DO YOU THINK IT IS TIME TO DIVIDE NIGERIA?
Please, this is a clarion call for us to really ascertain the authentic desires or yearnings of an average Nigerian. What is your take on this issue? Do you think it is right for this country to disintegrate now, in the face of all these crisis, insincerity and unpatriotic activities of some sects in Nigeria?
For instance, the North has held on to power in the last 40-48 years without nothing to show for it. Now, that the South is constitutionally entitled to replace the ailing, (unproductive) president, the North is screaming blue murder! For them, there is no respect and regard for the rule of law.
Please should we disintegrate?
For instance, the North has held on to power in the last 40-48 years without nothing to show for it. Now, that the South is constitutionally entitled to replace the ailing, (unproductive) president, the North is screaming blue murder! For them, there is no respect and regard for the rule of law.
Please should we disintegrate?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by IceQueen on
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@SAMUEL OGUN
Wake up and smell the Columbian coffee! It is happening now. What do you think happened in Jos last weekend? It is here with us, it has been since 1950, when the first of these Jos riots took place.
I had a similar discussion with my father months ago and he revealed how Awolowo never wanted the idea of "Nigeria" as a nation after independence, that was why Anthony Enahoro, who was a member of Awolowo's Action Group raised a motion for independence in 1953 in Parliament. This would have resulted in an independence of the separate regions, whenever they were ready. Clearly the West was ready at the time, the North being the least ready.
Also in subsequent conferences on independence, Ahmadu Bello wanted Araba(northern independence), so did most of the North going into the many conferences held just before the Civil War. Apparently Zik, who had the grand ambition of being Prime Minister(and father of the nation) later prevailed on them to keep "Nigeria" one. That is one of the reasons why he always hailed(in my opinion wrongly) as a Nationalist. Don't get me wrong, in terms of awakening Africa to the possibility of an independent Africa he was second to none! But his personal ambitions prevented him from seeing the big picture and killed the general dream!
In effect some of these men had their selfish ambitions in mind in the decisions they made and we are suffering the consequences today. I know it is considered a sin to call these men out, much the same way Americans are reluctant to call most of their slave-owning founding fathers what they were. Yes, but they supported(and practiced) an EVIL trade and most didn't appologise or make ammends for their sin, the same way Awolowo didn't make amends when he had the chance as Finance minister under Gowon.
In my analysis, he must have thought, "Bello is dead, Zik(who later turned his back on Biafra) will probably be arrested and jalied or exiled after the War, so I am the last of the BIG THREE left standing, so once the soldiers return to Barracks, I will be the most likely to lead Nigeria". The result was his stiff economic policies against Biafra and a quick end to the war. While that was a good thing on the whole, at a micro level, millions died, not as soldiers, but as helpless civilians out of hunger and diseases. MOST OF THEM WERE CHILDREN...
In the final analysis, you find that the good of THE PEOPLE was the last thing on the minds of our so called founding fathers when "Nigeria" sought independence. Much like it is today with our "leaders".
When Nigeria and Cameroon were fighting over Bakassi, nobody cared about THE PEOPLE! Ordinarily the World Court at the Haig could have asked for a referendum with three voting options - (i)Nigerian rule;(ii) Camerounian rule;(iii) Bakassi independence. Florence Ita-Giwa, to whose senatorial district Bakassi belonged never thought of this angle, neither did the other so called leaders of the Cross Rivers State or Niger Delta. If they had the people's well being at heart they would have.
Mind it wouldn't have being a first, after World War I, the Saar region, previously German, was occupied by France. Guess what? The League of nations gave them the chance to vote on ALL three options mentioned above and they chose German rule, after 15 years of French occupation. Why the United Nations didn't offer Bakassi a similar vote is beyond me. That is why I take whatever the white man says with the pinch of salt.
My point?
We(THE "NIGERIAN" PEOPLE) need to be given such options to decide for ourselves. We already have the six geopolitical zones in place. Let that the be the initial divide. Then each zone will now decide amongst themselves piece by piece on all the issues, with a view to a vote on independence for each if they so desire.
