When forecasters of the United
States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) predicted the total collapse of Nigeria within 15 years, all hell broke
lose. The reactions of the key players in the moribund state highlighted the total bankruptcy of black leadership
in this epoch. Some of the so-called leaders have called the prediction a glib talk; others have called for the establishment of a national guard while yet others have called for a rapid response force using
arms purchased from Europe, America, China etc. to counter the alleged threat. In fact, the US analysts were merely
observing a reality that was all too evident on the ground, if only people would stop burying their heads in the
sand and exposing their thinking parts.
Nigerian is a phoney federation. It is
beleaguered by so many internal contradictions
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that its ultimate collapse as a state is now only a matter of time. When that collapse occurs, Nigeria will join
the graveyard of other unworkable and meaningless satanic empires constructed by colonial social engineers in Africa
and elsewhere in the last century. Nigeria is uniquely evil because in its short violent existence, it has consumed over 3 million
Igbo lives. It will certainly not be missed when it goes the way of the defunct USSR, Yugoslavia and other murderous
states.
There are some people who are currently
benefiting from the satanic state and its evil institutions of brutality. Such people have been ranting and raving
about the aforementioned US report, but total break up is now unavoidable and no amount of self-righteous rants
will change the course of history. In this essay we aim to interrogate the US report in order to confirm the historical validity of
the predicted collapse. We seek to locate Nigeria in the context
of other failed pseudo-federations of our time.
Phoney Federations
as Bye-products of Colonial Racist Ideology
Nigeria is a bizarre by-product of the colonial ideology in Africa. This was an ideology that denied the validity of African history and humanity, asserting
quite bluntly that Africans were sub-humans with no history. Among the chief theoreticians of this ideology was a H.R. Trevor- Roper, Regius Professor
of Modern History at Oxford University England. According to him, Africa had no history at all. Commenting further, he said:
Perhaps in the future, there will be some African history to teach. But, at present
there is none: there is only the history of the Europeans in Africa. The rest is darkness� and darkness is not a subject of history.
Since Africa had no history, Eurocentric scholars
and social engineers have ignored local realities and proceeded to create their own version of African history.
To match this political ideology, they have even created their own prejudiced lexicons, which differentiated Africa from the rest of humanity. As shown
in Table 1, some legacies of this linguistic apartheid are still evident today. For example, Africans are said
to have no nations, only tribes, no generals, only warlords etc. Only Europeans produced doctors, soldiers, statesmen
generals etc. Africans produced only witches, warriors, tribal chiefs and warlords (Table 1). The application of linguistic and social
apartheid to state formation ultimately led to the creation of monstrosities such as Nigeria.
Table 1: Linguistic Apartheid: European vs. African terms
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European
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African
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Nation
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Tribe
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Soldier
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Warrior
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General/Field Marshal
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Warlord
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Doctor
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Witch
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Statesman
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Chief
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African Tribes vs.
European Nations
Colonial ideologists in Africa did not just hypothesize; they acted
on their theories as well. For example, since Africans were deemed incapable of forming nations, it followed that
African tribes however large in population, and whether
or not they had a common history, culture, occupied a contiguous territory etc. could be amalgamated with other
tribes to form new �nations�. These new nations
were then expected to embark on the project of nation-building with the expectation that at some unspecified future date, they would become true
nations, a stage presumably attained in Europe eon years ago. This was how the Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba, some of the largest true
nations of Africa became coerced in one unworkable nation-state
called Nigeria.
Of course this was a sharp contrast to
what obtained in Europe. As shown in Tables 2 and 3 every European
nation however tiny had a right to self-determination, a seat in the UN etc. For example, whereas, Luxemburg with
0.04 million population is a fully independent state, over 40 million Igbo, one of the largest true nations of
Africa have been denied these rights and coerced into an uneasy alliance with Mohammedans, feudalists etc. in an
unworkable contraption
called the Nigerian state. Within our own lifetime, more tiny European nations-states have emerged (e.g. Croatia, Slovania, Georgia, Bosnia etc.) and the high
heavens have not fallen.
