Dapo Thomas
Ten years ago, I did a tribute to Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, the Minister of External Affairs under the Babangida administration, it was titled: Bolaji Akinyemi @ 70: A Tribute. In obedience to natural order, I have titled this one, Bolaji Akinyemi @ 80: Another Tribute. When you talk of “interlectualism” Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi is in the category of thinkers like Kenneth Waltz, Richard Rosecrance, Johan Galtung, Martin Wight, Ernst Haas, Anthony Giddens and Ernest Gellner. The neologism “interlectualism” (my coinage), means the knowledge of the mechanics, dialectics and technology of international politics and the variances of its theoretical and practical application. The noun is “inter-lectual”. These scholars are regarded as the unswerving colossi of international relations. They are men whose intellection defers infallibility. They are thinkers who have used their superlative ingenuity and enterprising intellect to inject elegance and flamboyance in the study of international relations through massive production and manufacturing of unassailable theoretical collections.
The contributions of these thinkers to theoretical constructs like realism, liberalism, critical theory, theory of international society, postmodernism, theories of the state and theories of the Nation are indicative of the engaging romanticism in international relations discourse analysis. Considering the depth of work done in international relations by Prof. Akinyemi, his pervading humility notwithstanding, there is no argument and debate as to his creative capacity and academic intensity. Like any other intellectual of his stature and status. Akinyemi has courted sumptuous controversies with his western ideological mantra which provoked opprobrious flagellations from Nigeria’s leftist apologists and Marxist disciples. However, there is no scholar with such surplus endowments that will allow the dimunition of his cerebral products by a college of persecuting antagonists. So, when his persecutors rose with malevolent vehemence against some of his popular policies, and concepts like Technical Aid Corps scheme, ‘Black Bomb’ and Concert of Medium Powers. Akinyemi fought back with gladiatorial imperialism, more or less accusing his critics of attitudinal deficit and philosophical indebtedness.
On Akinyemi’s ‘Black Bomb’ suggestion, the Nigerian Tribune of Augsut 21, 1987, wrote this: “Akinyemi’s position is totally unacceptable…in the first place, Prof. Akinyemi wanted a “Black Bomb” so that in case there is an outbreak of nuclear war, black people can lump one or two of their own and die satisfied that they have inflicted casualties on other races – amazing reasoning, considering that the probability of a nuclear war is highest among the races that Professor Akinyemi will like to have the satisfaction of seeing annihilated by a black bomb in the event of such a war…Besides, Nigeria cannot even contemplate the use of such a bomb in a war of liberation…”
Flaying the policy in very harsh words, the Nigerian Tribune blasted: “A country, which has no basic weapons industry can hardly expect to be a successful nuclear power. Nuclear weapons do not deliver themselves. The means of delivering them call for a massive industrial infrastructure, which Nigeria cannot pretend to have,. If our policy makers will only remind themselves, regularly, of the environment which they operate, they will save themselves, the trouble of articulating, ideas and programmes which are not only unrealistic, but also contemptuous of the attitude and aspiration of the generality of the people”.
Dazed by the scathing attack of his novel ‘Black Bomb’ idea by the Nigerian Tribune, Prof. Akinyemi failed to offer any defence in his reaction. The opportunity to do this came during what he called: “Two Years of Foreign Policy: A Self-Assessment. At a press briefing he organised in August 1987 to tell the international community about his stewardship, Prof. Akinyemi only discussed the Technical Aid Corps Scheme and the Concert of Medium Powers. He said nothing about the Black Bomb in his presentation.
Hear him on TACs: “These critics forget or are unaware, that the judicious exercise of a nation’s diplomacy is part and parcel of the process of economic recovery. For how can Nigeria promote its exports, attract foreign investments, re-schedule its debts and diversify its trading partners, among other requirements of our economic restructuring programme, without the effective exercise of foreign diplomacy?”
The Nigerian Tribune fired back at Akinyemi, this time, on another concept he called: “Concert of Medium Powers”. “Even if we wish to give some credit to Akinyemi’s vision, we are at a loss as to the criteria used in determining which countries fit into the ‘Medium Power’ category. It is, surely, stretching the concept a bit thin to describe Senegal, Zimbabwe and Nigeria as Medium Powers”.
This same argument was raised by this writer ten years ago, in this submission “If by intenraitonal ranking and standard, Britain is regarded as a ‘Middle Power’, pray, what then qualifies Nigeria for this group despite not being a nuclear power? However, what has created this impression is its pretentious strategic importance as a regional power in Africa. But when did regional swaggering become a sufficient criterion for ‘Middle Power’ qualfiicaiton”.
