How Does Britain View Developments in Nigeria Today
Category NewsFabian Ukaegbu
Posted on 11th Apr 2018 00:00:00
How Does Britain View the Developments in Nigeria? How does my godfather feel about my works? Without Britain there wouldn’t have been Nigeria. Unlike France granting single autonomous Independence, Britain granted group independence to the former various autonomous tribes. With that in mind, how does it feel about the developments arising from its creation? How far are the British stakes left in part or whole to be fulfilled to promote honest patriotic and national pact in Nigeria? Is there any reason to retain old oligarchical relationship at old age? The British relationship with Nigeria calls for inquiry for facts and reasons of her support to the ailing Nigeria. Will the British nurse ungrooming child forever or stand right for justice? Every part of Nigeria is at unrest, complaining and unhealthy, is this what Britain intended? Britain campaigned to stop the slave trade. It organized the West African Frontier Force (WAFF) which encountered resistance from 1845 between Kosoko and Akintoye and eastward to Benin (1897) and further east to Bonny and Calabar; then ended the slave trade in 1901. Britain was aware of the traditional nature of the communities (Yoruba, Benin, Igbo, Tiv-Hausa and Hausa-Fulani) hence called the Civil Grandfather of Nigeria.
These are our stories and experiences in summary:
Commercial Tussles
1440s: Portugal & Spain explored Africa and started the slave trade aside of the northern trans Saharan trade;1454-1874: Mass evacuation of Igbos (main people in the trade) to Europe, America & West Indies
1517: Britain joined the trade
1847: 300 years after, some British Quakers and Parliamentarians started to view the trade differently when the Yankees (Americans) joined the trade after gaining self-rule. Britain started to campaign against the slave trade
1851: After the enactment; the Enforcement Order got sanctioned by the UK Parliament
1861: The Enforcement Order became effective with the formation and operations of the WAFF; Annexation of Lagos and hinterland operation to Benin.
1901: The House Ordinance in the Oil River Protectorate ended the slave trade with the capture of the Long-Juju (Ikenga) sabotaged by the local people.
Political Tussles
1800: Spain annexed Portugal after the death of Childless Prince Henry of Portugal1830: Britain took over the area formerly controlled by Spain.
1856: Back to Spain
1884: Back to Britain
1885: Shared between Britain and Germany from the Berlin Conference
1919: Shared between Britain and France
Political Manoeuvres
1895: Creation of the North later called Northern Protectorate and Indirect Rule hoisted on the Caliphates.
1896: Ja-Ja of Opobo captured and exiled to St. Vincent for opposing indirect rule.
1899: Britain bought ‘Oil River Protectorate’ from the Royal Niger Company for £1m and transferred the Oil River Protectorate from Foreign Office to the Colonial Office
1906: Britain merged the Bight of Benin with Western colony of Lagos to give West
1908: Britain merged the West and the East (Oil River Protectorate) to form the Southern Protectorate of unknown and unnamed country.
1911: Britain Proposed for the amalgamation of the North and southern Protectorates of unknown and unnamed countries.
1914: The emergence of the WW1 and its impact that gave ad hoc name Nigeria on 1/1/1914 by Flora Lugard. This was to name those from this area, who travelled and fought the WW1 and indeed, WW11.
Post-WW11
1947: The resumption of Nigeria after the WW11; The 'Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown' This was how Shakespeare's Henry IV. Part II, 1597 described it:And in the visitation of the winds, Who take the ruffian billows by the top? Curling their monstrous heads and hanging them With deafening clamour in the slippery clouds, That, with the hurly, death itself awakes? Canst thou, O partial sleep, give thy repose To the wet sea-boy in an hour so rude, And in the calmest and stillest night, With all appliances and means to boot, Deny it to a king? Then happy low, lie down! Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.
1947: Arthur Richards’ Constitution was British refresher course of Nigeria after the WW11
1952: John Macpherson’s Constitution opened the gate for indigenes to participate in the political discussions.
1953: AnthonyEnahoro moved for self-rule in 1956 was objected by the NPC
1960: The Nigeria that ensued after the WW11 in 1947, was a monster, irreconcilable in no front. The British pampered it as a fragile egg under stress and undue passion to 1960, when the first election was rigged by then Governor General Sir James Robertson in hope of retaining his post. Sir Peter Smithers, the Secretary of the Colonial Office confirmed the rigging and corruption.