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Permalink Reply by festus i on
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I don't think so, neither of the component parts can survive by itself, what nigeria need is leadership which we do not have. Don't misunderstand me, each part can survive economically but the ingredents of division that exist in this contraption call nigeria is inherent in all its federating units and thus will make it almost imposible for the parts work well by itself. Nigeria's problem is not north or south but leadership.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Obiokor on
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I think so. Here is why. The photograph which documented the line up of Nigeria's ex-presidents a few weeks before Goodluck Jonathan was enabled as acting president, shows how Nigeria misplaced its priority and lost its value long before now. Your question is ripe because Nigeria, perhaps by infatuation, carelessly ignored its leadership position and foolishly handed it over to a band of migratory people of Northern Nigeria. The rest is history. Whatever is keeping us together, I think it is time that something gives, and every section of the country go its own way for goodness sakes.
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Permalink Reply by Godsarm Onukwufor on
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but realy i do not think this was the idea of our founding fathers. but where did thing go wrong
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Permalink Reply by Researcher on
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ITS AMAZING HOW WE QUICKLY COME TO CONCLUSIONS ON NIGERIAS PROBLEM. WE ARE QUICK TO ALWAYS BLAME OTHERS FOR OUR PROBLEMS AND RATHER THAN FACE THE FACTS WE CLING TO OUR SENTIMENTAL AND BIAS PARTISANSHIP. OUR POLITICIANS ARE GOOD OBSERVERS OR PERHAPS PAY WELL FOR A GOOD RESEACH AND ACT ON THE RESULT. THIS IS WHY THEY LAUGH BEHIND US AND SOMETIMES AT OUR FACES
WE TALK ABOUT DIVIDING WHEN WE ARE ALREADY DIVIDED. IN WHAT WAYS YOU MIGHT WANT TO ASK? IN ALL WAYS. THIS IS NOT ABOUT NORTH AND SOUTH OR EAST AND WEST. EVERY PART OF OUR LIFE NOW IN NIGERIA HAS A LINE DRAWN. IS THERE ANY COLLECTIVE TERM THAT YOU CAN USE FOR NIGERIANS AND IT WOULD REMAIN COLLECTIVE? I DOUBT. AN ILLUSTRATION; AN ARGUMENT FOR BAD GORVERNANCE IS TO SAY THAT THE NIGERIANS ARE SUFFERING. BUT ASK AN AVERAGE NIGERIAN ELITE IF HE IS SUFFERING, HE TELLS YOU NO. ANOTHER MIGHT EVEN SAY NA YOU GO SUFFER. SO IF HE IS A NIGERIAN AND HE IS NOT SUFFERING, WHO THEN IS THE NIGERIAN THAT IS SUFFERING? WE ARE EVEN DIVIDED ON THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE. SOMETIMES I WONDER IF WE REALY KNOW WHAT WE WANT.
IF WE ARE GOING TO DIVIDE, ALONG WHICH PARAMETER, PLEASE DONT BRING AN IDEA OF NORTH AND SOUTH OR THE SIX GEO POLITICAL ZONES BECAUSE THIS ONLY REPRESENT LAND AND NOT PEOPLE. TO APPRECIATE HOW DIVIDED WE ARE, LOOK AT THE POLITICAL GAMES OF EACH STATE. HOW WOULD WE NOT TALK ABOUT ZONING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL WHEN THE SAME GOES IN ALL THE STATES. TWO COMMUNITIES WOULD GO TO WAR OVER WHERE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT SHOULD BE. AKWA IBOM AND CROSS RIVER STILL HAVE DISPUTE OVER STATE BOUNDARY. TO ELECT A CHAIRMAN WOULD MAKE US REMEMBER THAT THE ANCESTORS OF THE OPPOSITION MIGRATED TO THE COMMUNITY 150 YEARS AGO. OH THE PYLONS FOR POWER LINE SHOULD NOT PASS THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT THE POWER WILL SERVE OTHER COMMUNITIES BEFORE OURS. THINK DEEP AND REFLECT ABOUT OUR SITUATION, I BET YOU WILL PITY US AS A PEOPLE.
