We do not have a country, not just Nigeria but throughout the colonized territories because of socioeconomic and political structure created to benefit the colonial government, with little benefit to those the system was handed over to.
In most third-world countries we face the same socioeconomic, political and security challenges due largely for the inputs introduced by the colonial masters in order to keep a systemic orderly of things for their utmost benefit.
During the colonial period, the western imperialists used the best and more qualified people, or tribe to run government, for getting the most desired impact, but they eventually foist the unintelligent tribe on the new nation, just to keep the structure alteration.
We need to understand that the composition of the people of all the colonial territories, especially Africa was intentionally crafted for many reasons, where you find same tribe along border communities. We have the Hausa in Nigeria and Niger along Nigeria-Niger border line. We have Yoruba in Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast. Kanuri in Nigeria and Chad. Jukun in Nigeria and Cameroon. And many other communities along Nigeria/Cameroon border.
The reasons for this act by the British Government on Nigeria and other nations that were subdued by greed and guns are: (i) to destroy the uniformity that is characterized with a nation; (ii) introduction of politics and tribal politics that destroy the uniqueness of various groups that make up the new polity; (iii) centralization of authority that will checkmate promotion of economic benefits attributive to location; (iv) for high dependency on primary production and importation of finished products; (v) technological importation for infrastructural provision: (vi) military supplies for internal and external security challenges; (vii) to quell religious extremism and uprising using the southern part, who are mainly Christians as wedge; (viii) capital flight through stolen wealth by corrupt administrators, politicians, contractors, etc, to European banks; (ix) loosing professionals for lack of stability; (x) to destroy indigenous culture in order to impoverish us, using aid to feed the most affected.
In order to promote all these impediments, the British handed power to the Fulani who are naturally not interested to develop, nor seek for a new way of doing things. It was the idea of the British that the Fulani will be quite useful with such projections; lacking in intelligence on how to promote growth through development of indigenous culture and economic prospects, by providing the political WILL in every environment to define its economic advantages. From 1960 till date, we have more Fulani in power than any other tribe. The Fulani are not even interested in politics, even though many of political office holders in the north are Fulani. What they so much desired is military rule, with absolute power. Military politics aid corruption, and destroy middle-class system, especially in the northern part. That is why there is much hunger in the northern part, specifically in the far north.
The northern part of the country lack in education, business drive, creative resourcefulness and enterprenuer leadership. They are mainly poor farmers, of which many of them depend on the government for their daily survival. I have the opportunity to serve as a corp member in Silame Local Government secretariat, a remote village in Sokoto State. I witness in many occasions when salaries are been paid. The number of people/workers that receive salary are greater to what the whole secretariat complex can accommodate, not just the office complex but the entire premise – its like the whole Silame are been paid. The junior secondary school cannot boost of twenty students in all classes. They are not interested in western education, but the Islamic class holding under the Dogonyaro tree in the evening boost of many children, including those who are too young to be there. Unlike in the Southern part where it is an abomination for a child not to be in school.
Seeing such lack of interest in education by the Gambari, the British imperialist intentionally placed everything in favour of the Hausa/Fulani political oligarchy, who run away from western civilization, to control both military, political and economic power, against the better educated South. The same strategy was applied in other countries of Africa. Like in Burundi and Rwanda where you have Tutsi and Hutu in both sides. Allowing the Hutu to control everything in both countries because of their lack of ideas on how to promote production that will stimulate the economy, which will reduce the high dependency on primary production. Because becoming a manufacturing economy will certainly affect production level in Europe, and many workers will be retrenched, and tax income affected, which will jeopardize research and sponsorship of military campaign in other countries. Once African countries begin to prosper, Europe will begin to loose its relevance; that they do not want.
We cannot achieve economic growth with this British Circle, which do not provide the political will to harness the potentials abound in every environment. We are too close for comfort. There is uniqueness in every environment and culture. But the political space to sanction those potentials are what is lacking in every distinct environment in Africa due to political and economic structure. We need separation in political power, culture, education, health, sport, research, production, training, economy, etc, and unite in trade, security, defense, etc. By that, every environment will have the space, resources, etc to harness and promote its potentials, which will add to the economic growth.
Take for instance in Nigeria, there is economic potentials in every clan. By clan, I mean the subgroup in every tribe. In Yoruba land for example, an Ijebu land is unique and different from Ife, Egba, Awori, Ondo, Oyo, Modakeke, Badagry, and many others. The Ijebu need political will to define and promote what Ijebu land is blessed with. It is only an Ijebu man that can define Ijebu. Ijebu is not just a name of a place but a life. Let the culture define the language of development. Divide countries in Africa and unite nations, and allow the subgroup to determine the nature, life, pace and position of the economy.
We suffer today in Africa because we have developed hatred against ourselves, (the tribal nations within every polity), especially against those that are endowed more by nature than the others, because of age-long politics-of-power-control, wars, crisis, religious difference, etc, not to allow for political separation needed for economic emancipation, because we now envy ourselves, rather to allow for such separation and become truly free nations, while some tribe will want us remain poor; and many of the tribes have become too lazy to want separation due to the free money that were coming from sale of mineral resources.
The Yoruba tribe will never seek for disintegration of Nigeria because they can not stand the prosperity of the Igbo nation, and they have their eyes on the oil. The business venture of the Hausa/Fulani is government – government is their business. The best solution to this problem is to share the oil money among the new nations for some period of time to help in developing other business interest, for 10 to 15 years, so that all countries will be able to survive. In separation, Africa live; in amalgamation, Africa dies.
By Obinna Nwadike
Changing The British Circle - Do you agree or not ?
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