Ethnic Reconciliation

Professor Julius O. Ihonvbere, OON

Paper delivered at the Policy and Programme Retreat 2007, Organised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Delta State Chapter, Grand Hotel, Asaba, Delta State, February 2007.
I thank the Delta State Chapter of our great Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for inviting me to deliver this paper on “Ethnic Reconciliation” at this very important retreat. Ethnic issues and ethnic politics have become critical variables in our political and other calculations in the last five decades or more. All over the world, unbelievable actions are being taken within and amongst ethnic constituencies. In some cases, genocides and unprecedented massacres have taken place in the name of ethnic conflict and ethnic politics. The mismanagement of culture, identity and difference has become an excuse for promoting criminal politics, intolerance, disregard for constitutional provisions and the rights and liberties of others, especially minorities.

What is most unfortunate is that at times governments and political elites tend to overlook the signs of deterioration in ethnic relations until it is too late. In other cases, ethnic issues are taken for granted, especially by majority groups. In this instance, they underrate or overlook the process of mobilisation, strategisation, and preparedness for confrontation until it occurs. The issue, therefore, is how a government, political party, and political elite effectively responds to ethnic issues, ethnic politics, and ethnic positioning to ensure inclusion, harmony, peace, tolerance, social justice, and the full participation of all in society. This is not an impossible task if elites and decision-makers are committed, and if democratic constitutions, values and practices are strong.

There is nothing wrong with belonging to an ethnic group. It is an identity that we all carry and which, in some instances, shape our lives as we engage the factors and forces of production and struggle to survive in an increasingly complex and competitive society. In many instances, ethnic groups have been found more relevant that governments. This is because ethnic/cultural associations provide those social and welfare services that meet the needs of the individual better than government structures. An Ijaw man that lands at Ojota Motor Park in Lagos will find that issues of accommodation, employment, social security, social networking, and integration will be better met by his ethnic association than the State or Local Government. Ethnic associations do not rely on violence, bribery or intimidation to recruit and sustain members. When someone passes on in a ‘foreign’ location, it is the ethnic group, more than any government that I know, that caters for the corpse, moving it to the village, burial rites, catering for the family and property. This shows that ethnic groups are not necessarily negative. In Nigeria, we have not done a very good job at managing ethnic relations and much less at addressing reconciliation. It is only now that certain realities are starring us in the face that we are beginning to take these matters seriously. As the saying goes, “it is better to be late than never.”

There are those who prefer to see everything, including whether it rains or not, in ethnic terms. They make it sound as if some ethnic groups are made up of devils. They demonise others in order to justify certain dubious and diabolical arguments which, in reality, are designed to advance their personal interests. These ethnic magnates or commercial ethnicists will stop at nothing to fuel the fire of ethnic violence. Their negative public ethnic campaigns are usually different from what they do privately. They pay lip service or remain mute over issues of reconciliation and harmony.

If I may ask: when the Urhobos, Itsekiris, Ibos, and Ijaws in Delta state see each other, do they attack each other always? Do they do business together? Do they buy food items from each other in the market place? Do they ever belong to the same political party? Do they ever share office space or work for the same organizations? Do their children ever attend the same schools or do they attend ethnic schools? Even Urhobo College…are there only Urhobo teachers, administrators and students there? When they need medical attention, do they insist on ethnic medicine brands, ethnic hospitals and doctors? When they travel do they enter buses or vehicles owned and operated only by their ethnic folks? When they are hungry is there a special ethnic hunger? Or are there ethnic roads in Delta state that cannot and must not be used by others? Are there special forms of unemployment reserved for particular ethnic groups? When they leave this world to the great beyond is there a special ethnic death by which you can separate them? This list can go on and on and I am sure that you can all relate to them. I am also sure that no one can answer a “yes” to any of the questions above. This means that ethnic conflicts are not natural, no matter the historical explanations. It means that by and large they are invented, they are the products of ignorance, arrogance, opportunism, deliberate mis-education, tools for rationalizing inequity and corruption, and tools used, mostly by elites in their struggles for power, property and opportunities. It means that ethnic groups have always lived together, do live together and will continue to live together.

