March 17, 2010
Now that Ghadaffi, from far away Tripoli, has finally helped to mega-phoned and re-echoed what many Nigerians have been afraid to express publicly, though they believe it is the way forward; and barely 4 years to go before the closed file on Nigeria amalgamation will be made public, by the colonial master-UK, what next?
Ghadaffi may not be completely right in the number of divisions required to bring sanity to the country or in his outright call for total separation, but he has spoken the truth, that may be bitter pills to those who have not only benefited from the square peg inside round hole called Nigeria, but are flourishing in it, at the detriment of the rest of the 140 million Nigerians.
I once postulated a six-nation within one Nigeria, few years ago, borrowing from what Mr. Alex Filani-Ajala's tagged "Separation for Cooperation," where natural ethnic nations within the country, will operate solo governments but can co-operate in other areas on agreed terms.
My proposition will mean, Nigeria as it is presently constituted, will continue as one country while autonomous and self governance will operate within 6 nations that will come out as: Yoruba-Odua Republic, Igbo-Republic of Biafra, United Niger-Delta, Middle Belt Republic, Fulani-Uthmanda-fodio and Hausa - Arewa Republic.
Minor adjustment may be made to such states as Kwara, Kogi, Ondo and Edo states where the Yoruba speakers may want to opt for Odudua Republic. I expect similar adjustment in other ethnic nations as well.
Each of the 6 nations will have their own President or Prime Minister, leaving the overall Nigeria presidency to be rotational between the six nation on a yearly basis, as it is practiced in the European Union.
Power will no longer be concentrated in the centre but with the ethnic nationalities, who will also determine the number of states in their individual nation (as longer as it will not be used as the criteria for revenue sharing).
This arrangement will allow each nationality to grow in their individual paces, without pressure from the others and without one nation holding down the other in a catch up policy of quota system.
Maintaining Nigerian projects will be a joint efforts by the constituent nationalities. Projects such as the military, national/cross border police, immigration, navy, Air-force, customs and revenue sharing. Nations that will make up the new Nigeria shall be expected to pay agreed, percentage based, revenue on the natural resources within their domain to the central purse for its disbursement to common interest's projects, and to nations without enough internally generated revenue while the rest goes into running the tiny administration of the centre government.
It is very clear and simple, that the contraption we called Nigeria as it is run has never and will never worked. The trust and resolve that can make different ideologies that we have, vainly, tried to practice to work is not there, even after 96 solid years, 50 of which has been in 'independence, so to say.
If we, however, ignore and refused to do the right thing now, peacefully, we all, without exception, will be guilty, should a forceful method is engaged.
It was during IBB's government that we witnessed parcel bomb, that killed Dele Giwa, for the first time, in Nigeria, although series of others have taken place thereafter. However, the remote controlled car bomb experienced this week, in Delta State of Nigeria, introduced another dimension to how people are prepared to go to get 'justice'.
I am sure we do not want to wait until this become a common phenomenon such as was in the days of IRA here in the UK, in the 70's and 80's. Although, United Kingdom successfully overcame the trouble of IRA, but the scar it felt ca never be forgotten.
If half of IRA disturbances is allowed to enter Nigeria, I am afraid, it may wipe us off the map of the world, as we got non of what it takes to quell such gorilla hit and run campaign.
Ghadaffi has been used to kick start a discussion on Nigeria, which way? Let us arise, not necessarily as compatriots but as common passengers in a vehicle loosing direction and help in its re-navigation.
Amos Akin Adejinmi (London)
Ghadaffi may not be completely right in the number of divisions required to bring sanity to the country or in his outright call for total separation, but he has spoken the truth, that may be bitter pills to those who have not only benefited from the square peg inside round hole called Nigeria, but are flourishing in it, at the detriment of the rest of the 140 million Nigerians.
I once postulated a six-nation within one Nigeria, few years ago, borrowing from what Mr. Alex Filani-Ajala's tagged "Separation for Cooperation," where natural ethnic nations within the country, will operate solo governments but can co-operate in other areas on agreed terms.
My proposition will mean, Nigeria as it is presently constituted, will continue as one country while autonomous and self governance will operate within 6 nations that will come out as: Yoruba-Odua Republic, Igbo-Republic of Biafra, United Niger-Delta, Middle Belt Republic, Fulani-Uthmanda-fodio and Hausa - Arewa Republic.
Minor adjustment may be made to such states as Kwara, Kogi, Ondo and Edo states where the Yoruba speakers may want to opt for Odudua Republic. I expect similar adjustment in other ethnic nations as well.
Each of the 6 nations will have their own President or Prime Minister, leaving the overall Nigeria presidency to be rotational between the six nation on a yearly basis, as it is practiced in the European Union.
Power will no longer be concentrated in the centre but with the ethnic nationalities, who will also determine the number of states in their individual nation (as longer as it will not be used as the criteria for revenue sharing).
This arrangement will allow each nationality to grow in their individual paces, without pressure from the others and without one nation holding down the other in a catch up policy of quota system.
Maintaining Nigerian projects will be a joint efforts by the constituent nationalities. Projects such as the military, national/cross border police, immigration, navy, Air-force, customs and revenue sharing. Nations that will make up the new Nigeria shall be expected to pay agreed, percentage based, revenue on the natural resources within their domain to the central purse for its disbursement to common interest's projects, and to nations without enough internally generated revenue while the rest goes into running the tiny administration of the centre government.
It is very clear and simple, that the contraption we called Nigeria as it is run has never and will never worked. The trust and resolve that can make different ideologies that we have, vainly, tried to practice to work is not there, even after 96 solid years, 50 of which has been in 'independence, so to say.
If we, however, ignore and refused to do the right thing now, peacefully, we all, without exception, will be guilty, should a forceful method is engaged.
It was during IBB's government that we witnessed parcel bomb, that killed Dele Giwa, for the first time, in Nigeria, although series of others have taken place thereafter. However, the remote controlled car bomb experienced this week, in Delta State of Nigeria, introduced another dimension to how people are prepared to go to get 'justice'.
I am sure we do not want to wait until this become a common phenomenon such as was in the days of IRA here in the UK, in the 70's and 80's. Although, United Kingdom successfully overcame the trouble of IRA, but the scar it felt ca never be forgotten.
If half of IRA disturbances is allowed to enter Nigeria, I am afraid, it may wipe us off the map of the world, as we got non of what it takes to quell such gorilla hit and run campaign.
Ghadaffi has been used to kick start a discussion on Nigeria, which way? Let us arise, not necessarily as compatriots but as common passengers in a vehicle loosing direction and help in its re-navigation.
Amos Akin Adejinmi (London)
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