“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common with unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” 

- Calvin Coolidge

“To choose the right moment in which to act is the great art of men…” Napolean Bonaparte

I have been watching the fast pace with which the so-called country of Nigeria has been tumbling towards tragedy. I have been watching the tragedy it has become for its peoples. I have been watching the disgrace it has become for those who carry its green passports. I have reached the conclusion that salvaging Nigeria is a mission impossible. I have reached the conclusion that breaking up Nigeria is the only viable option. There is no other way out.

I am aware that there are many who mouth UNITY every day when in fact they do not believe in it. I am aware there are people who keep chanting that TRIBALISM is our bane when indeed it is our real strength. I am aware that most of us like to be politically correct and say, Nigeria must unite when in fact we all know that breaking it up is the best thing for the peoples of this geographical expression.

I look through the various component ethnic groups in Nigeria and I am not able to identify a single one that expresses satisfaction. The Edo is not satisfied. The Mumuye is not satisfied. The Ibiobio is not satisfied. The Efik is not satisfied. The Anang is not satisfied. The Ijaw is not satisfied. The Igbo is not satisfied. The Nupe is not satisfied. The Agatu is not satisfied. The Magale is not satisfied. The Yoruba is not satisfied. The Kataf is not satisfied. The Kanuri is not satisfied. The Ogoni is not satisfied. The Karekare is not satisfied. The Tiv is not satisfied. The Khana is not satisfied. The Lamang is not satisfied. Even the Hausa-Fulani is not satisfied.

It is my view that the silent majority are angling to extricate themselves from the contraption called Nigeria. It is obvious that every ethnic group wants deliverance from the bondage called Nigeria. It is evident that no one believes in the quagmire called Nigeria. None of us has any emotional connection to the country called Nigeria. It is not ours. It is not our making. It does not belong to us. No one wants it.

Nigeria is not a nation. It is a country of nations. These component nations desire to be independent nation-states. A country or a nation (for the purpose of this context) is more than the physical buildings. It is more than a beautiful Capital Territory. It is more than the existence of powerful armed forces. It is more than a government that controls.

A nation, to exist has to be ingrained in the psyche of its citizens. There has to be that emotional connection. It has to run as blood in the veins and marrow in the bones of those who subscribe to it. A nation is that consummated indescribable feelings that command the unalloyed love, permeated with buoyant affection and infused with unsolicited loyalty of those who subscribe to it. A nation is that which is patently invisible but translucently obvious and recurrent in the gliding waves of the sea of sub-consciousness, of its people.

This is not the case with Nigeria. We all have nothing in common. Our aspirations are different. Our hopes are different. Our dreams are different. Our primordial attachment is very strong. No one likes to be dominated. No one likes to be in bondage. No one likes to be enslaved. No one likes it when others take advantage of him or his/her people. We are all ethnic jingoists. Yet we are unwilling to accept it. We are all in denial. We all pretend to be Nigeria lovers, when indeed we all hate Nigeria. Our ethnic group is where we derive our identity. It is where we derive our worldview. It is where we derive and form our character. It is what describes us as human beings. It is the kernel of our authenticity. It is what makes us unique. It is what makes us special.

As I wrote elsewhere, a Yoruba man anywhere in the world would do his best to raise his children in Yoruba ways. An Ijaw man would do the same. An Igbo man would do the same. An Efik man would do the same. A Kanuri man would do the same. A Mumuye man would do the same. An Edo man would do the same. Every man would do the same. None of us would raise his child as a Nigerian. This is because Nigeria does not exist in our consciousness. It is not in our psyche. There is no emotional connection. There is no cultural connection. There is no identity connection. There is no sense of belonging of any sort.

It is noteworthy that those mouthing ONE NIGERIA are those benefiting from the tragedy represented by Nigeria. Those who are advocating that Nigeria remains one are doing so not because they love Nigeria, but because they love their pockets. They are the ones who get the big contracts and refuse to execute them. They are the ones who appeal to the primordial sentiments when they lose out in the struggle for the loot. They are the ones who mouth national unity when they get inflated contracts. They are the ones who have no regard for their own people back in their communities. They are the ones who care less for the sufferings of the poor. They are the ones who live ostentatiously and flaunt their wealth to make poor people envious.

