.
Who
would have believed that such progressive thinking would emanate from
within the precincts of this National Assembly (NASS), which most
Nigerians have likened to a ‘fattening room’ or an El Dorado for
our chequered legislators? It is highly commendable that an attempt is
being made through the ongoing constitutional amendment exercise, to
introduce a regime of genuine and uniform national identity for every
Nigerian citizen, wherever he or she may reside within the country. We
have it on good authority that the Ad Hoc Committees on the Review of
the 1999 Constitution of both chambers of the NASS conducted public
hearings last November on the issue of substituting the ‘State of
Origin’ clause in the Constitution for ‘State of Residence’. And though
reports of those surveys have yet to be made public, the Senate Ad Hoc
Committee has gone further to initiate an opinion poll over the internet
on the desirability or otherwise of introducing the residency clause in
our Constitution.
It is pertinent, from the outset, to make a quick examination of the
import of the sought amendment, to enable all Nigerians understand the
dynamics of what this change will portend, if it sails through. In
simple terms, this amendment which should affect the enjoyment of
Nigerian citizenship rights only as they pertain to inter-State and
intra-State relations within Nigeria, may serve as the needed tonic for
recognizing the efforts of Nigerians from different ethnic groups or
different States of the federation who have resided in States or amongst
ethnic groups other than theirs, for a considerable period of time and
contributed immensely toward the economic and socio-political
development of their places of residence within Nigeria. It is callously
scandalous to discover that some Nigerians have resided in parts of the
country other than theirs for many years, working hard and paying their
taxes to their State of residence, but when it comes to receiving some
of the corollary benefits of diligent and responsible citizenship, like
job placements, political appointments, bursary and scholarship grants
for their deserving children, etc., they are totally excluded on the
ground of ethnicity. The whole gamut of this reckoning with ethnicity
has shut the door against merit and competency in our national life,
with the resultant consequence of perennial retrogression and degeneracy
in our forlorn quest for progressive national growth and development.
Therefore, there is an urgent need to forthwith, guide Nigerians to move
away from the treachery and deceit in regarding fellow Nigerians from
other States or communities who dwell in their midst as ‘settlers’,
while referring to themselves as ‘indigenes’.
No true patriot would claim not to have found worrisome, the
deep-seated degree of discrimination, irredentism, clannishness and
ethnic bigotry pervasive in modern Nigeria. These cankerworms have
stultified the imperatives for steady growth and stunted the progressive
development of the country in all spheres of human endeavour. Yes,
these are the monsters that have greatly impeded the unity of the
diverse nationalities that make up the Nigerian federation and their
projected integration into a proper nation-state.
Those who argue against the proposition to shift the basis of
enjoying citizenship from ethnicity to residency say it may lead to
domination and marginalisation of a minority ethnic group by the
majority. They support a sustenance of the principle of “Federal
Character” enshrined in section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as
amended) and its ancillaries and fallouts like the segregative policies
of “Quota System” and “Catchment Area”, despite the shortcomings of
these reactionary devices which have engendered and facilitated the
sacrifice of resounding merit on the alter of mediocrity over the years,
thereby retarding Nigeria’s progress and march towards development and
egalitarianism.
The point must however be made here that the “Federal Character”
principle is not bad in itself, rather, what has turned it into an
albatross for Nigeria is the way and manner its implementation has been
persistently pursued and the nebulous extensions that have been
attached to its proper meaning. Tribal bigots and sectarian champions
have used it to wreak havocs of lopsidedness, nepotism, parochial
insensitivity and brazen injustice against fellow Nigerians. If, for
instance, an Ishekiri born and bred in Kano, who has lived there all his
life cannot get a decent job in the Kano State Government bureaucracy
on account of being Ishekiri by birth, then we have a huge problem with
unity and national integration on our hands, and this completely defeats
the purport of our much taunted “unity in diversity” cliché as a
potential bedrock of our over drummed federalism.
It has however been argued that unless a formula for even spread of
development amongst all the States of the Nigerian federation is evolved
and religiously implemented, the issue of ethnicity will not go away,
even if backed by the finest piece of legislation. The proponents of
this thought say widespread poverty is the negative force behind the ill
wind of ethnocentrism.
Our founding fathers, without any intent to diminish their numerous
laudable achievements, contributed in heightening ethnic tensions and
dichotomy in Nigeria by the way and manner they conducted the politics
and internal affairs of the first Republic. But the fact that some of
these astute leaders and statesmen decided to remain in their regions,
while sending their subordinates and inferiors to serve Nigeria at the
centre, disclosed the quantum of belief and level of importance they
placed on national integration, at that initial time.
Our legislators must not forget that this is an issue with a lot of
challenges and booby traps. Even Nigerian citizenship in itself has 3
classes, viz: by birth, by registration and by naturalization.
While the first is natural and permanent, the second and third are
held subject to good behaviour. This underlying principle should be
introduced in perfecting this change, so that sacred and non-negotiable
indigenous cultures and traditions like land tenure systems and
ancestral land ownership, kingship and traditional institutions, etc.,
particularly of minority communities, are shielded from any possible
extraneous interference, domineering tendencies or adulteration.
NigeriaIntel
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