A Critical Expose of the Effects Of 1914 Amalgamation on Nigeria

Chinua Achebe citing an Igbo proverb in his on that point was a country tells us that a man who does non know where the rainfall started to beat him cannot say where he dried-out his body. The rain that beat Nigeria began more than a decade ago, from the resolutions of the Berlin conference of 1884/1885 to the economic operate uniting of the northmostern and southerly protectorates of Nigeria in 1914 by gentle Lugard. When the British mark off foot on the argona this instant known as Nigeria, it was a hue and cry of m some(prenominal) nations nations which the British preferred to natter tribes.Encouraged by the western anthropological binary of the ego and the former(a), the British colonialists motto themselves as destined and equipped to cede these African peoples from deep-scaled savagery, superstition and statelessness. They could not experience that these peoples had any form of civilization or system of governance. Even if they did, they did not essay the nee d to encourage the maturity and quartz glass of such institutions.Theirs, they thought was a superscript and more authentic civilization, and history peculiarly that of slavery, had perhaps taught them that the need for European to attach and pacify the other, the rest of the world, peculiarly Africa was a divinely ordained enterprise (Davison 199121-51). Little wonder that when the British came to Nigeria in the 19th century, first as traders and merchants, they did not hesitate to bring along their righteousness and later, government.With a conjunction of force, tact and artifice, they institute up administrative machinery which was later to plow a metaphor for the suppression and obliteration of indigenous governmental and socio-religious structures machinery which was designed to transfigure and establish the superiority of the European self over and above the African other. For easy administration more than for any other reason, British colonialists banded several(p renominal) nations to constituteher in 1914 to create Nigeria single of the liveliest housewives composed a subject field anthem for the new nation.In recognition of the artificiality of the concept of Nigeria, the anthems author wrote inter alia though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand Throughout the macrocosm of Nigeria, the second line of the stanza above evokes fabrication it represents one of the major falsehoods on which the British founded Nigeria and on which groundbreaking Nigeria thrives. Then the questions as to why do the British merge culturally diverse peoples to forge Nigeria? Was it not possible for them to allow these nations (which they called tribes) to evolve with marginal external influence and interference? jointure of 1914 Reasons and ProspectsThe primary aim of the British in amalgamating the Federal and the southern protectorates in Nigeria was scarcely economic. Compared with the small town and protectorate of southern Nigeria , the protectorate of northern Nigeria proved relatively curt neighbor. The entire south was very executable and richly endowed with surplus resources. The north was not as rich as the south, and was wooing Britain money since it was not generating bounteous revenue to sustain itself.It was in the contract to offset the cost of the northern Nigeria that Lord Lugard who was the governor appointed a charge to recommend charges of running the roughly barren north at a minimal or no cost to Britain. The gathering recommended the unification of the southern to northern to join the two vast areas as one country. On January 1, 1914, northern and southern Nigeria were amalgamated into one country and named the colony and protectorate of Nigeria. The amalgamation hence, was purely for administrative convenience and economic exploitation and as Chinweizu (1978) stated, British profit was too authoritative to be allowed to suffer.The above summary indicates the qualification of Nig eria and we can observe that the amalgamation of the northern and southern Nigeria was not in the sideline of Nigerians as they were not consulted forward the amalgamation.Consequences of the amalgamation a Toddler After coke YearsWhatever Europe did in Africa in those evenfall days, she did them solely for her own advantage and virtually always at the detriment of the African. The amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914 is no exception. It was a political blunder much of the history of Nigeria supports this thesis, although no one would acknowledge this in modern Nigeria.Before independence, the shadow of ethnicity had grown so large that even the contradictory colonial case anthem could not exorcise it. When the British granted us independence in 1960, it was certain that they have left not a truly pacified and unified union built on love and reciprocal respect and equity but a mere geographical expression as Awolowo, one of the founding fathers of modern Nigeria, put down it. When Tafawa Balewa current the independence charter at racecourse in 1960, he, perhaps, also received the charter for instability and disaffection.The history of Nigeria amidst 1960 and 1967, when the civil war finally bust out, is a testimony. Generally, amalgamation preserved the divagation among peoples and their administration. The adverse national issues were now looked at from local interests. Closely related to this was the caseous rivalry which developed between single administrations as they struggle for different group interest which they represented. So that even in Lugards time, Nigeria was divided along north-south lines. Thus, the way the amalgamation was implemented left a legacy of tension among component split of Nigeria.Also, the boundary adjustment which accompanied the amalgamation left some geographical in-balance between the north and south thereby creating alike adverse impact on ensuant nation-building efforts. Furthermore, in spite of all efforts s ince the illustrious amalgamation of the northern Nigeria and the southern Nigeria hundred years ago, an act which the northern leadership to this day consistently and publicily condemn as a mistake, Nigeria as a linked country was nothing but a fiction. Certain basic features mark a country out as united. approximately of these features areCommon or identical culture, as well as affable system.Common citizenship, with equal rights and privileges for all men anywhere in the country.Common laws and a common legal system.A common electoral system.Equal rights of all citizens before the law.Rights to acquire property and tie a living anywhere in the country.Equal rights to conflict anywhere in the country.Equal rights to protection of look and property.Most of these features or even more are completely found lacking in our dear country Nigeria.No thanks to ethnic consciousness among Nigerians.Any WayForward?To get the right answers presupposes asking the right questions. un ion of Nigeria is in itself not intrinsically evil. The hassle is that many critics of this very concept feed to be more emphatic in its exposition of the ills of this principle, relegating to the periphery and obliterating it well behaved aspects. We tend to sound and resound the huntsmans horns of disparity among Nigerians but prefer to be myopic about things that are radical to us as Africans.It is full-strength as some critics may choose to plead that our amalgamation was an unconsulted one as against the joined States of Americas voluntary amalgamation. As an Igbo proverb will have it anyukoo amiri onu o gba ufufu (igbo proverb portraying that unity is strength), the group meeting of the northern and southern protectorates of Nigeria could if utilized destitute of ethic sentiments and prejudice will make Nigeria a formidable force in its leadership role as the monster of Africa. This could only be possible when national interest is placed foremost as against ethnic inte rests.Furthermore, Nigerians at all direct should learn to imbibe and assimilate more readily the African core of Ujamaa socialism as propagated by Julius kambarage Nyerere. This brotherly spirit of communalism will help to eliminate all(prenominal) form of division against tribal lines and comfort that brotherhood that is deeply rooted in Black consciousness, In conclusion, Nigeria entire arrangement should be re-visited and made in such a way that it reflects true federalism by restoring more powers to the regional governments as this will de-intensify the unhealthy struggle to conceal the center that led Nigeria where it is today.