By our Correspondent.
Olaniwun Ajayi in his book, (P.71) said “Nigerian unity is only a British intention.” Lugard came here, in 1894 and, by 1914 had destroyed kingdoms such as Oyo, Oduduwa, Benin, Borno, Kwararrafa, Kalabar-Ijew, Biafra, Nupe and many others. It was the privilege of his wife, Flora Lugard, to name these amalgamated nations as “Nigeria,” and which this writer described as “the steering wheel of the skidding car.”
The story of the battles, which led to the defeat and surrender of these kingdoms are well known to students of Nigerian history. What has not been adequately documented is the mortal damage done to our culture, autonomy and civilization leading to the current collapse of Nigeria as a Nation State.
After all, only 6 Nigerians signed the Amalgamation Document, in 1914, namely: (1) HRH Maiturare Sarkin Mussulumi and Sultan of Sokoto; (2) Usuman Dan Majo, who later became Emir of Kano; (3) Sir Kitoyi Ajasa, a lawyer; (4) HRH Oladugbolu Alaafin of Oyo; (5) HRH R. Henshaw (Obong of Calabar); and (6) Abubakar Shehu of Borno. These people were never – and could never have been – the representatives of the over 400 ethnic nationalities of Nigeria.
The location of the signing of the Amalgamation Document was Zungeru, in the present-day Niger State that was then the capital of the British Protectorate of the then Northern Nigeria, from 1902 until 1916. As can be seen, there were only 6 Nigerians and the rest of the 22 persons were British. One can rightly consider the Amalgamation as Fraud and that, in any case, the ‘Edict’ expired in 2014.
The Document stated that, “After 100 years, each party can reevaluate and determine, if they want to continue together or go their separate ways.” Nigeria technically expired in 2014. So, we can at least renegotiate the terms of continuing as a single Nation or Federation, Confederation or total separation.
This writer holds the view that, as the Amalgamation was fraud, so also is the present constitution. The opening word of the Constitution, which says, “We the people,” is fraud. A True Federal Constitution should be made by the people themselves in which the Federating Units enjoy adequate autonomy by right.
The visionary, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, said, “If a country is bilingual or multinational, the Constitution must be Federal, and the constituent states must be organized on linguistic basis. Any experiment with a unitary constitution in a bilingual or multinational country must fail, in the long run.”
The various ethnic nationalities were autonomous before the advent of the British Colonialism. It is these autonomous ethnic nationalities that constitute what is called Nigeria today. Because of this reasons, they deserve self-governance in accordance with such autonomy.
In the midst of the struggle for self-determination, the first Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewla, and his colleague in NPC is recorded to have said, “Since 1914, the British Government has been trying to make Nigeria into one country, but the Nigerian people themselves are historically different in their backgrounds in their religious beliefs and customs and do not show themselves any sign of willingness to unite.”
In ‘Nigerian Lesson,’ published in The Times (London), July 15th, 1999, Sir Peter Smithers admitted that, “Forcing several different ethnic and cultural groups into a single political structure was a grave mistake. Significantly, the control of the Police and the Military, in the retrospect of 40 years, it was clear that, that policy was a grave mistake, which has cost many lives and, will probably continue to do so.” He went on, “It would have been better to establish several smaller states in a free-trade area.”
Those, who think that the country’s problem is simply the military, are advised to listen well to the views of the Northern establishment as articulated by Alhaji Maitama Sule. “The Nigerian Military does not constitute a separate constituency in Nigeria’s politics, but simply the armed wing of the Caliphate.”
In a Paper presented by Taiwo Akinola, held at the Roosevelt Hotel, New York, USA, 6th Sept, 1998, he said: “Those, who also claim that the current struggle is about NADECO, must come to realise that this struggle is about our future and the future of the Nigerian nationalities and State. It is the greatest challenge of our time.”
