There is a trending video online showing the visit of Nigeria’s Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa to America.
Then, America stood still for Nigeria.
Then, America earnestly courted Nigeria’s friendship and collaboration.
The video mirrors the great state of the country Nigeria in the early 1960s – over 60 years ago!
Just imagine where Nigeria would have been today if Nigeria had continued on that trajectory; and, if the “khaki boys” didn’t “bewitch” and/or derail Nigeria in 1966!
So, when people say RESTRUCTURE/RESET/RESTORE NIGERIA to its past glory and/or to what the founding leaders of Nigeria envisaged, this is part of it!
Nigeria was at its jump start peak in the 1960s before the khaki boys, 419ners, pretenders, drug lords, etc took over.
Prime Minister (PM) Tafawa Balewa didn’t have to forge any certificate and/or perjure to become PM.
Festus Okotie-Eboh didn’t have to manufacture a nonexistent qualification to become Federal Minister of Finance. Maitama Sule didn’t have to impersonate to become Ambassador Plenipotentiary.
Ahmadu Bello didn’t have to dress himself in borrowed robes to be Premier of Northern Nigeria.
Obafemi Awolowo had no need to impress anybody outside his Region to be Premier of Western Nigeria and the venerable Nnamdi Azikiwe didn’t have to force himself on Nigeria to become ceremonial President.
The watchwords then were equity, fairness and justice.
Everybody knew everyone’s strengths and weaknesses, which were optimally accommodated and well managed for peaceful coexistence and development.
You didn’t have to be a “moneybag” to become a “leader”! Kindly ref Aminu Kano, Ibrahim Waziri, Joseph Tarka and others.
There was no FEDECO, NEC and/or INEC, yet elections were conducted for Federal elective positions with relative ease, cost effectiveness and without big Federal budgets! Poor people could contest elections and win! No bragado, no bill boards etc.
How did it happen then? Why can’t it again now?
Parliamentary and other elective representations were beyond ethno-religious affinities across the country.
For example, a Northerner was elected Mayor of Enugu twice in the then Eastern Region in the 1950s.
Then, though, “tribes” and “tongues” differed, we stood in “brotherhood”! Could same be replicated in today’s Nigeria?
The 1960s era and the periods immediately preceding that, even with all its imperfections, was and still remains in the realm of nostalgia! – a period when comparative and competitive developments were real; a period when potentials were maximized to become reality; a period when the child of a “nobody” could become “somebody” without “anybody”. That was when patriotism could be literally seen, touched and felt!
Then, suddenly, the khaki boys struck, disrupted a working system in 1966 and the center could no longer hold ever since!
So, when people say that Nigeria should be allowed to retrace her steps to where the rain started beating her; recalibrate the governance architecture as envisaged by the founding leaders of the country; and, allow people to develop and grow according to their natural endowments, are they asking for too much from those in position to do so?
The matter of the moment now is, “2027 elections” that may lead to nowhere. Just like building skyscrapers in the air!…
So far, no political party, politician and/or any elective office seeker has made Restructuring Nigeria an agenda; and, nobody seems to be questioning or interrogating them.
INEC may yet use some “Professors” to superintend over the election of “illiterates” in 2027, only for them to turn around again later to start shedding crocodile tears over their own poor condition of service!
While I had a stint in active academia, the ‘slogan’ then and probably still so now, was/is: “publish or perish”. Some harkened and excelled, while some ignored and perished academically.
So, could we as a people dare to conjecture: “RESTRUCTURE/RESET/RESTORE NIGERIA NOW OR PERISH”!?
I leave us to judge for ourselves!
Echefuna’ R G ONYEBEADI
20/10/2026.
