By Muyiwa Adetiba

I once had a property I wanted to put up for sale. One of the big Pentecostal churches showed interest and sent its representatives. They looked around, and after satisfying themselves, scheduled a meeting with me.

The meeting went well until towards the end when I noticed they were uneasy about something. I looked at them expecting them to either say it out or get up.

But they looked at each other instead. Eventually, the spokesman coughed and hesitatingly said they had noticed a printing press on the property and wondered if they could talk about that too since their church wanted to own a press. They obviously did not know how I would take the request. They thought I could find it insulting and scuttle the whole deal. Instead, my smile grew wider as I said ‘everything is negotiable; just give me a good offer and we will see.’ You could see the relief on their faces.

That has been one of my guiding philosophies as an entrepreneur who has been involved in various deals over the years. I had bought and sold printing machines; sometimes with part cash and part equipment. I had done trade and barter. I had negotiated salaries for myself and for staff. I had done stock and investment deals. I had negotiated intangibles like goodwill and skill.* And I have come away with many lessons, one of which is that everything is negotiable if you know how to table it.

I have also learnt a lot from an old Israeli businessman with whom I had had at least three business deals. One of the memorable things I learnt was that the best deal at the end of a hard horse trading was when you both got up and hugged or shook hands with a smile.

Certain things are inherent to good negotiating. The first is a good knowledge of the subject matter. The second is that you must not be afraid to ask; politely, diplomatically, yes, but ask. You might be surprised at the answer you get. Then patience is invaluable; never pre-empt or jump to quick conclusions. Never, ever negotiate in anger. And always respect a man with a deliberate, logical mind.

Try as much as possible to be fair; especially if you have an advantage because a good deal usually leads to another deal and a reputation as a fair minded negotiator is an asset. Also, try to stress the positives on both sides and be as truthful as possible. It is better to be silent about your weaknesses than to lie about them. Above all, as J.F Kennedy once said, ‘Never be afraid to negotiate and never negotiate out of fear’. Finally, always look forward to that big hug or handshake at the end of the deal because it means both sides have come away with something.

It is this mindset that I want our leaders to adopt as they look to negotiate Nigeria. To start with, *those who say the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable have got it all wrong. Everything must be negotiable! We must negotiate the basis of our existence. It is what will make us stronger and more appreciative of each other. And if each nationality brings out its first eleven —people who can point out the positives in the rest of us— then it would be obvious that the advantages of staying together far outweigh the disadvantages. But we must tinker with the terms of the present arrangement.

Some nationalities exploit others while acting as a mafia to protect what belongs to them. That must stop. When does a resident or a settler become an indigene? That should be on the table too. If you feel at home in mine zone, then I must feel at home in yours too. Derivation must also take its pride of place in negotiating our nation hood.

Those whose waters and livelihood have been fouled up must take the lion share of the proceeds be it oil, gold, tin or any mineral. Those who have banned alcohol or any other form of hospitality must not enjoy the proceeds through the back door. Each nationality as delineated by zones, must be allowed to develop at its pace. But each zone must realize that it cannot be at peace if its neighbours are hostile so there has to be a spirit of give and take. The secular or multi religious state of the country must also be rigorously discussed. We should not pretend that we have only two religions in Nigeria because we don’t. Then how does each zone want to be governed? And when do the Federal laws come into play?

I believe the country must be decentralized and the zones set free. The basis of zonal interaction is what needs to be carefully negotiated. Politics and leadership must be given to those who genuinely want to serve by making it unattractive to those who have nothing to offer. Like Chief Henry Fajemirokun, the late industrialist once said, ‘Leaders must choose between money and power’. In Nigeria, money means power and vice versa.

By all means negotiate everything; but remember there must be that hand shake or hug at the end of it all if you have done a good job and have been fair to all concerned.

Finally, my take on some of the raging controversies surrounding the conference. Do we need the National Conference? Yes, I do think Nigeria needs to dialogue. It is always better to jaw-jaw than to war-war. But I think seven billion naira for a three month conference is way too much. It is profligate and insensitive. I also think nominating 25% of the total delegates is heavy handed. Is there something the Presidency wants to ram down our throats?