By Ayodele Fagbohun

Here lies a recent conversation of two Nigerians of different diverse ethnic stocks  hinged on the  rising  cost of living as life is hard.  They see the situation  as iron cane  allegedly  inflicted on the people through the grim  policy  of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Gourded by this trend, they  champion and canvass for  division and  total dismemberment of the nation into  various  tribal component parts.

Let us persevere my brother, as the nation will  sooner  than later  survive and eventually get out of the  woods. All hands  must be on deck to give the  desired support for the present administration.

“Nothing  will work by  magic  wands. Never! Only  patience, hardwork; good, able  and spartan leadership” will give the nation, the respite  from the present economic  hardship, the man who hails from another ethnic  nation submits with final tone”, a contrary  opinion is heard assuaging the rage of  the pessimists.

In a  jiffy, let’s  travel down the memory lane to illuminate our discussion with a view to  adducing the course of good  governance and thereby  launch  the nation to  Eldorado  of our dream.

Prior  to Bola  Ahmed Tinubu’s assumption  of office having won fair  and square  the  Nigerian mandate Nigeria was at the verge of imminent  collapse.

To  worsen the scenario, the former president,  Mohammadu  Buhari was either reluctant or indecisive perhaps  both to act, curb  the excesses of his men who tried or attempted to hold the nation to ransom and consigned Nigeria into the scrap heap of unforgotten  history.

This typifies the  existing fragile and precarious  state of affairs in the country which the incoming  Tinubu’s administration  came in  hand to reverse promptly  in the  interest of survival, progress  and unity of Nigeria.

The  spurious claim of the oligarchy to have  stranglehold on the highest  political office of the land i.e the presidency is to say the least  very  outrageous, paranoid and criminal which would  not augur well for peace, and  stability of the country.

Against  this  background  since British colonial administration, Yoruba  nation has  naturally and consistently  been a critical and major player in the  political  evolution or revolution of the country.

It is  the natural  destiny of Lagos, a veritable  Yoruba  town to  be strategically  placed as a leading natural port, harbour, administrative capital and commercial nerve centre of Nigeria.

Lagos  is a cradle and cauldron of political  party system. European civiliazation  had an  earlier  impact of magnitude on this  well built  Yoruba town of high prominence  to the future  ascendancy  and development of the country,  nay  West Africa sub  continent.

Missionary  education flourished  in Lagos . Africans  who could  read and write were employed by government  agencies, mercantile houses and  firms.

The  most  outspoken critic of the British administration  otherwise known  as  colonial rule was Yoruba,  Herbert  Macaulay,  a civil  engineer by training, Journalist and politician rolled into one.

 Macaulay, a.k.a “Wizard of Kirsten Hall” was  an  astute politician and a thorn in the flesh of  British colonial  masters.

To blaze the trail of nationalism, Macaulay and his associates inaugurated Nigerian National  Democratic Party (NNDP). He  was the founding president  of National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons (NCNC) while Nnamdi Azikwie was the secretary.

In a  funeral oration rendered at the graveside of  Herbert  Macaulay in Lagos,  as a token of respect,  Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (Igbo), a  political son of the fallen hero said: “Macaulay  served the cause of Nigerian  nationalism with  unsurpassed  zeal.

Azikiwe said: “Great Macaulay worked in nearly  perfect  harmony  with “his  political son”  from June 1944 until 1946 when he died at  the age  of 82.

After  the World War II, the right of self determination  as proclaimed in the Atlantic Charter, was interpreted by the nationalities of British West Africa as a promise  of self government.

Here  again, Yoruba ethnic  stock blazed  the trail  and took the headstart. In 1945,  Obafemi Awolowo and several  others inaugurated a pan Yoruba cultural  society in London, “Egbe Omo  Oduduwa” Sir Adeyemo  Alakija, a distinguished  barrister and former  president,  Nigerian Youth Moverment  (NYM) was elected president and  Mr. Awolowo was unanimously chosen as  General Secretary.

In no time, the complexion of the membership of Egbe Omo Oduduwa was  too conservative to serve as a  relevant  platform for militant action.

In April  1951, Obafemi Awolowo,  barrister-at-law, publisher of Nigerian Tribune  and General Secretary of  Egbe Omo Oduduwa launched  an “offensive,”  Action Group (AG) at Owo. The primary motive was to win  electoral  control of Western Regional Government,  preparatory to self government.

When the  House of Representatives met for its annual budget session in March  1953, Anthony  Enahoro, the Action  Group (AG)  Hon, member for Ishan (Benin) Province of Western Region), listed  a motion  for the honourable House  to endorse as a primary political objective, the attainment  of self government for Nigeria in 1956.

However,  the motion suffered defeat due to the umpreparedness of our “brethren” in the  North to key into  early termination of obnoxious  alien rule.

Suffice to say that  Western Region led by Awolowo was granted self government closely  followed by the  Eastern Region  under the auspices of Azikiwe in the same year, The  Northern Region led by  Sir Ahmadu Bello did not attain self government  until 1959.

Gradually and steadily, Nigeria attained only the flag independence in October 1, 1960. It  was merely filled with  pomp and pageantry, not  entrenched in  any serious and earnest  ideological leadership  or  orientation to confront and tackle  headlong  the onerous and complex challenge of  modern democracy.

So, our democracy at independence  was built on quicksand  of  compromise, perfidy  and betrayal.

The  resultant effect was a catastrophe. To worsen the already deficient  situation the protracted, Obnoxious, rude military  incursion into partisan polities which ad infinitum did more harm than good to civilian rule  and parliamentary democracy .

Military rule rather than correct the presumed political maladies and ranked injustice of the civilian administration. The problems confronting the nation only exacerbate in multiple dimension under the auspices of military dictatorship.

More often than not, it is evident across Africa that prolonged military rule deepens intrigues. Political instability and corruption in the country.

Meanwhile, we  must strive to put our house in order, manage our economy frugally without  eternal  external intervention.

Political party system must have focus; the sinews and right  direction to mobilize, sensitise, educate and enlighten  the public in the cause of liberal democracy .

President  Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR is likened to  Chief  Obafemi  Awolowo GCFR, for, indomitable Awo  fought diplomatic battle to preserve one Nigeria  during the unfortunate  genocidal Biafra/Nigeria civil war and imbroglio .

Awo performed the glowing feat as federal commissioner  of Finance and Vice-Chairman of Federal Executive Council during General Yakubu Gowon (1967-1971).

By all means, it is high time we stopped playing up trivial issues of tribe and religion  which are palpably anachronistic and likened to a tinder box capable of blowing any fragile nation into smithereens, Let us unite spiritually  and politically under the unconquering banner  of Bola Ahmed Tinubu presidency to ward off the puerile clamour “to your tent o’Israel, Nigeria look unto thyself!”

Nigeria shall be great and prosperous again!!