Why Nigeria should be recolonized

As part of preparation for Brexit, Britain is seriously looking for new strategic partnerships. Interestingly, the recent 21-month transition period they negotiated with the European Union offers them the luxury of time to pursue such partnerships. However, something within me wants to beg Britain to recolonize Nigeria instead of seeking new partnerships.

I'm very much aware that recolonization sounds counter-intuitive especially in a progressive 21st century (even though Nigeria is anything but progressive), however, my model of recolonization may in few years pay us more than 58 years of independent backwardness.

Suffice it to say that no nation is as naturally blessed as Nigeria, but we don’t feel the impact of such blessings given that Nigeria is seemingly cursed with bad leadership. America comes close when it comes to abundance of natural resources, but their terrible weather (relative to Nigeria) would under humane circumstances give Nigeria the edge. We are so rich that the Nigerian government can afford to pay all unemployed and underemployed Nigerians at least one million naira monthly and not feel the impact. If we decide to give 30% of our yearly budgets (which is quite massive) to our leaders, and then strictly invest the remaining 70% into Nigeria and Nigerians, we would have enough resources to paint the streets in gold and not feel it. To avoid exaggeration, we would have so much resources that only foreigners would do menial jobs in Nigeria.

History has a way of demonising colonialism. Our history classes inflate the British exploitation of Nigeria during the colonial era and then subsequently foist our incompetence and leadership woes on colonialism. The curriculum makes us professionals at the blame-game but doesn’t equip us rewrite the wrongs of the past. Blaming the colonial masters for Nigeria's sorry-state of disrepair even after 58 years of Independence is simply implying that Nigerians are not human enough or that they don't have brains enough to decide their own future. 58 years after independence, we are supposedly wiser and more exposed, yet we are arguably worse than the colonial masters left us. It's either our independence was immature or we are not human enough to be independent. Any sincere and objective person would agree that the damage colonialism did to us cannot amount to 1% of the damage we are doing to ourselves today.

Just to be factual, nearly all parts of the globe were colonised (mostly by Europe). Specifically, nations like Australia, Canada, U.S.A and Singapore were either fully (like Nigeria) or partly colonised by the British, but unlike Nigeria, they had leaders who were committed to getting their citizens enjoy the dividends of freedom.

 As a case study, Singapore (a former British colony) gained independence in 1965, that’s five years after Nigeria. Their independence was unprecedented due to their fallout with Malaysia. Yet, courtesy of the visionary and human-oriented policies of their Prime minister, Lee Juan Yew, Singapore became a first world country in 1967 and today, Singapore is a global wonder in terms of education, infrastructure and technology. Also worthy of note is that Singapore has no natural resources, they practically have nothing (in Nigeria we have too much). So how come? The Singaporean leadership was sincere and selfless enough in their analysis of themselves; we don't have natural resources but we have human resources, hence, the need to incorruptibly invest the available scarce resources into the development of our citizens. In the Singaporean yearly budget, defense is first priority, followed by education. The Singaporean government would pay their sponsored PhD scholars as much as six hundred thousand naira (when converted from their currency) monthly. The average primary school teacher in Singapore earns about two million naira monthly whereas we have a minimum wage of eighteen thousand naira in Nigeria, how laughable! Primary schools in Singapore have Olympic size swimming pools and standard stadiums (synthetic pitches) and this does not include their intimidating state-of-the-art academic infrastructure. Like Nigeria, Singapore is multi-ethnic and multi-religious, but their education is structured in such a way that they first see themselves Singaporeans before as Chinese, Malay, Hindu, Indian, etc. A Singapore based Nigerian Doctor I recently met confirmed that in his 15 years of residence in Singapore, he had never seen two persons fight on the streets. Through debate, they inculcate democratic and civil ideals into their citizens starting from the Kindergarten, and in all subjects. The task of the Singaporean teacher is simple, 'raise leaders who are relevant and adaptable to a changing world.' The fourth terminal of the Singapore Airport is completely automated, artificial intelligence attends to you and this level of technological advancement was first reflected in their curriculum. The list is endless. Same can be said about South Korea.

