""""My reading of Awolowo's words is that it was a call to action rather than a statement of facts…………. What I think Awolowo was saying was for Nigerians to build a nation where her citizen's would feel at home, not just a geographical expression. Has that happened? Not yet. Will it ever happen? Not completely. When the founders of America talked about building a more perfect union that is the concept that Awolowo must have had in mind. Has American after three centuries perfected their union? Most people would say the country is still a work in progress. So is Nigeria. We have not built the kind of nation that Awo was calling us to build. So in this sense he is right. His call still stands. Some people use his words to dissemble Nigeria. It is turning his words on its head. At no point in his public life had Awolowo called for the destruction of Nigeria,……………. All his life he fought to rule this "geographical expression" so that it would become the nation he had in mind. Would he have succeeded if he had been elected? I am sure he would not have succeeded, but he could have moved it closer to the goal. Awo admirers and Awo haters would do Nigerians a favor by interpreting his words faithfully rather than using them to further their own agenda."""""Unquote Dr Ben O. Aduba.
Daalu Nwokem Ben for a Great New Year Message to Nigerians! Take care. Joe Igietseme (a Staunch Awo Admirer!)
From: NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com [mailto:NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of BENJAMINA
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2011 11:43 AM
To: NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [NIgerianWorldForum] Re: To Val Ojo-Is Chief Obafemi Awolowo Right After all? Ouote of the Century...
IS CHIEF AWOLOWO RIGHT AFTER ALL?
In the past Mr. Obafemi Awolowo was quoted as saying that Nigeria was a mere geographical expression and these days his quotes are being used by both the left and the right to advance their positions. Both sides of course use their misreading of Awolowo's words in a manner that would suite their objectives which most often are in conflict with what Awolowo must have meant.
My reading of Awolowo's words is that it was a call to action rather than a statement of facts. As a statement of facts he was/is wrong. Nigeria is a country, a member of the UN, AU, ECOWAS, the Commonwealth and others. You can board a plane and go to Nigeria. It has a government and institutions and people. I am a Nigerian. You can talk to me, offend me, please me, I am real and there are about 140 million of us. It is not a concept. It is not like the land of Lilliput. It has coordinates.
What I think Awolowo was saying was for Nigerians to build a nation where her citizen's would feel at home, not just a geographical expression. Has that happened? Not yet. Will it ever happen? Not completely. When the founders of America talked about building a more perfect union that is the concept that Awolowo must have had in mind. Has American after three centuries perfected their union? Most people would say the country is still a work in progress.
So is Nigeria. We have not built the kind of nation that Awo was calling us to build. So in this sense he is right. His call still stands. Some people use his words to dissemble Nigeria. It is turning his words on its head. At no point in his public life had Awolowo called for the destruction of Nigeria, his guilty verdict on plotting a coup notwithstanding. All his life he fought to rule this "geographical expression" so that it would become the nation he had in mind.
Would he have succeeded if he had been elected? I am sure he would not have succeeded, but he could have moved it closer to the goal.
Awo admirers and Awo haters would do Nigerians a favor by interpreting his words faithfully rather than using them to further their own agenda.
Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba
Boston, Massachusetts
January 7, 2011
--- In NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com, OlaKassimMD@... wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "I was and I am only concerned here about Yoruba people and Yoruba culture."
>
> Dr. Valentine Ojo
> Tall Timbers, MD
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Dr Ojo:
>
> All well and good as all Nigerians,-- considering thatpolitical leaders and the general citizenry can not be playing
> in the same arena at the same time.
>
> This is the reason we have different levels of government
> LGAs, state and federal --which are lmanned by different cadres
> of political leaders--namely
>
> Local Leaders--Chairmen of LGAs and their councilors
>
> Regional leaders--State governors and members of state legislative assemplied
>
> and
>
> National leaders--those who work at the national level and whose scope of work must be all
> encompassing. National reps--from the President, through the senate and the HOR
> cannot affford to have the same narrow vision and focus that a Chairperson
> of an LGA needs to excel at his/her job. A national leader must have an all encompassing national vision
> which extends beyond his or her origins at local and regional levels even while looking after
> the interests of his constituents who sent him/her to the center.
