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Tuesday 1 January 2013

99 Years Of Nigeria As An Entity, Which Way Nigeria?

Our Problems Started Yesterday, why Blame Today, Some Will Say?
Lord Lugard says and I quote “The North and the South are like oil and water, they will never mix.” 
Lord Lugard knew the truth this much but went ahead and amalgamated the North and the South.
Our problems started yesterday, why blame today?
The late visionary leader, Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo says and I quote “Nigeria is only a geographical expression to which life was given by the diabolical amalgamation of 1914, that amalgamation will EVER remain the most painful injury a British Government inflicted on Southern Nigeria” 

History has it that Lord Lugard came to Nigeria about 1894. Although, many people did not know that Major Lugard was not originally employed by the British Government. 
He was first employed by East Indian Company, by the Royal East African Company and then by the Royal Niger Company. It was from the Royal Niger Company that he transferred to the British government. Unless you have a fore knowledge of this, you might only be gambling with the root cause of problems in Today's Nigeria. Suffice me to refer to the memoirs ''The Almagamation Of Nigeria Was A Fraud''  By Richard Akinjide QC, SAN '

The only prime minister of an independent Nigeria, Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa,  says and I quote “The Southern people who are swamping into this region daily in such large numbers are really intruders; we don’t want them and they are not welcome here in the North. Since 1914, the British Government has been trying to make Nigeria into one country. 
But the people are different in every way, including religion, custom, language and aspirations… we in the North take it that Nigeria unity is only a British intention for the country they created. IT IS NOT FOR US”.

Richard Akinjide SAN noted that ''The interest of the Europeans in Africa and indeed Nigeria was economic and it's still economic. They have no permanent friends and no permanent interests. Neither their interests nor their friends are permanent. Nigeria was created as British sphere of interests for business. In 1898, Lugard formed the West African Frontier Force initially with 2,000 soldiers and that was the beginning of our problems.

Anybody who wants to know the root cause of all the coups and our present problems, and who does not know the evolution Nigeria would just be looking at the matter superficially. Our problems started from that time and Lugard was what they called at that time imperialist. A number of British soldiers, businessmen, politicians were very patriotic. But I must warn you; they were operating in the interest of their country. Lugard became a Lord''.

Would we now conclude, Sir Balewa and chief Awolowo was mistaken in their thought of 'There's No Nigeria' ?

''Today, we see a renewed interest and courageous fight for self government, regional autonomy, succession  sovereign national dialogue, fiscal federalism, etc.   The reason for this frustration, anger and fights is not only because of the economic and political injustice but lack of coherent national core value system that gives sense of patriotism and empowers the peoples of Nigeria to believe in themselves and their national leadership.  

Since Nigeria gained independence in 1960, she has had many kinds of government – unitary, parliamentary, Military and for the last thirteen years, a democratic presidential system.  Yet, despite Nigeria’s enormous human potential and abundant natural resources, the promise of these various governments has been a dismal failure.  The nation’s leaders have not kept their promises but floundered and left the Nigerian masses worse than when they were under their slave master, Britain''. C. Kingston Ekeke Ph. D.

Our Problems started from yesterday, why blame today, some still say ? January 1, 2014 will mark 100 years since the Amalgamation of Nigeria, so Which way Nigeria?


Ayo Ajayi










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