Critique of Ben Murry Bruce's book tittled "Commonsense Revolution"

By Ochuba Chichebe.

Though Ben was good enough to outlined the numerous problems facing Nigeria, and patriotic enough to have offered some solutions. But he was quick enough to blame Nigerians and the government for these problems. The summary of Commonsense Revolution was a pinpoint of our problems, failures and corrective messures to be taken. My initial expectation was to see a dramatic and systematic step towards surmounting our foundational challenges. In other words, the book is an articulation of what ought to be, rather than what is. This is to say that, is highly idealistic and apologetic. Though there are some elements of objectivity when he deployed comparative analysis. But this scientific gesture did not conform with some of his anaysis. In other words, there is a problem of coherence which made it illogical. I therefore, with the following points, see it as an expression of views rather than reality:

Having made tribalism and ethnicity the major bane of Nigerian development. Having as well, criticised and blamed Nigerians and the government for banes, by taking preference of federal character principle and regionalism in allocation of national cake against merit and capability. Ben bluntly refused to take notice of the nature and character of the Nigerian state. Scientifically, you dont make prediction when you have not established any correlation. So if you want to blame Nigerians, you must first establish the foundational relationship between the so called Nigerian state and her citizens? Is Ben oblivious of the history of this country? Did he not know that there was at no point these people he accused of being tribal agreed to live as brothers and sisters? Or is Ben not aware that a large number of Nigerians do not believe in the so called 1999 constitution imposed on them? I was even more shocked when Ben said there was nothing like tribalism in the post-independence era. Is either that Ben lacked full knowledge of history, or he was pushed to decieving many of us that are yet to read history into believing that post-independence was without tribalism. One of our forefathers which Ben decribed as the best president Nigeria never had (Chief Awolowo) onces said "Nigeria is mere geographical expression" Is it not yet time for us to address that phrase? Or should will continue to pretend as Ben has suggested? Is not good enough for him to condemn anybody without asking the Nigerian govt. to do the needful. On this issue, i conclude that Ben only admonished Nigerians to forget who they are and accept who they are not.

Ben also spoke about underdevelopment (though he did not use the word underdevelopment) and accredited it to corruption, mismanagement, lack of patriotism, and the principle of going to Abuja to share the national cake. Well, i agree with him that Nigeria is underdeveloped. But disgree with his causes . All those things mentioned above are just peripheries. The core cause lies with the political structure of the state. Federalism and capitalism are not our ideologies, so if we must practice them, we must do it strictly on the basis of their orgins (USA). In USA, where Ben had his education, the constituent states control their resources and pay tax to the centre. Local governments are autonomous and cause grassroot development. Is Nigerian federalism the same? The center is the super power which contravened the principle of federalism by K.C Whare. I had expected Ben Bruce to ask the Nigerian state to go back to what many described as true federalism and not asking us to be patriotic. Problems are solved systematically and not by mere wishes.

Addressing the problem of youths, Ben, no doubt made some good suggestions, especially the fact he admitted that the youths are the most valuable resources Nigeria has, and therefore must be accorded number one priority. In this regard, Ben was more of hypocritical than realistic as demostrated at his 60th birthday where he treated the Nigerian youths/students as second class citizens. This was in total contradiction of his doctrine.

About the third alternative to APC and PDP, which he described as "patriotism" Ben was being economical with the truth. The truth remains that an average Nigerian youth prefer to be loyal to his primodial state to the Nigerian state. Because they do not believe in the state called Nigeria.

In general and in conclusion, though, there are some commonsense in the Commonsense Revolution, but Ben should have known that the solution to Nigeria's problems does not lies in the Commonsense Revolution in his perspective of commonsense, but in the foundation of the state. We must take a critical look of our foundation. "Nigeria is a mere geographical expression" said one of Nigerian philosopher.

Lastly, i will suggest that Ben Murry Bruce to find a book tittled: "The two Publics" by Peter Ekeh. This book captured clearly, the root cause of Nigeria problems and offered systematic solution. The book is more of scientific.

My name is Ochuba Chichebe #Trying to see things differently#

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