₦airaland Forum

Adefemiaderoju1:
You see I won't like to argue with you I will only advise you to visit some African countries not even European countries then you see what am talking about

WetinConsignMe:
WHAT DO YOU FOLKS THINK OF THE FOLLOWING?
(Note the boldeds)

(Please remember I am not the one that did the interview nor wrote the article. So know who to attack.)


Nigeria’s problems started with Awo’s introduction of tribal politics — Unongo (MIDDLE BELT MAN)

26 JUN 2017

Elder statesman and nationalist, Dr. Paul Unongo, is one of the few surviving politicians who played key roles in all democratic dispensations and in the struggle for Nigeria’s independence. In this interview, he speaks on the state of the nation, pin-pointing where we started losing our way and the path forward. Excerpts:


By Omeiza Ajayi (YORUBA MAN)



Paul Unongo
What is your take on the state of the nation?

I think Nigeria as an evolving society has done pretty well. We came as an amalgamation of different kinds of people into one state as many other countries have done including the US. In our case, our relatively revered father, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, who was the father of this nation and who believed very strongly in a form of government that is called Union Government because he believes that Africans could evolve, like Germany evolved under (Otto Von) Bismarck with all her numerous problems, and about 300 states, was able to bring them under the umbrella of one German nation. Dr. Azikiwe thought that he could replicate that.


His younger brother, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, came on the scene with a correct diagnosis, but people did not believe him. They called him a tribalist. They were wrong. Chief Awolowo said having watched the African systems and the European systems, later on, the form of togetherness which would give the component tribes legal, constitutional ability to express their uniqueness within a larger nation-state would be preferable, and he said that form of government, federalism, was good for Nigeria.


But some of us ‘small small’ people formed our own organization to tell Britain that ‘you have divided Nigeria into three.’ Awolowo has spoken; Zik has spoken, and of course, Sir Ahmadu Bello has spoken. He said his people were not very ready for independence and that the process had to be gradual, pledging, however, to remain in Nigeria but that he would not hold the rest of the country back since they wanted independence as at 1956 while the North would be ready by 1959. There was a lot of wisdom in what they said. So, we the firebrand, the young people, we made our choices. People like me would pick the path of Nnamdi Azikiwe because we felt he was the Bismark of our time who was ready to unite everybody. So the three principal participants rejected co-federalism, rejected unionism and adopted Awolowo’s federalism, and we became the Federal Republic of Nigeria later on. Within that context, you can choose to evaluate Nigeria and ignore whatever is happening in this country now. I think Nigeria is in the process of evolving as a nation-state stressing residual powers in the regions.

On where the problem started

The problem is that after Azikiwe scored a fantastic victory in the Western House as a member of the House and his party was to form the government, the man who brought federalism as a form of governance reverted to the game we are playing in Nigeria today, which is tribalism,quite different from federalism. I just want people not to be too angry with themselves.

Awolowo felt, as the strongman of the Yoruba, Azikiwe should not have won the election in his place, and he could not countenance an Igbo man coming to be the premier or the first minister or prime minister of a predominantly Yoruba place. Night came, and when day broke, Zik discovered his majority had collapsed. The Yoruba abandoned him and went to a strange person they did not know ideologically, that is Awolowo, on the basis of tribe.

So, Zik was forced to rethink as an intelligent person, to relocate. He went back to his own part of the country to become the first Premier of Eastern Region.

Some of us sprang up too, in going with Awolowo’s federalism, that the notion that there are only three tribes or sections in the country was so fundamentally defective that we called on the metropolitan power, Britain, to correct this before they would leave. So, we in the Middle Belt of Nigeria came together and decided that we would call ourselves ‘people in the middle’ and that we were not Hausa, we were not Fulani.

