THE British High Commissioner to Nigeria , Paul Arkwright , recently sought to deny the grievous harm his country wrought by the amalgamation of 1914 . It won ’ t wash . The unpalatable results of the fraudulent , unjust and forceful grouping of the diverse nationalities and states into an unwieldy state are all too visible , even 103 years later . History cannot be re - written ; Britain bears a major responsibility for the mess that Nigeria is today.

At first glance , Arkwright ’s postulation that the colonial power departed 53 years ago , adequate time for Nigerians to forge a viable, prosperous country has some merit. But look closer at the arrangements, the chicanery and the fraudulent foundation of the federation she bequeathed to a narrow ruling class , it is obvious that the dice was loaded heavily against the artificial state created . There have been brief , sporadic periods of progress , but the booby traps erected by the cynical, manipulative colonial officials at departure have acted as debilitating breaks on the Nigerian vehicle.

Arkwright attempted to gloss over Britain ’ s role in an interview published by the Vanguard. Hear him ; “ 1914 is a rather long time ago and it’ s a bit too convenient to blame the British for anything that happened over 100 years ago . ” He was wrong.

The amalgamation of 1914 created an edifice , constructed on a foundation of selfish imperialism, fraud and cynical manipulation ; it can hardly deliver sustainable stability and development . And Arkwright knows this . History teaches us that decisions taken today could continue to shape and influence local , national and global affairs well into the future ; and the global arena is replete with examples . The Centre for Strategic and International Studies articulates the global consensus that the secret Sykes -Picot Agreement of 1916 by which Britain and France , with the assent of Russia , redrew the political borders of the Middle East, accounts for the region ’ s perpetual instability.

Prior to the 1914 amalgamation too, there was no country called Nigeria just as there was no Yugoslavia until 1918 . Instead, a hotchpotch of diverse kingdoms, emirates , chiefdoms and states and over 250 languages, many of which had never had mutual contact , were grouped together irrespective of their widely divergent cultures , faiths and socio - political systems .
Faced with this alphabet soup , the rational thing to have been done was to devise suitable constitutional arrangements that would ensure its durability . Rather , the colonialist , through a series of devious manoeuvres, was determined to weaken the various nationalities and confer perpetual advantages on a tiny feudal class that was also the least prepared for the challenges of modern governance . It rejected the sensible suggestion of more regions and ethnic affinity , enthroning perpetual majority of the North over the South.

The forced union of nationalities that had never lived as one entity was bad enough , but Britain worsened Nigeria ’ s case in what Henry Bretton labelled “ one of the greatest acts of gerrymandering in history” by arranging “ a bedevilling imbalance between Northern and Southern Nigeria with the former encompassing 75 per cent of the land and 60 per cent of the population …”, according to constitutional law professor , Ben Nwabueze.

In his various well- researched books , the late statesman , Olaniwun Ajayi , published documents detailing how colonial officials bent all the rules and conspired in the 1950 s , to entrust leadership of the emerging Nigeria to a region , whose leader , Tafawa Balewa , confessed, had only two university graduates and four per cent literacy compared to fast growing educated intelligentsia in the South . All efforts to make the Colonial Office do the rational thing of breaking up the giant North and creating additional regions as articulated by Obafemi Awolowo in his books and by the Western and Eastern regions ’ delegations were rebuffed.

Britain went further to restrict missionary and education activities in the North in order to help the emirs and chiefs maintain a hold on their people and prevent the liberalising influence of modern knowledge . Britain ensured that the least intellectually endowed faction of the elite would hold the reins of power.

De - classified documents also show that colonial officials rigged the censuses of 1931 and 1953 , while a former colonial official, Harold Smith, alleged how the British hatched a secret operation to influence the 1959 elections in favour of the dominant Northern party . The culture of rigging census and elections was , therefore , planted by Arkwright ’ s forebears . Furthermore , while Lagos and the Southern provinces were exposed to limited parliamentary practice and self -government from 1922 , Northerners were not, until the late 1950 s , being allowed to keep their feudal practices ; yet, they were saddled with running a large , complex federation with such limited experience , knowledge and pool of educated human capital.
The lessons of history are glaring : artificial states are handicapped except when brought together through shared experiences , long periods of co - habitation and the exercise of the free will of their diverse nationalities to unite.

The Germanic, French and Italian ethnic nationalities of Switzerland have a shared history and co - habitation dating to the medieval era and sealed in the formation of the Swiss Confederacy in the 13 th century.