ANOTHER FUNNY ARGUMENT IS THE NORTH HAD BEEN IN POWER SINCE WHY? WHEN WE SAY THE NORTH, WHO EXACTLY ARE WE REFERING TO? WELL AS THAT TRANSLATED INTO ANY THING FOR NIGERIANS LEAVING IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY. SOME OF US SIT COMFORTABLY IN OUR HOUSE AND TALK ABOUT THIS COUNTRY LIKE ITS JUST THE NEXT STREET. CRITICALLY, WHAT HAS BEEN THE GAIN OF THE "TYPICAL" NIGERIAN BY THE PRESENCE OF EITHER A NORTHERNER OR SOUTHERNER IN GOVT. TRAVEL ROUND THIS COUNTRY AND WHAT YOU WILL SEE IS POVERTY EVERYWHERE. PERHAPS THE YOUTHS IN THE NORTH WILL HAVE TO START THEIR OWN AGITATION TO MAKE SOME OF US PAY ATTENTION TO OUR PATHETIC STATE.
THE ISSUE IS NOT ABOUT WHO IS IN GOVERNMENT BUT WHAT THE PERSON DOES. ALAYEMASIEGHA AND JAMES IBORI MUST BE NORTHERNERS TO HAVE EMBEZZLED THE WEALTH OF THIER STATE AND OBASANJO MUST HAVE BEEN A NORTHERNER TO WANT A THIRD TERM.
SO MUCH ABOUT POLITICS, WE ARE DIVISION TENDENCIES ARE SO SERIOUS THAT WE FIGHT OVER A MATCH WON OR LOST BY THE FOREIGN FOOTBALL CLUB WE SUPPORT. DO YOU KNOW WHAT ARSENAL, CHELSEA AND MAN U HAVE TURNED OUR YOUTHS TO? CAN YOU IMAGINE A BUS CONDUCTOR REFUSING A PASSENGER FROM ENTERING HIS BUS COS HE WORE A BARCA JELSY. VARIETY THAT SHOULD BEAUTIFY OUR LIFES SEEMS TO BE OUR BANE IN NIGERIA.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS TO ASSESS OUR PROBLEMS FOUNDAMENTALLY AND PROVIDE SOLUTIONS. WHEN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES ARE LOOKING TOWARDS COMING TOGETHER TO STRENGTHEN THIER POSITIONS, MY POOR, UNDERDEVELOPED MOST POPULOUS AND POPULAR BLACK COUNTRY IS LOOKING TOWARDS DIVIDING.
WE HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE IN PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND GOVERMENT, THOSE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAVE EQUALLY SHOWN WITH RECENT EVENT THAT THEY MAY BE "BADER" IF YOU ARE RATING GOOD GOVERNANCE. WHAT CAN BE DONE?
WE DONT NEED NOISE LIKE THE OPPOSITIONS ARE DOING, WE NEED VERY SERIOUSSSSSSSSSSSSSS EDUCATION. I DO NOT MEAN TO LEARN TO READ AND WRITE, I MEAN A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE HAVE AND WHAT WE WANT. WE NEED TO BEGIN TO REASON BEYOND OUR SELFISH WALLS.
WE NEED GOOD LEADERSHIP, A LEADER THAT WILL LOVE US AND THAT WE WOULD LOVE.
WE NEED TO BE TRUTHFUL ENOUGH TO TELL OUR BROTHER THAT HE IS WRONG AND HE SHOULD AMEND HIS WAYS.
WE NEED EQUITY AND JUSTICE. TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUES AND NOT DANCE ARROUND IT
WE NEED TO STOP OUR DOUBLE STANDARD OF MEASURE OF IT CAN BE GOOD FOR ME BUT NOT HIM
WE NEED TO SEE WHAT UNITES US BEFORE WE SHOUT WHAT DIVIDES US
IT STARTS WITH YOU, DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
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Permalink Reply by David Kelly on
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Nigeria is a country without Heroes!
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Permalink Reply by Kiriji1 on
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I think its very lazy thinking to say Nigeria should divide. As many people have said earlier, along what lines will the division happen? Even if you divide Nigeria amongst family lines, you will bow that the girls in the family will protest about marginalisation and would want to divide from the boys.
There are few strictly homogenuous countries in the World. The US of A is made up of a mish mash of strange bed fellows but the country continues to prosper and there is no talk of break up. Why should a an entity like Nigeria want to break-up?
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Permalink Reply by Dodi on
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This issue is extremely complex. Firstly, how can a sitting president and an acting president be doing pretty much the same Job? Or is this not the signal coming from the ESTABLISHMENT? Meanwhile, the so called elected but sick president hasn't been seen for months. He's better off dead at this stage. Being a President of a country is not a sick note Job. You have to be a strong individual, be it man or woman because the stress that comes with a job of administering a whole Nation is not beans! But it seems like its all Mickey Mouse within the Ruling Establishment.
