THE ROAD MAP TO POLITICAL INDEPENDENCE: FROM BRITISH COLONIALISM TO NIGERIAN GANSTERS ENSLAVEMENT. It is not new that that the industrial revolution in Europe and the quest for more power by the European States led to the scramble and the partition of Africa during the Berlin Conference of 1884/1885 chaired by the man of Iron and blood (Otto Von Bismarck, German Chancellor). The rest was a story as the full scale of colonialism started in Africa, especially West Africa in 1900. Britain had the privilege of getting Northern, Southern parts of which later formed Nigeria with the force marriage of 1914 for administrative conveniency of the British colonial Master. As a result of the amalgamation of 1914, the struggle for political participation in government ones country commenced i.e Nationalism, it must noted that, the struggle at this stage was basically spearheaded by the Southerner, e.g Herbert Macaulay. The North never saw anything wrong at this time. The struggle yielded in 1922 with the Clifford Constitution as 3 seats and 1 were allocated to Lagos and Calabar respectively. The agitation continued, the face of the nationalistic struggle changed after the second world war(1939-1945). At this stage it was a struggle for self-goverment not participation, having seen that during the war Africans were much better than their colonial masters, and the same bullet that kill a black man is the same that kill a white man. THE DEMAND FOR INDEPEPENDENCE. At the floor of House of Representatives in 1953, Late Pa Anthony Enahoro moved the first ever motion for Nigeria Independence by 1956, but the motion was countered by the leader of the Northern Peoples Congress and the Sardauna of Sokoto, ALHAJI AHAMDU BELLO, in his objection for the 1956 independence motion, he said Nigeria should be granted independence as soon as practicable. Of course you all know that this was the cause of the Kano Riot of 1953 between the Southerners and the Northerners, hence marked the beginning of struggle of National unity which has been in mirage all this while. S.L Akintola attempted to revisit the motion for Nigerias independence in 1957, though his motion was passed by parliament it was not aquiesced to by the British colonial authorities, and therfore failed. Remi Fani-Kayode in August 1958 revisited the motion for Nigerias independence, the motion was again passed by parliament but the date as stated in Remi Fani-Kayodes motion which is April 2, 1960 was not granted by the British. But on October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained a half politial independence. It was half because the Queen of England was still the head of state in Nigeria represented by Nnamid Azikwe until the Republican Constitution of 1963. STRUGGLE FOR NATIONAL UNITY CONTINUES AND COLONIALISATION OF NIGERIAN CITIZENS BY THE PRIVILEGE LEADERS. The formation of the pre-independence political parties that crossed to independence were formed basically on regional basis e.g NPC for North, NCNC for east, AG for west. The leaders that fought for independence laid the foundation of disunity in the country. And instead of them to do like India and Parkistan which rejected their union as independent state in 1947, despite the fact they were one empire under Britain. For political gains, they allow the force marriage to continue. We all know what happened during the coup of Jan. 15, 1966 and the aftermath which led to the civil war. Till now Nigeria is still struggling for national unity, for instant, a southerner is not free in some part of the Northern Nigeria to practise his or her religion, while in the south, the northerners are taking as uncivilised, brutish people. A northerner has no trust in a southerner as a president, especially when he is a christian,viz versa, except the few that connive to dupe Nigerians irrespective of their social-political and religious backgroung. Today Nigerians are wallowing in abject poverty, while the privilege leaders are using the resources to better their own personal lots just as the British colonial master used our resources to better the lots of their country at detriment of Nigeria and Nigerians. As Nigerians were prevented from the social cycle i.e restricted from participating in the affairs of their country by the British, also the present Nigerian leaders have prevented Nigerians, especially the youth from gainful employment, hence the ravaging joblessness and poverty in the country. ACTION TIME. As I wish every conscious Nigerians Happy Political Independence, I aslo challenge them to wake up to challenge the gangsterism and political brigandage in the country, @54 the situation is getting worse, in 60s and 70s if you a graduate, yours is out of joblessness and poverty as you will be provided with everything you need to forge ahead as a recognised citizen, reverse is the case today. We have the resources to better the lots of Nigerians, but the self imposed colonialism by our brothers has prevented our breakthrough.
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 06:28:18 +0000
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