by Ugochukwu Amasike

In 1914, two very distinct entities, with no shared values or shared ideology were fused together, without their consent. That fusion was driven by economic reasons, it was essentially tantamount to a contemporary business merger aimed at increasing profit. The promoters of this merger spared no thought for the discordance such a fusion would create.

The promoters were, of course, the British Colonial Government and the fused entities were: the Northern Protectorate and Southern Protectorate of Nigeria and till today the ideological differences underpinned by the sharply distinct culture and religious persuasion of the peoples of the defunct Protectorates continues to hamper political and economic development, with the two entities almost continuously at loggerheads.

Almost every attempt aimed at resolving the “cold conflict” has proved futile, even in the aftermath of a bloody civil war, the corporation, nay amalgamated entity known today as the “Federal Republic of Nigeria,” continues to simmer with ethnoreligious tensions that have occasionally boiled over and resulted in the hideous mass murder of Nigerians.

This situation has caused many to wonder and ask If “Nigeria” will ever attain unity, prosperity and peace, more so under its current stifling and strife-engendering political-economic system that has further worsened Nigeria’s inter-ethnic dynamics, with reach ethnic group and even faith, competing against each other in an often bloody quest to control the Central government – the dispenser of goodies and at times, terror.

To that extent, many have not only predicted the dissolution nay winding up of the Nigerian entity including a CIA-affiliated think-tank and many Nigerians have also called for the correction of “the mistake of 1914”, stating that there exist “irreconcilable differences” between the two (2) parties to the forced union.

There are also those, who motivated not by love for country, but by pecuniary motives insist that the country must remain “united” irrespective of the differences and the pain it has inflicted on its people. For them, “Nigerians exist for the pleasure of the Nigerian Republic” and not the other way around – as it should be, that is: Nigeria should exist FOR Nigerians and not the other way around.

There is a third group, one to which yours sincerely belongs to. This group believes that Nigeria can work BUT under just and equitable terms. This group believes that Nigeria is stronger together, but they know that Nigeria cannot be held together by blackmail and the force of arms.

They assert that for Nigeria to continue to exist there must needs be a buy-in of the Nigerian people and that can only be achieved on the back of a frank and no-holds-barred discussion between and amongst ALL of Nigeria’s people.

The discussion would ensure that a new template for the administration and governance of Nigeria is established. This template would form the basis for Nigeria’s first people’s constitution and then will Nigeria’s march to greatness begin. In the event, this does not happen, Nigeria will sooner than later be wound up, the handwriting is all over the wall of our national life.

It is prayed that we will make the right choice and have a just, united, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria. ‎

Op–ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija

Ugochukwu Amasike, a lawyer, writes in from Lagos, Nigeria.

Op-ed Editor