Even though TACS also generated a backlash among scholars, journalists and public policy analysts, I want to submit with very strong conviction and assertiveness that the Scheme is the most brilliant and enterprising concept ever conceived by any academic or anyone that has ever held the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs in this country. This view is reinforced by the fact that TACS is still one of the critical components of Nigeria’s foreign policy till today.
In a nation where policies suffer summersaults and serial abandonments as a result of politics, invidious competitions, successor-predecessor rivalries, for TACS to have survived eight administrations with a life span of 37 years attests to Akinyemi’s perspicacity in foreign policy. Nigeria is not a co-ordinated nation when it comes to policy legacies. I also want to submit that TACS is not sustained on government benevolence, but on the quality of its sanguine character which both the beneficiary countries and their benefactors (Nigeria) have come to accept as an enduring heritage and bond of unity among African countries. Despite the frightening perception that other countries have about Nigerians, there has not been any recorded incident of rejection by any of the beneficiary nations because the federal Government has consistently ensured that those sent abroad are worthy ambassadors of the country and not those who have the tendency to rubbish the objective of the Scheme.
Agreed that |Nigeria’s economy at this critical point of the country’s existence, is incapable of supporting alms-giving foreign policy, what is unquestionable is the fact that Nigeria cannot stop its Big Brother’s role even in the face of its dwindling fortunes. TACS remains the only foreign policy instrumentality that the country can use to boost its image and leverage on when it comes to positioning its citizens in strategic international organisatons. The absence of Nigeria and Nigerians in some of these international orgnisations may lead to diplomatic atrophy for Nigeria. As it stands, TACS is one of the very few effective foreign policy instruments that still make Nigeria relevant in international relations and international politics. Should Nigeria decline further in international relevance, there will be nothing noble that its citizens can be proud of. This will be a pathetic narrative of a nation that was once a force to reckon with in global politics and that was once touted as Giant of Africa.
One quality that transfixes me about Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi is his public life Puritanism. At a time that writers like Richard Sennet (author of The Fall of the Public Man) and others are evaluating the “imbalance between private and public experience, and the decline of involvement in political life in recent decades,” Prof. Akinyemi brushed aside such apprehension by staking his integrity for the service of his country and humanity.
Between 1975 and 1985 when he was appointed the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) by Gen. Murtala Muhammed and the Minister of External Affairs by the Babangida administration respectively,. Prof. Akinyemi’s profile as a public man has reached an apotheosis that was the envy of his colleagues in the academia. In a country where people go to the mountain tops to solicit for the intervention of assorted celestial enchanters in securing government or political appointments (no matter how short) just to have access to public funds, it is remarkable that Prof. Akinyemi maintained an apostolic lifestyle by not getting involved in any sex or impropriety scandal either as a University lecturer or as a public officer. The major public fracas he was involved in were the series of professional disputations he frequently engaged in with his colleagues and journalists. This should be expected. A man who attended prestigious institutions like Igbobi College, Christ’s school, Ado Ekiti, Fletcher School of Law and diplomacy, Tufts University, Medford, Massachussets, Temple University, Philadelphia and Trinity College, Oxford, England; a man who got his Ph.D at the age of 27 and also got influential appointment like the DG of NIIA at the age of 33 would not have been naturally humble as to submit his esoteric postulations to the undignified and prejudiced assessments of his traducing critics.
There is no doubt that Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi’s contributions to Nigeria’s foreign policy and scholarship are imperishable. His ideas are saliently legendary; his visions are full of uncommon orthodoxy; his understanding of power politics is transcendental. His methodology to issues in contemporary international relations is radically conservative. His teaching and treatment of international politics is epistemological. His lore is squeezed in the intellection of his personality
His works manifest the energy of a gerontocratic prodigy who has an inclination for details and facts. His seminal endowments are devoid of any impressionism as he is gifted with the oratorical capacity to deliver products of his nuclear intelligence in a manner that will make you marvel at his diligence. In a saner clime where brilliance is recognised and appreciated, a personality like Bolaji Akinyemi will be celebrated as an icon of invaluable resourcefulness.
Bolaji Akinyemi’s radicalism, generousity religiousity, humility, erudition, intransigence, piety, punctuality, egotism, and popularity are special attributes that epitomize a scholar who is an ‘interlectual’, intellectual and a genius of intriguing humanity and existential realism.
**Dr Dapo Thomas teaches International Relations at the Lagos State University.