They are the ones who are quick to point to their friends in other ethnic groups as if, were Nigeria to break up that friendship would cease. I have Ghanaian friends. I have Togolese friends. I have Senegalese friends. I have Liberian friends. I have American friends. I have British friends. This does not mean that we have to be in the same country to remain friends.

There are those who tout inter-marriage, as a reason Nigeria should remain one. This is balderdash. I know many Igbo who are married to Americans. I know many Yoruba who are married to Germans or British. I know many Ghanaians who are married to peoples from the geographical location called Nigeria. This does not mean that they necessarily have to come from the same country to remain married.

It is my view that there would be better relationships among the peoples of the different nations of Nigeria if each were to control its destiny. It is my view that there would likely be more friendships across the new borders. There would likely be more marriages across the new borders. There would be less hostility across the new borders. There would be more geniality across the new borders. All we need is just go for it and break up Nigeria.

Nigeria is not a viable entity. It is a tragedy. It is a misnomer. It should cease existence. We all have to go our different ways. This is more so because this is what we all want severally. We all do not want Nigeria. We are all dissatisfied with Nigeria. Nigeria has betrayed us. Our hopes are dashed. Our dreams are unrealizable within the Nigerian structure.

Those who work hard are in penury. Those whose lands are producing the resources are in poverty. Nigeria deprives those who value education. Nigeria impedes those who value cattle rearing. Nigeria constricts those who want to be international businessmen. Nigeria is rebuffing those who want to make Arabic education a priority. Nigeria is holding back those who want to jump into the age of technology. Nigeria is denying those who want Sharia law. Nigeria is depriving those who want a secular state.

Nigeria is impeding those who want merit. Nigeria is humiliating those who value integrity. Nigeria is disgracing those who want self-respect and dignity. Nigeria incubates crime and criminals. Nigeria is lawless. Nigeria encourages uncouthness. Nigeria encourages abuse of elders. It disparages the youth. It undermines our age long traditions.

I am not a religious person. I hate churches. I loathe mosques. But something nudges me about the existence of the Supreme Being. Though, I am not sure about this, I am willing to entertain myself with the thoughts of such. To this extent, I am declaring that I have the proof that Nigeria exists against the WILL of ELEDUMARE.

I do not know about the Jewish Yahweh. I do not know about the Christian God. I do not know about the Islamic Allah. But I know that the Eledumare of Yoruba people is not deaf. He does not wait 47 years without responding to supplications as the Christian God and Islamic Allah have obviously done. The Yoruba Eledumare is swift and effective. But the problem is that the Yoruba have abandoned their Eledumare for the Christian God and the Islamic Allah. Now they are in quandary. They are in disarray. They are in dilemma. They are in predicament. I believe this problem is replicated among most of the ethnic nations in the geographical location referred to as Nigeria.

We have abandoned our roots. We have abandoned our fore fathers. We have abandoned our ways. We have abandoned our identities. We go around in borrowed robes. We are following the wrong faiths. This is why the prayers would never avail Nigeria. This is why Nigeria would NEVER make it. It is why Nigeria would break up whether we like it or not.

Why, for example, should the Ogonis remain in Nigeria when they are bigger than 22 countries represented in the United Nations in terms of population? Why? After all there is a country (Monaco) represented in the United Nations which size is just 1 square mile! Then talk about the Edo nation. Talk about the Efik nation. Talk about the Igbo nation. Talk about the Tiv nation. Talk about the Nupe nation. Talk about the Yoruba nation. Talk about the Hausa/Fulani nation among many other nations chained together in bondage and subjugation in the Nigerian miasma. Why do we all choose to believe the lies that Nigeria cannot break into as many countries as the peoples of the presented geographical location called Nigeria want?

