Statecraft: Strategies for Political Longevity

By Eugo Lliemenam Nwafor DSS

Although, using Nigeria’s political and developmental history, in the author’s imaginary creation, Statecraft is a grand strategic plan initiated and nurtured overtime and clinically executed by some concerned citizens of a nation. When they first met in the university, their country was dangerously drifting into anarchy and doom due to political and ethnoreligious divisiveness.

Calling themselves the patriots or the partizans and their umbrella body, the Concerned Citizens Watch Organization (CCWO), those youths resolved to salvage their country not only from ethnoreligious conflicts but the political mismanagement of their extant national, human and natural resources, and reposition it. To democratically defeat the political old guard at the polls, the CCWO employed a combination of civil and uncivil designs. The organization thus hatched and developed its plot, which encapsulated thoughts, plans, strategies, and actions to prepare its political arm.

To do this, the founding partizans patiently spend the time and space of their youthful years to also galvanize and mobilize the people. Then in its apogee, the CCWO’s political arm, in its first attempt at the polls, applied the well-articulated and rehearsed intriguing tact. It was a perfected political and strategic crafts that achieved unprecedented election upsets, never before witnessed in the history of elections. Most of its unknown candidates effortlessly defeated their very many established and tested political opponents.

Indeed, the organization’s stunning electoral victory shocked many and disproved watchers’ permutations. Truly, Statecraft was CCWO’s application and execution of a compendium of well-designed survival strategies that satisfied unexpected overhauls. They could spur determined patriotic youths and adequately serve as panacea to freeing countries and peoples by genuine patriots frustrated and disenchanted with the status quo. Statecraft will surely find relevance in politics, administration, and management.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Mar 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9781532068874

Eugo Lliemenam Nwafor DSS

COLONEL Eugo Iliemena Nwafor was commissioned into the Nigeria army on the 15th December 1979. An old boy of the government secondary school, Afikpo, Ebonyi State of NIGERIA, Eugo holds a post graduate diploma in international relations and strategy studies ( PGDIS ) from the Lagos University and MS.C IN STRATEGIC STUDIES FROM THE UNIVERSITY of Ibadan. Col Nwafor taught jungle warfare and combat survival in the Nigeria army school of infantry Jaji and a directing staff ( DS) in the Armed forces command and staff college over saw trainings in Counter Revolutionary Warfare ( CRW) later renamed low Intensity Conflicts (LIC) As Chief instructor in the same College, Eugo became supervising CI for both LIC and Tactics and also oversaw the re-writing of the college Tactics package from the Attritionist to the Maneeouvrist Approched to Warfare, Col Nwafor was also Deputy para Military secretary, Deputy Director Operations, Colonel, General Staff in Army Headquarters, Defense Headquarters and 1 Division Nigeria respectively and returned in 2008. A veteran of two ECOMOG Operations tours ( OP LIBERTY ) In Sierra Leone and Liberia respectively. His award included 2 ECOMOG Peace Medals, psc(+) and fellow of the National War College ( FWC ). A poet Col Ei Nwafor also writer as Ubid Orzord, He was married to the Late NGOZI Adaobi Charity Nwafor and blessed with children, Eugo holds the traditional title of OCHIAGHA AKPU in Akpijiogu his home town in Anambra State of Nigeria.

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Copyright © 2019 Eugo lliemenam Nwafor DSS.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-6886-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-6887-4 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 02/13/2019

