As Nigeria once again goes through the ritual of celebrating the bogus independence of a stillborn pseudo-nation, the question arises; what exactly is Nigeria? What idea does Nigeria represent, and who, if any, can truly claim to be a Nigerian? These fundamental questions are important as we  ponder the independence day celebrations and the myths therein. Chief Obafemi  Awolowo became the first to distance himself from the grandeur and fleeting illusions of Nigeria  when he referred to Nigeria as a “mere geographical expression.” Since then many have come to see the wisdom and realism of Chief Awolowo’s famous declaration.

I must confess that I personally shed the myth of being a Nigerian years ago, when I confronted the realities of Nigeria, and I am determined that none of my children will  come near becoming Nigerians. No doubt there are millions like myself, who having found no distinct idea, or essence of being a Nigerian have shed the myth. I make no pretences of my true, natural nationality, which is the Igbo, Ibo country or nation of dialects of Igbo speaking peoples which  stretches from Ukwuani in  Delta state  (Anioma) cutting across to Afikpo,  the plains of Nsukka up till the marshlands and coasts of Azumini and  Port-Harcourt. Had the colonialists  respected  ethnic boundaries in crafting African nations, these would have been the natural boundaries of my nation.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo saw the deception and contradictions of Nigeria’s make-up early enough and made his now famous declaration. There were those like Dr Nmamidi Azikiwe and a few others who strongly  believed in Marcus  Garvey’s ideals of  pan-Africanism. These ideals led Dr  Nmamidi Azikiwe and his disciples to  rightly or wrongly pursue the concept of  “one Nigeria,”  but Dr Nmamidi Azikiwe would be turning in his grave  when he contemplates what has become of the nation he once struggled  and hoped would be a  “black-Mecca.”

Present day Nigeria has rubbished Dr Nmamidi  Azikiwe’s ideals, and vindicated Chief  Obafemi  Awolowo’s  declaration. With the exception of the bunch of unconscionable  thieves, thugs, pirates,  slave masters and their taskmasters in the corridors of power, Nigeria makes no sense to the great majority of impoverished peoples trapped  within its geographical expression.  The distinct collective idea and ideal of  Nigeria that should positively galvanize the citizenry, essential in any true nation simply does not  exist. Who or what is a Nigerian is ever more difficult to define. How can a Nigerian be defined, when fellow supposed Nigerians are killed in the North for a cartoon published in Denmark?

The pseudo-Nigerian state has only succeeded in  the bastardisation, massacre, oppression, brutalisation, impoverishment and subjugation of her own citizens. There is hardly any so called Nigerian whose Nigerian experience goes beyond the brutal experience of police and army brutality, frequent ethno-religious conflicts, inequality, the engendering of monumental poverty by government looting, the absence of basic infrastructure etc. Nigeria as a nation and as an idea has failed herself and failed the black race. Beyond the mere symbolism and charade, the independence celebrations is simply useless.

With the absurdities of  Sharia in Northern Nigeria, MEND, MASSOB and OPC in Southern Nigeria, the contradictions of nationhood has remained forever on the increase. Crunching poverty has also ensured  that most Nigerians would gladly give anything to flee into foreign climes. And many continue to wonder if we wouldn’t have been better off under British rule as against the mindless exploitation and oppression to which we have been subjected under the so called Nigerian leaders.

Against this backdrop, It is important that the neo-colonialists  who have usurped the Nigerian space with celebrations of independence and pretences of leadership realise that they represent no one but themselves. Independence day should  ideally be an opportunity for reflections to ponder the paradox of a nation without the belief, trust or faith of its people, a nation at constant war with itself, a nation held down by the contradictions of its very creation, and a nation structured to fail. Except there are radical fundamental reforms to create a polity that identifies and pursues certain ideas and objectives  that guarantees the protection, equality and common good of its citizenry, the dream and lofty ideals of  Nigerian nationhood will remain but a fleeting illusion to be pursued but never attained.

Comrade Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu
Email: lawrencenwobu@yahoo.com

Robot  Villager

# 1 As Nigeria once again goes through the ritual of celebrating the bogus independence of a stillbor...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 30.09.2007 22:10