Dr. Dozie Ikedife is a former President General of the pan Igbo Socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze. A medical doctor, Ikedife in an interview with TONY OKAFOR in Awka, said much as he would like Nigeria to be together, the country could split into four or more, if the fundamental problems are not addressed or managed well.

By 2014, the amalgamation of Nigeria will clock 100 years. Do you believe that the action by Frederick Lord Lugard was a mistake?
The amalgamation may have been expedient when it was made, but if down the line we find that it is no more necessary then we should review it. That amalgamation was not made by God; it was not made in heaven; it was made by Lord Lugard, a human being.

One hundred years ago, the issues at stake, the facts and figures that led to that amalgamation must have changed materially, substantially both in time frame and in content and character. So, it may have been alright then but we should examine it from time to time.

For the fact that it's gone on for 100 years does not necessarily make it perfect today. And don't forget that the only thing that is permanent in nature is change. If we find that something is no more working, we should review it.

If this is no more comfortable to either the people of the north or the people of the Middle Belt or the people of the South West or the people of the South East, then we should review it. In fact, this is part and parcel of why people are calling for national conference - whether you call it sovereign or whatever.

I don't see why we should not also review the constitution because these constitutions are documents. It's not like the one Moses went and picked from Mount Sinai that was written on the rock. Even some of the aspects of the Law of Moses are subject to review today.

So, if the constitution has been unruly, unfair, improper, not workable, it should be reviewed or if you like, re-written. We made the law; the law does not make itself. The people are still agitating ana we should find out whether it is because of the amalgamation which is a marriage of inconvenience, of in compatibles.

If you have in compatibles existing together, then for the sake of peace of mind and saving of life and avoidance of hypertension, then you should review it and separate them. So whether it was a mistake then or not is not material but today we should review it and if we're not comfortable with it, we should de-amalgamate.

Is 100 years not long enough for us to have a blended marriage? Why are we talking like this in spite of us being together for almost a decade?
Don't forget that when the amalgamation was made in 1914, the North remained North; the South remained South. The areas of contact and conflict were few and far between. The North concentrated in developing the North; the West concentrated in developing the West and the East did almost the same. Now after some time the North had cotton, groundnut, cattle and other things.

The West had rubber, cocoa* the East had palm oil and whatever else they ad. Those were the main economic crops and what was obtained from them was used by the various regions to run their affairs.

Near the beginning of Independence, it became clear that we weren't the same people because when they proposed a day for independence some people said they weren't ready and the date was shifted until they became ready, showing that there were differences. After independence and the discovery of oil, the emphasis of the economy shifted from cocoa, cotton, groundnut and palm oil to oil, crude oil and then the centre acquired more power, more control over both the regions and itself.

It became necessary for people to start fighting for power at the centre rather than at the regions. Then with that greed, avarice and attempt to outsmart the others became more and more visible. Therefore people started to say, 'ah, is it really working?' they tap oil from Yenagoa, from Bonny, from Egbema to go and sell it in the north and go back and control it and we're suffering degradation of environment and no adequate compensation.

That was part of what Ken Saro-Wiwa died for. He started the agitation. That is what gave rise to militancy in the South South. We have had trouble here and there - the South East, South West, North East - all these are events that require to be studied and reason found why they exist. If they're there because of the uncomfortable amalgamation, uncomfortable marriage, then that marriage should oe reviewed. After all, if Nigeria breaks up into units, it wouldn't be the first in history. So, if we have come to the cross-roads of divide, let us do itpeacefully.

Do you think that Nigeria can be conveniently divided? And into how many parts will it be divided?
It may be up to four. That is, the Sharia north - 12 Sharia states - then the North Central, which is Bauchi, Plateau, Kogi, Kwara, Niger and then the South East, with part of South South; then the South West which more or less contains fewer ethnic nationalities than the rest. The north is just not Hausa/Fulani; there are a lot of other ethnic groups. You have the core north - the North Central. In South East and South South, there are a lot of ethnic nationalities. So four viable, convenient, sizable countries can be carved out of the present Nigeria - the core north 12 states; North Central, South West, South East and South South.

Would you say that the 1914 marriage of convenience is responsible for the do-or-die politics that we have now? It could be. As I said earlier on, the politics of the region concentrated their energy, their resources, their attention to the regions but the federal centre has become so powerful that everybody wants to be in control of the centre and that desire has fired this question of who is president, where does he come from? If we have a President that will be so even anded in the distribution of amenities and patronages and services, to me, I won't care much where the president comes from.

In America where the states have a lot of power and the federal government exercises even hand, nobody cares where the president comes from to the extent that a first generation mixed product is now president of America. So Nigeria is good if we can work together. If we cannot work together let us do bloodless surgery and go our separate ways and when we meet at the United Nations we will shake hands and perhaps even enjoy more cordial relationship.

What is your view on the insecurity that is almost threatening our unity and existence?
The insecurity is perhaps making statements about various issues. There's a lot of anger in the country. All these are indications that things are not right. These people give expression to their anger in various ways due to lack of employment. Let our youths be employed.

There's a lot of frustration in the country. I know many young men and women who have graduated in many disciplines but no employment, two-three-four years after. It is easy to tell them to go and be self-employed but you must have a little steam to let you take off. You cannot go to the moon without being launched properly. So, lack of employment, lack of happiness, people are not as happy as they used to be.

So the sooner we grapple with this problem, find out why they are agitating, why Boko Haram members are agitating, the better for all of us. Talk to Boko Haram members; they're not ghosts and there must be something directing and guiding them. Reach those people and find out what they want, then if possible assuage their feelings and let us move forward.

http://www.compassnewspaper.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3751&catid=40&Itemid=215

Thank God that NOT everybody believes in that charade called GOWON; who mouths at any given opportunity that the 'fake' UNITY of this cursed niGERia is not negotiatable

"Nigeria's Marriage, Not Made In Heaven; We Can Break It"


^^^^ true talk. When?

Cowardly stupi.dly people only run away from their problems or throw up their hands in defeat anytime adversity comes calling.

Now

DivideUs: "Nigeria's Marriage, Not Made In Heaven; We Can Break It"


^^^^ true talk. When?

CyberG: Cowardly stupi.dly people only run away from their problems or throw up their hands in defeat anytime adversity comes calling.

What are those problems, Valiant man?