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The Nigeria 1914 Amalgamation – PR2J3C4 – Nigeria @ Her Best

1914 Amalgamation remains Nigeria’s abattoirs.

 

l was born into a country called Nigeria about Seventy years ago. At least, my parents told me this when l started picking knowledge. And to the glory of God Almighty; who created me fearfully and wonderfully, and in His infinite Mercies, gave me as a gift to both my father and mother for up-bringing and up-keeping, I enjoyed my early days as a Nigerian, and in a country called Nigeria. That is on one hand of my life story.

Then in the other hand; and this is just a bigger story itself, by the revelation of the “BEAUTY of POVERTY” in the genesis of my life – I was born into unquestionable abject poverty, my parents could not take me out of the village [Ikwewu in Agbarho Clan, now in Ughelli North Local Government of Delta State] where l was born. That meant that the luxury of knowing any other place – within and outside Urhoboland was not a blessing l enjoyed while growing.

What these revelations meant; in my life, is that I came into this world through a country called Nigeria, and as a Nigerian. Under such euphoric innuendos; in spite of the existence of Southern and Northern Nigeria; which we heard of very often, a united Nigeria remained a Super-Structure in our thinking.

I grew up, ironically, under the influence of one-united-Nigeria. It must have been the reason why most people of my generation fell for the Slogan of the National Party of Nigeria [NPN] – one of the Political Parties of the 2nd Republic [formed in September, 1978] which says “One Nation One Destiny

Today, with the benefit of insight, Nigeria was never One United Nation from the beginning – a beginning we always, and erroneously so, traced back to 1914, when the tragedy of the Amalgamation took place.

We now know better that factors that brought 1914 into being were seeds planted clandestinely many years before the Amalgamation.

For example, out of the 28 people that sat down in Calabar for the ceremony of the Amalgamation, only 6 were Nigerians and none of the 6 put pen to paper in the Agreement that brought Southern and Northern Nigeria together.

The 6 Nigerians were just onlookers – people brought in more as properties of beautification than signing anything on behalf of their people.

Below are the names of the beautifying personalities as appropriately recorded by the document; Lord Lugard later sent to the Home Office, which described the 6 Nigerians as “these were the Nigerians present at the amalgamation: HRH Maiturare Sarkin Musulumi and Sultan of Sokoto, Usuman Dan Maje who later became Emir of Kano, Sir Kitoyi Ajasa a lawyer, HRH Oladugbolu Alaafin of Oyo, HRH R. Henshaw (Obong of Calabar), Abubakar Shehu of Borno.” They were merely there as observers without any official and administrative functions.

The Amalgamation of 1914 was the manifestation of series of consultations that started from 1552, when the first British Sailor – Captain Thomas Wyndham sailed his ship – M/V Lion, into anchorage around the Eko; later to be called Lagos Waterfront.

The negotiations that established the Lagos Protectorate, and also brought about the formation of Southern and Northern Protectorates for this part of the world, later to be named Nigeria by Lady Shaw, and which included the Amalgamation of 1914 was, and shall continuously remain trajectory of disaster for the indigenes of the “this area of the Niger”.

A Nation was never created for the people by these notorious traders from the United Kingdom, who later, in 1900, sold their acquired commodity to the British Government at a price – 865,000 GB Pound.

We shall be visiting the narrations and discussions of the Oneness of this country called Nigeria tomorrow in the studio of Lagos Talks 91.3 FM, as The Guru convenes with his creation – the Nigerian People’s Parliament, once again, starting from 0930 hours.

The arrangements of a falsified One Nation put together by some foreigners who were out to create and protect their economic hegemony and forced the reality of these lies against one side of the country more than the other side, remains a wobbling and fumbling concept the Nigerian People have lived with up till date.

But the current transformation of the APC and PDP, amongst many other Political Parties, to another democratic transition is coming to expose the hypocrisy of the evil works of those that brought and bind us together.

The Guru and his team cannot run away from discussing this matter tomorrow. Join the discussion, ipso facto, please.

Godwin Etakibuebu; a veteran Journalist, wrote from Lagos.

Contact:

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You can also listen to this author [Godwin Etakibuebu] every Monday; 9:30 – 11am on Lagos Talk 91.3 FM live, in a weekly review of topical issues, presented by The News Guru [TNG].

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