Nigerian Diversification: A Bliss or A Jinx

 Alleged to be the largest black African nation on the globe; located at the Northern hemisphere in the Western Sub -Saharan Africa. Consists of about 250 million people ( National Population Council). Divided along vast ethnic groups and regions; with over 350 major languages and dialects. Consequent to colonial- mapping, Nigeria has six(6) geo-political zones and two major geographical locae: The North and the South.

The history of Nigeria stretches back to the 18th century after the Fulani Jihad (Holy War) by Usman Dan Fodio to secure the larger part of the North as an Islamic and Hausa speaking entity. Further, the exodus of the European heralded by the Portuguese seafarers (c.1880) seeking route to Indian Ocean through the Atlantic, made a pit stop into the "primitive" West African nations bearing "Greek gifts" that caught the attention of unsuspecting crude African kings. Also, the succeeding British incursion indicates the dawn of a new era of imperialism which was further corroborated by the mid 19th Century Berlin Conference; an assemblage that saw the Western World/ the so-called World Powers  sharing, trifling and dastardly yoking  the supposed weaker nations of the world i.e. Africa, Asia, South and North America.

Consequent to this convention, countries like Nigeria struggled through thick and thorn to secure a bastardised nation otherwise known as a pariah Statehood. It started with Lagos becoming the first British colony or settlement  in c.1860 to be followed by the amalgamation of the Northern and southern protectorate in 1914 also known as the birth of the "Niger" "area" nationhood whose centenary was recently celebrated by native caroused statesmen while the entire masses basks in the euphoria of unsatisfactory national marriage. This was coming at the time when PDP government has succeeded in milking the nation's wealth almost to a state of  decrepit and then left it to the current APC inept dispensation consequent to their alleged popular victory at the behest of undue and ill-conceived change mantra which has knocked the masses off the grid of economic survival. Further, it has corroborated the secession tendency of the eastern divide. Thus, political dispensation so far under this 'yoked' nationhood has been an ill- wind that blows the poor masses no good in all ramifications. 

As a matter of fact, cry for restructuring of our beloved nation has been trending overtime , courtesy of the Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB ) sympathizers, spearheaded and marshaled by Mazi Nnamdi Kalu himself. Moreover, the statement alluded to our ailing Commander- in- Chief that majority of his allegiance will go to those area/ groups who facilitate is political victory; which one of its manifestation has been upheld by apparent sidelining of major projects like the dredging of the Second Niger Bridge to the South-Easterners et al. And so, the question posed before us is this; should we lend a ear to the cry of the so- called secessionist seekers or put heads together and work assiduously in collaboration with our political class in order to forge a united, formidable nationhood we can call our own or return to the ab initio and leave the disparate ethnos in situ?

Moreover, other splinter groups like the Ijaw nation from the South- South have brought up a mixed feelings of whether it's right for them to secede with the Biafrans  or remain with Nigeria or better still carve out an Ijaw nationhood devoid of any external influence or romance consequent to being the hub of Nigeria's oil exploration.

Another matter that has thrown the entire  nation into wide/ wild speculations is the recent inglorious statement alluded to the Arewa Youths leadership sounding a trumpet of discord between the Igbos and the Hausas that the former should exit the North before October 1, 2017 and vice versa. Although, major moves have been made to spurn this malfeasance but the Igbos in concern have pointed to the adage that "he who got crushed by a moving train 's consequent to his deafness" also that "he who doesn't know where the rain started 'beating' him will never know where it stopped 'beating' him". To support this adage is a pointer to not too long Nigerian/ Biafran War antecedence that saw a massive slaughtering of unsuspecting Igbos who after heeding calls for quit notice was bamboozled by Hausa counterparts to return on the note that all grievances have been calmed.

"Who buys my thoughts/Buys not a cup of honey/ That sweetens every taste...", as Dennis Osadebe has rightly put, I will lend my 'voice' on this saga although not binding but inherently speaks the truth and mind of adept compatriots. First, for a young man who is a product of two cultures by environment and parental origin, hence, born and raised in the west, Ogun State(Yoruba ethno) but eastern parenthood( both Anambrarians), I' ve been caught in the web of hybridity, forthwith, no gainsay speaking from a subjective sentiment. Equally important, is my mobilization to the North to obey the clarion call. I'm in my sixth month to be precise. So to say, I have circumnavigated and domiciled in at least 60% on average of Nigerian communities. Under these circumstances, I will like to clarify some misconstrued information about the North: apparently the largest geographic locae in Nigeria, almost 3/4 half of the nation; consists of myriad ethnic groups ranging from : Hausa, Fulani, Birom, Tiv, Jukun, Igala, Ebira, Idoma amongst others as against the south's popular perception that Northerners are muslims and Hausa's, although, undoubtedly the most spoken and largest ethnic group in the North. Tantrums have been thrown by aggrieved youths over the incessant and cancerous insecurity challenges common with the northern divide particularly the Boko Haram scourge in the north and the Fulani Herdsmen rampage all over the country which has led to the conclusion of some that violence is a trait perculiar or inborn to the Northerners which I beg to differ. I'll like to state that these acrimonious activities are sponsored by some opportuned, inhumane, lunatics and disgruntled elements who benefit from these maladies thereby sponsoring by hoodwinking misguided frustrated individuals promising them a satisfactory "remuneratio" to the detriment of their countrymen. Many of these activities are not bereft of the political class. As a matter of fact, let me jug our memories when the former president Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan made mention sometimes in 2014/15 that"boko haram" are in the Nigerian government.

And so, it's high time Nigerian youths took the bull by the horn by facing the political class fair and square by coming out and speak in one voice that enough is enough via referendum and equal representations and decide if we should call for a restructuring or carve out a new constitution that allows for a true respect for the rule of law against self- aggrandised pretentious sociopaths and misanthropes alike parading as politicians and semi-philanthropists; rather than throwing e-jibes on social medias on the deception that our plight is in our differences i.e. religion, ethnicity, languages among others, on this note I rest my pen. To be continued... endeavor to lend your views or critique as the case may be.

I remain Chife Paul Ikechukwu ( Kehinde)

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