Nigeria: Where are the statesmen?

Recent developments in Nigeria point to one reality: the need for the intervention of true fathers of the nation, not national opportunists and irritants, to arrest the raging socio-political and economic crises in the land. But the pertinent question is whether we have such ‘fathers of the nation. And if we have, do we recognize them as such? if we do, shall we listen to them?

In India, Jawaharlal Nehru is regarded as the father of the nation. He is late now. In Pakistan, Muhammed Ali Jinnah is also regarded as a father of the nation. Theodore Herzl, regarded as the architect of modern Israel, also qualifies as a father of the Israeli nation, even though he did not witness the actualization of the Zionist state. Malaysians consider Dr. Mahathir Muhammed as the father of modern Malaysia too, and so they voted for his return to power when the Southeast Asian power was derailing.

There are quite a number of the builders of America, especially George Washington. In Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah was such person. There was Mustafa Kamal Attaturk in Turkey. We have our own Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Sir Ahmadu Bello, all of blessed memory. For their sacrifices and their sayings which have come to be taken as the foundation of their countries, all these individuals became great statesmen. They live in the hearts of their land. We refer to their books for solution and guidance at critical moments. But they also have followers who perpetuate their heritage and hoist their flags, brilliantly, after their demise.

In Nigeria, wither these worthy successors again?  Are they entirely wiped off or have they lost essence and souls that what is left of them are bereft of any worthy ideals? What happened that it seems the glorious heritage has withered completely?  What seems to be left of the promising past is a vague future. This is the time for us to go back to the wise counsel of our founding fathers. This is the time to see how faithful we are to their vision, the great statesmen that have emerged from our land.

Unfortunately, some of those we should regard and revere as the new statesmen in Nigeria are today the real problem of the country. Rather than call to unity, they call for anarchy. Rather than plea for amnesty in the land, they revel in distractions. Rather than promote amity, they are the vanguards of separation.  While on a journey to Ibadan a few years back, I had the luxury of time to go through some parts of one of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s books, Path to Nigeria’s Greatness. It breathed with patriotism, with an uncanny nationalistic fervor, with an unusual faith in the sustainability of the Nigerian nation. But I also, from that book, had a glimpse of his pains and concerns about Nigeria, his political travails and betrayals from some of his closest aides. This is the lot that many fathers of the nation or statesmen go through.

Often, many fathers of the nation did not get to the Promised Land, nor do they have the time to lead their nations for long. But it remains a huge honour for them that they remain the pathfinders of their homelands, the ones in whose vision their nations are built. Whether they live long or they live to see the actualization of their vision is not the issue. The most important thing in the pursuit of the goals of fathers of the nation is the clarity of their vision, the sincerity of their intention and the depth of their sacrifices.

However, the problem with many fathers of the nation is that they hardly recognize when ovation is loudest for them and want to remain perpetually dictating the direction of the nation when they should be interested in building or discovering successors. Today, Nigeria is at the cross road of defining or acknowledging who the true fathers of a New Nigeria are or who qualify to be called great statesmen of our country. Even when we have them as father figures, we don’t consider them great enough to earn our unalloyed respect. This is because we see them taking certain positions which polarize the country instead of unifying her.

Now, Nigeria is crying for the rise of sincere fathers of the nation who will work beyond the political turf, fathers who will aggregate all the positive values of Nigeria of our dream and statesmen who will represent our collective national interest. As things are now, we snigger at some fathers and laugh at their counsels because we see them as mere opportunists, not the great statesmen whose wisdom and counsel should heal our wounds.

Solanke, is of the Strategic Planning & Corporate Development Department, Voice of Nigeria, Ikoyi Lagos