INTRODUCTION
The part of the geographical area of
West Africa that is today referred to as Nigeria came up as a result of the
amalgamation of the formal residents of the place by their British colonial
master, Lord Fredrick Lugard in 1914. This has an implication that before 1914
the geographical area and land mass presently referred to as Nigeria never existed;
it was not in the map.
The 1914 amalgamation was a colonial
intention to unite the protectorates and peoples of this area to form a nation
under a single government, although, sometimes after the amalgamation the
protectorates, northern and southern were administered separately under
different governments.
The British colonial policies made
the people to see themselves as strangers. Before the amalgamation, some form
of civilization flourished in these areas and the peoples of this area before
1914 were not strangers to themselves; they related with each other as
autonomous communities on the basis of trade, inter-marriages, war, land
disputes, etc. the aim of the colonialist’s decision to amalgamate this people
was to unify them and administer them as one under one government with a common
goal. But the question here remains, “was the amalgamation of the two
protectorates in 1914, in favour or to the advantage of a particular
protectorate which would imply it is to the advantage of the other group?”
The British by accident of history,
under the influence of their colonial administrative power, amalgamated the
people of the area presently known as Nigeria without the people’s concern and
tagged them “Nigeria”. The name Nigeria as given by Flora Shaw who later became
lady Lugard was influenced by the place’s geographical location across the
river Niger basin, conquered by the royal Niger company.
There is emphasis on the question of
favoritism after the amalgamation. As it could be practically and clearly seen
that all the policies and otherwise of the amalgamated people is to the
advantage of the northerners. The British argument for favoring the north more
than the rest of the groups cannot survive the test of logic and critical
political analysis and scrutiny because even if they did it under the basis and
consideration of population, one can still argue against them because the
southern protectorate that was further divided into east and west are not of
the same population to the north and so the answer to this question still
remains on the negative. Just as a political philosopher would say, the
individuals’ will are submitted to a sovereignty not to be on the advantage of
a particular people but to the advantage of all but if otherwise is the case,
then the purpose of the state is defeated.
Who knows, if it’s the case that the
British were trying to reward the north for their faithfulness to the British
policy of the indirect rule and to punish the rest for their resistance to the
policy. If this is the case, then there is a great need for Nigeria to
deconstruct and reconstruct the British structure of Nigeria which they did
configure to fail, consequently built on injustice and prejudices.
The above serves as an introduction
to the main concern and interest of this term paper, “would you agree with the
view that there is no basis for Nigeria’s unity”. This is a question of “to be
or not to be”. Before proceeding to the main concern of this term paper which
was introduced in this paragraph, it would be of relevance if I make a
conceptual clarification of terms as they are used and to be understood in this
piece of work.
CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATION
In this section of this paper, I
intend to clarify conceptually the terms as they are used and to be understood
in this work. The question: “would you agree with the view that there is no
basis for Nigeria’s unity?” one needs to ask some fundamental questions that
will throw more light to the understanding of the formal question. The
questions could be: whose view is it that there is no basis for Nigeria’s unity?
What do we mean by Nigeria, a part of the country or a holistic perspective of
its geographical land mass? What do we mean by unity? These questions, if
provided with an answer would be of help to the discuss of this term paper.
When Nigeria is used in this paper
it implies and connotes not a particular group or culture in the country but
the whole of its people. It therefore implies that am taking a universal view
of Nigeria and not a particular view of it. Unity: the concept of unity here implies the state of being in
agreement and working together; bonded to form a single unit. This is a
question begging for answer to know if there could still be a reason for the
peoples amalgamated in 1914 by the British colonialist to still remain together
as one or is there a need for separation.
MY PERSONAL VIEW OF THIS ISSUE IN
QUESTION
This question I would say is tetra
headed because it can be looked at from different points of view but one needs
to stick to a particular view point .This is not a question of a yes or a no
because it requires a series of debate before one can come to a conclusion of a
yes or a no. Nigeria, having been united, favoring a particular group calls for
deconstruction and reconstruction of the British structure in order to still
retain the unity as a nation, and to save the country from the great perils and
dangers of partiality and injustice.
