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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

The Defaults of Northern And Southern Amalgamation



Benson Joshua




Most of the nations with ethno-religious and inter-ethnic disagreements and failed to do a Sovereign National Conference, are either in armed conflict (Congo DR) or have since disintegrated – Yugoslavia, Sudan, Eritrea (from Ethiopia), and even Scotland, from the UK, is on the verge of opting out of an unpleasant union.

December 31st 2013 – January 1, 2014, will be the last 24 hours for an amalgamated Nigeria according to records trumpeted by significant Nigerians, not excluding ex=military ruler Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB).


Perhaps that is why we hear things like: ”A Northerner Must Emerge in 2015 Or
Nigeria Will Divide- Lawal Kaita”. 


“Since 1914, the British Government has been trying to make Nigeria into one country, but the Nigerian people themselves are historically different in their backgrounds, in their religious beliefs and customs and do not show themselves any signs of willingness to unite … Nigerian unity is only a British invention” – Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa


Balewa who was reported by the TIME MAGAZINE of October 10, 1960 to have
said there was no basis for Nigerian unity and it was only a wish of the British.


The word NORTH (AREWA), in Nigeria, is the most echoed in the polity. It must have be echoed a zillion times since January 1914 when allocation of political and economic resources in this vast land with vast opportunities and natural endowments, began.


“The British needed the Railway from the North to the Coast in the interest of British business. Amalgamation of the South (not of the people) became of crucial importance to British business interest. 

He said the North and the South should be amalgamated“.


“What is critical and important are the reasons Lugard gave in his dispatches.


They are as follows: He said the North is poor and they have no resources to run the protectorate of the North. That they have no access to the sea; that the South has resources and have educated
people“


“When the amalgamation took effect, the British government sealed off the South from the North. And between 1914 and l960, that’s a period of 46 years, the British allowed minimum contact between the North and South because it was not in the British interest that the North be allowed to be polluted by the educated South.“


Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN) recounted not long ago, “I entered Parliament on December 12, 1959. 

When the North formed a political party, the northern leaders called it Northern Peoples
Congress (N.P.C). They didn’t call it Nigeria Peoples Congress. That was in accordance with the dictum and policies of Lugard. 


When Aminu Kano formed his own party, it was called Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) not Nigerian Progressive Union. Northern Peoples Congress was, back then, still exists in one form or another in 2011- not without a Northern-prefix! Sometimes, you still read Northern Elements Political Forum! Indeed, these elements have not changed! 50 years later, we are still being confronted with a Northern Consensus Candidate. 
 
Yar´Adua ´s purported message to Nigerians from his death bed via Hausa BBC in Hausa language! Northern this, Northern that! 

Not Nigerian! Various anecdotal records also show why the need for a SOVEREIGN NATIONAL CONFERENCE is imperative for peace and development.


Late Harold Smith apologized to Nigerians with this landmark confession:
”‘Our agenda was to completely exploit Africa. Nigeria was my duty post. When we assessed Nigeria, this was what we found in the southern region; strength, intelligence, determination to succeed, well established history, complex but focused life style, great hope and aspirations… the East is good in business and technology, the west is good in administration and commerce, law and medicine, but it was a pity we planned our agenda to give power “at all cost” to the northerner. 


They seemed to be submissive and silly of a kind. Our mission was accomplished by destroying the opposition at all fronts. 

The west led in the fight for the independence, and was punished for
asking for freedom.


 They will not rule Nigeria! Harold Smith confessed that the Census results were announced before they were counted. Despite seeing vast land with no human but cattle in the north, we still gave the north 55 million instead of 32 million







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