On The 111th Birthday Of One Nigeria: The Theory Of The Expiry Of Amalgamation

Happy New Year everyone! Apart from the New Year celebrations, I hope you know that the 111th birthday bash of One Nigeria should also be going on as you read this. That is, if One Nigeria was worth celebrating.

Today is the 111th birthday of One Nigeria

Actually, everyone seems to be unanimous in thinking that the anniversaries of the Amalgamation Proclamation of January 1, 1914 is not worth celebrating. Coincidentally, today, I came in contact with a political scientist named Ndubuisi Onuoha who has a disturbing theory about the Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates by Sir Lord Frederick Lugard.

According to Mr. Onuoha, One Nigeria officially expired on January 1, 2014 upon clocking a hundred years without bearing any meaningful fruit. Yes, he said it's no joke. This is what he means...

He said that the document through which the Amalgamation Policy was proclaimed stated that, if united Nigeria clocked 100 years, the constituting units were free to go their separate ways if they could no longer coexist.

The expiration of One Nigeria, according to Onuoha, was indirectly symbolised in the redesign of the Hundred Naira note in 1914.

Redesigned Hundred Naira bill. Image credit: Premium Times.

This point of view got me on a research mode as I went after the Amalgamation Proclamation document. I couldn't find it. So, who knows where I can find the document or a detailed and authoritative account of it? Please, you can share by commenting below or you contact me directly.

Yes, I didn't find the document. But I found another document dated August, 1966. It is a master's degree thesis submitted to a University of Western Michigan department by one John F. Riddick.

Entitled 'Sir Frederick Lugard, World War I And The Amalgamation of Nigeria 1914 - 1919', this document mainly explores a much overlooked connection between the first conflict of global proportions ever and the coming into existence of One Nigeria.

Going through the document, the impression I get is that Nigeria is a product of the pressures on Britain due to World War I. It's as if the Amalgamation was quickly put together to save administrative funds and personnel in view of World War I.

The point is that One Nigeria was an incidental fire-brigade provision that wasn't well-thought-out before it was implemented. What a poor foundation! I even learned that the First World War finally broke out only 7 months after the Northern and Southern Protectorates were united.

Other revelations to this effect are as follows:

The amalgamation was not a unanimous decision, as the British colonial powers imposed it on the various ethnic groups in Nigeria. Only 28 individuals were involved in the signing of the document, with just six of them being Nigerians. These six Nigerians were:

HRH Maiturare Sarkin Mussulumi, the then Sultan of Sokoto
Usuman Dan Maje, who later became Emir of Kano
Sir Kitoyi Ajasa, a lawyer
HRH Oladugbolu, the then Alaafin of Oyo
HRH R Henshaw, the then Obong of Calabar, and
Abubakar Shehu of Borno

Notably, no Igbo representatives were present during the signing, reportedly due to their strong resistance against British colonial rule. The British found it easier to work with the Fulani/Northerners, which influenced the composition of the signing delegation.

I want to know what people think about this. Not only that One Nigeria kicked off on such a poor footing, I think it's also a shame to keep answering a name given to us by a British girl as if we were her dog. It's even more of a shame to realize we still bear the name - and the structure - imposed on us by those colonial overlords even after 111 years. What do you think about this my people?

Sincerely,

Chinedu Desmond Nweke

Comments

Who Is Servicing Bianca Ojukwu?

Bianca and Emeka on their wedding day in 1994. Image credit: Punch Newspapers I think it's unfair of anyone to expect a beautiful woman like Bianca Ojukwu to have stayed sexually chaste since the demise of her famous warlord husband 13 years ago. So, let nobody scratch that area. Or, if you still think she should have remained sexually chaste since 2011, you're free to make your point clear at the comments section👇. After all, we're in a democracy. Let's Continue... In the absence of any contrary opinion so far, let me continue with the established premise. I was saying that the goddess Bianca Ojukwu is expected to have a romantic partner/partners over the years. Same thing should apply to other wives of famous people who are dead or incarcerated. Such as Nnamdi Kanu's wife. If Uchechi Okwu Kanu has remained sexually chaste since late June 2021 when her husband went into his current incarceration, I would praise her to high heavens. But, if she has not, well, I wo...

