In the wake of the sweeping electoral victory of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the 2011 General Elections (and favorable court judgments) that kicked out the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the southwest zone, there was palpable sense of relief and hope across the land.
In my opinion, the excitement was less at the fact that an end had come to the helplessness and hopelessness the masses felt under the PDP mess, but more because of the quality of the governors that had just emerged – young, brilliant, dynamic; a number of them with a pedigree in pro-democracy activism.
Babatunde Fashola sets the pace in Lagos State with purposeful and visionary governance worthy of emulation; Osun State’s Rauf Aregbesola’s long years as Works Commissioner (and political strategist) was one of the strong pillars upon which Bola Tinubu’s success in Lagos State was built; Ekiti State’s Kayode Fayemi was preeminent as a revolutionary thinker and strategist in the struggle for democracy; Edo State’s Adams Oshiomhole had carved a name for himself as one of the most fearless labour leaders and champions of the masses of our time; then there are IbikunleAmosun in Ogun, and Abiola Ajimobi in Oyo, folks with assuring track-records and character. Even Ondo State, the sole state outside of the ACN fold was not as much of the fly in the ointment it could have been were it not in the hands of a Segun Mimiko – dodged fighter and progressive-bent medical doctor, with his sole Labour Party flag.
The people were excited and passionate about the re-emergent prospect of a Western Nigerian unity and development that would be the model for the regional paradigm of a new and restructured Nigeria. And those great years of our foremost hero and sage, Obafemi Awolowo, remain bold and tantalizing memories, and a challenge to greater possibilities.
Regional integration was the new song the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) – a body of intellectuals, professionals and political activists in collaboration with the Yoruba Academy, took the bull by the horns by organizing a retreat in Ibadan on Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) in July. It was my privilege to have been invited to participate.
The product of the rigorous exercise has now emerged as a (blueprint) DAWN document which last week was presented to the various governors and key stakeholders in the region.
I think, however, we should be careful how much we imagine or expect the present geo-political arrangement to yield quickly to our dream. There are now six or seven (or even eight!) states in the old Western Region. These six or more states have governors who have literally hit the ground running; a good thing in itself as it should engender hopefully healthy competition and not unhealthy rivalry that may manifest in undermining or running down one another.
This brings the urgent need for intervention and direction for cooperativeness and synergy. But with every governor hugging his importance and territoriality we must learn from the past and remind ourselves where and why the past “progressive cycle” failed. Nobody wants to be dictated to!
Our approach then should be to encourage interstate cooperation, collaboration, and mutual developmental projects, while ideas for the larger picture of multi-state (Western Nigeria) projects, in areas like infrastructure or industry, follow in good time.
Nevertheless, I believe there are aspects of unifying essence that can immediately be boldly embraced regionally (or zonally) and that can serve as building blocks for the dream integration (or amalgamation). these are in the areas of (1) Arts & Culture and (2) Sports.
An annual Western Nigeria Festival of Arts & Culture – WENIFAC – (our own FESTAC) is urgent and imperative. Towards this, a joint body (Organization/Board/Institution) should be created to establish the guiding thoughts, principles, and modalities for the annual festival, which would, of course, be hosted by the states in turns.
Like FESTAC, it would have its intellectual component for brainstorming (colloquium, etc.) on ways to further strengthen and promote our arts and culture. It would be of such scale to enter the calendar of international arts and culture festivals worldwide and thus become a veritable local and international tourism catalyst.
I must add that this was mooted to me by one of our most creative and intellectual artists, Moyo Ogundipe, and I am glad to join in expanding and furthering the idea. An annual Western Nigeria Sports Festival (WENISPOF) is another such unifying force that could/should be immediately embarked upon.
We all (who are old enough) remember those years when we used to have Olowu Cup for Table-Tennis (of which my school – Kiriji Memorial College – with me on the team, was champion in one year, 1963) and Manuwa Cup for Football annual competitions in Western Region. those were great years and the regional bonding they engendered was remarkable.
Those were at secondary school level, but equally there were football challenges of one town against another on regional arrangements that everyone hooked in to.
It would be necessary (like of Arts & Culture) to have a regional (zonal) body that would put the structure in place and set the ball rolling for these annual events to hold on many levels, again to be hosted by the states in turns.
Sports is a global multi-billion dollars business. And yet the social benefits even far outweigh the economic harvest. The region needs to be developed into a veritable “factory” for identifying, nurturing and churning out great sports talents for the global market. Yes, we can. The DAWN blueprint is premised on eight pillars: Economic Development; Human Capital Development; Commerce & Industry; Infrastructure Development; Security, Law & Enforcement; Culture, Tourism, Arts & Heritage; Environment, Climate Change & Habitat; Civil Service, governance & Institutions.
The (south) West had similar opportunity in 1999 and blew it, big time. If we let this one slip by then we are doomed into remaining part of the cesspit of corruption and underdevelopment that our country is. And the curses of generations yet unborn will be on our heads.
Let’s get started.
And that’s saying it the way it is!
Photo Credit : Ventures Africa