CONTENTS

Disclaimer

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Preface

Foreword

SECTION A:   OPPORTUNITY CALLS

1     Taking the Plunge

2     A Union of Like Minds

SECTION B:   SENSITISATION LECTURES

3     The Game is Survival

4     Party Formation and Influence

5     Political Personalities and Supremacy

6     Tutelage and Mentoring

7    Organizing and Mobilizing for Elections

8     Strategies for Electioneering Campaign and Elections

9     Governments and Governance: Our Failures

10   Ministries Agencies and their Control

11   Development and Development Projects

12   Containing and Dealing with Opponents

13   Use and Control of Security Agencies

SECTION C:   COMMITTEE REPORT STRATEGIES FOR ELECTION AND REFLECTIONS

14   Our Strategies for Capturing Power: The Working Plan

15   Redressing and Repositioning the State

16   Religion and Ethnicity

17   Awareness and Enlightenment for Citizens

18   Unification for True Unity

19   Panacea for the Blissful El-Dorado

20   Open Sesame

References

DISCLAIMER

Except for Nigeria as a country and her past political actors whose names are purely historical facts and given in clear, Statecraft is an imaginary thought and creation of the author. References to such true names and events within their live times are because they, one way or the other, shaped Nigeria’s national political history and development. Even as, ethnic names truly correspond with political and geographical entities and institutions, in Nigeria, other characters in the plot of this book, and its contents were purely invented. They do not, in any way, relate to persons: living or dead and their true thoughts. Although Statecraft is imaginary, its story could be practicable. However, where the author’s statements and events as painted tend to reflect or malign ethnic or religious thinking, they are not meant to insinuate or correspond with life or the truth of the game of Politics and politicking in the present day Nigeria. They could be for reasons of the author being indirect or using veiled interpretations to portray them. Even as referred political activities may be true, they are, to the author’s best knowledge, coincidental and not deliberate. Those with the correct knowledge, information or details and wishing to make them open can come up to put this work into its perfect perspective.

DEDICATION

As boundaries of great nations are demarcated by the graves of their fallen heroes, Statecraft is first dedicated to our heroes as follows: those who earned Nigeria’s independence in 1960; their successors: politicians, military and police officers living or dead, who by elections or appointments contributed to building Nigeria. those who died, in events leading to and in the internecine Civil War and all dead in Nigeria’s political and ethno-religious crises thereafter.

Secondly, Statecraft is dedicated to: my late father, Chief Alphonsus Iliemenam Nwafor, MBE, Colonel (Sir) John Yahaya Madaki, the Jungle Expert, and my dear wife Lolo Ngozika Adaobi Charity who singly raised ‘Our Hopes’ as I soldiered. May all of you, as our heroes past, keep resting in your graves dotted, throughout the country.

Finally, Statecraft is dedicated to: my mother, Lolo Matilda Nwafor, Brigadier General Yakubu D Rimdan, Chief Ben Nwankwo, MHR, the Isingidi Akpu, and Chief Patrick Ndubuisi Iloekwe. Chukwubuikem including many unnamed living. Others who represent our heroes present. May God keep blessing you.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

While thanking God Most High, under whose direction Statecraft was conceived and written, I acknowledge, with humility, the Nigerian Army for the inestimable opportunities afforded me to have, under it, served my country. Through my various deployments, I served within the Nigerian Armed Forces’ single and tri-Service formations and institutions in different locations. I also was opportune to attend civil institutions in Nigeria and visit countries outside Nigeria both for Military operations and professional trainings. Those deployments capacitated and exposed me to matters and intrigues called Politics and Strategy. I will forever remain loyal

EUGO

PREFACE

Before the year 1900, Nigeria was of many amorphous entities. Later, these independent entities became stringed into strange bed fellows through a foreign contraption. In 1914, she became amalgamated as one country by Fredrick Lord Lugard and synergized into an independent country in 1960. Although her indigenous founding fathers foresaw a great nation, in the horizon and in their honesty, they nursed high hopes at her independence. Then, however, those ‘our heroes past’ in jubilation, rather than knit their people together wallowed in ethnic and religious segregations. So limited in their focus and thoughts, and still in their euphoria of freedom, the short sightedness and lack of deep thinking, beclouded them. Thus, they failed to realize that making Nigeria’s three major languages compulsory for her citizens could have galvanized and firmed Nigeria’s multi ethnic people into one united nation and people.

