NIGERIA A FAILED STATE: SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

By Chidi Aloysius Nwosu (Abia writers)
Edited by Livingrich Ezeikpe
According to political theories of Max Weber, a state is defined as maintaining a monopoly on a legitimate use of physical force within its borders, when this is broken either through terrorism, insurgency etc, the very existence of the state becomes dubious and the state becomes a failed state. Wikipedia defines a failed state as a political body that has disintegrated to a point where basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government no longer function properly, weakens and its standard of living declines.

The Fund For Peace characterized a failed state as having the following characteristics,
- lost of control on its territory or of the monopoly in the legitimate use of physical force therein
- Erosion of legitimate authority to make collective decisions
- Inability to provide public services.
- Inability to interact with other states as a full member of the international community.
In analyzing these factors:
(i) Nigeria has lost her control over territory to terrorism from Bokoharam and Fulani herdsmen.
(ii) Nigerian government cannot make a collective decision-this can be seen on many issues where the Senate makes laws and the executive never executes them, causing long-term disagreement; it can be seen in the peace Corp bill that was passed but the executive refuses to implement it, and more of such.
(Iii) Nigerian government cannot provide basic public services like schools and hospitals. The politicians now send their children out of the country for academic and health services because those in the country are in ruins.
(iv) The country is finding it difficult to agree with the international community on certain issues.

Other signs and symptoms showing that Nigeria is a failed state are:
1. The executive never acknowledged any decision made by the legislature.
2. The executive do not agree among themselves. The ministers are doing what they like without the consent of the lazy president.
3. Laws made by the National Assembly are only resolutions on papers. The same crazy cabals govern Nigeria with decrees and not laws.
4 Commission of inquiries constituted by the president do not finish their mandate and when they do, their recommendations are not made public and when they are, they are never followed.
6. All the religious institutions, civil societies and human rights groups have no confidence in the government, hence are asking the leadership of Nigeria to resign.

7. The government loots her central bank (treasury) even without the consent of the national assembly.
8. There is no safe measures in the national accord for the vice president to assume leadership should the current president drop dead.
9. The government does not obey court orders.
10. The government fails to protect her territory, properties and lives of the people. In Nigeria, the Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram kill people on daily basis.
11. The government is incapable of arresting, prosecuting, convicting and jailing perpetrators of crimes from their political party and cannot investigate itself.

All the above-stated points show that Nigeria is a failed state and the best option is to grant the demand of the indigenous people of Biafra, which is the dissolution of the country and restoration of the state of Biafra and also allow the other component nations to be independent.