Nigeria as its structure and default
organization is today is a configuration of failure. One may be interested to
know why I said so; for instance, the Nigerian coat of arm contains four
capital values or virtues as the case may be. The virtues are unity and faith,
peace and progress. Even when these four virtues are there, I still stand the
ground with my feet to say that the virtues are incomplete without justice when
it comes to the administration of a nation state. This is just an implication
that because of our quest for unity, we
are sacrificing justice with all our
faith on the altar of peace all in the name of making progress. Let me pose this question,
how do the leaders administer the nation to be united in faith for peace and
progress without justice? Faith is necessary here because we need to believe in
the strength of our diversity; there is unity in diversity but there cannot be
peace if there is no justice and this implies that the possibility of progress
is on the negative because we cannot progress without peace. It is our faith that
with peace there is unity and united we make progress but there can’t be peace
without justice.
As a matter of fact, one cannot
build something on nothing and expect it to stand. The structure of Nigeria
today is sinking up in contradiction with what it is meant to be. Disregarding
the power of God as the ultimate creator, I can say that the British did create
Nigeria instead of God, and this was done on their own motives without recourse
or reference to the peoples involved. Nigeria is an arbitrary creation of the
British. Truly Nigeria was amalgamated in 1914 but was not integrated. Is it a
case that staying together for close to 100 years implies there is unity? The
answer to this question, for me is no because it is a pitiable thing that even
at the eve of our centenary (1914-2014), Nigeria is still in search of
Nigerians; it is still a question of to be or to depart.
THE SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS
PROBLEM OF NIGERIA
I believe that it is a case that if
problems, disputes and misunderstandings were not encountered on the long run,
there would be no basis on which one would be posing the question “would you
agree with the view that there is no basis for Nigeria’s unity?” these problems
are mostly encountered in the social, political and religious endeavors or
wings of our nation. These problems have triggered many questions begging for
answers.
Social problems of Nigeria
It is absurd to say that Nigeria is
being marginalized by Nigerians. The social problem of this nation state called
Nigeria is on the basis of who would gain more advantage, who would be given
preference over the other. Instances of this could be seen at the educational
sector of the country. Why should a northerner be given more chances and
granted educational amnesty over a southerner even when the latter is better in
academics. For example: two candidates applying for a course in the university,
one from the north and the other from the south. After formal examination, the
two got the same mark or the southerner got few marks above the northerner and
the northerner is granted admission at the expense of the southerner. Now the
argument for this is that the northerner is educationally disadvantaged, but
the question is, was it a cause of the southerner? Why the northerner should be
granted educational amnesty over and against the southerner even when the
formal education system is the effort of a westerner, Obafemi Awolowo, coupled
with the effort of Christian missionaries.
The example above is one of the
issues that call for the question of if there is still a basis on which the
country should remain united; is there a need for separation? There are similar
issues at the political backgrounds of the country.
Political problems of Nigeria
In the political administration of
Nigeria, the first and major problem is that the politicians practice politics
without ethics. There is no morality or it is on the minimum in Nigerian
politics. Acquisition of seats in offices is all about who rigs out who. It’s
tearful and very shameful that the most freest and fairest election (June 12)
in the country was annulled for no just reason. This is what I would prefer to
call electoral and political tragedy; injustice in the strict sense and
malpractice of the highest order. The qualified and those who merit different
seats in administrative offices are rather not getting it because of the
political idea and concept of ‘god-fathernism’ in the country.
Now regarding to the upcoming 2015
presidential election, the northerners under the instrumentality of Boko Haram
are threatening brimstone and fire, there would be bloodshed if Jonathan should
contest for the election. Is it a case that Jonathan is not eligible for the
seat or that he did not meet the requirements of candidacy for presidential
election? On the contrary, the Niger delta people are also given their
condition for peace and that is if and only if President Goodluck Jonathan must
emerge the president in 2015 presidential election. These are people speaking
as if they have the monopoly and franchise of violence. These are the kind of
statements that cannot help in nation building. These are the things that would
not let Nigeria work. Now where are we, which stand do we take when threat is
coming from different dimensions of the country? Come to think of it, power has
stayed in the north for 39 years out of the 53 years of Nigeria’s independence.