The Hausa/Fulani should consciously seek their freedom from this miserable Nigeria. They could go it all alone. If Burkina –Faso and Niger Republic could survive, the Hausa/Fulani could survive too. The Katafs need to be free from Nigeria. The Igbo have to be free from Nigeria. The Ijaw have to emancipate from Nigeria. The Yoruba have to extricate from Nigeria. The Edo have to disentangle from Nigeria. The Efik must seek freedom from the Nigerian burden. The Tivs should throw off the yoke of Nigeria. We all must work together to consign Nigeria to the dustbin of history. It is Nigeria’s destiny. It must break up.

If Nigeria breaks up, it would increase the competition among all of us. Those who want to move fast to develop would do so. Those who want to slow down would do so. Those who want Sharia would move to adopt it. Those who want to be an extension of the Vatican City could do so. Those who want to educate their citizens could do so. Those who want to rear cattle would do so. Those who love Osama Bin Laden could follow him. Those who want a Taliban dominated nation would have the freedom to do so.

The Yoruba nation is saddled with the governments it loathes. The Yoruba nation is prevented from following its vision. The Yoruba nation is impeded from the pursuit of its dreams. The Yoruba nation is made to abandon its true character under duress. The Yoruba nation is made to denounce its true self under the threat of economic and political annihilation. The Yoruba nation has had its fabric torn to tatters. The Yoruba nation has fallen to the in-house enemy in Olusegun Obasanjo and his clique. All these have been possible because the Yoruba nation is chained to the tragedy called Nigeria.

This is true of every other nation within the Nigerian contraption. Nigeria must break up. It is the only way out. It is the only means to realize our dreams, severally. It is the only way to realize our hopes, severally. It is the way we can stop the renegades from representing us. I am sure that Andy Ubah does not represent the real Igbo people. I know that Chief Lamidi Adedibu may be “strong” in Ibadan. But Ibadan is not the entire Yorubaland. I know that Muhamadu Buhari does not speak for the entire Hausa/Fulani people.

I am aware that Olusegun Obasanjo is not a Yoruba man. I am aware there are so many traitors from the Niger Delta who feast on the misery of their people. I am aware there are many politicians who revel in the tragedy that the lives of their people represent. It is time to stop them by breaking up Nigeria.

If it were within a Hausa Fulani nation, Sani Abacha could not have emerged Head of State. If it were within the Igbo nation Andy Ubah would not be relevant. If it were within the Yoruba nation, Olusegun Obasanjo would be a persona non grata. Nigeria is incubating them and their ilk. Nigeria is rearing them and their ilk. Nigeria is protecting them and their ilk. Nigeria is feeding them and their ilk. This is one of the most important reasons why Nigeria must break up.

We all want to have our nation-states where we can hold people accountable. We need to do away with the protective evil umbrella that Nigeria spreads over the evil doers in our respective nations. We ought to stop pretending that we want Nigeria. Nigeria must break up. We all need to work towards this. It is the best option available.

I know breaking up Nigeria is a titanic task. I know most people are afraid to express this truism. I know most people are scared to contemplate this reality. But I am convinced that this is the DESTINY of Nigeria. I know that those who are benefiting from the Nigerian misery would resist. But we have to take a cue from Calvin Coolidge to be persistent and determined.

I call on the nations of Nigeria to begin their liberation from Lord Lugard’s contraption. The DESTINY of Nigeria is the freedom of all nations subjugated under its misnomer. Nigeria can never give us peace. It must break into pieces. It is Nigeria’s DESTINY.

