Having examined Nigeria's many problems, it's very difficult to point to one reason why our nations have remained under developed and backward. But i think one of the many reasons, which to me gave rise to some other problems is the Amalgamation of 1914. I don't see why people with different cultures, languages, socialities etc will be forced together to live in the same building without first discussing on how they want to live together. It's like putting an Israeli and a Palestinian or Arab in the same room and ask them to live as one indivisible element. We all know how it will end up. The Nigerian-Biafran civil war is an example of what can happen when strange bed fellows are forced to live together.

We have lived peacefully forcefully ever since and things don't seem to be moving forward. Now, almost everybody agrees that the best course of action will be to convene a National conference where we'll discuss have we want to cohabit despite our differences. [size=16pt]Now the question is, WHAT MODEL ARE WE GOING TO COPY considering the fact that no nation on earth has the same idiosyncrasy as Nigeria as it pertains to ethnic make-up of the country Correct me if i'm wrong.[/size]

Make everybody answer im papa name! No be by force to be ONE NIGERIA. Why are we deceiving ourselves? Just because some greedy people are forcing this unholy marriage on us for their selfish reason then they don't want this GADDAMN country to split.I don't see how SNC will solve nigeria's crises.only a fool will say Nigeria is united with the recent happenings in the country.smh

Nigeria was once considered great solely because of her potential based on her diversity. From the deep swamp jungles to the open savanah woodlands to the sahelian open lands. Nigeria's diversity is her greatness.

There is more selfishness in dividing Nigeria than trying to build one.

The mistakes of the past should not be the legacy of our future.

I can't phantom a world without my beautiful Hausa girl.

I'm yet to find a country with a similar ethnic composition like Nigeria that has become successful.

afam4eva: I'm yet to find a country with a similar ethnic composition like Nigeria that has become successful.

U.S.A.

POTUS is half Kenyan and born from an Irish American. What more do you need?

CuntDestroyer:

U.S.A.

POTUS is half Kenyan and born from an Irish American. What more do you need?

The US is largely an English speaking country. Even though you hear terms like Irish-American, Spanish-American, African-America, they've all been unified and they know little or nothing about the prefix that added to their Americanness.

afam4eva:
The US is largely an English speaking country. Even though you hear terms like Irish-American, Spanish-American, African-America, they've all been unified and they know little or nothing about the prefix that added to their Americanness.

the second most spoken language in the U.S. is spanish close to 50million peeps speak it. Then add korean, a bit of chinnese because every city has a china town and whatever language african-americans speak, you get pizza load of culture.

By the way our problem isn't communicating but on what terms.

CuntDestroyer:

the second most spoken language in the U.S. is spanish close to 50million peeps speak it. Then add korean, a bit of chinnese because every city has a china town and whatever language african-americans speak, you get pizza load of culture.

By the way our problem isn't communicating but on what terms.

That doesn't change the fact that majority of Americans speak English. Btw, majority of the Spanish speakers in America are Mexicans and people from other Latin American countries. I think America is a bad example.

afam4eva:
I think America is a bad example.

because it smacks your initial argument out the window?

why does the U.S. still take in 53,000 immigrants yearly in their Visa-Lottery scheme? Because they understand just as the early Romans did the power of diversity.

I have always believed that Nigeria is not yet a "nation" in the true sense, but a geographical area containing different nations. If Nigeria is to progress as a country we must identify the defining characteristics of each nation within and allow them formulate laws, institutions and procedures that fit them. I don't understand why naturally republican Igbos will be forced to use the same legal and institutional framework as feudal Hausas, nomadic Fulanis and libeal Yorubas.

Our situation is a unique one, as Nigeria is the only country on earth without a single universally-spoken local language or single dominant religion. It means, therefore, that any attempt to promote one national language, ethnic group or religion will be resisted by other sections of the populace who will consider themselves "marginalized". Even as we discuss this Yorubas are "crying foul" over their alleged "marginalization" over the distribution of the top offices in the country.

The only way we can manage this situation is to make the centre less attractive by stopping the practice of sharing oil money from Abuja every month. You see, the key thing to note here is that Nigeria's oil wealth is centrally-controlled, which means that the centre is too attractive and the incentive to develop the regions is reduced. As each sectional group jostles for the available wealth in Abuja ethnic and other primordial sentiments will be whipped up. The solution therefore is to stop the central control of resources and use the oil wealth to develop the necessary infrastructure that will help each region look inwards and develop themselves from the grassroots.

But like a friend of mine once asked, who will bell the cat?

I dont think region is the problem,but the creeds that the nation is built on,which are endemic corruption and unpatriotism.That burning urge for the people to grab what ever they can get from the "national cake" is the main cankerworm that has destroyed the nation.

Split nigeria into family units without addressing the need for patriotism,selflesness and the essence of being,the "fit" in those family units will still dominate and oppress the weak.And that explains why all the regions,down to local governments are undeveloped even when they all get montly allocations from the centre.

The problem of Nigeria was aptly diagnosed by late Mommar Ghaddaffi, who recommended that Nigeria should follow the model of Yugoslavia, after previously saying it should adopt the India and Pakistan model, which is to be divided along ethnic lines. But the response of the Senate President to the recommendation was that Ghaddaffi is mad.

There needs to be a weak centre and strong component federating units by way of a confederation, and these units should have control of their resources (exploting/using them as they deem fit) and pay taxes or remit only 40% of revenue to the centre; there should be healthy competition amongst the federating units like it was in the 60's.

What needs to be done to fix this country isn't rocket science, but we are held hostage by the greedy selfish elite/politicians of all ethnicities on the one hand; and on the other, by the lily-livered elite/politicians of the south (and maybe the christian middlebelt) who can't seem to summon up the courage to tell the core north to toe the line and stop being scared to stand on their own in a confederal set-up.

PROUD-IGBO:
There needs to be a weak centre and strong component federating units by way of a confederation, and these units should have control of their resources (exploting/using them as they deem fit) and pay taxes or remit only 40% of revenue to the centre; there should be healthy competition amongst the federating units like it was in the 60's.

What needs to be done to fix this country isn't rocket science, but we are held hostage by the greedy selfish elite/politicians of all ethnicities on the one hand; and on the other, by the lily-livered elite/politicians of the south (and maybe the christian middlebelt) who can't seem to summon up the courage to tell the core north to toe the line and stop being scared to stand on their own in a confederal set-up.

Exactly.