NigerianNews

Guest
Columns

Ethnic violence in Nigeria, Who to blame?
By Francis Nnamdi Elekwachi.

Unjustified violence is not something that anyone would recommend to Nigerians. Violence, particularly one directed at innocent citizens who are subject to the same injustices as those who feel oppressed by the system, is definitely to be condemned. The loss of lives of innocent Nigerians of all nationalities in the recent Lagos crisis is as deplorable as it is regrettable. Who really is to blame for the cycle of violence? The Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) or the common Hausa-Fulani folk? The answer is simply: neither.

It is all too easy for the Federal Government (FG) to lay blames on the OPC and to simply purport to proscribe the organisation and other popular nationalist movements, but would such knee-jerk reactions resolve the problems? The answer again is a resounding no.

In the first place, for the best part of four weeks and immediately prior to the 40th independence celebrations, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) had mounted an unprecedented offensive against the government of General Aremu Obasanjo, alleging marginalisation of the so called "North". The offensive of the ACF against the federal government increased in tempo as it got even more jittery with the advent of the first ever post independence meeting in Lagos of Governors of the Southern States of Nigeria. As if that was not enough, the recent meeting of leaders of the Yoruba Nation at Ibadan and the subsequent decision of the Yoruba leaders to criticise the stance of the Arewa Consultative Forum to oppose the planned use of the National Identity Cards in future elections, including the 2003 polls, seemed to be the last straw for the ACF. The ACF is bitterly opposed to the planned use of the National Identity Cards in the next election in 2003, something the Afenifere and the entire "South" are sworn to ensure happens. 

Not only did the Arewa Consultative Forum and the entire former Presidents and Heads of
State from the "North" boycott the independence celebrations at Abuja, they brought unprecedented pressure to bear on the government of General Obasanjo by way of various incredibly damaging public utterances against the federal government. In the 70s and 80s, such damaging comments by such powerful "Northern" leaders would have precipitated an immediate military take-over of government.

The Arewa Consultative Forum and former Heads of State and Presidents from the "North" were reportedly in a recent meeting with General Obasanjo at the State House in Abuja, during which fences were said to have been mended, deals done and agreements reached to pacify all sides. Chief amongst the grouse of the "Northern Leaders" and ACF was the Federal Government's
alleged failure to exterminate the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) and its inability to at least check OPC activities. Issues have been taken by Northern groups and their supporters on the failure of the federal authorities to arrest Ganiyu Adams of the OPC and also the failure to carry out the presidential shoot at sight order issued against the OPC and its members.

Every political forum in the "North", be it the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), various Paliarmentary and Senatorial groups or youth groups have in recent weeks condemned the federal government, particularly accusing it of deliberately protecting the Odua Peoples Congress. Some have ventured to accuse the Federal Government of complicity in OPC activities. The unrelenting pressure mounted by the "North" against the President would seem to be bearing fruit, if not by the conscious decision of the government, then at least by forcing its hands to purport to proscribe all nationalist movements in the country. It is important to note that these nationalist movements are largely based in the South of the country.


At least we know that there is mass discontent and anger amongst the nationalities, particularly in the South and the Middle Belt of Nigeria. They want a restructured and negotiated federation. They are fed up with Nigeria as it is and would want to see a true federation in which they have self-determination and control of their resources. Nigerians are fed up with a country dominated by the Hausa-Fulani Oligarchy and the Armed Forces and Security Services under its control. Nationalist movements, including security militia, political and cultural groups such as the OPC, MASSOB, MOSOP, BAKASSI, Egbesu Boys, Northern Peoples Congress, ACF, AFENIFERE, OHANEZE and many more, all sprang up as vehicles through which peoples of various nationalities seek to actualise their interests in the federation.
The report of the Presidential Technical Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution confirmed that the overwhelming majority of Nigerians and the nationalities want a true federation and demand a National Conference to properly negotiate the federation. However, the establishment has continued to frustrate their wishes, as has been the case since 1966/67.

The peoples of the various nationalities are frustrated and driven to breaking point by the refusal of the Federal Government, the Hausa-Fulani Oligarchy, the Armed Forces and the Security Services to grant them their wishes. It should be easily understandable to a discerning person that
amidst such frustration, a minor disagreement between two or more neighbours from rival nationalities could readily escalate into a major ethnic conflagration. It may not be far fetched to contemplate that the forces opposed to true federation and restructuring in Nigeria would be tempted to exploit the open frustration and hatred seething like an open sore in cities like Lagos, to instigate the recent mayhem so as to force the hands of the Federal Government into crushing popular nationalist movements. In this war for the heart and soul of Nigeria and for the freedom of dominated peoples, nothing can be taken for granted and the forces who want to maintain the status-quo ante seem to be gaining an upper hand, albeit temporarily. So, who is against the nationalist movements and true federation?

Neither the Federal Government of General Obasanjo, the Arewa Consultative Forum nor other forces in the "North" would condone a peaceful eventuating of restructuring and true federation in Nigeria, except at their own terms. According to General Obasanjo, there is no political vacuum in Nigeria to be filled by a Sovereign National Conference as the country has elected governments and Parliaments (State and Federal), therefore no such conference would be convened. It is not known by whom and how the President came to be advised, or the basis of his conclusions to the effect that a Sovereign National Conference to negotiate the federation and draft a new constitution would tantamount to the people taking over the institutions of government. A few days before declaring his final decision on that issue, the President was reported to have called for dialogue between the North, AFENIFERE and OHANEZE, heralding new hopes for resolution of the nationalities question. All that appeared to have changed after the President reportedly mended fences with ACF and Northern leaders.