In an interview with Chief Anthony Enahoro, which was first published in Tell magazine, October 26, 1998, he said, “I feel cheated; those of us, who as young men gave our youth to the struggle for Nigeria, find almost at the end of the road that this is not what we fought for, what we worked for. That was the background to my getting in touch with old friends, and why we formed the Movement For National Reformation. I got in touch with all old comrades, and said, is this really what we worked for all those years? I even went and talked to Chief Awolowo, Dr Azikiwe and so on. Is this what it was all about hand over Nigeria to a bunch of self-seeking brutes?”
In a Text of Lecture by Prof. A. Bolaji Akinyeme at the first Abdulrahman Okene under the Auspices of The Gamji Members Association held at Arewa House Kaduna, August 16, 2001, said, “If we are all agreed that the golden years of Nigerian Federalism that in those days, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, as the first Premier of the Northern Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, as the first Premier of the Western Region, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwi, as the first Premier of Eastern Region and the Rt. Hon. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as the first and only Prime Minister of Nigeria, did not compete as to which one of them would become the richest African through the looting of the public treasury. They were really honourable and dedicated men whose likes we are still to see again in Nigerian public life.”
The country is full of Dishonourable Men and Women today – treasury looters, nepotism in all sectors of the administration, Boko Haram terrorists all spread in all parts of the country unhindered. Practically, the security services are compromised and so terrorists, kidnappers and all such criminal acts are protected by the powers that be.
Problems such as overbalanced power have distorted society values. The super-structure created by this imbalance thrives on corruption and nepotism. There can never be genuine democracy in Nigeria until the Military and the Police are reformed and reoriented, and State Police are created. Up to this moment, no common Nigerian can trust all the Security Services to protect them.
A war hero – a Four-stars General T.Y. Danjuma, who was an Army Chief of Staff and also at one time Joint Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces and, Minister of Defence, warned Nigerians early enough that, the Nigerian Armed Forces were no longer able to protect the Nigerian citizens. He advised Nigerians to protect themselves. T.Y. Danjuma is part of the remaining Senior Generals trained by the British before the British left the country.
The Sardauna of Sokoto, in his autobiography wrote: “I then made the shortest speed that I have ever made and possibly one of the most important. I arise to associate myself with the last speaker. The mistake of 1914 has come to light, and I should like to go no further. I was referring to the Amalgamation that took place in that year, between the old independent government of Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria.” (My Life; Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto; Pg.133).
In 1905, Lady Flora Lugard first used the word, ‘Middle-Belt’ to describe the autonomous groups, which were a formidable pagan strength along the course of the two rivers (Niger and Benue). The pagan belt, stretching from 8 degrees north latitude to the coast, was practically unknown to the early other ethnic groups in the so-called “Nigeria.”
Minutes of the Implication of the NCNC-NPC, by A. Emmanuel, Assistant Secretary, West Africa Department, dated 2nd December, 1958, says, “This is a very delicate matter. I have no doubt it would be a disaster, if Zik were to become PM – and I think the same would probably be true of the Sardauna or Ribadu. It also seems inconceivable that Awolowo could keep the country together even if he were elected PM.”
The present government of Tinubu should create platforms where the different ethnic nationalities and tribal groups will discuss the basis of their co-existence in the present nation-states without resorting to violent confrontations.
The struggle for self-determination by people of the Middle-Belt started early. The Northern Non-Muslim League was in 1050, Birom Tribal Union, the Birom Progressive Union in 1938, the Tiv Tribal Union, the Burrah Tribal Union, the revived UMBC, in 1955, at Kafanchan; the Lafia Conference of June, 1957, of the UMBC, which produced Hon. J.S. Tarka as the President-General, with Hon. Sir Patrick Dokotri as the Secretary-General.
Since then, many groups have sprung up. They include the Southern Kaduna Union, the Gbagyi Progressive Movement, the Middle-Belt Progressive Movement, the Zuru Ethnic Nationality, the Gbagyi Development Union and many others.
Nigeria is only a geographical area and nothing more. What is needed is the full implementation of recommendations of the 2014 National Conference, or Conference of Ethnic Nationalities, in order to entrench True Federalism, with well devolution of powers and functions between the Centre and the States, and return to Parliamentary System of government.