Table 2: European Nations
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Group Name
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Location
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Population
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Designation
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Current Status
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Luxemburg
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Europe
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0.04million
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Nation
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Independent state
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Ireland
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Europe
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3million
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Nation
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Independent
state
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Sweden
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Europe
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5million
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Nation
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Independent state
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Denmark
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Europe
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5 million
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Nation
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Independent state
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Iceland
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Europe
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0.3 million
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Nation
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Independent state
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Liechtenstein
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Europe
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0.03 million
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Nation
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Independent state
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Norway
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Europe
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4.million
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Nation
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Independent state
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Portugal
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Europe
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9 million
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Nation
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Independent state
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Finland
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Europe
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5 million
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Nation
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Independent state
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Table 3: African Tribes
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Group Name
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Location
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Population
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Designation
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Current Status
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Igbo
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Africa
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45 million
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Tribe
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Part of
failed
state Nigeria
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Yoruba
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Africa
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35 million
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Tribe
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Part of
failed
state Nigeria
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Zulu
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Africa
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4 million
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Tribe
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Part of South Africa
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Hausa
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Africa
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38 million
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Tribe
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Part of
failed
state Nigeria
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The Rise and Collapse
of pseudo-Federations in Africa
Having convinced themselves that African
peoples were incapable of nationhood
both historically and developmentally however large, the colonial masters
proceeded to form mixtures of these alleged pre-state bands or tribes into units which they called �federations� and other fancy titles. They did this by simply
by drawing straight lines on maps. Nigeria is a good example of such unworkable amalgams. It is a false federation which has within its boundaries, Mohammedans, Christians, animists, Igbo Yoruba,
Hausa etc. This
is a recipe for state failure and disaster for which Africa is justifiably famous.
In fact, the post-colonial history of
the Africa and the world is replete with the carcases
of these false federations which have collapsed one after the other like a pack of cards. Viewed both historically
and comparatively, Nigeria is next on line to go down the ignominious path of other fraudulent federations,
some of which are reviewed below.
1. The Central African
Federation
This was also known as the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. It was created by the British in 1953 after a so-called
referendum. It comprised of the protectorates of Nyassaland, Northern Rhodesia
and the self-governing colony of southern Rhodesia. The unworkable contraption collapsed in 1963, paving the way for the present day modern states
of Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
2. The East African
Federation
A supposed federation of Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda and Zanzibar, this British contraption was created
in 1948. All the usual trappings of the state � joint high commission etc. were set up. The silly set up however
started to fall apart in 1961 following the independence of Tanzania. Today the so-called East African Federation
has been consigned to the dustbin of history and in its place are the states of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. That was yet another requiem for a
pseudo-African federation, the product of the colonial ideology in Africa.
3. The Sahel-Benin
Union
The British were not alone in setting
up worthless federations, the French
also set up unworkable unions in Africa. One such federations purported
to amalgamate the states of Dahomey (now Benin), Ivory Coast, Niger and Upper Volta (present day Burkina Faso) in 1959. Also known as Conseil de L�Etente, the unworkable union has since been consigned to the dustbin of history. Elsewhere
in the area, the French - created union of Central African republics formed in French Equatorial Africa also bit the dust, another testimony to the bankcuptcy of colonially-inspired union
of opposites.
4. The Caribbean Federation
Just as the colonially-inspired pseudo-federations
were collapsing like a pack of cards in continental Africa, elsewhere in the black world, the British were busy creating yet more �federations�.
The Caribbean federation otherwise known as the West Indies Federation was created in 1958 incorporating Jamaica, Trinidad, Leeward and Windward Islands, Barbados etc. In 1962, the so-called federation came to an abrupt end and its so-called
constitution and other paraphernalia of state were consigned to the bin. Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados etc were thus left in peace to pursue their various destinies as independent states.