The whole Jos issue again is just sickening! Tit for tat killings within sectarian lines - I dare not say religious. I haven't been back to Nigeria in years and from what I see, read and hear about the Motherland, I am beginning to think that we are going down a very dangerous path here. This is the pattern. A Break down in government because of a clear split between those who favour the old greedy ways where a few amongst 150 million plus people would share the "national cake"(Gosh that word alone just spells out the mind set of the average Joe) and those who are more in tune with a modern civilized way of life where everyone gets an opportunity to be someone in LIFE. And then you have the endless supply of illiterate numb skulls who allow themselves to be used as tools to create tension within the different tribes. This group of individuals will rear their ugly heads in the form of religious killings and that sort. This coupled with a near total breakdown in security could raise tension and people wouldn't know whom to put their trust in anymore. Yakubu would no longer be your friend. All of a sudden Nkechi would be an "Igbo girl!" and Kunle will become "that Yoruba guy". Before you know anything the obvious split between north and south, Muslim and Christian will manifest itself in full glare. Today, what we are seeing in Jos may be a storm in a Tea cup compared to what is to come. If we are not careful this problem can get blown out of proportion and with Nigeria being the most populous African state, one would not want to imagine the magnitude of the fall out.
The impression our leaders give the rest of the world about the country is truly Shambolic. The impunity is disgusting. Our people have been battered and bruised emotionally, financially and physically so badly for so long by the very people we assume we elected that we are somewhat used to it. So rather than joining the likes of Dora Nkem Akunyili to stand up against this sick government, a lot of us just seem to get on with our selfish lives forgetting that as Nigerians, we are all connected and if we don't get our act together and connect with one another, we will continue tagging along rather than leading Africa. I say assume because neither the civilian Leaders nor the military ones who have ruled since our independence where truly democratically elected. Its all about coups and rigging. The only way for Nigeria to move forward at this stage is for some sort of uprising against the ruling establishment, cabal, goofs, scum bags or what ever you want to call them. The spectrum of power must change. Pretty much 80% if not 99% of those holding State or Federal seats are not fit for the Job. This is a sad truth!
We must learn to face our demons head on and not run away from them as we are being haunted by them and our only way out of this debacle is to face and conquer them.
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Permalink Reply by Gabreal Decorre on
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Forget talks od disintergrating, we should expand beyound the borders our masters formed for us either alliances or by force.
Somehow we have limited our ideas to the borders of Nigeria, a country that was decided upon not by us as a group of people, but by the Masters that divided and conquered our ancestors. Niger, Cameroon, infact most of the countries within the borders of Africa were established by others. We are more willing to fight amongst ourselves than to try to expand. Expansion is something that kept most of europe from civil war as it gave the people purpose.
We already kill each other, why don't we focus our efforts on our neighbours instead of killing each other, that way we expand and have more land to distribute.
It is sensless to me that our leaders are willing to subdue us and rob us, and us as a people are too blinded by that border. Seperation by languages that are not ours to begin with, French, English, Portugese, Dutch. We go back and forth arguing wether Nigeria should stay together or be seperated when we as a people did not begin that way.
Nigeria as the idea we loved is dead, and Nigeria as the sputtering corpse, she has become, is a country being dragged along but the relic leaders of the past.
When was the last leader who did not have their beginnings from independence or the civil war. An easy solution? mass exile or executions like what was performed in the Communisation of China, subjugation of all religious practice and banning of all cultural practices, thereby making us 1 people by force. But death has only caused more death.
I think what we should be looking into is to expand instead of by wars, but by alliances, a combination of countries that expand our terretories, If Delta and Cameroon argue about bakassi, it'd be easier if we were just 1 country. If the North hate the south, give them someone else to confront, or other allies to distract them.
Before you all disagree with me, remember that between disolving Nigeria or staying as one amidst all the bitterness and cultural wars not one of you has offered up an alternative. The North crying bloody murder because there turn to rule had been taken from them, The Igbos fleeing in mass numbers after the civil war. None of this makes sense. Much less when the argument touches on Oil. We are an Oil Country dependant on foreign countries for our own oil, if you look at Saudi Arabia, The whole country gets paid, so there is virtually no poverty amongst the natives. Outsiders are a different matter. We are willing to accept that our leaders rob us and accept it as normal.