At that time, we told Britain, Nigeria had over 250 tribes but that we could not dissect Nigeria into 250 nations. We told them that what has happened in Western Nigeria where an Igbo man was rejected…nobody questioned the fact as at then that Zik was the leader of Nigeria and then suddenly, having won victory, which would have been a great thing for Nigeria, in a predominantly Yoruba region, because the Yoruba were extremely sophisticated and they were the most developed part of Nigeria, and they voted on the basis of ideological orientation. Zik’s party produced a Zik premiership in Western Nigeria and in the night, Awolowo went round to convince the Yoruba that, ‘you are a tribe. Your tribe is called Yoruba. Zik’s tribe is called Igbo. Do not allow this to happen. Whether you like me or not, it is better to have a Yoruba man to rule over Yorubaland’. Unfortunately, I feel, this was the starting point of our problems.

So, he succeeded, and Zik was forced to go to his own place to become a little tribal leader, which was never what he wanted. That man called Zik was responsible for the revolution in Ghana, and he started his revolutionary activities in America. Zik was very keen on having a United States of Africa. He wanted nations within each state, that could create supra-powerful goals around which political actions could be taken.

So, we begged Britain to create a fourth region just to balance, because, within this fourth region that we perceived, we were not talking about religion because this region would have cut across the whole of the central part of Nigeria. It would have included the Nupe that were predominantly even Moslems; it would have included the Ebira, the Igala; it would have included some of the Yoruba, Benue-Plateau, etc., but we gave ourselves a title, Middle Belt, and we made very convincing arguments. I was the secretary to the leader of the UMBC, late Joseph Tarka, who people did not know, was only two and a half years older than me and I was very educated because I just came out from what you now call secondary school. So, I wrote our presentation for the London Constitutional Conference, and I knew we were committed to a fantastic nationalism.

Nigeria hasn’t gone beyond its past leaders

How far have we moved beyond our leaders in terms of development? Zero! We have not moved anywhere, and I am so sad. Today, the pursuit of other things rather than nationalism and patriotism have taken over. Whatever you say about our old leaders, they were patriotic. They saw a bigger picture of the nation that together we could do more in the economy, and that together we could command more respect in the international community.

When people say the problem of Nigeria is that old men have not given an opportunity to the youth to rule, well, at the time of Awolowo, all the people that ruled were young people, and they did well. Gowon was only 29. Murtala was young. All the generals that ruled Nigeria were young. Why didn’t they become our Bismarck? Why didn’t they even become this young man in Ghana, Rawlings? That is why I have no sympathy for people who do not bend down and analyse the problem correctly. People believe if my tribesman is the president of Nigeria, then I am president. The Yoruba man who thought like that, where has Obasanjo taken him? In this regard, I still haven’t found out why education hasn’t helped us, but I think that regarding what Nigeria ought to have been, 60 years after independence, it is an insult on some of us that we are still talking about Nigeria’s potentials.

T9ksy, diadem10, logica, vivere, Dedetwo, CeterisXVII
lawani, omonnakoda, oladeebo
omenka
omenkalives
alcatraz005
t9ksy, zenmaster

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Adefemiaderoju1:
If you once live in abroad you will definitely agree with me that Nigeria shouldn't have existed in the first place as a country nothing works

Isokowadoo:
Yr grammar is terrible man !!

Worst Still u re denying yr ethnic northern group

AlwaysUltraPad:
these kids wake up every morning only to regurgitate what they hear people scream into their stomach.

There was a system before ironsi brought his unitary system. We've always restructured and we haven't reaped its benefits. SAP is one we are yet to recover from.

The states houses of assembly are under the control of the governors. The LGs have been rendered useless by the governors; they don't even allow free and fair elections at that level; they use SIEC at will.

Fashdeejay:
You need to stop thinking awolowo did it all alone... There were many people in the shadows who were pulling his strings as well... Awolowo, wouldnt and I repeat would never support buhari... So please do change ur notion about the yoruba tribe and ur linking them to your love for this present civilian dictator... That is all you... You dont speak for the yoruba tribe nor any other tribe at that...

AlwaysUltraPad:
address his questions. Have we not restructured before? What's the benefit?


