Nigeria @65: Challenge of unity

—A state astatine warfare with itself

In perpetual conflict, the disparate taste groups successful the state proceed to scope for each others jugular owing to a systemic inability to admit differences and enactment astatine accommodating sentiments

By Ochereome Nnanna, Chairman, Editorial Board

Our country, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, utilized to beryllium a backstage concern outfit of the defunct Royal Niger Company. After the Partition of Africa successful 1885, French and German imperial activities successful West and Central African areas compelled Britain, which was allocated the country present known arsenic Nigeria, to revoke the Company’s charter. The Company was paid 865,000 pounds for the acquisition, and a subject officer, Frederick Lugard, was sent arsenic a High Commissioner to subjugate the North’s Sokoto Caliphate and the remainder of the territory. On 14th January 1914, the Southern and Northern Protectorates arsenic good arsenic the Colony of Lagos, were amalgamated and christened “Nigeria” by Lugard’s consort, Flora Shaw.

Roots Of Disunity

The roots of Nigeria’s disunity are many. First, the mode successful which the amalgamation was carried retired became an albatross to peaceful coexistence till date. The North has a behemoth landmass of 744,249 quadrate kilometres, compared to the much densely populated South (192,803sq km). This helped to sow the germs of North’s presumed “majority” and dominance. Secondly, the Sokoto Caliphate, which had successful 1904, completed the conquest and subjugation of astir of the North, was allowed by the British authorities to proceed to workout afloat powers taxable to assemblage authority.

But successful the South, portion semi-indirect regularisation was allowed successful the monarchical West, British authorities personnel, aided by Christian missionaries and section warrant chiefs, administered the mostly enactment East which had already developed a measurement of ideology with innate impulse to dissent, defy oregon protestation against perceived impunity. It was besides from the East and the West that the unit for an aboriginal extremity to British regularisation and independency of Nigeria germinated and ballooned from the 1920’s to 1960. The North, though affluent successful agriculture, was perennially incapable of balancing its budgets, and had to beryllium supported with backing from the acold wealthier South. This signifier continues till today.

Britain And The Seeds Of Discord

These factors helped signifier the British imperial government’s cognition of its post-independence interests successful Nigeria: concern with the North. In pursuit of the same, the British authorities took steps to “force-unite” Nigeria. The North-South, two-legged railways strategy linking the East and West to the North respectively, were strategically constructed. Just earlier independency successful 1960, the British assemblage authorities hurriedly divided the North into smaller electoral constituencies to springiness it much seats successful the national parliament compared to the East and West. Also, the arguable 1951-53 census gave the North a wide “majority”: 10.4 million, compared to the West (4.2) and the East (2.6). Censuses and organisation of electoral constituencies among the ethno-political divides person ever been arguable and correspond large markers of endless struggles for dominance.

And The Cookie Crumbled

In fact, these were the triggers for the post-independence situation successful the West, which led to the overthrow of the authorities of Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, by young subject officers led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu. The mismanagement of the 15th January 1966 coup proved disastrous. Its eventual nonaccomplishment and the taste coloration of its alleged “house-cleaning” oregon sidesplitting of leaders from definite parts of the country, led to the targeting and massacres of the Igbo taste group, particularly successful the North and parts of the West. The Eastern Region Government, led by Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, connected 30th May 1967, declared the breakaway of Republic of Biafra, aft the nonaccomplishment of the Aburi Accord, and to support its radical from further killings.

Then, connected 15th January 1970, the Biafra absorption collapsed. While Ojukwu went into exile successful the Ivory Coast, General Yakubu Gowon, the Head of State, promised the returnee Igbo and different Easterners who were successful Biafra “No Victor, No Vanquished”, arsenic good arsenic a full bundle of reconstruction, reconciliation and rehabilitation (the 3 “Rs”). These were ne'er fulfilled. Today, implicit 55 year...