>
> This is the reason for the division of labour. Political actors sometimes graduate from local to regional
> and finally ending theior careers at the national level.
>
> I believe your decision to focus on local issues--concerning the Yoruba people (the Ondo indigines first
> and foremost) should be respected by everyone as long as you also grant that there are some political leaders
> and common citizens whose horizon and vision
> are broader than the local or regional political scenes.
>
> Bye,
>
> Ola
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dr. Valentine Ojo valojo@...
> To: AfricanTalk AfricanTalk@yahoogroups.com
> Cc: oranika@...
> Sent: Wed, Jan 5, 2011 10:29 pm
> Subject: [NIgerianWorldForum] RE: To Val Ojo-Is Chief Obafemi Awolowo Right After all? Ouote of the Century...
>
>
>
>
> Paul Oranika:
>
> I do not have the time to waste in your personal horror chamber.
>
> I was and I am only concerned here about Yoruba people and Yoruba culture.
>
> Dr. Valentine Ojo
> Tall Timbers, MD
>
>
>
> On Wed 01/05/11 10:07 PM , Paul Oranika oranika@... sent:
>
>
>
>
> Val
> You dont see the connection here between your statement and my question, then lets leave it there, No cursing and thanks for nothing
> Paul
>
> --- On Wed, 1/5/11, Dr. Valentine Ojo wrote:
>
>
> From: Dr. Valentine Ojo
> Subject: RE: To Val Ojo-Is Chief Obafemi Awolowo Right After all? Ouote of the Century...
> To: "AfricanTalk"
> Cc: oranika@...
> Date: Wednesday, January 5, 2011, 9:35 PM
>
>
> Paul Oranika:
>
> Where is the connection...?
>
> "No cursing here!!
> Thanks in advance"
>
>
> Dr. Val Ojo
>
>
>
> On Wed 01/05/11 8:28 PM , Paul Oranika oranika@... sent:
>
>
>
>
>
> We, the YORUBA, - and foremost among the Yoruba, the Ondo people, and I cannot speak for the other Nigerian ethnicities - have a CULTURE of which we can be justifiably PROUD!!! And we are really not prepared to sacrifice that CULTURE on the altar of a MEANINGLESS WAZOBIA!!!--Dr Val Ojo
>
>
> Oranika's Question to Val
>
> If the above statement is correct Dr. Ojo, why did Yorubas prefer to kill Biafrans and be killed as well in Biafra in order to save the Nigerian Union? inquiry minds wants to know, simple question demands simple answer.No cursing here!!
> Thanks in advance
> Paul
>
>
> --- On Wed, 1/5/11, Dr. Valentine Ojo wrote:
>
>
> From: Dr. Valentine Ojo
> Subject: [Nigeria360::Live] RE: [OmoOdua] |Reacting to Dr Val Ojo & Dr Kassim---Is Chief Obafemi Awolowo Right After all? Ouote of the Century...
> To: "AfricanTalk"
> Cc: Participants.Group@..., roteemee@...
> Date: Wednesday, January 5, 2011, 8:07 PM
>
>
>
> Dr. Ola Kassim:
>
> I do believe that with this posting, Tunji Timi Tola has left no doubt that he does not quite hold the same views as yourself in regards to the celebrated statement by the Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo that "Nigeria" is a mere GEOGRAPHIC EXPRESSION:
>
> "The failure of Nigeria... Rather than manage primordial identities, which are our nationalities, positively, successive constitutions have studiously and dismissively ignored them. But as disillusionment with the Nigeria project has grown, it is to these very celebrated identities that the people have begun to look for refuge. Thus the nationalities that the colonial invaders thought they had buried have forced themselves back into our collective consciousnessNo amount of blank repetitions of hollow appeals to unity can change those realities....It is thus obvious that whether or not the force of nationality identities within Nigeria can be contained, it can no longer be ignored... unless a meaningful role for our nationalities is defined within the Nigerian body politic, the nationalities will define a role for themselves, and the dimensions of that role may not be readily predictable or containable...The MNR position, which is informed by the experience of successful multi-nationality states like the United Kingdom and increasingly the European Union, as against unsuccessful ones like Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, is that the ancient identities that are God-given cannot, need not and should not be destroyed or wished away simply because we have acquired additional identities as "Nigerians" or "Africans." The two identities can and should live together and prosper together... " - Chief Anthony Enahoro
>
> What can be clearer than that...?