If this is the case, is it not best to seek ways to encourage all in society to reach the uppermost level of their creative and productive abilities to the benefit of all than to allow violence, suspicion and socio-economic decay and dislocation to guide our lives? In all societies you will find sanctimonious and even supernaturally-based explanations, justifications, rationalizations, and postulations on ethnic superiority/inferiority and so on. In reality, those who perpetrate these differences and reasons for intolerance are not democrats but political opportunists, mis-educated persons, and those that seek to cover their weaknesses and opportunism with ethnic blankets.

In addition, ethnic entrepreneurs, unfortunately, never proffer concrete or viable solutions to the situations of conflict. The real question therefore is: what causes ethnic frictions, contradictions, and conflicts? Ethnic conflicts and violence do not just happen, they are planned, organized, executed, reproduced, deepened and quite often, resolved by people.

The truth that we must all accept is that there will never be a time when one ethnic group will succeed in wiping out the members, culture, values, and institutions of another ethnic group, no matter how small or weak. In multiethnic communities, it is even dangerous to attempt such a mission. As ethnic group A attacks and tries to eliminate or severely weaken or contain ethnic group B, ethnic group C is preparing to do exactly same or worse to ethnic group A. This because a natural assumption is that when ethnic group A finishes with B, C may be the next. In this context the attack on A could be unprovoked or some excuse will be found to justify the attack. The spiral continues culminating in destruction of life and property, instability, corruption, waste, and the containment of opportunities for growth and development.

More importantly, no one, no matter how influential or wealthy can claim to be safe from ethnic conflicts or violence. Once the devil is let out of its cage, you never know where and when it would strike and who would be its next victim. This is why even those that plan such acts of violence often get consumed by it.

Ethnic conflicts or ethnic relations are generally conditioned by:

History and historical experience including the interpretations of history;
The composition of social classes and the struggles within and between classes;
The direct struggle for power;
Demographical balances, the struggle for space and the politics of location;
Economic self-interest based on individual interest, collective or sub-group interest;
Culture- its organization, expression, and politicization;
Myths generated, circulated, and often almost legitimated over time;
Poverty in all its ramifications;
Bad leadership, bad governance and corruption that breeds envy, anger, frustration, and ethnic interpretations and perceptions of reality;
Political manipulation by powerful elites usually to advance self-interest;
Bad government policies that wittingly or otherwise punishes, marginalizes, under-develops and weakens a section of society and the politicization of such occurrences- recruitment, retrenchment, promotion, revenue allocation, location of industries or facilities, composition of cabinets, beneficiaries from scholarships;
Careless and irresponsible pronouncements by politicians and government officials against particular ethnic groups that inflame the passion for retaliation;
Breakdown or weakening of religious, traditional, and other community-based mediation and control mechanisms that culminate in the privileging of intolerance, violence and destruction in place of dialogue and negotiation;
The reproduction of neo-colonial educational structures and programmes that do not provide education for service, mobilization, and unity but directly and indirectly seek to legitimate values, tastes, postures, misrepresented history that deepen suspicion, hatred and conflict;
Constitutional miscalculations…where, in a multiethnic society with some majority groups, minority groups are ignored and the majorities are favoured;
The existence of ethnically based political parties which is alright in a democracy but could be dangerous if such parties constantly whip up ethnic sentiments in order to survive or remain relevant;
General insensitivity to the plight, pains and cries of marginal ethnic groups where governments and elites tend to embrace a unicultural view of power and governance.

The possibilities above show that it is very important for leaders, political parties and governments at all levels to pay special attention to ethnic relations and to design pragmatic and realistic short, medium and longer term programmes to ensure reconciliation, harmony and understanding. No matter how minuscule an ethnic group may be, they can cause grave damage to the image and peace of a society. The militants in the Niger Delta are not millions but you all know what they have so far cost this country internally and externally.