Arkwright and his employers know that the chickens the communists hatched by the forced migrations and transplanting of ethnic nationalities in the defunct Soviet Union have come home to roost in violent separatist movements today such as in South Ossetia , Abhkazia , Nagorno -Karabakh and in Donbas , threatening the cohesion of Georgia , Azerbaijan and Ukraine . The root of the Northern Ireland crisis was sown by decisions taken centuries ago.

However , we agree that Nigeria should creatively sort out its problems , not by Arkwright ’s call for collective amnesia or by mutual antagonism , but by seeking to undo what should be undone and rearranging what should be restructured for the good of all . The solution lies in making this a federation indeed , redrawing the internal borders of its constituent parts to , as much as possible , align with nationalities , groups of minorities that have significant affinity and as well as fiscal autonomy.


punchng.com/britain-failing-nigerian-state/

But look closer at the arrangements, the chicanery and the fraudulent foundation of the federation she bequeathed to a narrow ruling class , it is obvious that the dice was loaded heavily against the artificial state created . There have been brief , sporadic periods of progress , but the booby traps erected by the cynical, manipulative colonial officials at departure have acted as debilitating breaks on the Nigerian vehicle.

Agreed Britain forged a fraudulent foundation for Nigeria but are they still holding a gun to our heads not to do the needful

Until southerners form a common front to right the wrongs the north will never bat an eyelid but will prefers the status quo of underdevelopment and injustice bedevilling this country cos it suits their interests and agenda.

Unfortunately most of the self acclaimed political leaders from the south prefers the crumbs despite having the mainstay of the economy "crude oil" in their domain. They are the betrayals that sold their people into servitude for plates of porridge in order to fill their stomachs like animals.

What is this goon have to say about British unconditional support for Gowon and the so-called "One Nigeria" when Biafrans decided to partway with Nigeria? One of the cardinal setback to Nigeria's progress was the civil war which ironically had continued till today.

I don't see a Nigeria in 20 years time

Nothing stops Nigeria from doing the right thing

The truth is coming out.. The disintegration of this fraud called Nigeria is not faraway

The story of a blackman sometimes resembles the story of a drunk fool who blames everyone else for his stewpidity. Did Britain force your greedy leaders to steal? Did they force Jogogoro to be waste 6 years on booze and women? Did they tell you idiotus in the media to be tribalistic and corrupt? When we will finally accept we to take responsibility for our sorry state and forge. ahead?

oduastates:
Nothing stops Nigeria from doing the right thing

^^
Actually “something and some people" is stoping nigeria from doing the right thing.


Look in the mirror u might see one of the clog in the wheel of re-writing the wrongs of 1914.

vedaxcool:
The story of a blackman sometimes resembles the story of a drunk fool who blames everyone else for his stewpidity. Did Britain force your greedy leaders to steal? Did they force Jogogoro to be waste 6 years on booze and women? Did they tell you idiotus in the media to be tribalistic and corrupt? When we will finally accept we to take responsibility for our sorry state and forge. ahead?

^^
Yoruba muslim I think u are on the wrong thread. Kindly crawl back to ur islamic section where ur kind abound. Allow those with gray mater in their cranium to discus

Yes, we could have forged a better country; yes, we could have made something better out of what the British bequeathed to us; and yes, we could have developed Nigeria better than what we have now. However, a faulty foundation can wreck havoc on the grandest of plans.

If Nigeria prefers to stay as one, at least, only a restructuring of the present fraud will suffice. If we, on the other hand, continue down this path, then, a break up is inevitable.

thwarrior72:

^^
Yoruba muslim I think u are on the wrong thread. Kindly crawl back to ur islamic section where ur kind abound. Allow those with gray mater in their cranium to discus

OSU akpu munching gorilla. Let everyone air their views.
Yorubas are not the source of your misfortunes.

Watch how Afonjas will quickly jump inside this place, just watch

Reminez:

OSU akpu munching gorilla. Let everyone air their views.
Yorubas are not the source of your misfortunes.

What else can you say except OSU THIS AND OSU THAT. ..afonjas knows nothing even when he claims to knew

Reminez:
OSU akpu munching gorilla. Let everyone air their views. Yorubas are not the source of your misfortunes.

Epain nam well well.....mista olajudeen tajumola lol

vedaxcool:
The story of a blackman sometimes resembles the story of a drunk fool who blames everyone else for his stewpidity. Did Britain force your greedy leaders to steal? Did they force Jogogoro to be waste 6 years on booze and women? Did they tell you idiotus in the media to be tribalistic and corrupt? When we will finally accept we to take responsibility for our sorry state and forge. ahead?