The first time I left the shores of Nigeria, it was to encounter the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It was either mother-nature wanted to punish me for being Nigerian or God wanted to get my mind revolutionized for the salvation of Nigeria. I sincerely regretted being Nigerian and I hated our leaders so much for enslaving us in our own fatherland. My disdain for our leaders worsened when I visited University of Ghana (UG). To be sincere, the level of infrastructure and organisation I saw in UG is unparalleled by any Nigerian university except Covenant University (a religious institution). Ghana is not half as rich as Nigeria and is certainly not more endowed in terms of human and material resources, yet, several millions of Nigerians flood into Ghanaian universities, and this is me avoiding discuss about their power supply. Standardly speaking, most Nigerian universities are not even worth calling glorified secondary schools, they are actually glorified primary schools.

Our educational system is terrible, teachers are terribly paid and massively underappreciated by society, most public schools are like shrines where unfortunate children get initiated into evil, the curriculum is more theoretical than pragmatic, higher institutions are hugely understaffed, students are trained to pass exams through unnecessary mental and physical stress, institutions are plagued by 20th century facilities and medieval libraries etc. The system cannot realistically prepare the average Nigerian student for global competition. Abuse of our national resources may be pardonable, but denying us the human development necessary for our self-actualization is morally unconscionable and deserves criminal sanction.

There is a huge difference between 'human being' and 'being human', our leaders may be human, but there is nothing humane about them. How else would you explain the fact that these leaders parade themselves from Europe, through America, to Asia and they don't feel any form of guilt for their political rape of Nigerians for years? How do they still leave in peace and normalcy after vacations in Dubai or excursions at Silicon Valley? Shouldn't normal human beings feel aggrieved and return to replicate such policies in their country? Our President became the most traveled head of state just six months into his presidency, yet he has not resigned out of integrity.

I refuse to be pacified by the fake global happiness index that keeps Nigeria at 91 (if it's true, then the world is in big trouble), the beautiful streets of Abuja or Victoria Island or the Super Eagles qualification for 2018 world cup. Nigeria is in a mess, it is fantastically corrupt, it is a Zoo, we have been cursed by bad leadership, and this we need an urgent solution to.

So why is there an urgent imperative for a recolonization? The Federal Inland Revenue service (FIRS) for instance, now generates revenue above three trillion Naira, Nigerian Customs service now generates revenue above one trillion and we have recovered billions of dollars as looted money. When you add it to other sources of revenue, it’s bigger than our annual budget. Yet according to the debt management office (DMO), within a period of 30 months –July 2015 to December 2017 – the country’s debt rose by N 9 .61 trillion, or 79 .25 per cent and the world Bank isn't ready to forgive those debts. NTA news of 20th march, 2018 showed the Minister of transport, Rotimi Amaechi stating that Nigeria needs about 15 billion dollars to complete the government's rail way project and that he would soon travel to India to that effect. It's obvious that the leadership wants to sell this country and that is why I propose we sell it in a way that is more beneficial; through ‘modern recolonization.’

So my recolonization model is simple; let’s lease Nigeria to Britain for the next 20 years. It would be like a partnership. All they need do is teach us how to lead human beings by leading us, overhaul our systems (starting from the educational system), set up pragmatic contemporary systems and then manage our resources and infrastructure on agreeable terms, but we won't allow them control our defense. It won’t be like the colonial era because we are now more educated and exposed and we know our rights, so there won't be any unnecessary exploitation or violation of rights. Believe it or not, in twenty years’ time, you won't recognise Nigeria.

If you don't accept my recolonization model, then there is an alternative solution. We are the most prayerful nation in the world, so we can pray for a natural 'Jerry Rawlings approach'  as follows; let God orchestrate a state of the union meeting, ensure the attendance of  the president and all his cabinet, the senate President and all legislators, the Chief Judge and all justices, all chiefs of armed forces, all past presidents and their vices, selected Governors and elder statesmen, then have all of them swallowed by a high magnitude earthquake and let's start  Nigeria afresh.

Even if you don’t agree with my suggestions (like most persons would), you would obviously agree that this outdated generation of leaders have failed Nigeria and Africa. It’s time to enthrone youths, not just any youth, but youths who are prepared and have a track record of good leadership in areas within their purview.

A great man once said that "the greatest part of hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of moral crisis." You may not be able to do much now, but you can at least vote right. Bad leaders are actually elected by good people who refuse to vote. Get your permanent voters card (PVC). Politics in Nigeria is evolving, our democracy is maturing and YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!!

By Ezeme Kingsley Chukwuebuka
Kingynelsy@gmail.com