Nigeria's Socio-economic Isolationism: Between the Cabal and Masses
02 April 2014
By Raheem
Oluwafunminiyi
Without consulting any particular
school of thought or institutionalized framework of
opinion, an observation this writer has made over the
years on the socio-economic disequilibrium rampant in
most developing countries of Africa is a reason which
has informed this piece.
The subject of isolationism as
extracted from most contemporary library of linguistic
refers to a policy often institutionalized by a leader
or leaders who believe in distancing one's country
from meddling in the affairs of another. Those who
adopt this model argue that it protects local labour
force that would otherwise go to non-locals or what
may be considered as expatriates. They also defend
their leadership modus operandi by stating that it
fosters peace within borders. Yet still, those in
disfavour fiercely charges isolationist nations as
being protectionist and often dictatorial. Nigeria is
by far not a protectionist nation and therefore not
isolationist. The Republic of North Korea and Cuba are
two distinct examples of our current day isolationist
nations.
Stretching further the interpretation
of isolationism includes what this writer calls
"socio-economic isolationism." To better understand
the term, it is pertinent to closely look at the
apparent socio-economic divide between the wealthy and
the poor in our society today. Nigeria, by all
globally acceptable yardstick for measuring a
country's wealth, ranks about 30th in the
world with regards to GDP, although it ranks 2nd
amongst other competing developing nations both within
the African continent and elsewhere. Economists have
placed Nigeria as the next economic frontier, a strong
emerging market with significant expansion in finance,
telecommunications and most recently agro economy.
Impressive, one would say!
In spite of the somewhat economic
thesis above and the vast hydrocarbon deposit in the
Delta region which is now gradually being depleted,
only one per cent of the oil revenue actually trickles
down to the populace while 80 per cent goes to the
government (and by default into the hands of a few
cabal or clique), with 16 per cent going towards cost
for operations and four per cent to investors. To make
matters worse, oil exports to America has fallen
sharply in the last few years due to the discovery of
vast shale deposits. Beyond the oil sector, Nigeria's
economy is fractured and frankly inefficient.
But the perceived growth and buoyancy
in our emerging economy is held under lock and key,
and kept in the hands of a few ghost-like cabals.
These few bad men control the swing of the economic
swivel and therefore, have co-opted bold machineries
to extract gains from the 80 per cent oil revenue
highlighted above. This trend is however, strengthened
by a corrupt environment dominated by corrupt
leadership. With such money and the inherent access to
power, key sector policies like energy and economics
are framed around the whims and caprices of this
cabal. The implication of this is that they have prime
access to the "first fruits" associated with any
policy modification. It is nothing short of "insider
trading"!
More often than not, the exclusive
group covets their position and guard it jealously.
Interactions, both social and otherwise, are kept
within these exclusive members. It is an on-going
conspiracy that a few business elite colludes with the
political den to recycle wealth within the isolated
group. They further instigate division in the polity,
wielding ethno-centric and religious rhetoric. In such
a mood, the weak and the poor are disillusioned and
lose faith with its leaders, thus creating disconnect
between the few wealth hoarders and the rest of the
masses.
Encapsulated in this economic and
social bubble, they are out of touch with the
realities of the poor and hence unwilling to share
ideas or render support to the less privileged. That
is what socio-economic isolationism is about. Those
outside the exclusive group grapple with the biting
economic challenges of the environment while the few
within the exclusive group amass more and more wealth
and splash it with disdain at others.
The outcome from the above is a
leadership that fails to connect with the ruled, a
leadership that has grown insensitive to their true
obligations to the state and numbed to the woes of the
polity. Socio-economic isolationism exists, not just
at the top but also at the bottom. You can find it at
every level in our society including the community
level and even among clans. It exists such that it has
become part and parcel of our evolving democratic
process and a cankerworm that seems not to wish to go
away anytime soon.
How then do we resolve this
hydra-headed monster that has placed us on the
threshold of under-development? There is no solution
in sight other than to re-orientate the mass of the
people to enable them wake up to the realities that
confronts them. When the masses are armed with much
orientation, they could therefore be enlightened to
take swift action against the domineering status quo
led by the cabal. The swift action here is not a call
for revolution as that automatically nullifies
whatever changes the masses intends to make or
achieve. If the mass of the people wish to live in a
society that is near utopia, now is the time to deal
with the socio-economic isolationism of a few elements
within the society. Simply because their number is
quite infinitesimal, it is not hard to effect a
transformation that will not only change the course of
our faulty structure but place a smile on the faces of
our yet unborn children.
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