Robot  Villager

# 1 I have been watching the fast pace with which the so-called country of Nigeria has...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 02.04.2007 11:19

I Love Nigeria  Villager

# 2 It is easier to destroy than to build.... any edifice that is worth while We should concentrate on building a developed, advanced and great and grand Nigeria nation The writer of the present article and others like him, must face the reality and sarcosanct existence of one indivisible Nigeria..... conserve all energy to build a verile and stable strong and great Nigeria Posted by I Love Nigeria| 02.04.2007 12:02

Balance  Villager

# 3 I hear you well. Sometimes many of us feel like you. It has been said that only those who have something to gain by fraud perpetrate an impossible country like Nigeria where the hard working people and the highly endowed communities die in poverty. Take heed my brother, we are not all fraudulent. It is Africa we cry for. No country today with the support of the highly powerful or the majority can make it alone. Can Monaco stand on its own? No, it is not a country but a casino for playboys from rich countries. Is that what you want Ijaw, Kanuri or Tiv nations to become? You do make sense, no doubt, we will not have all these leaders if it was not for majority outside their enclave but why throw the bad away with the good from the bath water when we can do better? Please do not give up, the day we give up, we are back to slave trade when Africans will be used against one another. Is that not happening now? It is but it will get much worse out of greed like Saudi Arabia with the rest of the Arabs. Is there where you want to see us? As hard as it is, we have to think, think and think our way out. Peace! Posted by Balance| 02.04.2007 12:20

SOC Okenwa  Villager

# 4 Mr Oyeyemi, You hit the bull in the eye there! Your article is a masterpiece. Bravo! Nigeria indeed is a Lord Lugard creation without our contributions or consent, so undoing what Lord Lugard did criminally, though an uphill task, is not impossible. I feel as much as you do but the problem as you rightly pointed out is that those feeding fat from the misery of so-called Nigerians will present a formidable opposition to the dismemberment of the inexistent nation called Nigeria. Nigeria as presently constituted impedes everything that is good from evolving! If we must be together then true federalism is the only solution out of the confusion and present and future danger and challenges of development. SOC Okenwa. Posted by SOC Okenwa| 02.04.2007 12:34

britroyal1  Villager

# 5 This article gives a lot of gung ho and eloquence, but in substance it leaves a lot to be desired. This is because an essential question arises which the author has woefully failed to answer. "WHAT HAPPENS AFTERWARDS?" Many are the natural resources spread across the many geographic locations in Nigeria. As Nigeria stands now, we are interdependent on these resources. If Nigeria breaks up into diverse nations, how do we effect trade between nations that would hate each other (and that hatred would ensue upon secession), how would the individual economies of these nations stand. Furthermore, in terms of national security, seeing that our elite military is essentially northern based, how do we defend the south from northern aggression when Nigeria is split up. The fact is that if secession occurs, poverty and inter-regional wars would result. The author says that Nigeria has failed the yorubas, ibos etc, I contend that it is WE the people that have failed Nigeria. The developed nations of the world today are likewise diverse, they too have varied ideologies, religions, cultures and what have you. However, they look beyond these and work together to raise up their nation. The fact is that as fela sang "My people too dey fear too much." We are a cowardly people who have cowed under the misrule of despots from time immemorial. We have said "Kabiyesi" to every fool that has stepped up to the microphone and began a speech with "Pellow Nijarians". we cower to the influence of charlatans like adedibu and uba who give us pittances while they ravage the coffers of the state. Until we as a people put our differences aside and choose to stand up to these white collar rogues who rob us left, right and center we will not prosper. It was yoruba people who were complicit in denying Abiola his mandate after June 12 and we (after much ado) said "Kabiyesi", Nigeria has been governed mostly by the Northerners. Northern Nigeria is a cesspool of poverty and social maladies, yet the Northerners say "Nagode, Ranka dede" to their misrulers; and Ibos, the only reason why there hasn't been an Ibo president is that there are people like Nzeribe and Anyim who go back to the village to donate a generator so as to get chieftancy titles while defrauding their states of allocation money in Abuja, yet the ibos say "Igweeee". If Nigeria breaks up, there would yet be these kind of people doing the exact same thing. The only difference is that there is a smaller pool of money to directly steal from. It is when we choose to stop selling our heritage to these kind of people that progress would occur. Secession is not the solution, standing up to misrule is. Posted by britroyal1| 02.04.2007 14:48

