Nigeria had produced more tribalists than nationalists in its political history. Politics in Nigeria is rather predatory. So, tribal forces are pulling the nation in different directions. Politicians are mobilizing interests as ethnic warlords. Cleavages are exploited for maximum advantage. The nation space lack ideological politicking. The power of ethnicity in shaping our politics had resulted in the enthronement of an imperial culture. Political consciousness had been mindlessly tribalized in the nation space. National identity can be strengthened through a politically detribalized leadership. Tribal sentiments are over played to harvest votes during elections. These sentiments linger thereafter.

Nigeria is a fragmented society. Various ethnic groups were amalgamated in 1914; and they brought with them a lot of cultural assumptions, fear and desires. All these had not been addressed. Therefore, it is very difficult to develop a national identity. A sense of national ownership cannot be aroused in its citizens through national symbols. Citizen’s commitment to the political system can only be achieved through a process of Nigerianizing the citizens. National flag, anthem and pledge can never give us a feeling of nationhood. We cannot continue to dress old ideas with new clothes and expect to get new result. Our historical experiences and contemporary choices must evidence progressive thinking. Nigeria needs civic federalism where citizen can exist anywhere in the country without discrimination.

Unfortunately, northern backlash toward the Igbos after the January 1966 coup, created chains of reaction and national distrust. The July 1966 counter coup caused trigger events that culminated in the Nigerian civil war. The Aburi conference could not halt the drift to anarchy because both sides were constructing anxiety upon the flow of events. Behaviour is a product of personality and situation. The proximal cause why anarchist movements are still looking for space in the country is because there is no democratic equality. Every nation need social co-operation to cement political relationship. The structure and legitimacy of political power is determined by how the benefits of social co-operation are secured.

Social co-operation can be obtained voluntarily or imposed by force. The Igbos were defeated during the Nigerian civil war that ended January 1970. Social co-operation was forced on the Igbos after a one thousand day war. The no victor no vanquish slogan was a mere propaganda. The Igbo wealth in banks was confiscated and each was rather given 20 pounds to restart life. And till date there had not been any refund. The principle of reconciliation, reconstruction and rehabilitation after the war was never followed. The peoples of the Niger Delta, Suffered collateral damage, as a result of the Nigerian civil war. General Yakubu Gowon altered the derivation formula to zero percent; under the pretext that the money will be used for reconstruction.

Yes! The more extensive the level of voluntary social co-operation, the stronger will be the democratic fibre of society. It will be very tempting to say that the Igbos and the people of the Niger Delta were treated as conquered species. Society is a system. The different parts are interdependent. Social change is an alteration of the patterns of social organization over time. To study change is to search for patterns of growth. The pattern of group interaction in the past had been hegemonic. The reality of the presence demands we relate to ourselves on the basis of ethnic justice and co-operation.

Unarguably, no country can attain nationhood without political, social, economic and environmental justice. Both leaders and followers are blameful for the structural dysfuctions in Nigeria. Nigeria will only be integrated nationally, if we all think and speak as Nigerians. A nation is not a given. Nigeria is an inconvenient marriage initiated through colonial fiat. We are offsprings of history. But we must not suffer from historical escapism. Our past is history. We have the presence and the future to live. The tyranny of the majority view is a recipe for anarchism. The meek should be allowed to possess their resources through legislative amendments.

Political authority obligates both the leaders and the lead to decent political behaviour. The political environment must be free. But, ethnic missionaries must not be allowed space to operate. The vehicles for identity mobilization in Nigeria, had been Hausahood, Yorubahood, Igbohood, Ijawhood etc. These barriers of ethnic unity must be broken. Ethnic ideologies are sub-national thinkings. The National Assembly cannot exist in a vacuum. It must operate in a dynamic socio-political environment. The members should feel the political impulse of their constituents and channel same for legislative discourse.

It should be noted that the state is more than the government of the day. It is the continuous administrative, legal, bureaucratic and coercive system that attempts to structure relationship. Some people are resistant to change because of ego commitments, excessive loyalty to tradition and uncritical agreement with authority. Prejudice and stereotypes are hindrance to national integration. Some persons are having a conservative mind set about national issues. They are cautious and suspicious of change. Others are resistant to change because of selfish interest. Some ask for change for selfish reasons.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo and a few others preached the virtue of ethnic federalism based on a large number of ethnic states. The path to Nigeria’s nationhood is not through state creation based on artificial boundaries. A British commission of Inquiry set up in the late 1956 discovered that the formation of new states would only compound Nigeria’s difficulties. The commission said further that nothing united the state agitators but their mutual fear of domination. Rupert Emersion defined a nation as a community of people who feel that they belong together in the double sense that they share deeply significant element of a common destiny. Ethnic states will be ethnic nations. They will facilitate national integration as a union of ethnic nationalities. This will promote ethnic justice.

Stop gap measures will not answer the Niger Delta question. There must be a comprehensive plan of action to addressing the Niger Delta crisis. The federal Government must not resort to negotiating with militants in the Niger Delta, only when there is reduction in the production of oil sequel to economic terrorism. This will be admitting the fact that violence is a justifiable option. It will continue to encourage the emergence of splinter militant groups. In year 2009, the federal Government offered presidential Amnesty to about 30,000 ex militants in the Niger Delta. This offer came about because there was drop in oil production due to economic terrorism. Eight years thereafter the problem is still persisting and the same solution may likely be applied.

The root causes of militancy in the Niger Delta cannot be addressed with amnesty offer. Disarmament and demobilization of some youths in the Niger Delta can only be a temporary solution to the problems of the region. Training programmes, scholarship and vocational programmes without employment opportunities is wasteful. Political hawks masquerading as leaders and opinion moulders in the Niger Delta will always find excuses to explain away any self induce militancy. When President Shehu Shagari reduced derivation to 0.5%, the NPN Governors in the Niger Delta did not join forces with Ambrose Ali – who as governor of Bendel state dragged Shagari to court over the issue.

But, President Shehu Shagari was rewarded with one hundred percent vote cast in the Niger Delta during the 1983 presidential election. The Niger Delta had voted massively for the PDP since 1999 to 2015 and yet its fortune had not changed. The people of the region should demand explanation from these parading themselves as leaders and activists in the region. The Niger Delta needs redemption from its leaders. Our votes can be used to play politics of resource ownership and control if we think right.

Force Bray is Citizen Journalist