In the distribution of resources, it
seems the whole revenue generated from the resources are been taking to a
particular part of the country. Nigeria is a country of 36 states; 19 of these
states are in the north while the remaining part of the country shares 17
states. The country has 774 local governments with the north having 419 while
the remaining two parts of the country, the east and the west shares 335. I can
still go further to bring it to the fore that there are 136 seats in the country’s
house of representatives; 68 of these seats were given to the north in the times
past as a condition to still remain in and under the fold of Nigeria while the
rest groups share 68 making it 34 seats for each group, the east and west. This
is what I would simply like to refer to as the 68, 34, 34 equation of the
Nigeria house of representative seats allocation. If this is the case on what
basis will they not win if they make a proposal in the assembly? Their proposal
would always pass as far as they all supports it.
When it comes to distribution of
resources and revenue/funds, it is been done based on land mass and population.
There is deliberate falsification of results and facts in order to favour a
particular place for example, Kano a state in the north of the country and Lagos
a state in the west were said to have the same population density in the time
past. A state, Jigawa was further created out of Kano and Lagos has always
remained as it was. Even after the creation of a state out of Kano, it is still
taken to be a fact that Lagos and Kano are still of the same population
density, taking reference from the population result of the last census. Who is
fooling who? This is a pure and deliberate falsification of fact in favour of
the north. The British configured everything to the advantage of the north by
granting them double of anything and everything the rest of the group gets and
this has been the way things are since 1914 till date.
This is a political injustice and an
administrative malpractice: Why should the government mine the crude oil from
the Niger delta and went ahead to build the largest refinery in the north,
Kaduna? Revenues are awarded to states
based on land mass and population and it is crystal clear that almost half of
the country’s land mass is attributed to be north and they are said to be the
most populated under the basis of falsified facts of population census result,
and for this reason they are given the higher revenue funds even when these
revenues are not generated from resources mined from their territory. The
northerners are being giving undue privileges. Sharia police in the north
destroyed thousand bottles of bear in their territory and at the same time,
they collect more of the revenues generated from the value added tax gotten
from the sales and consumption of alcohol. These are the things that are not
letting Nigeria work. Sokoto state once chose their acronym to be “born to
rule” though this is altered at the intervention of other groups, but the
mentality and philosophy behind the coinage is still intact.
Problem of federation
Despite the fact that the people of
Nigeria were amalgamated under a common political authority by the British in
1914, the north and the south developed unevenly. At independence, Nigeria was
shot through the feelings of suspicion: northerners feared domination by the
more advanced southerners, who in turn feared domination by the larger north.
As at then, the three main political parties derived their strength from the
region each one of the controlled. The federal system of government could not
contain these fears of domination which were compounded by the absence of
effective national political parties committed to national integration.[1]
Religious problems
There is freedom of worship in the
country in the sense that one is free to join a religion of his choice but some
religions are imposing there practices upon others for example the Islamic
religion, the Muslims who think they have the monopoly of violence that in everything they would be
threatening people with violence.
A major problem here is that religions
are interfering with the government. Money are been taken from the state bag to
send people to holy lands like Israel and Mecca. As I know, religion is meant
for the state and not the state for the religions. Religions now are carrying
out their projects through the instrumentality of the state and all in the name
of the state. A typical example of this is the merging of two missionary
schools of different religions together, which may be as a result of one
religion trying to suppress the other.
INTEROGATING THE BASIS FOR
NIGERIA’S UNITY.
There is a base for Nigeria’s unity
and I equally agree with the view that there is a basis for Nigeria’s unity.
This is just a matter of accepting and appreciating our different cultural and
social difference as a result of our diversity. There is unity in diversity.
For the fact that the country is made up of different cultures and peoples that
are very diverse in their backgrounds and orientation, and for the very fact
that the country has been mal-administered in the past, taken its root from the
colonial masters, does not call for separation. This very problem that has its
root from the colonial Nigeria must be brought to the present context and an
answer and solution must be provided to the questions and problems
respectively. We need to look beyond our differentials and cultural diversity
in order to see the fundamental bond of unity within us.
