On October 1, 2017, a very brief post lightly circulated on Facebook. I didn’t really take it seriously even though I made some comprehensive comments under some two different names that carried it. However, as days went by, I kept seeing the post re-circulated and shared to the extent of meeting it again in a Whatsapp group.

Initially, I was overwhelmed by the volume of ignorant takes that trailed the post. In fact, in one of the posts where I commented in my effort to educate folks, I was ridiculed but I was firm enough to engage the disagreeing interlocutors and argue my points out.

The said post goes thus:

“If zik was born 1904, Awolowo 1909, Ahmadu Bello 1910, Tafawa Belewa 1912, M. Okpara 1920 who agreed and signed 1914 amalgamation?”

To this, there were two groups of reactionaries. The first were youths in their 20s and 30s — people of my generation. They were expressing surprise and awe at such a “smart” question which nobody can decode or would be a hard nut to crack. Immediately, I saw the devastating effect of their poverty of historical knowledge and consciousness ably facilitated by the Nigeria Establishment over the years through direct and indirect cancelling out of history studies in our formative stages. The second group included middle-aged people who have some appreciable knowledge or answer to the question but are insistent on knowing the “signatories” at the amalgamation. As a teacher, I have the habit of never taking any question for granted or useless because there might be that one person in the crowd struggling taciturnly to know and understand something that might illuminate his/her mind in the process. So, I’m making a few points—mainly to raise more discussions rather than lump my takes—as regards that post in the interest of those who don’t know but are interested in knowing or augmenting the clarity of what they know.

1. “Nigeria” – as a word or a place – was never instituted with the consent of our forefathers when it came into being at the dawn of 19th century (remember the Berlin Conference of 1885-6 that officially gave British the geographical dominance) as well as the beginning of 20th century (creation of the Southern and Northern Protectorates in 1900). Note also that the present core North was formerly called “Western Soudan” until 1900. The people presently answering and have answered “Nigerians” up till today merely inherited a business/colonial empire belonging to the British people and were forced to make a “nation” out of it unlike, say, Americans that wiped off their colonial legacy and were fully involved in renegotiating their country to what THEY WANT! Ever notice how America has quietly yanked off anything “British” in their march through history such that many young Africans are always surprised to learn that the same Britain that colonized them colonized America too?!


I was reading this amalgamation article and a part of it said must note that all the British officers who served in the North were all men who had served in the Malayan and Strait States where Islamism was the core culture/religion. They were carefully selected to perpetuate the servility and docility of the Northern Islamic culture in the ‘future interest’ of the British—that is today’s Fulani Hegemony in the Nigerian Political power matrix.

WITH THIS IT MEANS THAT OBAFEMI AWOLOWO, NNAMDI AZIKIWE AND AMAHDU BELLOS view was that if they gain independence the entity will also gain it's freedom and will be a place for both people of different religions but today its all clear NIGERIA has begun her journey to be recognised as Islamic country through the FULANI HEGEMONY IN THE POLITICAL POWER the senate approved the Sharia law and Sharia police....today most people in Nigeria knew Sharia law and Sharia police is in existence and functioning some doesn't......I heard just early this week of a man who will be flogged on the street by the police for a crime he committed....nobody said I thing about it....most people doesn't even know it's a Sharia law that has flogging as one of its sentence.....ONE OF THEIR TRICKS IS HARFSHIP.....AND THEY WILL CLOSE THE BORDER SO YOU WON'T TRAVEL OUT, WITH HUNGER YOU WILL BE FORCED EITHER BY WEAPON OR MOLESTATION TO JOIN ISLAM OR BY HUNGER, THEY WILL OFFER YOU FOOD AND MONEY....just few weeks ago the Christian association of Nigeria CAN made a comment against Nigeria government move on sukuk bond that it's a plan to Islamise nigeria the federal government shut him up by telling him that Jonathan started the negotiations but we all knew this current government never went a ahead with Jonathan's plans before he left office talk more of the case of borrowing such a huge amount of money, they have exited most important international organisations that I have concerns over human right abuses and you thought they did it because of the cost of mentainance as they lied to you but you never knew they left because of their agenda to Islamise Nigeria and for those seeking referendum....have you asked yourself why they didn't give the list of 100 international organisations they exited, this might not make a point to you but I hope you remember when it starts that you had a chance to choose but you choose to ignore it

eze josh pls go and find something to do...we are moving forward not backwards, we are not the ones that ask u not to use ur sense when u wanted referendum.. Pls don't scatter the peace in our country abeg....!!

Soon the dragon will assume total powers and many will be killed and or maimed for not accepting to be loyal to that dragon.

whitebeard:
eze josh pls go and find something to do...we are moving forward not backwards, we are not the ones that ask u not to use ur sense when u wanted referendum.. Pls don't scatter the peace in our country abeg....!!

It still baffles me why you guys don't want the Igbos to leave. Are you scared of being alone with Hausas in Nigeria??

The peace you are looking for will surely come when we leave, no more agitation, no disruption, just you and your Hausa in your beloved Nigeria.

PFRB:
Soon the dragon will assume total powers and many will be killed and or maimed for not accepting to be loyal to that dragon.

I SAY GOD FORBID!

Very mumunatic post.

I disagree. as an anglophone country, it's very difficult

trash