Today a great march and protest is taking place in
the Catallan region of the nation of Spain.
According to the polls 52 per cent of the people
from that region wish to break off from Spain and
to establish a new European sovereign state.
Later this year the people of Scotland are having
their own referendum to determine whether or
not they will stay in the United Kingdom and again,
from the polls, it is very clear that the majority of
Scots wish to have their own new sovereign state
and that the Scottish Nationalist Party enjoys
massive support. Nobody in either Spain or the
United Kingdom has insulted those people or
labelled them as ”ethnic jingoists” or ”primitive
tribalists” for wanting to break off from the
greater whole and establish their own country.
This is because everyone respects the right of the
various ethnic groups and nationalities within
their wider nation to exercise their right of self-
determination which is an integral and
fundamental aspect of international law.
Exercising that right does not turn them into
villains and does not make them any less patriotic
than their compatriots who do not share their
views. It just means that they have a different
perspective and that they believe, as many
believed before Malaysia and Singapore broke up,
that the interests of their various peoples are
better served when and if they go their separate
ways.
They opted to be friendly neighbours rather than
to be compelled to remain within the same
territory against their collective will. As we in
Nigeria approach the 100 year anniversary of our
1914 Lugardian amalgamation and, as the 2015
elections are fast approaching with both the
northern region and the south-south zone
desperate to take or to hold on to power at any
cost respectively, we need to begin to ask
ourselves some basic and fundamental questions
about our future. For example is our interest
better served by remaining as one nation or is it
time for those nationalities that wish to leave the
federation in a peaceful and orderly way, as a
result of a legitimate and honest referendum, be
alllowed to go?
If the breaking up of larger countries into smaller
and more viable ones is good enough for India
(which broke into three), the Sudan (which broke
into two), Czechoslovakia (which broke into two),
Yugoslavia (which broke into 5), the Soviet Union
(which broke into 15) and numerous other
countries over the years why is it not good enough
for us? Again why should those that believe that
Nigeria ought to break up be subjected to so much
suspicion, ridicule, contempt and insults from
those that do not share their views? Some of the
questions that need to be answered are as follows-
firstly is our union working? Secondly is our
marriage a good one and if it is is it a happy one as
well? Are we satisfied with what has essentially
become a country that has been turned into
nothing more than (with apologies to Chief Bode
George) ”Turn by Turn Nigeria?” where each ethnic
group simply looks forward to enjoying its time to
control the federation and all the nations
resources from an all powerful centre? Are we not
meant to be far more than this? Is this what the
founding fathers of our nation envisaged?
More than anything else the recent igbo/yoruba
debate over the issue of the status of Lagos state
and the deportation of a handful of igbo destitutes
back to the east has proved to me that we as a
people are very different from one another and
that our interests may be better served if we are
no longer bound together as one. I dare to voice
this opinion even though many yorubas share it
but will not say so publicly. Is it not time for us to
begin to accept the bitter truth that our marriage is
uncomfortable and unhappy and that it may not
have been made in heaven or ordained by God? Is
it not clear that each region or each nationality
ought to be able to develop at their own pace? Is it
not time for us to have a confederation of
nationalities in Nigeria and to restructure the
country drastically to give maximum autonomy to
the various regions and nationalities or indeed is it
not time to just break up and go our separate
ways?
Many may disagree but one thing that I believe
that we can at least agree on is that perhaps it is
time for us to be courageous enough to begin to
talk about these issues openly and debate them.
We must not sweep our differences under the
carpet and ignore them as if they do not exist but
instead we must find the courage and muster the
resolve to acknowledge them and understand
them. As far as I am concerned this is the challenge
of our time and these are the questions that needs
to be answered. Whatever happens in 2015 and
whoever wins, whether it be a northerner or
Goodluck Jonathan of the south-south, I see blood
on the horizon and I see disaster approaching. We
must open up the space now and consider the
unpleasant assertion that the price that a united
Nigeria attracts may not be worth it because we
are getting nothing but failure after failure as our
return.
I do not have the answers and I do not claim that I
do. Indeed I may well be wrong which is why I
would be interested in hearing the views of others
and particularly those from the younger
generation who may see things very differently.
Whichever way it goes and regardless of what we
all think let us not allow this debate to be driven
by ignorance, pettiness, hate or acrimony. Let us
not insult one another here or act as if any tribe or
nationality are angels whilst others are demons.
Let us join issues and exchange ideas in a civil,
restrained and decent manner without hurling any
insults at one another or allowing our emotions to
becloud our thinking.
At the end of the day we all want the same thing-
namely, what is in the best interest of the Nigerian
people and what type of arrangement will allow
them to achieve their full potentials? That is the
issue and that alone. Over to you.

By: Chief Femi Fani-Kayode

Spoilt brat Fani Kayode on point again.
SUMMARY.
NIGERIA IS A FEDERATION OF A CABAL THAT IS HELLBOUND ON KEEPING THE COUNTRY AS ONE.
ALL THIS , O THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO STEAL OIL AND FEATHER THEIR NEST.
WHAT HAVE YOU AS A PERSON GAINED FOM THAT OIL.

KnowAll:
To be sincere, I have always believe in one Nigeria, but the bottom-line, if this contraption called Nigeria is stifling our growth, whereby unqualified people keeps on running our nation, we might as-well split. So many European nations have been formed since the early 90's, countries like, Ukrian, Georgia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Coratia, Serbia, Moldovia, Estonia, e.t.c And if the Referendum goes well in Scotland and Spain, we should have Scotland and Catalonia.

The only continent that has been stuck in the past is Africa. Even at that, in our own back yard, Southern-Cameroon came out of Eastern region of Nigeria. Why were they given that referendum and other part of Nigeria has been denied the same referendum. Biafra tried to break-away we fought a war because of that. So why give Southern-Cameroon a referendum, I don't get it. If our attitude now is nobody leave the sinking ship, we might as-well claim back Southern -Cameroon.

Or was it part of the Balewa regime's strategy to weaken the Eastern region!!!! I don't get it.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let's hope for the best....