>
> Example, and my POSER to you, Dr. Ola Kassim:
>
> You have "successfully" CHANGED your "nationality", and you became a "Canadian"...right?
>
> Can you equally CHANGE your RACE or the FACT that you are YORUBA...?
>
> Dr. Ola Kassim, let's get REAL - and stop LYING to ourselves!
>
> Ti won ba nton e, ki o ma ton ara re!
>
> If you are being fooled, just don't fool yourself!
>
> We, the YORUBA, - and foremost among the Yoruba, the Ondo people, and I cannot speak for the other Nigerian ethnicities - have a CULTURE of which we can be justifiably PROUD!!! And we are really not prepared to sacrifice that CULTURE on the altar of a MEANINGLESS WAZOBIA!!!
>
> And I know what I am talking about - I have been around a little.
>
> Dr. Valentine Ojo
> Tall Timbers, MD
>
>
>
> On Wed 01/05/11 6:11 PM , Tunji Timi Tola roteemee@... sent:
>
>
>
> To Dr Kassim and Dr Ojo:
> The matter of discussions on the ill of the Nigerian society can only be likened to the Yoruba adage which says 'Amukun eru re wo, o ni, oke le n wo, e o wo isale' succintly put, Nigeria started heading the downward slope since the day it started to relegate to thh background the importance of various nationalities identity existence in a truly federal structure.
>
> The bible also tells us that 'if the foundation is destroyed what can the righteous do', meaning if the basis of Nigerian foundation is destroyed, and so it had been, how can Nigeria stand. Is there any more to corrobrate on the one-leg standing status of the way Nigeria had been especially in the past 20 years?
> The military looted with impunity, other politicians who had the opportunities to change things became deaf, as the yearnings of the stakeholders (the purpose for their being in office) went unheeded.
> Today anyone trying to save Nigeria from either reverting to the regional government system, or break it apart totally is an unnecessary and insensitive apologist, who have got enormous time to waste on a venture that had continued to be unprofitable. Allow me to serve you this passage from Pa Anthony Enahoro, another legend of our time, of blessed memory:
> =========
> THE NATIONALITIES
> The failure of Nigeria so far may be attributed in great part to the perennial tensions and conflicts among its nationalities, resulting from mutual insecurity, poverty, jealousies and fears. Rather than manage primordial identities, which are our nationalities, positively, successive constitutions have studiously and dismissively ignored them. But as disillusionment with the Nigeria project has grown, it is to these very celebrated identities that the people have begun to look for refuge. Thus the nationalities that the colonial invaders thought they had buried have forced themselves back into our collective consciousness. No amount of blank repetitions of hollow appeals to unity can change those realities. The latest confirmation - and I suggest it is compelling evidence - of the validity of these postulations is the current vigorous campaigns by diverse ethnic groups that they should produce the successor to General Obasanjo as President of Nigeria. You must surely have noted that the issues in these campaigns is not the quality or competence or performance record or beliefs of General Obasanjo or his successor, but quite simply the place of origin of the successor. Arewa, the Middle Belt, Ndigbo, the South amalgam and others each wants General Obasanjo's successor or rival to come from their own ethnic group or areas whether or not he or she is the best available candidate for the post. It is thus obvious that whether or not the force of nationality identities within Nigeria can be contained, it can no longer be ignored. We in the MNR are of the view that unless a meaningful role for our nationalities is defined within the Nigerian body politic, the nationalities will define a role for themselves, and the dimensions of that role may not be readily predictable or containable.