No, Britain didn't force our leaders to still but they created the system for stealing, tribalism and corruption to thrive.

[s]

thwarrior72:

^^
Yoruba muslim I think u are on the wrong thread. Kindly crawl back to ur islamic section where ur kind abound. Allow those with gray mater in their cranium to discus

[/s]

COWNU

Etogist:

No, Britain didn't force our leaders to still but they created the system for stealing, tribalism and corruption to thrive.

And they then force us to maintain such a system?Please 50 years is way too long to pretend someone is responsible for your actions. Was it the brits who force ibori to steal and his people to come out in numbers to celebrate him? Abeg make we CHANGE OUR WAYS the easiest thing to do is to shift blame to others and leave oneself out.

evilapc:

What else can you say except OSU THIS AND OSU THAT. ..afonjas knows nothing even when he claims to knew

Really ?
It's alright for you to scream afonjas but it's not okay to call you folks from the orient osu....your hypocrisy is legendary.
Osu, go back to your gala hawking business jare

thwarrior72:


Epain nam well well.....mista olajudeen tajumola lol

Mr Ikeshuku Cownu Nnamumudi... our flat..headed osu. Smelly akpu munching chest beating gorilla from the gully ravaged, crime ridden land of the rising poverty may shuku okuko bambiala dash every akpu munching flat...head out there a proper brain.
hahahahahaha

vedaxcool:


And they then force us to maintain such a system?Please 50 years is way too long to pretend someone is responsible for your actions. Was it the brits who force ibori to steal and his people to come out in numbers to celebrate him? Abeg make we CHANGE OUR WAYS the easiest thing to do is to shift blame to others and leave oneself out.

Don't you get it? The system can never be changed again. Nigeria situation has become hapless and hopeless. This is exactly what Britain bargained for and they got it. If you are dreaming of a better Nigeria then I'll advise you to stop dreaming.

Etogist:


Don't you get it? The system can never be changed again. Nigeria situation has become hapless and hopeless. This is exactly what Britain bargained for and they got it. If you are dreaming of a better Nigeria then I'll advise you to stop dreaming.

So brits still remotely control all Nigerians to remain obedient to the system they created? Keep blaming everyone else except yourself. .. it is the perchant of we Nigerians to lie to ourselves that has kept us in our precarious situation. Today they lie it is the north like the north taught Ibori to steal and his people to celebrate his theft. Please be honest with yourself, and cease denying our agency, we have the capacity to act rationally if we decide to act foolishly then we should also be honest to accept the consequences of such acts.

There's alot of tribalism in nairaland... Afonja, osu... Kai people, this only means we hate each other u know but why? Why do Ypruba people hate Igbos so much... I have Yoruba frnds and they don't curse Igbo guys like u do. Probably safe we divide this country, just saying...

"Nigeria is indissoluble" -Zik 1953, regional govts abrogated by ironsi 1966 decree 34.the British didn't force anything on us.if we must point fingers, then we should not be sentimental.

vedaxcool:


So brits still remotely control all Nigerians to remain obedient to the system they created? Keep blaming everyone else except yourself. .. it is the perchant of we Nigerians to lie to ourselves that has kept us in our precarious situation. Today they lie it is the north like the north taught Ibori to steal and his people to celebrate his theft. Please be honest with yourself, and cease denying our agency, we have the capacity to act rationally if we decide to act foolishly then we should also be honest to accept the consequences of such acts.

Because of the kind of system that exits here no one believes in this country. Consequently, everything has become a national cake. It is very wrong to celebrate corruption but don't you think that Iburi's case is not an exception. The same way his people celebrated him is the same way IBB, Obasanjo, Abacha and co are being celebrated by their own people. I beg to disagree that we have the capacity to act rationally if we decide to. We are totally different people with different ideology and value system. We are simply not compatible.

Reminez:

OSU akpu munching gorilla. Let everyone air their views.
Yorubas are not the source of your misfortunes.

which yeye misfortune do yorubas always refer to sef?? Lol

thwarrior72:
^^
Yoruba muslim I think u are on the wrong thread. Kindly crawl back to ur islamic section where ur kind abound. Allow those with gray mater in their cranium to discus




young gorilla Muslims is not also source of your misfortune !!

... Nigeria needs to be restructured and the new terms and conditions well agreed upon by all the ethinic nationalities. Denying, kicking against it or outright rejection of restructuring the system will unfortunately leads to the demise of the Union. We can learn from the immediate and remote causes of the disintegration of the former USSR.