We
should learn how to live together, focusing on how people from childhood can be
taught how to discover people, and how education can instill in them the love
for diversity, the need for tolerance and respect for the rights of others.
Additionally, it will help us to achieve common projects and a team spirit as a
nation. There is equally a need to reform the administrative system of the
country. In reforming the administrative system of the country, it would
require a comprehensive reform package that will include political
restructuring of the country, economic independence of the states and a
diversification of the country’s sources of generating revenue and funds for
the economy.[2]
It is not the case that Nigeria is
not working because of the diversity she has. Nigeria is actually workable and
there is equally a sense that one can talk about a Nigeria before 1914 and this
is based on the premises of the robust inter-group relationship that flourished
between the people that formed Nigeria before the colonial era, although they
related with each other on the basis of autonomy. Nigeria’s existence is not
predicated on any fundamental justice and this is what is making it not
workable; but that is not to say it cannot work. There are things that differentiate
us and there are equally things that unite us, so we need not to focus on the
things that differentiate us but let us concentrate on the things we have in
common, the things that unite us.
There is a need to correct the
fundamental defect of the British colonial and amalgamation policies which were
rooted in injustice or our hope for a better future Nigeria will remain just a
hope. Reforms need to be taken seriously or Nigeria would be heading to Golgotha
for crucifixion. We must not live in denial of the fact and reality of history
but there is urgent need to correct these defects and to do this, we need to come
together and discuss the terms under which we could live together. We need to
convoke a council and have a sincere and fair dialogue on how best to live
together. This is not a conclusive issue, the country is at the verge of
exploding and if nothing is done, we may not be able to reverse the time of
disintegration.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Amalgamation as a concept is needful
in a situation of diversity where there are diverse people but should and must
not be done under the premises of injustice and preference. The political
history of colonialism and the circumstances of amalgamating Nigeria were not
voluntary. The amalgamation was not done on the basis of equality or mutual
respect of relationship. The formal people of the place called Nigeria was
deprived of the opportunity to willingly come together and this is the ultimate
problem resulting from the Berlin conference.
CONCLUSION
To keep Nigeria united is a task
that must be done. One may ask on what basis? Justice must be done and this is
what is lacking.
The differences in culture, religion,
language and other aspects of life of the Nigerian peoples have made it
difficult to form a country of one ideological orientation. This is just a
matter of managing and utilizing our diversity. It is pitiable that even after
staying together as one country, Nigeria, for close to 100 years, we are still
referred to as the peoples of Nigeria. One
can still pose the question who is a Nigerian. Nigeria does not know yet who Nigerians
are even as we are in our 50s as an independent developing country. I wonder if
it is when the country reaches menopause that these issues would be addressed.
The peoples of Nigeria in the
pre-colonial era had nothing much in common; they were not united, by culture,
religion or ideology and for this reason they became strange bed fellows when
they were brought together by the British via the amalgamation of 1914. As a
result and effect of the principle of divide and rule otherwise known as the
indirect rule system, the people of Nigeria were not closely administered
together and this brought about local particularism. Hence after the nation’s
independence there was and still the difficulty of reconciling the peoples to
be united in ideology and orientation as they are from different backgrounds,
but this does not call for separation; a solution should be provided to the
problem rather.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1.
Paul O. Irikefe. Why Nigeria is not working: the predicament and the promise. Kraft
books limited, Sango Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria. 2013.
2.
Sally
Dyson (Ed). The birth of Africa’s greatest country, volume2. From the pages of
DRUM magazine. Nigeria. Spectrum books limited, Ibadan.1998.
3.
E. Ola. Abiola. 100 questions and answers
on West African history. Omolayo standard press and bookshops co. (Nig)
Ltd, Ikere road, Ado-Ekiti. 1972.
4.
rev. Fr. Mark Eneojo Odah. Wandering in
the wilderness, (A critical reflection on Nigeria @ 50. Kingsley’s 15
Monrovia street, New Heaven, Enugu. 2010.
4.
Obafemi Awolowo. Thoughts on Nigerian
constitution. Ibadan, Oxford
university press. 1966.
5.
Michael Omo… Certificate history of
Nigeria.
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