You think the US has trubbles? Nigeria was cobbled together by the Brits!
from the Guardian Written by From Nkechi Onyedika, AbujaHits
PROFESSOR Emeritus of Political Science, University of Jos, Isawa Elaigwu, has said that it is our fault that we have not adequately corrected whatever was the mistake of the 1914 amalgamation of Nigeria.
Elaigwu, who is the President, Institute of Governance and Social Research, noted that other countries had tried to correct their ‘mistakes’.
Thus, he stressed the need for Nigeria to learn from the experience of the United Kingdom, India and Malaysia.
………. Elaigwu observed that some people believe that Nigeria should disintegrate, or dissolve by mutual agreement because 1914 had been an irremediable mistake. But he said, “this I do not agree with nor do I agree with the notion that the Nigerian ‘giant’ is a sinking ship.”
“Yes, we have reasons to be disappointed with our leaders and ourselves in our 53 years of sojourn as a nation state.
“We have reasons to be angry or to even be mad with ourselves. We could have done better and we can still do much better.”
He believed that, “staying together as a country for 53 years is an achievement,” even as he noted that, “we, leaders and followers, allow ourselves to be drowned in the vortex of cynicism.”
“Let not sit down as grumbletonians grumbling about everything but doing nothing,” he said.
….. Elaigwu, who deplored the high level of insecurity in the country, called on government, political leaders and followers to have the courage and honesty to get to the root causes of the current state of insecurity in the country.
He stated that since May 1999, there had been greater challenges of security than at any point in time in the country’s history, “thus rendering our political stability fragile, democratic institutions and processes fluid, and our economy debilitated.”
According to him, the research carried out by the Institute of Governance and Social Research (IGSR), Jos, indicates that the number of selected ethno-religious violent conflicts in which one or more lives were lost and/or properties destroyed were over 1,000.
“Since May 1999, Nigeria has experienced numerous electoral, ethnic, political, ethno-religious communal (land), economic and other violent conflicts,” he said.
“The nation, within the period, witnessed the emergence of ethnic militias such as, the Oodu’a Peoples’ Congress (OPC), the Arewa Peoples Congress (IPC), the Bakassi Boys, the Egbesu Boys and others.
“These ethnic militias had taken on the causes of their ethnic groups. In some cases, some of these have played the role of vigilantes, showing that the capacity of the police force was inadequate to demonstrate government’s monopoly of the legitimate use of force.”
He said the nation’s leaders and followers had taken the issues of security for granted; yet, urgent and immediate steps (short and long term) must be taken to consciously respond to current threats by architectonically designing and building a security system, which would create a stable and relatively peaceful environment, conducive for national development.
“And security is the duty of all Nigerians, and we must take our destiny into our hands, determined to face the future with confidence, discipline, patriotism and demonstrable honesty,” he said.
However, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, said that the National Assembly was working with the executive arm of government to bring an end to the insecurity challenges in the country.
He said that the Assembly had passed into law the Anti-Terrorism Bill and urged Nigerians to embrace peace without which there could be no development.