Prince Justice Faloye, president ASHE foundation has reiterated the need for leadership in Nigeria to embrace the importance of imbibing Chapter Two of the Federal Constitution as a panacea for achieving Nigeria dreams.

Faloye who is the national publicity secretary of Afenifere has also maintained that Nigeria greatness will be anchored on holistic understanding of this particular chapter, expressing confidence that with the Social Democratic Party SDP’s approach, achieving greatness becomes easy.

In a continuation of a serial breakdown of the Chapter II content, Faloye highlighted more on the imperatives of the blueprint.

He stated: “Chapter Two of the Nigerian Constitution is a comprehensive outline of how to govern Nigeria to Greatness through Social democracy and Welfarist Economics. Section 13 stipulates it as applicable to all levels of government, while Section 14 stipulates that the primary function of government is welfare and security. Unfortunately since the Citizens cannot sue the government, the politicians have ignored Chapter Two and wrecked havoc doing exactly the opposite.

Thanks to SDP Presidential Candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo that has shunned the political, religious and personality politics to bring the non-implementation to the front burner of political discourse, linking the fragile state of the nation to the neglect of the provisions of Chapter Two. Especially Section 15 that spells out the political objectives of promoting national integration, unity and non-discrimination. And, Section 17 that spells out the social objectives based on ideals of Freedom, Equality and Justice. These sociopolitical objectives are also tied to Section 21 Cultural Objectives and Section 23 National Ethics.

Nigeria has over 520 languages spoken by 371 distinct ethnic groups and this large number of ethnicities is a source of ethnic conflict and national disunity if not managed properly. Section 21b encourages development of technological and scientific studies which enhance cultural values and can help us resolve the national question. Development theories have proposed several indices in order to model ethnic diversity with regards to conflict, measured as an ethnic heterogeneity index. This include an ethno-linguistic fractionalization index defined as FRAC or ELF, and the recent Q polarization index as a more appropriate measure of ethnic division. Ultimately, the solution is to develop a Civilizational narrative from Origins to Utopia to bring the tribes together in manageable blocs to help national intergation.

The failure to follow Chapter Two prescriptions of Economic Welfarism and adoption of Neoliberal economics known to cause ethnic conflict worsens the threat to national intergation, unity and justice. Genetic studies have also compiled a global index of genetic values and ethnic relationships, which helps with the task to group the tribes into more manageable blocs known as civilizations. Civilizations are made up of tribes that share the same genetic origins and cultural values, the way of doing things. There are about four major world civilizations, two of which are in Nigeria and across Africa, namely the Indigenous African and Afroasiatic civilizations. The other two are the Western Christian and Asian Buddhist civilizations.

The Nigerian State recognizes the two civilizations in Nigeria, and made the Sultan of Sokoto, the leader and permanent chairman of the Northern Afroasiatic/Afro-Arabic civilization, and Ooni of Ife, the leader and permanent chairman of the Southern Indigenous African Ifa-Afa-Iha-Fa civilization. It is easier for the two civilizations than 371 ethnic groups to negotiate and agree on the Nigerian quest for national intergation, unity, freedom and Justice stipulated in Chapter 2 Section 15 and 17. However Section 21 objectives with regards to promoting culture has to be addressed to make the Civilizationism work.

British colonists left the well articulated and familiar Abrahamic Afro-Arabic civilization intact, but balkanized and decivilized the Indigenous African Civilization into hundreds of colonially inspired tribes. Different linguistic rules were used to create gaps between the continuum of dialects that spread from Southern Nigeria to South Africa known as the Niger-Congo ethnolinguistic family. The civilizational core was divided into two groups, Yoruba and Igbo, by using two different linguistic methods to write the languages in English, which over a few generations, taught through churches and schools, widen the gap between what was a continuum of dialects that shared the same 16 sector knowledge bank known as Ifa/Afa.

Epistemicide, the intentional killing, silencing, or devaluing of the traditional knowledge Bank and institutions, was to prevent the civilizational linkages among indigenous African ethnicities. For example, with the Yoruba Bible, it misconceptialized Esu, the essence of information, communication and analysis, and equated it to the Abrahamic Satan/Devil. Legally, it banned Obaluaye, the essence of structure. In what became Ndigboland, Ekwensu, the main essence of Iron businesses that made them the civilizational industrialists was demonized. Therefore according to Section 21, these cultural essences, values and identities must be rectified to promote the proper identity and values.

The intent of Section 14 that spells out that social democracy and Sovereignty belonging to the people, and Section 17 Social Objectives of freedom, Justice and equality is sabotaged by the flawed electoral system that enables prebendalist governance. Politicians use their ethnic and cultural identity for personal political gains while disinterested in the content necessary for moral values and the spirit of the Constitution. The political system lacks the input of the traditional institutions that are the bastions of cultural and religious identities being used. We have only adapted constitutions from other countries, without the spirit and cultural values known as constitutionalism.

Therefore the SDP Presidential Candidate Prince Adewole Adebayo is looking at repairing civilizational linkages and making the National and State Traditional Rulers Council to be the custodians and guarantors of INEC. The electoral system requires both short term stakeholders like professional politicians as well as cultural custodians acting as longterm stakeholders that the people could hold accountable. The coming together of the cultural custodians will foster unity and trust in the system, since it is representative from the roots.

With respect to Section 19b – African integration and unity – with the realization that the two civilizations account for most of Africa, the bi-civilizationalism can be used to strengthen and take a leading role as the Africa Giant to integrate and unite all Africans.