> The MNR proposal is that any new constitution for Nigeria must recognise the nationalities that preceded the formation of Nigeria by British imperialists as the true partners and stakeholders in the Union of Nigeria. The present artificial, arbitrary and predominantly unviable states are a poor substitute for the natural, historic and established nationalities as a basis and base on which to build a strong and dynamic Nigerian federation.
> The MNR position, which is informed by the experience of successful multi-nationality states like the United Kingdom and increasingly the European Union, as against unsuccessful ones like Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, is that the ancient identities that are God-given cannot, need not and should not be destroyed or wished away simply because we have acquired additional identities as "Nigerians" or "Africans." The two identities can and should live together and prosper together.
> =========
> Source: The National Question:Toward a New Constitution Order, - A Guest Lecture at Yoruba Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos, July 2, 2002
>
> 2. Here is another excerpt from a pastor's sermon in 2006...
> Nigeria’s sins: A cursory survey of the current situation in Nigeria - socially, economically, politically, etc. portends a very gloomy, rather discouraging and fearful outlook of great danger for the future socio- political and economic survival of this country.
>
> In the socio-political scene, some of the many atrocities being perpetrated by the devil’s disciples include the rampaging, heartless, conscienceless assassins - blood suckers - who raid, murder and maim defenceless Nigerians all over the country. Other criminal minded haters of peace include those who are desperate to wrest power at all costs through political violence, election malpractices, secret and illegal importation of fire arms and ammunitions - thereby preparing the ground for chaos and war while pretending to love peace. - Pastor(Dr.) Elijah H.I Olusheye, Nigerian Tribune, 10th Oct. 2006.
>
> =======
>
> One thing some people seem to be losing sight of is that the people that caused Nigeria's failure while in uniform, are the same in native garbs today bleeding the country dry. We talk, we shout, we plead, yet they do not hear. So as the Yorubas say, 'Ba mi na omo mi ko de inu ol'omo'. You can only chastise our own, without it creating a situation of why is it only me.
>
> BAT was able to cut off Nigeria as a revenue giver during Aremu Okikiola's administration, at least for four years. BAT created new local governments, viewed by FGN as usurping its federal might power, but widely accepted in the WEST as fitting part of the responsibilities of a self-determining State. It will take more bold moves of daring and bold state governments to call the bluff of the FGN, by re-establishing all the structures we had when we existed as regions, afterall, the series of the constitutions since the 1st military coup, had been midwifed by the military. Without this kind of efforts, we will just continue to run in circles.
> TTT.
>
>
>
>
> --- On Wed, 1/5/11, OlaKassimMD@... wrote:
>
>
>
> From: OlaKassimMD@...
> Subject: [OmoOdua] Halleluiah----Dr Val Ojo finally delivers---Is Chief Obafemi Awolowo Right After all? Ouote of the Century...
> To: valojo@..., AfricanTalk@yahoogroups.com, naijapolitics@yahoogroups.com, NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com, omoodua@yahoogroups.com, nigerianobserver@yahoogroups.com, nigerianid@yahoogroups.com
> Cc: Participants.Group@...
> Received: Wednesday, January 5, 2011, 2:39 PM
>
>
>
>
> " The best you can have in a place like Nigeria is the Swiss-type LOOSE CONFEDERATION!!!"
>
> --Dr Val Ojo.
>
> Dear All:
>
> 2011 is gonna be a great year for Nigeria. I can already see the signs.
>
> Amongst my wishes expressed to the Almighty God and Santa over the holidays is a
> prayer that 2011 be a better year than the previous years and that
> Nigerians learn to use our tremendous skills positively in all spheres
> of our lives instead of engaging in unnecessary bickerinngs. I had Dr Val Ojo
> in mind in one of these prayers!
