The
independence of Nigeria came like a whirling wind on the 1st of
October, 1960. It came so sudden, even when Nigeria was not ready and prepared
for it. Many things were not in place and many issues were
still unaddressed.
For instance, the issue of regionalism, tribalism and even religion were the
threatening issues at hand. But in spite of these striking issues, independence
braved the storm and surfaced in the very home of Nigeria, making itself a
persona non grata in the body polity. Independence threw itself so cheap on
Nigeria, Nigeria never valued it, and by the looks of things will never ever
value it. No blood was shed before independence came, thus no price was paid. And
we know that the value of a thing could be evaluated from the cost or price
paid to achieve such thing. As they say, 'independence in Nigeria came ten
years earlier', Nigeria's independence came when Nigerians were not ready (when
Nigerians were still politically immature). Britain bequeathed to us parliamentary
system based on regionalism with partial political independence in 1960.
Nigeria inherited the Parliamentary system of government from her colonial
masters which saw Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Belewa,
...a former school Headmaster, as
the Prime Minister and Chief Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe,
...PhD, University of
Pennsylvania, as the ceremonial Head of State (President).
In 1963, we became a republic with full
political independence inter-alia
serious ethnic rivalry among the various and opposing ethnicities vying to grab
power, most pronounced being the Igbo-Hausa unending feud. Everything in
government and politics was fashioned along ethnic line, a good example was the
formation of political parties during these formative days of the country. For
instance, the Northern People’s Congress, which from the name, suggests a
solemn support for the Notherners (in reality, northern aristocrats) heralded
by Alhaji Tafawa Belewa and Sir Ahmadu Bello.
National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons
which later transformed to National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) and
projected the interest of the Eastern Nigeria with Nnamdi Azikiwe
...and Chief
Michael Okpara
...at the fore front. Then there was the Action Group which came at
a late arrival for the representation of the West and was headed by Chief
Obafemi Awolowo.
...This regional division has set the pace for formulation of
political parties until date and has remained a normal status quo in the
country.
In January 1966, a group of Igbo military leaders
led by Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna,
...Major Chukwuma Nzeogu,
...and Major Adewale
Ademoyega, plotted a foiled coup to overthrow the civilian administration in
which the Prime Minister, the Northern and western Premiers including some
other prominent politicians and Soldiers were assassinated. This resulted to
the emergence of General Aguyi Ironsi
...as the Military Head of State and the
Military regime that ensued. At the same time, Lt Col Chukwuemeka Ojukwu
...was
appointed the governor for Eastern Nigeria, Lt Col Hassan Usman
...for theNorth,
Lt Col Adekunle Fajuyi
...for the West and Lt Col David Ejoor
...for the Mid-West. There
was a counter bloody coup by the aggrieved northerners which also saw the
assassination of Aguyi Ironsi and the emergence of Yakubu Gowon
...as the new
Military Head of State. In further grieve and retaliation, the northerners went
ahead to ensure the slaughtering of every Igbo man they could lay their eyes
on, as much as could be seen in the streets of northern Nigeria. Several failed
negotiations and agreements were reached before the proclamation of Biafra on
30th May 1967, which led to the civil war that broke out between the
secessionist Biafra and Nigeria.
...Biafra surrendered on 15th January
1970, and Nigeria took steps to reunite the country.
However, military rule continued.
Nevertheless, recovery after the war was rapid, and the oil boom of the 1970s
zoomed the economy. But the country was still heading for a doom. After General
Murtala Ramat Muhammed
...had taken over power in a bloodless coup on 30th
July 1975 and had been assassinated in a failed coup on 13th
February 1976, General Olusegun Obasanjo
...succeeded him and finally opened the
door for the return of democracy in 1979. Shehu Shagari
...who emerged victorious
from the 1979 elections became Nigeria’s first democratically elected President,
but the government mismanaged the economy. As a result, the government was
toppled in 1983 by military leaders which installed General Mohammadu Buhari
...as
the Military Head of State. In 1985, a military government led by General
Ibrahim Babangida
...came into power. Attempt to reestablished civil rule failed
in 1989 due to the conflict between muslims and christians. Another attempt
failed in 1993 after an election had been conducted on the 12th of
June, that same year and won by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola,
...and
then again annulled by General Babangida for reasons we still await until today.
Two months later, an interim government which was to be headed by Ernest
Oladeinde Shonekan,
...a British-trained Nigerian lawyer, was formed as Babangida
stepped down. In November that year General Sani Abacha
...seized power and
established a dictatorship. On the 8th of June, 1998, The dreams of
most Nigerians came true and Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar
...was elected
president. Free from military rule, muslim majority states in the north adopted
strict Islamic law in 2000, which resulted in a clash between Christians and
muslims. In 2007, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua
...was elected president. He died on the 5th
of May, 2010, and his vice, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
...succeeded him.
Jonathan was
reelected into office on a fresh term in 2011.His administration witnessed a
high degree of evil deeds by the deadly Islamic sect, Boko Haram. As a result,
he faced many criticisms from high and low places.
On May, 2015, having defeated Jonathan in the
general elections earlier this year, the former military leader, Mohammadu Buhari
...was sworn into office on the 29th
of May and is the current president of Nigeria with the dream to bring 'CHANGE'.
So far so good? Well, would leave you to
that.
Thus, Nigeria's independence has been a
history of unpreparedness, immaturity, ethnic chauvinism, religious
confrontations, military brutality, civil war, Hausa-Muslim calculated dominance,
with a few streaks of unintended, mistaken, and well camouflaged development.
Written by
Etuk Akaninyene and developed by Jerry Odii.
jerry_odii@yahoo.com
2bc99474
jerry_odii@yahoo.com
2bc99474
From.the History of Nigeria all I could see is bloodshed. Nah wah this country o. 80% of our president were assassinated...then who vote them in. Corruption isn't today's thing men.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. I have forgotten the names of some niggers...cool to have my memory refreshed.