TO KEEP NIGERIA ONE IS A TASK

By Patrick Amaefule

Like many other African nations, Nigeria is an artificial institution initiated by former colonial authorities which had neglected to consider the dichotomy, religious, linguistic and ethnic differences. Nigeria, which obtained independence from Britain in 1960, had at that time a population of about 60 million people consisting of almost 300 differing ethnic and cultural groups.

The integration and unification as one common structure was made successful by Great Britain and was designed out of West Africa containing hundreds of different ethnic groups, calling it Nigeria. The area was made of many different groups, the three predominant groups were unarguably the Igbo, which formed between about 60–70% of the population in the southeast, the Hausa-Fulani, which formed about 65% of the peoples in the northern part ; the Yoruba, which formed about 75% of the population in the southwestern part.

The Federation of Nigeria, as it is known today, has never really been one homogeneous government, for it widely constituting peoples and tribes of diversified culture and interest. The easily understood fact notwithstanding, the former colonial powers decided to bring the deferring groups together as one in order to effectively control her vital resources for their economic interests. From the time mentioned until the present the only familiar thing these groups had was their common name-Nigeria because each differing aspect had unique administrative ambit and pattern. This exclusively was an insubstantial foundation for true unity.

A unification that should have brought various peoples together and provided a formidable system of proceeding for the tiring task of establishing closer cultural, social, religious, and linguistic bonds absolutely necessary for true unity among Nigerians. There was division, hatred, unhealthy rivalry, and pronounced disparity in development. The Governor General of Nigeria between 1920 -31, Sir Hugh Clifford, described Nigeria as “a collection of independent Native States, separated from one another by great distances, by differences of history and traditions and by ethnological, racial, tribal, political, social and religious barriers."

It would be pertinent to digress a while ,let us consider and try to consider this new force that entered Nigeria ,The Face Of Provocation From North, popularly known as Boko Haram .
Ever since Boko Haram opened the Pandora’s Box and from that moment, the pertinacious paroxysm created by their intermittent attack on Christians in the North, many, especially Igbos have been wondering if a common course for unity is still vital as a sole dream to be actualized by the three most prominent groups that were duly amalgamated by our erstwhile colonial masters. The true tragedy of the last sixty years, before and after our independence in 1960 is that the entire effort has been a monumental depression against the Igbos.

The faceless face of Boko Haram has swayed for half a decade now causing pandemonium and has repeatedly showed humiliating footage and cartoons of the slain Igbos forcing the Igbo community to want to secede, though Igbos have had a good reputation under the umbrella of Nigerian tunic, but obviously their tolerance and patience have endured enough territorial limit even as they have been provoked beyond measure and for the sake of harmony, wear calmness as clothe but the Northern militants(Boko Haram sect ) and their sponsors( Northern politicians) should not misconstrue Igbos endurance as white-livered.

There is every indication that with only residual power left to the central government, Nigeria politically has taken a turn for the worse, and there is truly an obvious possibility of three countries emerging out of Nigeria unless we must commit ourselves and our entire strength to finding a viable solution to our national predicament which has not favoured the Igbos. The entire weight of our national aspiration cannot be balanced if Nigeria failed to put an end to genocide against the essential cog (Ndi Igbo) upon which the nation’s foundation all depends.

It is pertinent that I remind us of the mass exodus of over 300,000 Igbos from the North to the East resulting from agitation of many riots and Igbo killings in August, 1966, a replica to the chains of brutality, unprecedented bombing and killing of Igbos in the North in this era. For all it signifies, it is visible form of indifferent believe and devil’s conduct. It has recreated disaffection and panic, there is persistent preoccupation in the minds of those victimized, and as Igbos wake to consciousness, the gap between the regions widens, a wake-up call for the act of secession rings bell in their ears, unity has deteriorated, assurgency calls for new sovereignties as Nigeria wears a look of disintegration, it is approaching a terminal stage.

Sooner than later people must carry their differing culture hoist a flag of their beloved republic and ostentatious flaunting of tunics that represent many hues of a common symbol.

‘Nothing will happen in our nation, in our society which did not first happen in our minds. If wrong is rampant, if indiscipline is rife, if corruption is the order of the day, we have to search our individual minds for that is where it all starts’---Justice Oputa

Sir Hugh Clifford, described Nigeria as ‘‘a collection of independent Native State, separated from one another by great distances, by differences of history and tradition and by ethological, radical, tribal, political ,social and religious barriers ’’.

The building of Nigeria as a multi – lingual state will continue to be faulted if the ugly wing of tribalism and sectionalism of the Northern parents fashioned by many of the political leader of the North are not detracted. The leaders ride with their notorious wing, secretly heralding as crest of perpetrators, they are the sponsors of the Islamists-fundamentalists killers of the fellow citizens which Igbos are taking the highest extent of loss of lives and properties.

But civil response of the Igbo seen in the face of extreme , continual cold blooded murder of Igbos does not make them poltroon .Nation’s interest has derailed ,its direction has constantly strayed away from a strong centre towards a formidable union of differing ethnics groups that proclaim continuity and harmony.

This Federation had an ailment from inception and by January 1966, the bedridden, ailment child broke down.
From independent to January 1966 and to this present day, the Federation system called ‘Nigeria’, has been in a serious commotion, but the genocide targeting the Igbo nation put Nigeria in a worse situation.

Most of the bombing sponsors are from Northern territories, thus the Northern leaders in particular see it as a deliberate act to forestall the progress of the present government of Goodluck Jonathan in order to pave way for the Northerners to reclaim leadership role. It is a civil coup staged by Northern leaders with three aims: reduce Igbo population, destroy properties, and a breakup of the country.

Though the delicate act has swayed, senseless bombing and killing have spread through the North like wild fire, its aimless purpose cannot prevail. They have made Igbos appear to hate with the hatred of a rejected suitor but all along Igbo people have had to love all the tribes with the consuming affection of a mother’s love for her precocious child.

Riot and killing of Igbos are the immediate major cause of the Nigeria-Biafra war which altered the political equality and destroyed the fragile singleness among the major ethnic groups. As Igbos prepared to return home with news of continual brutality and chains of bombing against them, any form of peace negotiation with Federal Republic of Nigeria, the likes of the one which Late Lt.col. Ojukwu was called under the auspices of Gen,Ankrah of Ghana in Aburi, could be fruitless.

It is finished, late Ojukwu declared in 7 June, 1966, after May incident in North: ‘‘we are finished with the Federation. It is all a question of time’’. If all the three differing ethnics groups must coagulate, immediate steps should be taken to nullify all the degrees of genocide against the Igbo nation. The highest authority must make all condition suitable for co-habitation by the three ethnic groups as further means of lowering tension.
Without this, Igbos are through with the Federation. It is just a matter of time.----Patrick Amaefule