#Learn2Learn: A New Idea For Acquiring Any In-demand Tech Skill With Relative Ease

Oremus Ventures' Learn2Learn: An Introduction Oremus Ventures is our sister brand with an almost unusual solution to Nigeria's poor economy. This solution is tagged ' Learn2Learn '. Learn2Learn by Oremus Ventures uses Google Classroom and other online platforms to teach its subscribers deep secrets for learning any tech skill much more easily and faster. Learn2Learn is inspired by the realization that learning in-demand tech skills is among the fastest ways to lift Nigerians out of poverty. Imagine getting paid an hourly minimum wage of up to $20 (about ₦31,000 today) as seen below 👇. In-demand skills are so called because the demand for them is currently higher than the supply. Therefore, learning one of these skills automatically sets you up to become highly sought-after by business owners with a lot of money across the world. Thus, you are well respected while getting fat pays. Because of how much they need people with these skills, the numerous companies seekin...

How To Handle Your Haters: A Lesson From Bill Gates And His Daughter (2)

Bill and Phoebe Gates. Image credit: Business Insider Do you know what? I learned that, growing up, Bill Gates was too small for his age and was often bullied at school and on the streets. As a result, he had very few friends - no more than two per time. As related in the archives , young Bill was a recluse who spent hours cocooned in his room. Once, during such a social withdrawal, his mom asked after him over the intercom, and Bill shouted back, “ I'm thinking… Have you ever tried thinking? ” The fact is: Young Bill Gates didn't have many friends. Unknown to him, many of his peers snubbed him because a rumor spread around town that “ Bill is the weirdest guy that God ever made ”. As acknowledged by Washington Post's Mark Leibovich, the real issue was that the boy Bill Gates III was an infant prodigy. As a result, he just couldn't get along with most of his peers and vice versa. But, it hardly became an issue to him because his attention was essentially somewhere else....

Another Blow On Igbo-Yoruba Rivalry

Chauvinism is the big dent on Africa One day, some generations of Africans will remember that it was decades of unhealthy rivalry among their ancestors that made them lose their place in the committee of humans. Unfortunately, those "ancestors" will point back to you and me. This must happen unless today's generation of Africans take the bull by the horns and walk the uncommon road. For example, they must look each other in the face and decide to unite, form a common front and fight their common enemies. The Famous Igbo-Yoruba Rivalry As A Case In Point Recently, many Nigerians of goodwill genuinely mourned the passing of one of the few icons ever thrown up from the Nigerian political space. His name? Professor Humphrey Nwosu. Late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu. Image credit: USAfricaonline.com What makes Late Professor Humphrey Nwosu so iconic? It is the historical fact that he defied a military junta and insisted on letting basic democratic procedures be followed. So, he announc...

NIGERIA: Possible Strategies President Tinubu Is Using To Pocket The Country As He Did Lagos

Image source: The Southern Examiner I visited Festac Town Lagos in 2006 when Tinubu held sway as the state governor. One thing I noticed without anyone telling me was this high austerity level in the air - which contrasted sharply with my experiences in a couple other parts of the country. When I asked, I was told that the 3D suffering levels were as a result of The Obasanjo Federal Government withholding the allocation due to the state. I couldn't understand it because I always knew Lagos as a mega state with such a humongous IGR that it could function beyond average even without any federal allocation. It took me over a decade before I realized what the man was actually doing then under the noses of millions of citizens. I remembered to revisit this issue because I see now a reenactment of what happened in Lagos in those days. The only difference I see is that then, it happened at a state level but now it is happening at the national level. Here are some of the strate...

"Dear Husbands! How To Make Us Totally Loyal To You" - Wives

Imagine a situation where all the wives in the world had a meeting and issued a communique with the title in quotes above! Reading this article will be akin to reading such a document. Many men think that money is the biggest thing women desire from them. Nothing could be further from the truth. There's no doubt that every woman wants her man to be wealthy but you can have money and your woman will still not be loyal to you. Recent billionaire divorces like those of Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos are living testimonials in this regard. Therefore, you need something more than money to keep your wife totally loyal to you. What's That? To start with, you need to know that IT PAYS TO BE FAITHFUL TO YOUR SPOUSE. If you doubt it, go and study the life of everyone 60 years or older in your town who was notorious for marital infidelity and you will discover this: Nothing damages someone's life and destiny more than extramarital romance . Extramarital romance drains you emotionally and...

Awake Digest

Search This Blog