It’s clear that the formation and naming of our beloved country is shrewd in dubious inconsiderable dealings.
My name is Ifemosu Michael Adewale and I am compelled to write this article on the One Million Dollar Question begging for answer; Who Sold Nigeria to the British for Eight Hundred and sixty five thousand Pounds?
The above question appeared on Guardian Nigeria Newspaper in the year 2014, no one took the story serious, we all waved it away, but it became imperative for me to write this after listening to Damini Ogulu a.k.a Burnaboy track "Another Story" on his just released album titled African Giant.
Nigerian History told us Flora Shaw Lugard coined Nigeria and her inspiration was the river Niger, but apparently the History is Faulty, Taunted , Biased and Distorted!
Republic of Niger was named after River Niger not Nigeria, but the white historians want us to believe Nigeria was coined out of River Niger.
Nigeria simply means “The Nigger Area” or “Land of the Black slaves”.
Nigger was a common derogatory slang used for slaves!
I don’t understand our mediocrity as a black man, we have so much information at our disposal but we choose not to research but dwell and believe all the white man says. Why?
The West African Region identified as Nigeria today was known to have supplied more slaves than any other country.
The quality of human “cargo” was supreme and priced much more than slaves from other West African countries.
Nigeria is blessed with men who were strongly built and were expert cotton farmers.
It was only wealthy plantation owners that could afford slaves from “Nigeria”.
No Little wonder, slaves from our country were nicknamed “black gold” and the British slave ship named “White Lion” brought them into Virginia. Damn!
Nigeria is simply a geographical expression of the imperialists’ greed and spite.
Who gave River Niger its name?
It is the European Slave traders and they did it for easy mappings! Who on Earth could have thought of that if not the European slave traders having foresee what will become of us as the most Populated Black Nation.
River Niger was the longest cutting accces across many black lands.
River Niger simply means the River of Niggers or Negroes as you wish to say.
Nigerians must have an open mind to first agree that most of what we were taught in Nigerian history is distorted and made to confuse us the people and also disconnect us from the truth.
The imperialists were very brutal with no humane sentiments to Africa.
Their business was simply to exploit and trade for their advantage, and not to advance Democracy as we were falsely deceived.
The Berlin Conference of 1885 legalized Africa as distant colonies to the imperialists.
Most African countries were named by what suited the colonial masters, Pathetic!
Have You taken your time to understand why Ghana was named Gold Coast? Simple because the abundance of gold Britain exploited.
Zimbabwe was also named Rhodesia by Mr. Cecil Rhodes who treated the country like his company.
Do You know that the oil colony of the Niger Delta part of Nigeria was called the Slave Coast?
It was so when Asaba was the capital of the Southern Protectorate under the ownership of Sir. George Goldie the founder of the Royal Niger Company which had its headquarters in Lokoja.
Sir. Goldie sold the Southern Nigeria protectorate (land and people) to the British Government for £865,000 (eight hundred and sixty five thousand pounds) in the year 1899.
There was a debate on whether to name Nigeria as a country Negroland or Nigritia as we remain the most populated black nation.
However, those on Nigritia won and the word was added in the Century Dictionary in 1904 to mean a large territory of niggers/ negros”.
Listen, I am sorry if I sound crazy to you but our country is greatly admired world wide for its great resources especially its people.
What happened to them is distortion of facts to enable indirect rule function at the detrimental discord of its people.
All Nigerian people need to reach out to their core and harness a common vision which can bring forth the missing patriotism.
Nigeria is a potential supplier of world power in no time with our natural resources and Human potentials.
However we must do these Three things, Reach our core, find the truth and most importantly build our Nation.
Can we Ask for the Southern and Northern amalgamation contracts?
These should be made public for all Nigerians to know and also help us to know what terms Nigeria was married upon.
The Royal Niger Company was given some dubious rights to half of all mining revenue for 99 years from 1900.
These documents should be with the British government, United African Company and Leventis companies as there were parented from the Royal Nigeria Company.
Because I know they are missing at our government’s administration.
It a fact! UAC and Leventis are owned by ex slave traders and still grow their empires in Britain.
You can search the Century Dictionary, the Slave ship named “White Lion”, Flora Shaw and the naming of Nigeria (what a story), the naming of the Republic of Niger; the Slave Coast of Niger Delta, Sir Goldie, Royal Niger Company, History of UAC & Leventis, the amalgamation contract. You will definitely find some interesting stories about them.
But try searching for the 1914 Nigeria Amalgamation contract, you will find no answer.
We know the English men to be high on documentations and record keeping so where are the amalgamation papers?
Who signed on behalf of Nigeria?
- Awolowo was born in 1909 and was 5 years at 1914
- Azikiwe was born in 1904 and was 10 at 1914
- Balewa was born in 1912 and was 2 years old at 1914
- Ahmadu Bello was born in 1910 and was 4 at 1914
It’s clear that the formation and naming of our beloved country is shrewd in dubious inconsiderable dealings.
Little wonder we have become strangers filled with ethnic bitterness hanging unto the foreign man’s religion, government and education.
We are lost, but we can find our bearing if we begin not only to have discussions about our existence but take proactive remedial steps.
Some would shove this off as “mere history”. However, remember that to understand Nigeria, we need to know where it came from.
Until then, Nigeria is just a name given to a lucrative land for colonial exploits, a land of strong black negros, a land which bears the poverty capital of the world, a land afraid to be great, a land now turned graveyard for our National Thieves and Rogues.
A land which feels it doesn’t deserve to be industrialized, educated, healthy and wealthy.
It high time we start asking Questions! Until then I see no Giant of Africa walking tall because the sufferness has been Pre-Determined by some set of Business Men long ago.
The Pseudo country called Nigeria needs REVOLUTION!!!
Ifemosu Michael Adewale is the Convener Youth In Good Governance Initiative YIGGI, Ogun State Secretary African Action Congress AAC.
Reference: Natasha A.
Tweets: @ifemosumichael