Managing Ethnic Relations: Towards Ethnic Reconciliation

The challenge of managing ethnic relations is not as complicated as we are often made to believe. It takes commitment, focus, and a democratic disposition to respond appropriately. More importantly, response policies must be anticipatory and not always responsive, after the fact. Around the world, below are some measures that have been used to manage ethnic, including racial, relations:

Good governance- transparent, accountable, and pro-people
Good leadership- effective, honest, fair, accountable and sensitive
True democratic practice- anchored on dialogue and social justice
Constitutional protection and guarantees for all interest groups
Federalism or special political arrangements to protect minorities and vulnerable groups, including autonomy arrangements;
Affirmative action to allow weaker or smaller groups an opportunity to be part of the system;
Zoning or power rotation arrangements to give hope and meaning to the place and role of all ethnic groups;
Multiculturalism, a deliberate programme designed to ensure autonomy of cultures and cultural interaction as state policy;
Economic empowerment programmes, special loans, grants and other assistance;
Political appointments and balancing to ensure equal opportunity;
Education- use of the school system to teach, if you like, preach tolerance, understanding, inclusion and democracy;
Campaigns by political elites who, in virtually all statements must speak to the issues of oneness, unity, peace, love, and tolerance;
Political and administrative decentralization, mostly away from the major urban centres. This reduces pressures on the centre, disperses responsibility, and builds a sense of belonging;
Support for civil society groups and encouragement to use their location and relationships with the grassroot to promote webs and bridges of understanding and inclusion;
Legal provisions against discrimination, hate crimes and statements, and all forms of cultural discrimination;
Open statements by ethnic warlords, politicians, and leaders to the new perspective of harmony, tolerance, unity, and collective commitment to democracy and progress- special meetings, community for a, press conferences, lectures, and other opportunities.

The prescriptions above and more are dependent on the individuals, and how serous and honest they are to the cause of reconciliation. Constitutions, legal provisions, special policies, and other options would have to be implemented by persons. That is why it is critical that we get the right people into power. This is what the PDP is trying to do now. The process may not be as tidy as it ought to be but no one can deny that it is sanitizing the system and sending the right signals everywhere.

Reconciliation requires:

Honesty, leadership, truth, remorse, courage, dedication, and commitment to justice, equity, and peace;
Meeting the basic needs of all in society. The solution to hunger in all ethnic groups is the same: food. The solution to ill-health in all ethnic groups is the same- medical services. The solution to illiteracy in all ethnic groups is the same- education. The solution to ignorance in all ethnic groups is the same- information and communication. The solution to alienation, political frustration and anger in all ethnic groups is the same: good leadership, good governance, honesty, truth and social justice..
Special structures or institutions dedicated to promoting true reconciliation;
Special policies and programmes that are knows to all that are designed to correct past errors and initiate new ones;
Special campaigns, sustained over time and flexible to accommodate changes, all reflecting the new commitment, new vision, and new reality.
A new spirit of forgiveness and preparedness to break with the past.

You all, as leaders, must search your hearts, look at the faces of the elders and children, the faces of the women and decide what is best. You all know that the interactions and engagements between the various ethnic groups in Delta state can only be to the benefit of all if truly well managed. If Delta is truly the BIG HEART of Nigeria, then it must behave as such. It is the people that make it a State and how we relate to one another determines a lot. It is not be best thing to be the subject of vile and embarrassing jokes by all comedians in the country. We want to hear comedians and musicians constantly saying good things about Delta State- a State that has given and continues to give so much to our dear country. It is not the best for a local government to be referred to as ‘I go die local government.” We all laugh when we hear these things, but it is a thing of shame.

With the quality of people, leaders, and resources available in Delta State, the living conditions ought to be better. But ethnic violence, rivalry, destruction, and other underhand strategies aimed at undermining each other have complicated, contaminated and compromised leadership options and public policies. So, no matter the size of investments, federal allocation and internally generated revenues, Delta state may not develop if the ethnic rivalry, suspicions, conflicts, and destruction continue. This is just the plain truth.

Now, we have a new opportunity to put the past behind us. A new opportunity to rebuild and refocus on an inclusive, tolerant and democratic society. This is the time to support our leaders to encourage them to deliver on all their promises. This is the time to really touch-base with our people, give them hope and give meaning to their lives. We cannot hide from the society that we build with our hands and building our “personal prisons”—with high barbed-wire fences, bullet proof doors, personal boreholes, generators, security services and so on, will not protect us from the anger of the larger society. Even where the crime is perpetrated by a few, we, the elite take collective responsibility and will be collectively judged and punished by history. There is time to do better for the people and our society. Let Delta, like Kerala Province in India, where all classes, ethnic groups, sects and castes live together in peace and harmony, set the pace and example for others to follow. I know the people of this State very well, and I know you can do it. May God guide you along the way.

Thank you very much.

Asaba, Delta State,

February 2007