The Arewa Consultative Forum and other northern institutions have sworn neither to permit nor accept any restructuring of Nigeria or a Sovereign National Conference. One of their leaders was reported to have stated that they had rather hand back Nigeria to the English Crown than allow any such restructuring of the country. The ACF and the "North" would do anything to forestall true federation and restructuring, including forcing the hands of the Federal Government against nationalist movements.

Mayhem such as witnessed recently in Lagos and others across Nigeria are primarily caused by the unresolved nationalities question. In most instances, forces opposed to true federation, restructuring and dialogue have direct complicity in the massacres of innocent Nigerians. Such forces have always thrived under direct military governments and it would appear that they are pulling every trick in their books to precipitate a coup d'etat to overthrow the government of General Obasanjo, if only in the vain hope that such a development would stem the tide of clamours for self-determination and true federation amongst the nationalities. Until a judicial inquiry uncovers the initiators and the immediate causes of the mayhem in Lagos, a provocation by such forces should never be ruled out. The immediate reaction of the Federal Government in seizing the opportunity of the Lagos crisis to purportedly proscribe nationalist organisations, if any thing, gives credence to the proposition that the lives and property of Nigerians have been sacrificed to achieve a political purpose of proscribing such movements and halting the unrelenting tide towards restructuring.

The recent Kaduna massacres and several other large scale tribal killings in the "North" neither resulted in the proscription of religious movements that championed those activities, nor did the Senate pass unconstitutional resolutions authorising the Federal Government to declare a state of
emergency in the Northern States concerned. This further reinforces the proposition that the real targets of the Lagos mayhem are the nationalist movements, which have been purportedly proscribed en masse by the Federal Government. In this regard, it would be an improbable proposition to conclude that the Odua Peoples Congress would engage in an enterprise that would otherwise hasten its own demise. But has the Federal Government powers to proscribe organisations by fiat absent the appropriate enactment by the National Assembly? We would suggest that neither the President nor the Government have such powers in a democracy.

The least General Obasanjo could do is to get his Attorney General to forward an appropriate Bill to the House of Assembly, seeking to proscribe all nationalist movements or specific organisations. If such law passes both Houses, any affected groups would then stand proscribed, but only temporarily until the Supreme Court upholds such a law as constitutional, if its members challenge the proscription on constitutional grounds. Neither General Obasanjo, nor his "Gobels like skilled" Propaganda Minister (what is his name?) can wake up in the morning and proscribe legitimate popular movements just like that. According to Professor Wole Soyinka, such a scenario is possible only by military decree and until such a decree is published, General President and his backers really ought not to be taken seriously. In the alternative, Nigeria would have descended into a full blown military dictatorship, if General Obasanjo and his government continue to prosecute legitimate organisations and their leaders, without an appropriate enactment of the National Assembly to that effect, and without the affected citizens having a right to challenge such actions in the courts. Such conduct would only force the movements underground.

Once underground, these movements would be compelled to adopt new strategies to pursue the mandate of their peoples. Nigerian leaders seem not to be heeding the words of the father of the U S Federation who warned that those who make dialogue (peace) impossible, make violence inevitable. Unless nationalistic organisations are allowed to operate freely and openly, Nigeria is sure to descend into open armed confrontation. Those who are opposed to dialogue by way of a national conference of the nationalities, and who prefer blatant use of military forces because of their perceived advantage stemming from their domination of the Nigerian Armed Forces need to rethink their position. The "Intifada" in Palestine has proven that guns and the most sophisticated armaments are no longer guarantees of victory in war, particularly when such a war is waged against a people's self-determination. Also, the party inflicting the most deaths on the other in what might seem apparently to be a "David and Goliath" encounter do not necessarily emerge victorious; nor could all of Milosevich's armed forces and police stop the people of Serbia from asserting their will.

There is a further question of the incarceration of Dr Fredrick Fasehun, the leader of the OPC and other members of that organisation. In no distant past Nigeria was made an international pariah state on account of its use of Kangaroo Courts and extra-judicial Tribunals to try, condemn and hang to death, author, playwright and environmentalist Ken Saro Wiwa and nine other sons of the Ogoni nation. First, they were set-up, then framed and then subsequently tried, convicted and murdered in cold blood. The forces that perpetrated that evil are closely linked to those currently urging General Obasanjo to exterminate the OPC, other nationalist movements and their leaders. A repeat of such state sponsored incarceration and murder of political opponents must be avoided. Nigerian patriots have not forgotten and are unlikely to forget
the violation of their basic human rights. They are watching and waiting to pass swift judgement and inflict appropriate punishment on this government and its officials, if they fail to immediately retract their steps from all the extra constitutional measures they have undertaken to date over the Lagos crisis.

Proper judicial inquiry must first be conducted and concluded before any charges are laid against those who are shown to have broken the law. Dr Fredrick Fasehun and other leaders of the OPC or other organisations who had no direct participation in the mayhem should be freed pending the outcome of proper investigations.

In the final analysis, neither the OPC nor other nationalist movements are to blame for the consequences of the unresolved nationalities question. The problem and its solutions lie elsewhere - national dialogue: a national conference to properly negotiate the federation and restructure the country into a true federation.