>
> I believe my prayers are already being answered. Why?
>
> This is because my major criticism of Dr Ojo's essays on Nigeria has always
> been that he only criticizes but never makes any practical suggestions.
>
> I can no longer repeat this criticism considering that Dr Ojo has finally made a practical
> suggestion on a specific Nigerian issue that is worthy of consideration, It took so long; but it finally came.
>
> Patience has its rewards!!
>
> Read Dr Ojo:
>
> "So with this your convoluted formula, Nigeria will never work as a nation.
>
> The best you can have in a place like Nigeria is the Swiss-type LOOSE CONFEDERATION!!!"--Dr Val Ojo.
>
> The above might appear to be a small step for mere mortals like us, but I believe it is a giant leap for Dr Ojo.
>
> In the above quote Dr Ojo criticized my position on an issue. Unlike in the past he promptly provided an alternative
> solution which he thinks might work better in Nigeria.
>
> If Dr Ojo can continue along these lines 2011 is gonna gonna be a great a year for Nigeria and all Nigerians worldwide, (in and out of cyberspace).
>
> Dr Ojo possesses
> a brilliant and sharp mind. Whether we agree with Dr Ojo or disagree with his suggestion on a confederal system for Nigeria is not that important at the moment.
>
> Now let the politicians and experts on constitutional matters go to work!
>
> If Dr Ojo can have this kind of a breakthrough, any thing is possible in Nigeria. On this basis, I'll like to make the following predictions for 2011:
>
> a) the rerun elections in Delta state will not be perfect, but they will be better
> than the last one in Anambra state, which by itself was an improvement on previous Nigerian elections.
>
> b) the 2011 general elections will not be perfect, but Prof. Jega's team will deliver on a free anf fair elections (by African standards if not by world standards) --an election that might be the best Nigeria has ever had.
>
> c) One of these three men in no partciular order- will be Nigeria's next President--GEJ, Buhari or Atiku.
>
> That is the best I can see with my hour glass at the moment. I am only apprentice seer/fortune teller.
>
> I need Dr Ojo to help me along so all the above and many more prayers and wishes from
> all Nigerians worldwide may come true.
>
> Dr Ojo--please keep the ideas coming!!!!
>
> Hurray. hurray; hurray! I can see a glimpse of the future; it is looking good
>
> Bye,
>
> Ola
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---- Original Message ----
> From: Dr. Valentine Ojo
> To: AfricanTalk
> Cc: Participants.Group@...; OlaKassimMD@...
> Sent: Wed, Jan 5, 2011 1:54 pm
> Subject: RE:: Is Chief Obafemi Awolowo Right After all? Ouote of the Century...
>
>
> "The justification for my comparisons is that while most modern day American and Canadian citizens still recognize their ethnic identities as English, Welsh, French, Scottish, Polish, Italian etc, they proudly declare first and foremost their allegiances to the USA, and Canada and not to the countries of origin of their ancestors. " - OlaKassimMD@...
>
> Dr. Ola Kassim:
>
> You see again, this is NOT the SAME!
>
> The English, Welsh, French Scottish, Polish, Italian, Norwegian or even recent African Immigrant to Canada or to the US of course "proudly declare first and foremost their allegiances to the USA, and Canada and not to the countries of origin of their ancestors " because they no longer RESIDE "the countries of origin of their ancestors", nor do they speak the languages spoken in these countries.
>
> We can therefore NOT "emulate in Nigeria" because "our origins--Yoruba, Igbo, Edo, Bini, Igala, Itshekiri, Hausa, Ogoni, etc." are still where they have always been!
>
> 90% of Nigerian populations still live and dies where their ancestors have always lived, unlike "the English, Welsh, French Scottish, Polish, Italian, Norwegian or even recent African Immigrant to Canada or to the US"!!
>
> If you cannot see that GLARING DIFFERENCE between Australia/Canada/US on the one hand, and the colonial states like Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Tanzania, etc. created by the Europeans in Africa, you will never be able to solve the problems thrown up by the creation of such unnatural unions by fiat.
