, to having it restructured.
Except in Africa, no politician in the world has mastered the art of deception and grand manipulation more than the Nigeria politician. As con artists, political enemies can easily align and break truce just to have a common ground to deceive and manipulate the oppressed citizens yearning for freedom.
With my observations from the recent happenings in the polity in the past few days, I concluded that anybody who is still hoping that this government will re-structure this country must be having a kind of dream whose sleep was induced by smoking of 'Shisha,' 'agbo,' and indomie mixed with 'monkey tail.'
Just a fortnight ago, the APC governors forum lead the pack in agreeing that the country was due for restructuring. Soon after, its PDP counterpart followed suit; and people rejoiced, clapped. I too was swayed.
IBB, Atiku, Afenifere, others cued in. It was as if the agitation was becoming successful. Little did we know that a leopard never changes its claws. If they could not do it for the Aburi Accord in 1966, they will not do it now.
Just yesterday, the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), shocked a bewildered nation when they recanted and went ahead to say they don't understand what Nigerians mean by the term 'restructuring.' Chai!
As if that was not enough, like a prank, or sort of 'I Go Die' - comedic performance on stage, these clique of shameless old men erased all doubts by setting up a 9-member committee that will DEFINE the concept of restructuring for them. Oh my God!
In short in their own words, according to Vanguard of 19 July, 2017, APC said, "The committee headed by the Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir el-Rufai is NOT to come up with modalities for restructuring the country but to MERELY DEFINE the concept as it does not understand the meaning of the concept as being bandied about by some Nigerians." Chai! Nigeria is finished!
Now what irks me its not even that they are unwillingly to restructure Nigeria, but they took their height of irresponsibility further in setting up a 9-member committee which comprises 5 sitting governors, an ex-governor and a senator, just to "merely define" the concept of restructuring for them. This is what a primary school pupil will stand up in just 2 minutes and define. Con artists! Playing on the emotions of Nigerians. Why not tell Nigerians you can't restructure? Why buying time to douse the tension? Who are they deceiving? Someone said that when you lie to the government it is called 'Treason,' but when the government lies to you it is called 'Politics.'
Everyone knew el-Rufai's stance on restructuring. As far as the Dan Fodio's scion is concerned, it is continuity or nothing, because that's what will benefit his hegemonic brothers.
Rochas Okorocha is not in the committee but he is worst than them. He had already given them a tactical approval as Chairman of APC governors, when 3 days ago, he said that what Nigeria needs is repackaging, and not restructuring. Good God! That's how he has been repackaging the allocations of Imo people for the past 6 years. Ironically this Okorocha was among the Southeast governors who held a meeting in Enugu recently agreeing that Nigeria should be restructured. But later he re-aligned with his Hausa brothers and called for repackaging of Nigeria. How can an expired product be repackaged and sold? Nigeria has long expired. . Little wonder he's called Okoroawusa because all his utterances and policies are geared towards benefiting his brothers in the north. I nearly wrote an article entitled 'OKOROCHA, A HERDSMAN WITHIN US' but on a second thought I decided not to waste my wits and energy on him.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the other hand, is one of the most experienced criminal organisation in Nigeria, albeit more humane. Being in opposition they identified with Nigerians in their plight and various agitations; they even took a step further in backing the call for genuine restructuring of Nigeria. However, soon after their recent supreme court victory, they kept mute, and started re-strategizing for 2019. They held a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday 18 July, 2017, and all they deliberated upon and resolved were on how to take over power from the APC. Nothing like restructuring, nothing!
Indeed the hawks are gathering again, re-aligning, and re-strategising to prey the youths ahead of 2019. They are in both parties, and behaves the same. They don't care about the suffering masses, all they care is their political future and personal gain. Their children is okay, even if they are jobless, their fourth filial generation may not be able to finish their loot. These politicians believed they have the most potent weapon to sway an already battered Nigerian soul, which is money. And regrettably, they are succeeding.
The psyche and mind of an average Nigerian have been battered over the years from various inhuman maladministration that they can fall over themselves over a handful of few naira notes. And the politicians who deliberately impoverished them understands the workings of these minds; they knew they can always throw a few naira notes on them anytime and they will scramble and fall over it.
That reminds me one of the brutal stories bandied over the years about the former Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin, and the chicken, which is playing out metaphorically in Nigeria today.
On one occasion, so it was narrated, Stalin called for a live chicken and proceeded to use it to make an unforgettable point before some of his henchmen. Forcefully clutching the chicken in one hand, with the other he began to systematically pluck out its feathers. As the chicken struggled in vain to escape, he continued with the painful denuding until the bird was completely stripped.
"Now you watch," Stalin said as he placed the chicken on the floor and walked away with some bread crumbs in his hand. Incredibly, the fear-crazed chicken hobbled toward him and clung to the legs of his trousers. Stalin threw a handful of grain to the bird, and it began to follow him around the room, he turned to his dumbfounded colleagues and said quietly, "This is the way to rule the people. Did you see how that chicken followed me for food, even though I had caused it such torture? People are like that chicken. If you inflict inordinate pain on them they will follow you for food the rest of their lives."
While Stalin may be right in his brutal experiment with the animal - chicken, it is left for the Hyenas, Jackals and other fellow animals in the zoo to follow the politicians, while the human beings in Biafraland, especially in Anambra, ensures total compliance with the 'no referendum,' 'no election,' order.
Chike Nnamani, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja, Nigeria.