Further to the above, our heroes, failed to deduce that, perhaps, if French was made to complement English they could also have given Nigeria the much needed advantage over both her sub-regional and regional neighbours most of which politics and every aspects of lives revolved and still revolve around her. This is even as such countries were served by both native languages and a common lingua franca foisted on them by their colonial masters whose colonies they were and still are.

Regrettably too, in their successors’ entrenchment of parochialism, the nation and her people became overtaken by preferences of ethnicity, religion, blocs, languages all based on preferential use of quota and federal character rather than competence and nationalism. These ultimately worsened and adversely retarded her march into a true nationhood.

In these, successive failures and inabilities of the leaderships to forge a true national union, Nigeria wobbled with hiccups. She fought an internecine Civil War of unity which phlegm still sticks in her throat. For close to sixty years the country which had savoured a firm hope for greatness as a united nation, as an independent country, Nigeria has continuously wobbled under the weight of ethno-religious and political ineptitude. As a consequence embers of ethno – religious, regional and bloc spasms of separation now persistently resonate threatening even the fragile unity so far achieved. Such embers have stunted the nation’s growth and have today saturated her political climate and life.

Having managed her longevity this far the country, due to these negatives has been foisted with a fear and cries of imminent dissolution by her people, Clamours for the dissolution of the country’s Unity project have today greatly become rife and sonorous.

As salvage Statecraft, in its contribution to the sustenance of Nigeria’s unity and oneness, advocates a restraint and a redress of the status quo. It advocates a true unity where citizens will not only understand themselves but eschew the above mentioned negatives. If Nigerians freely discuss interchangeably in: English, French, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and pidgin, her brand of creole, every Nigerian would become a polyglot. Believably these could, as well, extinguish the fear of domination and marginalization. That will again make Nigeria a cynosure of the world.

Once we get our acts together by practising true religion circularism and can discuss interchangeably in the six mentioned languages we would have established a foundation and fulcrum that will oil our strength in diversity. Statecraft believes that after these are done, the greatness destined for the country will emerge. Then Nigeria, as a country, and her citizens will step into pedestals to compete with developed nations.

Truly, Statecraft is a patriotic individual’s thoughts on how Nigerians can possibly mould their country into both an irresistible force when confronting any immovable object and an immovable object never to be confronted by irresistible forces. As togetherness must remain her peoples’ watchword Statecraft could, as well, be an essential vade mecum for politicians and citizens alike. Perhaps it could become a National sacred book. Eugo Nwafor

FOREWORD

I am very delighted to see Col Eugo Nwafor (rtd), who was a senior military officer, chronicle his professional knowledge and experiences with the larger members of the society in order to further nurture, strengthen and enhance Nigeria’s political evolution, leadership traits and good governance. This book, "Statecraft: Strategies for Political Longevity" provides a painstakingly theoretical and pragmatic solutions to the overarching developmental issues bedevilling Nigeria, as a nation state, in terms of: national unity, national consciousness, entrenchment of constitutional democracy and good governance.

Col. Eugo Nwafor was a retired Colonel in the Nigeria’s Army’s Infantry Corps. Here is a Special Warfare expert and seasoned trainer, who was at different times a Directing Staff (DS) and Chief Instructor (CI) at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) Jaji. As a gallant retired military officer and writer, Col. Eugo Nwafor has succeeded in demonstrating his depth of intellectualism by aggregating his wealth of experience and understanding into a book that for many years to come will be of immense benefits to researchers and students of Leadership Studies, Politics, Management and public governance.

In this book, the author provides insights and perspectives on diverse actionable survival strategies that will spur determined nation states and patriotic citizens to champion and chart a new model for the political and socio-economic development of their nations. He tries to explain these strategies in simple language in such a way that many readers will be impressed and inspired by the colourful narrative, depth hand relevance of the strategies outlined in the Book. It is therefore, my conviction that this book has come at the right time when Nigeria as a democratic nation is being challenged by many forces of disunity, insecurity, ethno-religious intolerance characterized by bad leadership, corruption and acute greed. The book will undoubtedly motivate both political leaders and students and young people to plunge into the ever-expanding field of knowledge to overcome these challenges.