>
> Like Lat Chief Awolowo said, "one can not be a good Nigerian without first being a good Yoruba, Igbo, Igala, Edo, Bini, Hausa or Kanuri, a testament to the truism that "Charity Begins at Home.""
>
> And here you lied BIG TIME!
>
> Late "Chief Awolowo, and Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe, " may have had federalist dreams or ambitions, it is patently wrong to believe that "Sir Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and the majority of Nigeria' s founding fathers wanted to build a vibrant federal state in Africa along the lines of Canada, Australia, USA and India".
>
> Nigeria actually had no "founding fathers" - only mere political parvenus and opportunists!
>
> Nigeria's history testifies to the very opposite of what you are claiming here, and especially " Sir Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, and Alhaji Tafawa Balewa" were FEUDALISTS to the core, and barely disguised Islamic Jihadists!!!
> But then, they were your uncles and role models (Quassim/Yahaya Hamis are all Hausa-Fulani names, and not the names of TRUE-BLOOD Yoruba, which you are obviously not!)
>
> So with this your convoluted formula, Nigeria will never work as a nation.
>
> The best you can have in a place like Nigeria is the Swiss-type LOOSE CONFEDERATION!!!
>
> Dr. Valentine Ojo
> Tall Timbers, MD
>
>
>
>
> On Wed 01/05/11 11:44 AM , OlaKassimMD@... sent:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Dr Ojo:
>
> Now we are talking.
>
> Comparisons aside, Tim Kola's position is not that far from mine.
> Tim Kola has done a great job in assembling some important quotes
> and passages from several historical and contemporary publications
> to make his points which he summarized succinctly at the end of his submission
> in this manner:
>
> "We need encouragers of how a country should be, not discouragers of it cannot be undone."
>
> My interpretation of Tim Kola's words is that our focus should be on what type of a country
> we want Nigeria to be and that we should be considering all options including breaking up
> Nigeria, if that is what will bring socioeconomic progress to our region of the world.
>
> I have commended Tim Kola's excellent submission both publicly and in private communication.
> I gave him that last words on this matter--considering I could not fault any part of his analysis,
> even if I'll admit that I belong to the club of those who have been labelled "One Nigerianists."
>
> I have just read Tim Kola's excellent piece again. He did not address the issue of whether or not it
> is appropriate as I did to compare the USA, Canada and Australia (at their birth in the 18th century), to
> Chief Awolowo's position in 1947 (13 years before Nigeria' s independence), about Nigeria as reflected
> in the following quote:
>
> "Chief Obafemi Awolowo, wrote in 1947, “Nigeria is not a nation. It is a mere geographical expression. There are no ‘Nigerians’ in the same sense as there are ‘English,’ ‘Welsh,’ or ‘French.’ The word ‘Nigerian’ is merely a distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria from those who do not.â€
>
> Source: Obafemi Awolowo, Path to Nigerian Freedom (London: Faber
>
> and Faber, 1947), pp. 47â€"48.
>
>
> The position that I took in my original submission was that even if as Chief Awolowo wrote that:
>
> "There are no ‘Nigerians’ in the same sense as there are ‘English,’ ‘Welsh,’ or ‘French.’ circa 1947,
>
>
> what has stopped subsequent generations of Nigerians from building a viable nation state, one in which
> everyone could, regardless of his or her ethnic origin, proudly identify with--one that we can truly call
> our home--a viable Federal Republic of Nigeria instead of the dysfunctional pariah of a nation that
> we currently have. In other words, if there were no Nigerians in in 1947 what has stopped us from creating
> them in the 63 years that ever elapsed since the publication of Chief Awolowo' s book.
>
> What has stopped us from building such a nation--considering multiculturalism and diversity of
> ethnic origins have not proven to be barriers to nation building in other countries in Europe, Asia and Africa
> (South Africa), Canada, USA, and Brazil.
