Nigeria may not disintegrate within 15 years; but....
By Dozie Ikem Ezeife, Esq
Contributing Editor and Special correspondent of
USAfricaonline.com and CLASS magazine
USAfrica The Newspaper, Houston,
CLASS
magazine
USAfricaonline.com
and The
Black Business Journal
Oakland,
California, June 6, 2006: In May 2005, a couple of weeks ago, there
was a
report (also published on USAfricaonline.com) apparently emanated
from the United States security/intelligence services warning that
Nigeria, as an entity, will disintegrate along ethnic lines possibly
within 15 years. This report raised a lot of furor among Nigerians,
at home and in Diaspora. Whilst well meaning Nigerians are advocating
a cool-headed analysis of this report, the Nigerian government and
the National Assembly are inclined to dismiss the report with an
orchestrated sleight of the hand. That is very unfortunate.
As
usual our government, executive and the legislative branches, have
once again chosen to play the ostrich. They are once again in denial.
Rather than carefully review the said report and map out a strategy
to prevent the doomsday prophesy contained therein, they are content
with quibbling over the motivation of the United States in releasing
that report. Our leaders have perfected a penchant to cry foul
anytime anything negative is said about Nigeria or the direction its
leaders are taking her. The important issue somehow always gets lost
in the shuffle.
There is absolutely no need for the hue and cry that our politicians are raising against the United States for its prediction. Rather than preoccupy ourselves with seeking the motivation for the US releasing that report, we should direct our energies to a serious look at the impugned report and see how we can avert the predicted event. If the truth be told, the United States merely repeated what every Nigerian knows but somehow nobody is willing to broach. The US has now set the ball rolling for us. Let us get on with it. Our indignation at the United States ignores the fact that every Nigerian knows that Nigeria's corporate existence is being threatened by ethnic, religious and social class wars, albeit undeclared. Rather than attack the US for jolting us to reality, we should err on the side of caution and seriously work on our obvious problems.
It is crass irresponsibility for our government to dismiss this warning outright as if there is no genuine basis for it. The National Assembly and the Executive Branch of the Nigerian Government cannot seriously contend that Nigerian is not buckling under the weight of ethnic and religious frictions, as well as undeclared class warfare. Is this fact any less true because it came from an external source? Are we interested in substance or should we hide reality under a cloud of frivolities?
Whether or not the United States is motivated by ill will towards Nigeria in releasing that report, the fact still remains that the substance of that report resonates with every well-meaning Nigeria and brings to the fore a sickness that has for decades been crying for treatment. Nigerian may not disintegrate within 15 years are predicted but are we really willing to take that chance simply to prove the United States wrong?
Attorney Ezeife, a California based attorney, has served as a contributing editor of USAfrica and USAfricaonline.com for 9 years. He will write for CLASS magazine.

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