To this end, I hope that this book, Statecraft: Strategies for Political Longevity will serve as a reading and reference source for students, officer cadets, teachers, mentors, political leaders, and managers. I strongly recommend it to all and sundry with interest in politics, mentoring, management and nation building.

MAJ GENA OYEBADE

COMMANDANT,

NIGERIAN DEFENCE ACADEMY

KADUNA, NIGERIA

SECTION A

OPPORTUNITY CALLS

1

TAKING THE PLUNGE

S aviour sat, in solitary quietness, pensively thinking. He was still in that deep thought, and oblivious of happenings around him, when someone approached and stood before him. After sometime that strange visitor made the move, to break his thought, to re-awaken his consciousness. When he felt that sudden tap, on his back, Saviour immediately came back to his right senses. Looking up, he saw the youngster standing, in front of him, smiling.

As Saviour wondered who he could be; the young man, still smiling said, He is, my dear friend, you look carried away and so deep in your thought that you could neither notice nor feel my presence all these while. What is the matter with you; can I share your thoughts and worries with you, if you please? Maybe, I can be of help to somehow relieve you. My name is Iginla Oluwayose, I am from Ondo State.

Feeling doubtful when he heard that name Saviour, on the spur of the moment, asked: Who is your friend, you a Yoruba man? And what brought you to this University when you have the premier university in Ibadan and others in Ile Ife, Lagos and more sitting in your Region, sorry Zone? If I may ask, what do you think you can offer an Igbo man like me?

There you go again! For God’s sake is it not time for us to leave this parochialism, I mean this our narrow mindedness, and think broadly as Nigerians? If you don’t understand: please get me right. Truly, I saw those universities before choosing to come to Nsukka, mainly because I abhor tribal sentiments and inclinations; and as a result tired of ethnic seclusion. I think I need a broadened horizon as a Nigerian. I need new challenges, and I am prepared to face them. I believe that I can get them here, in the University of Nigeria, not in any other university that goes by the name of the town or its location or individuals’ names. He paused awhile and continued, I once read the initial relationship between two of our great compatriots whose dreams, visions and beliefs, were scuttled by people who thought, believed and unfortunately acted like you think and are now acting, and perhaps still want to believe and act…"

Ehmm… Saviour made to interject but was stopped by Iginla who, in a riposte retorted, "Please hold it, I’m not done yet!.. I admire the wisdoms of: Herbert Macaulay and Dr Azikiwe. I praise and thank them for their foresights and efforts, which were scuttled by people who never wished us well as one united and indivisible country. I particularly love Dr Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe for giving us a lasting legacy such as this university: can you beat his patriotic thought and zeal in choosing this country’s name for this great university? May his patriotic soul keep resting in peace for his unselfishness in establishing ‘Nigersity,’ in this, town. Remember, he is from Onitsha and did not site this wonderful centre of academic learning there but here in Nsukka. Obviously, I believe and sincerely too, that were there to be one already, in this part of the country then, he would have as well built it elsewhere in the country. Zik was to me a highly detribalised Nigerian: born in Zungeru in the North, went to Hope Waddel Training Institute in Calabar, in the East and established his newspaper: the West African Pilot, in Lagos, in the West. Not only that, he gave his children Nigerian not just Igbo names. Can you beat his wisdom; I mean dream and vision for Nigeria? That man will forever remain my hero any day and I want to be like him also…"

Sto-o-o-p! You son of sell outs! Why did your fathers deny him after diligently serving your brother Herbert Macaulay? Why, did they suddenly cross the carpets to dump and deny the same man from politicking in the West, after winning elections on his party’s platform? Why did your leaders and fathers, after visiting the East and accepting to secede as soon as my people did so, sell out? Why did we…, even with your son Brigadier Banjo, tasked as the commander of the Biafran forces to liberate you from Northern domination get rebuffed? Why did your leaders, in their treachery, renege; why did they direct the GOC to go to that non - strategic town of Okitipupa instead of allowing him to push towards his original course, why, why, why…? And you stand here, before me, preaching broad mindedness or whatever you called it. Patriotism my foot; go to hell with your broad mindedness. Please get off me now and leave me alone. Do you hear me?