The Nigerian Federation
� Requiem to a Failed State
From the foregoing, it is clear that
Nigeria is neither unique nor sacrosanct as
we are led to believe. On
the contrary, Nigeria is just one of the very many sham federations set up in Africa and elsewhere in the black world under
colonial occupation. All of these so-called federations have since failed and have been consigned to the garbage
dump of history. The last of them is Nigeria, a state tittering on the edge of the abyss. Therefore to suggest that the Nigerian
state is immune to collapse is a total and utter nonsense. The seeds for the collapse are all too apparent, unless
urgent steps are taken. In the rest of this essay, we outline the main issues that will finally consign Nigeria to well deserved oblivion:
1. The Igbo Question
One of the largest true nations of Africa, the Igbo have traditionally played
a leading role in the great events of black history. The Igbo were the first to challenge colonial slavery. In
the Americas, they were key players in the world first successful slave revolt led by Toussaint
L�Overture (1743-1803), which led to the foundation of the state of Haiti. The state of Haiti is today replete with relics of its
Igbo past. In the 18th century, Olaudah Equinoh, an Igbo not
only championed the abolition of chattel slavery but also helped to found the state of Sierra Leone which capital was called Freetown for freed slaves.
While Africa languished under
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Edward Wilmot
Blyden, LLD. (1832-1912) (Igbo Founder of West African nationalism & and Pan-Africanism) How long will the
Igbo nation remain coerced into a failed state?)
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colonial rule, another Igbo, James Africanus Beale Horton (1835-1883) - physician, British Army officer, mining
entrepreneur and banker � demanded the immediate freedom and sovereignty of Igboland. In fact, Horton was the true
father of the Igbo liberation struggles, a tradition ably taken up by His Excellency Gen. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
In addition, it was Edward Wilmot
Blyden (1832-1912), another Igbo in Diaspora, born in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands who laid the foundation of West
African nationalism and of pan-Africanism while Nnamdi Azikiwe inspired a whole generation of Africans who
finally overthrew colonial rule in Africa. Today the great Igbo nation is entrapped in an unworkable and failed
state, hemmed in by sundry feudalists and Mohammedans. It is hard to believe that the Igbo nation with such a rich
history of resistance and freedom fighting will remain embedded in such an unworkable failed state called Nigeria
for any length of time. Therefore Igbo dissociation from the Nigerian state is only a matter of time, unless urgent
steps are taken to address their grouse.
2. The Biafran Genocide (1966-70) an unfinished business.
The Biafran war (1967-70)
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Biafra (1969):
Christopher Kip Warr of Oxfam buries a 4-year Igbo child victim of hatred and genocide. (Courtesy: Patrick Watson
and Benjamin Barber)
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which claimed over 3 million Igbo lives was
a horrific crime against humanity, a
crime crying out for atonement. In 1970, Biafra�s Gen. Philip Effiong was faced with two choices, ending the war
or continuing it in a guerrilla format under the platform of the Biafran Organization of Freedom Fighters (BOFF).
Effiong chose to end the war but with the caveat that the Igbo would fight again if the wrongs which led to war
were not corrected. Other
world leaders (e.g. President Georges Pompidou of France) were united in repeating the same warning i.e. that Biafra
would re-emerge in the future unless the Igbo question was carefully resolved.
Nigeria ignored the warnings. Instead,
it set about confiscating Igbo bank accounts, their landed properties, destroying their schools, churches, language,
cities etc. In
1970, Nigerian leaders proclaimed that money was no problem but how to spend it and yet they refused to rehabilitate
the infrastructures damaged in Igbo territory during the war. Today Igbo cities are crumbling while resources extracted
from occupied Igbo territories are used to develop Hausa and Yoruba areas. What is left is siphoned abroad and
stored in coded bank accounts. Instead of addressing the Igbo grievances, Nigerian rulers have gone to Britain,
Russia, Germany, etc. and bought rusty old guns, which have given them the confidence and boldness to treat the
Igbo question with flippancy. They pretend that
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The Biafran
child (1967-70) Courtesy: Wanadoo (France): Can Perpetrators and victims of Genocide be governed in one nation-state?