You guys are sounding restructuring as if by restructuring, we have new sets of politicians from the red planet. The power with states, what have they done with it?


Falae is part of those that created the problems we are in today- he even ate from the arms cash dispensed by Dasuki

zombieHUNTER:
What is your problem exactly..... This Yoruba Muslim
The northerners you are shamelessly defending are cool with the idea of restructuring.... They have already set up a committee for that...

Why not give it a rest
Find something useful to do with your life

beamtopola:
so there is no impunity in buhari govt. what about baru. what about nepotism?

beamtopola:
About 90% of those claiming to be a Yorubas and bashing any one who criticized buhari are not Yoruba's , they are northerners who are disguising their selves as a Yoruba's.

Fashdeejay:
It is quite obvious that you are oblivious of the democratic history of the country Nigeria.... The so called freedom u enjoy today, that u can come online and type this... Chief Olu Falae is one of the few Nigerians who stood in the face of tyranny so u and i can be part of this democracy... So u do not know what Chief Olu Falae has achieved... Do not hide behind anonymity spewing crap... Because u can't stand to face a common sergeant in the military yet Chief Olu Falae and the likes spent years in detention because they stood up to a self acclaimed Field MArshal and the Then Military president of the country.... So if u cant be creative in your criticism, please hands off your keyboard. God bless

SalamRushdie:
I suspect you have a mental illness

alcmene:
This guy's thread ought to be automatically deleted ......

What sort of rubbish is this

Alcatraz005:
I would have loved to insult you but i would be banned again. Why are you against restructuring? Are you not productive? And please come out of the closet and declare your real identity as a northerner. You are not yoruba like you are wont to claim.

nairanaira12:
I think you should manage your English first. It's extremely poor.


If your senses are intact, you will ask yourself if there is any link between my comment and your response.

nairanaira12:
On another thread that you opened, you accused the Afenifere of selling the SW to the SE because of Christian religion, according to you. You stated saying that the SW should partner more with the north, a mislim -dominated area.

No moderate Muslim would say that. You aren't a moderate Muslim; you are a religious bigiot. No more, no less.

Adefemiaderoju1:
I totally agree with you but does that means we shouldn't support whatever that will move us forward as a country even though is coming from all this thief so call leader?

nairanaira12:
You are right; two and a half years have gone, yet no solution to anything. Only propaganda, lies and deceptions everyday. Northernalization of every part of the country. Failed promises one after the other. Yes, it is good to give this government more chance to ruin this country further. We should continue giving them chance until Nigeria is listed on OLX for sale as scrap.

How does anything yiou have said remove the need for restructure? Comment like a man not deceiving hismonw destiny.

doctor306:
. rip to our dear English

nairanaira12:
Islamic bigot, let me ask you one simple question. How does your senseless comment nullifies the need for restructure?

I will repeat it to your hearing (or is it reading), the northern Muslims you want to die for do not see you as a true Muslim. They won't bother killing you if situation warrants it. Go and borrow brain if you lack one.

magoo10:
Lols when we have irresponsible leaders who get to power through propaganda and bloodshed there is actually no hope for the future .
When we were kids they tell us that we are leaders of tomorrow, more than 30 years after the same people are still leading us .
These leaders who control so much resources and power have made it almost impossible for a younger generation to pass through the hurdle of getting to leadership.

I wonder if it is a youth that is writing this or a 70year old man because people you should be calling leaders of tomorrow are pry school pupils.

SalamRushdie:
That's why he now knows the truth

SalamRushdie:
It's I know you are tired of this govt but because of BMX salary you can't say otherwise before dem sack you

MyNewJackeT:
Oga them don hack your account?

moninuola65:
an interesting one!
Elites had been taken populace for non-sense in this country from time immemorial!
if there is shake-up it will speed the development of this country!

SalamRushdie:
Let's be realistic that can't happen before 2019
But the good news is that we can actually vote out this failed leadership of Buhari in 2019 which is not a bad idea ..