Yes, I get you perfectly and you have all the reasons to be so crossed. But I am so glad that you brought these significant points up, my dear friend and brother. Indeed, these are still parts of what I am talking about. If our past leaders made such mistakes, in their times, must we as youths continue to brood over and dwell on them in this modern time? Truly, my father told me that they even sewed clothes to welcome the Biafrans then, but were sorely disappointed about what later became of it.

Pointing his left forefinger straight at him, Saviour snapped, You see now, you are giving flimsy excuses to…

No! Iginla quickly snapped, It was indeed so devastating and regrettable. I, Iginla Oluwasegun Oluwayose, sincerely apologise, on my people’s behalf, for those points which you have raised. They were all valid, but can’t we forget them now and try to begin to chart a new course for posterity’s sake? Back to my point, I am aware that the great and only Zik of Africa spoke more than one Nigerian language. I believe that our greatest undoing was not realising that unity is, indeed, strength. If at independence we had realised this, we could perhaps, by now, be discussing and speaking fluently in five languages namely: Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, English and French. Yes and I stand by my assertion. Being surrounded by four Francophone countries of Chad, Cameroun, Niger and Benin Republics could have been viewed as an essential reason for making the study of French and English compulsory at the primary school level. Also, because of the diversity in our professed oneness, the same could have been for our three main indigenous languages.

Saviour finding him convincing, unconsciously and involuntarily, said, "Yes, my brother, you have a point there! If our leaders had done this, both of us could by now be discussing interchangeably not only in English and French but also in any of our main native languages: Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. For God’s sake must we, as Nigerians, continue to use English in Nigeria when we communicate with each other or gather, as citizens, in a forum to discuss matters of common national interest? When we leave the shores of this country and meet as Nigerians, must we be speaking in English? If we are in an international forum and in the midst of other countries and nationalities, must we not speak and understand each other in our local languages? Must we as the leading nation in West Africa continue to speak English and use interpreters to talk to our Francophone West African nationals? Remember, these are the people we aspire to dominate and lead. How do we do that when we cannot speak either their native languages or French which most West African countries speak?

Yes, if I understand you, we could have, interchangeably, been speaking with and answering each other in our native languages at will. We must not also be employing the services of French interpreters whenever we conduct official and unofficial businesses with nationals of our immediate neighbouring countries, Iginla replied.

Saviour, snapping to continue, said, Truly, developing the Pidgin could have been a non - issue. And if there is need for it, ours could even have been easier and richer than other Creole languages. That is if our three major and other minor native languages with English and French gelled over time. Creole or pidgin is a culmination and melting of different or a mixture of other languages when used over time, as I had been made to understand. Thus, in our march to nationhood these five languages, and more, could have gelled over time to give us a brand of Creole. Indeed, that metamorphosis could have, one day, been a single language truly indigenous and peculiar to Nigeria and Nigerians alone as a lingua franca. Maybe it could, as well, be a language to be studied the world over.

Surely, it could have initially added to every Nigerian becoming a polyglot: able to speak six languages with ease, Iginla added, and continued. I believe that it is not late, we only need to resolve to remain as one. If we do and make these languages compulsory, at the Primary school level, at least, I bet you in twenty years of its introduction and vigorous pursuit, as a national policy, millions could be speaking them effortlessly and fluently.

Yes, I totally agree with you Iginla. It is surely a task, maybe a daunting one, now starring you and I, as youths, in our faces. It surely poses a serious challenge. Saviour interjected.

Iginla again offering said. "…Actually, I have a dream: to build and possibly improve on Dr Azikiwe’s landmark achievements – I dream and envision to work with people of like minds to move this country forward and completely away from ethnic