By Henry Uche

As Nigeria still struggle to extricate itself from the shackles of maladministration and mismanagement of resources evident by the glaring penury and anguish in the land, particularly in the last six years, a presidential aspirant & Convener of New Nigeria Group, Sam Ohuabunwa, has made it very clear that past military incursions, the fabricated 1999 constitution and some Political Predators among others are responsible for the excruciating Pains of Nigerians.

Speaking on Sustainable Peaceful Co-existence: A Panacea for Grass Roots Development at a One-Day Sensitization/Orientation Peace/ Security Programme organized by the International Peace Academy in partnership with Abia State government at the Dr. Michael Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia, Ohuabunwa asseverated that the broken co-existence in Nigeria was a as a result of failure to respect some terms and agreement reached in the past.

According to him, the cracks in the peaceful coexistence of communities and nations were caused by: Non adherence and non enforcement to the terms of relationship, blurred/ uncertain terms of relationship, skewed benefits of the relationship, Loss of mutual benefit in the relationship.

Others are: Lack of uniting vision, discriminations, marginalization and mistreatment, Pervading Poverty in the Community, increased greed and wickedness by gate keepers and leaders as well as lack of effective leadership/failed leadership.

“The Nigerian conundrum was brought about by Colonial British Government in 1914. The 1959 Independence Constitution and 1963 Republican Constitution spelt out the terms of relationship between the Federating units. In 1960, over 320 ethnic Nationalities were wielded together into a country.

“The 1999 constitution is completely unrelated to the 1959 or 1963 constitutions which were written by the founders of Independent Nigeria. This is the Primary reason for the broken relationship and has contributed to the Nigerian conundrum,”

He added that the military intervention after independence which forced alien relationship using military tactics further broke the relationship making it no longer mutually beneficial and satisfactory to all stakeholders.

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More so, Nigeria’s political leadership stock seems to have been in short supply as the quality remains suspect. He noted that Nigeria lacks sufficient quantities of political leadership that have the right competences, the right character and the right courage to begin to undo the wrongs inflicted on Nigeria by the military.

“The military seem to have monopolized top Nigerian political leadership over these years, no one has taken the bold steps needed to reconfigure our country and build a truly United Nation. Added to this leadership failure, we seem to have bred many predators who pretend to be leaders.

“Because of their actions and inactions which seemed to pander to selfish and group interests with scant regard to the needs of the average Nigerians or the common good, the infractions, cleavages and inequities seem to be widening at community, sub ethnic and ethnic Nationality levels and worse so at the National level,”

“Felings of injustice, inequity and unfair play have combined with pervading poverty and endemic corruption to bring our Nation to a state of social disequilibrium manifesting as severe insecurity across the Nation.

“Nations rise and fall on the quality of their leadership. Nigerian situation may not have been entirely caused by the present crop of leadership, it is their challenge to halt further drifting of Nigeria into disunity, disquiet and possible self- destruct.

“It is because this old and expiring Nigeria no longer works for many, but for a few, hence; lack of peace in the Country. Thus, we must install a crop of enlightened, de-tribalised, visionary, competent, honest and courageous leadership that will do the needful to change the narrative.

“This leadership will rejig our national structure and systems, restore Justice, equity and fair play in the Nation and lead a cultural value reorientation turning Nigeria into a globally competitive nation, that is at peace with itself. All hands must be on deck.

“Peaceful coexistence in a multi ethnic, multi religious nation like ours, cannot be achieved by wishes and platitudes, nor by rhetorics. It is by taking positive actions,” he asserted.