NIGERIA: ‘People ask, may be Lord Lugard made a mistake’ By all accounts, Nigeria’s political history has shown that the struggle for independence and nationhood has not only been tortuous and cumbersome but daunting and tasking. Historically, while it is true that not much blood was spilled in the struggle against colonialism as was the case in some African countries, many of Nigeria’s founding fathers suffered untold hardship in the hands of the colonial masters. Observers point to the fact that the doggedness and determination of most Nigerians to keep the nation united in spite of obvious challenges made it impossible for agents of division and fragmentation to succeed in breaking up the nation. This, according to them, explains why superior reasoning had always prevailed against attempts by a few individuals to cause disaffection and division in the country. Although not all the aspirations of the founding fathers have been met, observers believe that significant progress had been made in 53 years to sustain and ensure that Nigeria remained an indivisible sovereign entity. Malam Sanusi Mohammed, a public analyst, believes that the country has not done badly in the last 53 years. “It is a big score; we may not have reached the “Promised Land’’, the kind envisaged by Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and Tafawa Balewa, but the country is steadily making progress and gaining global recognition as a leader on the Africa continent. “This is not to say that all is glossy as we must admit that there are still developmental, economic and social challenges which we have to contend with,’’ he said. Mohammed argues that with the opportunity given to Nigeria to address the 68th session of the UN General Assembly, the third of such opportunity since independence, the country will eventually attain its dreams of becoming among the top 20 economies by 2020. In the same vein, President Goodluck Jonathan expresses confidence that Nigeria will be stronger,Contd!
Posted on: Wed, 02 Oct 2013 08:19:59 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015