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they won the war, even though no victory was possible without the
intervention of Britain, USSR, and the Arab League. As their state totters on the edge of disaster, these people
are still rambling on about rapid
response, national guard and
other degenerative lexicons of force, forgetting
that even the USSR, armed to the teeth with conventional
and nuclear weapons could not ultimately save itself by sheer force of arms.
And so the alienation of the Igbo from
the Nigerian state continues unabated. It is becoming increasingly clear that the Hausa-Fulani and their allies
who perpetrated the Biafran genocide and their Igbo victims cannot and will never be successfully governed under
one nation-state. To do so would be practically the same as forcing the Armenians and their Turkish killers or
the Jews and their Nazi tormentors into one nation-state. Besides, no independence movement of the size and scale
of Biafra with the level of sacrifice in known human history ever ended without achieving its aim. This is a simple
truth.
3. Over-centralization
of the state amidst internal irreconcilability
Even the defunct USSR allowed its constituent
republics their own armies, national football teams etc. The Soviet republics were each represented in the
UN and yet the USSR went down the tube. The Nigerian state was, in fact, originally set
up as a federation of three republics � north, east and west reflecting the fact that the state itself
had within its boundaries, three of the largest African natural nations, each over 30 million
in population. The linguistic and cultural differences separating the Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba are at least
as wide as those separating France, Russia, Italy, Israel, Turkey, Iran and Japan.
Once the white man�s tutelage was withdrawn,
the Nigerian central government under black misrule quickly evolved from the status of a managing agency, into
a feudal monarchy, the so-called presidency in which a semi-literate Hausa-Fulani or lately Yoruba fellow presides
over Bantustan-style �states� which �governors� depend on handouts from the centre in the most bestial
display of the black man�s gross incompetence and imbecility. This is why Nigeria is unworkable. In fact, Nigeria
as it is is comparable to merging France, Russia, Italy, Israel, Turkey, Iran and Japan in a single unitary state
and from where we stand, it is stupid; it is impractical and will never work, not now not ever.
4. The Clash of Civilizations, otherwise known as the War on Terror.
America�s 9/11 has changed the power equation
in Nigeria. We recall that in 1966-70, the West and Russia had armed and supported Islamic forces to take power
in Nigeria. In so doing, they inadvertently handed over control of the entire world energy supplies to the wahabists
of Saudi Arabia and their northern Nigerian supporters. Today, the same west under attack by al-Qaida have now
come to the conclusion that allowing the Islamists to control the Nigerian state and its oil isn�t such a good
idea after all. Russia itself is deeply embroiled in a war of attrition with Islamists in Chechnya.
The Islamists of Nigeria have not
helped their case either. For example, some fellows have against the dictates of common sense introduced sharia law in parts of northern Nigeria, stoning women and hurting western sensibilities. Elsewhere,
in the area a demented group is seeking to create a Taliban-style regime; while yet another is burning US flags
in Kano even as writers, beauty contestants and artists are silenced with fatwa.
Meanwhile Nigeria�s days as a single state seemed numbered the day Mr bin Laden in one of his famous video tapes named Nigeria as one of the states he intended to liberate. The world (most especially the West) is not about to sit and watch a black Taliban
state allied to al-Qaida emerge in Nigeria. Clearly, the time is now ripe for the West to disintegrate Nigeria
along its natural fault lines. This would at least isolate and quarantine the Hausa-Fulani Islamists and their
al-Qaida allies in their desert margin where they would pose no threat to the West�s alternative energy supplies
in the South Atlantic coast of Nigeria. Is anyone now in doubt about the essential thrust of the US report?
The way things are going, it will soon
be a requiem for Nigeria, a state run on the principle of gross injustice. When the final bell tolls, the grave
stone of Nigeria will be inscribed with the words: here lies the remains of a genocidal state which oppressed and murdered 3 million
Igbo people.