Let me start with an analogy: There is a point in a relationship when you realise that you cannot be with that person, it can be because they beat you, give you too many stds or are stealing from you, but after a while something has to give. There is a point when we as a country say enough is enough, the thugs that are the hired hands of polticians, the assassins who subvert our choice. The last leader who had a legitimate vote was Abiola, and he was jailed. At some point we have to scrap everything and start fresh, but I doubt there is any Nigerian brave enough to even attempt such.
We are cowards and we will endure our country falling to the dogs untill they are all dead.
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Permalink Reply by Chief Wilson Emi Epete on
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Nigeria should not for any reason be divided. It is my humble view that the things we are all seeing today, especially the negative utterances of some people from the North. regarding the rulership of this country, all point to the fact that Nigeria is on her way to greatness. I say this because right there in the North we still have a lot of reasonable and progressive people who love the unity of this country and are broad-minded enough to accept the wind of change that is currently blowing all over the country -- for good. Although there are some narrow-minded individuals who are blind to realities and still nurse the blind ambition of holding on to status quo but their number is diminshing by the day as more and more progressives are emerging amongst our brothers and sisters in that region. This country belongs to us all ! No section therefore should regard other sections as inferior to rule at any given time. All we need to do as Nigerians is to break away from our ugly past when our votes did not count. We should all work toward ensuring the integrity of our Electoral system so that only credible people who have the interest of this country at heart and who have genuine manifesto are voted to power-- no matter where he or she comes from. We should do away with all those laws that are inimical to the progress of this country and vote out all those greedy politicians who came to power as thin as a hungry squirrel and within three months have developmed into agric pig with pot bellies. Look at the pictures of world leaders in developed economies like US, Britain, France etc. When they come to power fresh, within three to six months they have started to develop gray hair -- a sign that they are always thinking and working day and night to leave their countries better than they met it. We are not going to disintegrate this country because of the stupid ambition of any group of irresponsible thieves. We all have a stake in the enterprise called Nigeria and we must ALL stand up to defend it against all forces of darkness represented by these adventurers. GOD BLESS NIGERIA.
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I contend that the only people who continue to want Nigeria to stay together are those who have an access point into placing the countries money into their pockets.
When something is broken beyond repair, why try to put it back together?
Chief Wilson Emi Epete said:Nigeria should not for any reason be divided. It is my humble view that the things we are all seeing today, especially the negative utterances of some people from the North. regarding the rulership of this country, all point to the fact that Nigeria is on her way to greatness. I say this because right there in the North we still have a lot of reasonable and progressive people who love the unity of this country and are broad-minded enough to accept the wind of change that is currently blowing all over the country -- for good. Although there are some narrow-minded individuals who are blind to realities and still nurse the blind ambition of holding on to status quo but their number is diminshing by the day as more and more progressives are emerging amongst our brothers and sisters in that region. This country belongs to us all ! No section therefore should regard other sections as inferior to rule at any given time. All we need to do as Nigerians is to break away from our ugly past when our votes did not count. We should all work toward ensuring the integrity of our Electoral system so that only credible people who have the interest of this country at heart and who have genuine manifesto are voted to power-- no matter where he or she comes from. We should do away with all those laws that are inimical to the progress of this country and vote out all those greedy politicians who came to power as thin as a hungry squirrel and within three months have developmed into agric pig with pot bellies. Look at the pictures of world leaders in developed economies like US, Britain, France etc. When they come to power fresh, within three to six months they have started to develop gray hair -- a sign that they are always thinking and working day and night to leave their countries better than they met it. We are not going to disintegrate this country because of the stupid ambition of any group of irresponsible thieves. We all have a stake in the enterprise called Nigeria and we must ALL stand up to defend it against all forces of darkness represented by these adventurers. GOD BLESS NIGERIA.
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Permalink Reply by Ogbago Ogaba James on
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I don't believe disintegration is the answer. It is true that this country has been rulled by the North for the greater part of our existence so far without tangible results. The Southern leader we have seen so far does not seem to be the messaiah we are looking for. What we need now is aleader who will put our electoral system in order so our votes can count and credible leaders will emerge. Together we are one big market and a force to be reckoned with. Ogbago Ogaba James from Lagos
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