STTOPP  Villager

# 6 I'm so tired of these "the Sky is falling" NVS hack writers, look your village is breaking up , has broken down, its a dissaster there, please go right now and try to do something about making it a lot better, before trying to tackle the problem of the whole country. Nigeria is going to be just fine, we should just do our own little bit in our communities and stop conplaining. STTOPP Posted by STTOPP| 02.04.2007 14:49

aringaranso  Villager

# 7 My brother abi my sister ,I concur with u Posted by aringaranso| 02.04.2007 16:21

Son of the Delta  Villager

# 8 I must say the truth in the past I always wanted a united Nigeria but to tell you the truth I have lost hope.In Nigeria I see a deliberate attempt to make sure my people no longer exist both in terms of policy and the distribution of wealth and political office. Unless Nigeria is urgently and truly restructured to give us a sense of belonging I believe it will explode before the US predicted. Posted by Son of the Delta| 02.04.2007 16:27

Palamedes  Villager

# 9 My pet hate is unexamined quotes: Serena Williams won the recently completed WTA finals in Miami due to her persistence but would she have won it without talent, experience or uneducated on tennis? In life, there are many (NOT only one) factors that makes one successful or a failure. Also, since when did “uniting a people” become a “politically correct?” thing? Are you not lazily applying a new fad to an age old idea? Marriage between a man and a woman is a unity, is it therefore “politically correct?” too? >>The Edo is not satisfied. The Mumuye is not satisfied. The Ibiobio is not satisfied… This makes Nigerians humans, after all: how can any Nigerian—except the thieving politicians and their cronies--be satisfied? Sir, satisfied in WHAT? To think that breaking up Nigeria will solve the problem is very illogical indeed. The same rotten apples will go on to lead the new mini republics and we shall return to the same problem until we turn every family into a mini republic. Face the problem and STOP running away from it. Could it be that you don’t have what it takes to solve problems and that is much easier running away from a problem than analysing, thinking and coming up with proper solutions? I don’t blame you; most people don’t even have persistence much more the feel and talent for solving problems. For a start, get ride of the divide-and-chop brigade and Nigeria would be a better place. It is just so irrational to call for break-ups; and I am so sick and tired of listening to this trash. Sir, We Nigerians just don’t appreciate the level of freedom that we enjoy. In many countries, if you go about demanding the break-up of that country, you would be an enemy of the state; you would be closely watched. As this website is hosted in the US, there is every possibility that given the keywords, “Nigeria”, “break up” etc., the article would have been scanned and filed by the CIA or her sister organizations even though it is unrelated to the USA. I just wish that those backward security services organizations in Nigeria are doing the same and putting you and your kind under their watchful eyes. It is their DUTY to keep watch on any threats—no matter how innocuous--to the republics. And it is high time they damn well woke up! Posted by Palamedes| 02.04.2007 16:28

Yoba Akinjola  Villager

# 10 Every family in Nigeria is already a mini republic. The members of each family currently provide their own security and pay for their own safety. The only difference between what is happening now and what will happen when every family is on its own is that the added burden of an intolerant and vindictive King will be lifted off their shoulders. Right now, your King has worked very hard to banish peace, harmony, and education from the members of each mini republic. 99 percent of the members of the mini republics who have managed to extricate themselves from your state of incertitude and languor are doing well in their foreign locations, where they are out of the reach of your ferocious beast-king. This goes to prove that when such a beast is out of their lives, the family members survive and prosper. My mother is not the Mayor or the Governor of my city. My father is not the president either. Note that the rest of his invective is a beautiful summary of his King’s beastly nature -- vindictive, intolerant, intimidation, and threats. It must be a great source of pains for you that if and when the CIA or FBI arrests Oyeyemi, due process will be applied to him and to the members of his family outside your lawless rat hole. Talk about ingrates and spoiled children! SSS is “backward” when it does not quickly crush the perceived enemies of their banana republic. But as long as the Gestapo SSS is crushing the oppositions from the members of the mini families, it is a legitimate authority. Posted by Yoba Akinjola| 02.04.2007 17:44

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