Nigeria @ 63: A Land Of Negative Possibilities

Years back, my Land Law lecturer in Abia State University, Uturu, while assessing the compromise of the judiciary vis-a-vis executive rascality, described Nigeria as "A place where anything negative was possible"! At the time this statement was dropped, I did not quite agree with this man; and my reservations about the statement was laced with a tinge of anger against my lecturer. I did not stop there: In my young mind, I called the patriotism of the man to question.

However, events that unfolded over time; and a dispassionate assessment of those events especially as Nigeria inches to the 63rd anniversary of her purported political independence have continued to prove that my lecturer was right in his opinion and I had no justification to resent his opinion: At 63, Nigeria is not just a land of negative possibilities; rather, negative possibilities have become the celebrated culture of Nigeria. For instance, notwithstanding that the Nigerian weather, diverse topography, vast arable land, subsoil, territorial waters, flora and fauna et cetera and the complementing enthralling human population which have potentials to make Nigeria great have been left untapped by the gerontocratic Nigerian political elites, some young people in Nigeria have continued to support the continued recycling of the same old politicians in positions of power. The redundant political elites have continued to manipulate the people and destroy relevant institutions and organs of government in order to sustain themselves in power!

In the Land of Negative Possibilities which Nigeria has become at 63 and in this 21st century, trade unions are not allowed to prosecute trade disputes. This is why the federal government keeps running to the industrial courts to obtain injunctions from compromised judges against proposed industrial actions even when the government has become a serial violator of labour agreements. Consequently, Nigerian workers have become the least paid globally; and they migrate to other climes for greener pastures - a trend known as brain drain. In the strange Land of Negative Possibilities which Nigeria has become, the response of Nigerian political class to the brain drain in the health sector was the proposal of a bill for the legalization of forced labour to compel graduates of Nigerian medical institutions to work for three years in Nigeria before they can travel. Positive responses like overhauling the medical sector through competitive emoluments and modern hospital equipments were no options in Nigeria. Yet, these leaders and their respective families embark on offshore medical tourism for minor aliments like cold and headache.

True to my lecturer's label, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which is the electoral umpire in Nigeria, has received judicial backing not to be held responsible for its words and actions no matter how solemn. This was why Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, said that INEC could not be bound by its guidelines and words on realtime electronic transmission of election results from polling units. Even the judiciary could not be spared from this wave of negative possibilities in Nigeria. This is why it was possible for the husband of the former president of the Nigerian Court of Appeal, Senator Bulkachuwa, to dish out court verdicts from his bedroom on cases pending before the Court of Appeal and to come to the floor of the Nigerian Senate to gloat over his feat! The trend now is for courts to ignore clear constitutional provisions and sometimes, amend sections of the Nigerian constitution in order to suit their whims and caprices. In fact, after following proceedings at the PEPC in July, 2023, an Ebonyi State - based lawyer, Barr Steve Nwankwo, took to his social media handles to warn Nigerians not to be shocked if the PEPC and even the Supreme Court wake up one day to declare some sections of the Nigerian constitution "unconstitutional, null and void"! Such is the level of rot and lack of confidence in the Nigerian judiciary as Nigeria marks her 63rd independence anniversary. Yet, this negative prophecy was fulfilled by the PEPC in her interpretation of section 134(2)(b) of 1999 CFRN. The ongoing verdict bazaar witnessed in the election petition tribunals can only happen in a land of negative possibilities such as Nigeria. It is only a Nigerian president that can pray a court not to allow the gender and age as contained in his academic profile in the university he allegedly attended to be disclosed to the public. It is only in a land of negative possibilities that subsidy on energy which drives production will be withdrawn and nebulous handouts of rice and cash grants be taunted as alternative. It is only in Nigeria, an archetypal land of negative possibilities, that soldiers will be seen, as shown in trending videos, escorting AK-47-wielding bandits/insurgents and charging their colleagues to "clear road" for the criminals. It is in Nigeria that the vast arable land, intimidating mineral deposits, captivating flora and fauna and overflowing population with potentials for prosperity and a coveted global market which qualify her to rule the world will be ignored to the peril of the citizens who languish in penury. To be candid, Nigerians deserve pity as Nigeria turns 63!