A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and immediate past Chairman of the Nigerian Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, on Friday, called for the renaming of the country noting that the current appellation is demeaning and hypocritical.

Chief Olanipekun spoke at a colloquium that was held in Abuja to mark the 25th anniversary of Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama as a SAN.

In a paper he presented at the event, entitled; ‘The Nigeria Of Our Dreams: A Call To The Patriots’, the senior lawyer equally called for the renaming of the country.

He said: “My position is that we should stop mocking ourselves by the retention of the name Nigeria, a hypocritical and demeaning appellation given to us by Lugard’s mistress.

“It is intriguing that, to date, we have not mustered sufficient courage to drop this denigrating appellation. Come to think of this, the French named their French colony Niger, who the British gave us the ridiculous appellation Nigeria.

“What is the difference between Niger as pronounced in French and Nigeria as pronounced in English? A citizen of Niger is called a Nigerien, while a citizen of Nigeria is called a Nigerian.

“Have we bothered to ask ourselves what the difference is between these names? It is a difference without a distinction, and the recent development in the Republic of Niger has brought to the fore this stark reality.

“As a person, I keep asking myself why I am described and addressed as a Nigerian, a name imposed on us/me by the imperial masters?

“Thus, the first takeaway from this Colloquium is a challenge to all of us, to offload this appellation or nickname, and decide to give ourselves a name that is indigenous to us; that is arrived at through a consensus, and that evokes in us a strong sense of belonging and ownership because it will carry meaning that proclaims a destiny or actualization of a dream, worth being proud of.”

On his call for President Tinubu to probe past administrations, Olanipekun, SAN, said: “Let us remind ourselves that we cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs. What do I mean? The President has to ask questions, and sordid questions indeed, about how we have come to this sorry pass; why we are in a big mess; why the economy is grounded; what has happened to the previous budgets and the trillions of Naira allocated to road rehabilitation, healthcare delivery, security, infrastructural rehabilitation, institutional restoration, etc.

“Why have our airports, particularly the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, which is our gateway to the outside world, plunged into such a shambolic state, constituting an eyesore to any rational human being- despite the billions of Naira purportedly earmarked and expended towards rehabilitating them; why our youths and professionals of all cadres, at their prime, exiting the country in droves (JAPA) in search of golden fleece which does/do not even exist in several instances.

“For example, it is now common knowledge that many Nigerians are left destitute without jobs, after travelling to the United Kingdom.

“Lest I forget, the government must also interrogate a very profound question as to why the national currency, Naira has fallen so abysmally, almost from Grace to grass, and virtually becoming valueless with N900 exchanging for just one USD.

“The present administration must examine and audit, all books and records as well as past expenditures, whether real or otherwise,” Olanipekun, SAN, added.

On his part, the celebrant, Chief Gadzama, SAN, said the Colloquium was organized to bring Eggheads together to address some of the issues affecting the country.

“There is a consensus that is building up, that Nigeria is at the brink of collapse. What then can we do as compatriots, as patriots, nationalists, major stakeholders, community leaders and politicians.

“A lot has been said. What we want to do is to ensure that what has been said is put in the public domain, particularly at the feet of those in government to see what they can do to have a new order in the approach to national issues.

“Corruption has been identified, nepotism, electoral rigging, etc. We need good governance, we need transparency in this country, at all levels,” Gadzama, SAN, stated.

Among the dignitaries at the event which was chaired by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Mrs. Mary Odili, included the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.

AsomughaChuks05:
I disagree with the learned SAN. Every parent has the right to name their child. The British created Nigeria as a country and have a right to name it. Without the British, there would be no Nigeria. To discard the name Nigeria means you might as well dismember the country. That is unacceptable to the majority of Nigerians who fought a brutal civil war to keep the country together. The problem of Nigeria is not in its name but in corrupt citizens who are majority in the country.