>
>
> In my opinion, Chief Obafemi Awolowo statement accurately reflected the situation on the ground in Nigeria
> in 1947. Chief Obafemi Awolowo was a true federalist who believed that one can not be a good Nigerian
> without first being a good Yoruba, Igbo, Igala , Edo, Bini, Hausa or Kanuri, a testament to the truism that
> "Charity Begins at Home." Chief Awolowo devoted all of his political life to the task of building a truly federal
> -Federal Republic of Nigeria--where every region contributes its regional strengths and resources towards
> the task of building a great nation--one that is bigger, stronger and more prosperous than the sum of
> its parts.
>
> Chief Awolowo, Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and
> the majority of Nigeria's founding fathers wanted to build a vibrant federal state in Africa along the lines
> of Canada, Australia, USA and India. Subsequent generations of Nigerians have gone of this path beginning
> with the overly centralized unitary system introduce by the military in 1966.
>
> We would be taking Chief Awolowo's statement out of context if we continue to use this statement to justify
> our individual and collective failures to build a united and vibrant Nigeria.
>
>
> I concluded my original post by stating that using Chief Awolowo' s statement as the excuse for not developing a
> positive and unique national identity in Nigeria is akin to a full grown adult who blames his failures in life
> on a high school teacher who once admonished him -that he would never amount to anything in life. That was not Chief
> Awolowo's intention.
>
> The following are the areas where I believe we have gone wrong in Nigeria:
>
> a) we have lost the balance between ethnic and national consciousness. As the Nigerian fortune
> has progressively waned most Nigerians have recoiled back to focusing mainly on the interests
> of their ancestral origins while neglecting the overall interests of Nigeria as a whole.
> This is the same idea that encourages official corruption with each government official seizing the
> opportunity of his/her appointment to use his/her office for personal and family benefits first and foremost
> and next the interests of those who share his/her ethnic origins. The all encompassing Nigerian national
> interests are thus relegated to the backwaters.
>
> b) we over emphasize our ethnic origins to the detriment of our national identity. It is one thing
> to be proud of ones ethnic origin, hometown and family it is another thing entirely when such
> pride becomes so overwhelming that one begins to think that his or her ethnic group is better
> than all others based on either some important historical or contemporary achievements.
> We fail to see and address those interests which are common to all Nigerians.
> When I look at Nigeria and Nigerians I see a nation, my beloved motherland where less than
> 0.001% of the population owns or has access to more than 90% of the nations wealth--with most
> of the ownership and access being acquired through corrupt means. The only commonality that I see in Nigeria
> is that the crooks who amass the nations' wealth come from all ethnic groups, just as poverty in Nigeria can be found in every extended
> family, village, town and city and in all states of the country and in Abuja.
>
>
>
> c) we need to move back to the original master plan for Nigeria. Nigeria was originally designed to be
> a true federal state. The unitary system has not worked for Nigeria--a situation that will become more acute
> when the oil wells dry and there is no more resources to be distributed from the centre.
>
> d) Nigerians need a moral reawakening. Our current value system is a perverted one. we have at least one or two generations
> of Nigerians who probably believe that graft is a necessary way of life. Nigerians --all of us regardless of where we live, at home or abroad need moral rebranding.
>
> e) We can not continue to have two Nigerias--one for the natives and indigenes and one for the settlers.
> The indigene clause in the 1999 constitution should be expunged in other for Nigeria to move forward.
>
> Finally, back to you beef with my original position which is that it is wrong for me to compare the situation in
> pre-Independence Nigeria with those in pre-Independence USA, Canada and Australia nations that were
> originally constituted for the most part by migrants from Europe--mainly the United Kingdom and France at their
> origins.
>
> The justification for my comparisons is that while most modern day American and Canadian citizens still recognize
> their ethnic identities as English, Welsh, French, Scottish, Polish, Italian etc, they proudly declare first and foremost their allegiances to the USA, and Canada and not to the countries of origin of their ancestors.