1961: Plebiscite to remove South-West Cameroun from the NCNC Political group; the problem reincarnated in 2017.
1963: Nigeria gained Republican Status
1964: the election of that year exposed Nigeria’s immaturity in which Aare Ona Kakanfo allied with Alhaji Bello because of election difficulties in the West and North (Nzeogwu by S Obasanjo). The election finished in the East in 1964 and in the West & North in November 1965. The uneasy lies the head according to Obasanjo in Nzeogwu led to the January coup of 1966.
1966: Ironsi heading the post-coup interim Military regime appointed Commission headed by a British Judge to investigate the coup. The Commission submitted its report to Gowon in June but instead of addressing the issues, it Eastern domination that was given weight. After the second coup in July
1966: Gowon said that there was no basis for unity but the British High Commissioner Francis Cumming-Bruce weighed in and Gowon continue: however, we shall look for a way to work on. The war that ensued between the East and Nigeria was avoidable if Britain had wished to avoid by referring to the constitution that gave rise to Nigeria but Britain did not stand neutral for justice nor used her international powers to make peace. It was indeed her role especially during the war that affected Nigeria most. A godfather is usual divine in resolving issues but Britain differed in 1967-1970 war amid the people she brought together.
1972: indigenization, as war torn, gave the West and the North chance to share Nigerian assets
1974: Nigeria drove right
1975: British Beloved and Agent: Gowon overthrown
1976: Murtala killed by Dimka; gave Obasanjo chance
1979: Shagari enthroned as a civil political president under the 1979 constitution.
1982 Dec.: Buhari and Idiagbon overthrew Shagari
1985: Babangida overthrew Buhari
1992: Election denied the winning candidate Abiola
1992: Arewa Republic formed in London
1993: Abacha overthrew Babangida
1997: Abacha died (June) Abiola died (July); Abubakar held interim power 1999:
Obasanjo became Civil President
2002: the militant wing of the Arewa Republic started operation under Boko Haram
1997:Obasanjo mottled out with no legacy to Nigeria’s honour.
2010: Yar'Adua whittled out of poor health
2010: Goodluck remembered what he would have done too late
2015: Buhari threw his weight against corruption with unclean hands for Nigeria but for the Fulani course of cattling Nigeria. Suddenly, we remember Hausa-Fulani oligarchy. The British conquered the Northern Caliphate but compromised indirect rule: oligarchy, which turned to be claimed as a birth right.
2017: Buhari said: you cannot treat the 97 per cent who voted for him equally with the 5 per cent who voted otherwise. This is what gave the Fulani Herds men uneven hands to menace Nigeria and gave democratic right for the 5 per cent to seek their rights elsewhere.
The hopelessness of Nigeria, whom shall it be blamed upon? Did Britain form an unmanageable political entity? Does Nigeria tie the hands of its substrata back? A Community to live together, does Nigeria make a good living together? Did the founders of Nigeria intend chaos for the people? What do you do when your aim encounters difficulty? Evidence abounds that Nigeria formed and defended by Britain is having persistent problem; how does Britain view the developments in Nigeria? Should Nigerians always blame Britain with their large birth certificates and degree accolades? Copies and forgeries; else, the proposals for the amalgamation resolved all the tooting and menacing problems. Why do Nigerians over run the tarmac and skid to ditches?
The above brief is vital for an attentive godfather and ailing children and most vital when the entity deviates fundamentally. Without Britain, Biafra had gone and would be assessed on its own of whatever survived after the war and likely barbarism thereof. Why should we depart from British colony for Cattle colony? We sweat frantically when our efforts fall short and our godfather ignores us. What are our drawbacks?
Trump said" if after 50 years of independence you have not built the necessary infrastructure for your people you have failed" If you sit on gold, diamond, oil manganese, uranium and your people have no food, you have failed. If you stay in power and the only thing you remember is buying weapons from strangers to kill your citizens, you have failed. Who is the bell toiling for Sule Lamido answered it is the poor peasants who are twisted and subdued by the elites. As Walker asked in 1945, has Nigeria failed?
All the dates; events and details mentioned above are available on ‘The Future of Nigeria: ISBN: 9780992868871 and ‘The Igbos: The Afrikan Root of Nations’: ISBN:0953766721 Displayed at www.nedpress.uk
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Testing blog comment from article "UK Economy" today Sunday 16-9-207
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