>
> This I believe this is what we should emulate in Nigeria. We should be proud of our origins--Yoruba, Igbo, Edfo, Bini etc--but we must first and foremost identify ourselves as Nigerians and learn to put the national interests first and foremost above others.
>
> Joe Igietseme puts the above much better than I can ever do. I agree with his views on this issue completely.
>
> I rest my case--courtesy--as they say in Nigeria and with the correct title Engr. Chukwuma Agwunobi.
>
> Bye,
>
> Ola
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---- Original Message ----
> From: Dr. Valentine Ojo
> To: AfricanTalk < AfricanTalk@yahoogroups.com
> Cc: Participants.Group@...; roteemee@...; OlaKassimMD@...
> Sent: Wed, Jan 5, 2011 10:16 am
> Subject: RE: Is Chief Obafemi Awolowo Right After all? Ouote of the Century...
>
>
> Dr. Ola Kassim:
>
> Why not simply admit that your ahistorical fabrications have been debunked by Tunji Timi Tola's excellent, detailed rejoinder...?
>
> Nigeria cannot be compared to how Canada or the United States were settled...once you do that, you are on the wrong path to ever finding any resolution to Nigeria as a failed nation.
>
> Dr. Valentine Ojo
> Tall Timbers, MD
>
>
>
> On Mon 01/03/11 4:15 PM , OlaKassimMD@... sent:
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "We need encouragers of how a country should be, not discouragers of it cannot be undone.:
>
> Happy new year!
> TTT
>
>
>
> Dear Tunji:
>
> Thanks fo your rejoinder to my post on the statement credited to Chief Obafemi
> Awolowo--that Nigeria is not a nation just a geographical expression.
> The main point of my submission was that we have failed to build on the foundation
> stones laid by the fathers of Nigeria's independence. We have also not done anything to
> correct whatever mistakes they made.
>
> You are indeed a well read man.
> The quotes you have shared speak eloquently for the reasons that Nigeria
> is in the mess that she is today.
>
> Your contribution has brought some encouragement to me at a time when I am
> considering whether my time could be better spent elsewhere than continue with
> the unproductive debates and exchange of insults which is the hallmark of most
> of the debates we have on Nigerian cyberspace.
>
> Please keep it coming.
>
> Happy New Year to you and your lobed ones!
>
> Bye,
>
> Ola
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tunji Timi Tola
> To: OmoOdua@yahoogroups.com
> Cc: NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com ; USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com; nigerianid@yahoogroups.com; NIDOCANADA@yahoogroups.com; NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Mon, Jan 3, 2011 1:15 pm
> Subject: Re: [OmoOdua] Is Chief Obafemi Awolowo Right Afterall?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Dr Kassim,
> I just want to draw your attention to the following excerpts:
>
> 1. The pioneer Premier of Northern Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello, said, "As for me, I would have preferred the north leave the other parts of the country but stayed only because of the importance of the southern coastline in international trade and the fact that it might be difficult to control the rail system as I would have liked to". Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, first indigenous Governor- General, said, "I support the views of Justice Salmon Portland Chase, that most nations grow out of common origin, mutual sympathies, kindred principles, similar interest and geo-political relations. Of these factors only geo-political relations apply to Nigeria"
>
> 2. A former colonial Governor-General of Nigeria, Sir Hugh Clifford after the amalgamation of the north and south in 1914, has this to say, "Nigeria is a mere collection of self-contained and mutually independent native states, separated from one another by great distances, by differences of history and traditions and by ethnological, racial, tribal, political, social and religious barriers".
>
> 3. In his book, Tropical Africa in World History, T.R Batten had this to say, "The greatest difficulties when independence was on the point of being gained were caused by differences in aim and outlook between African leaders themselves. In Nigeria, these difficulties were so great that they were resolved only by dividing the country into three regions, each with its own separate government and each responsible for most of its own affairs".
>
> 4. Chief Obafemi Awolowo stated: "At the conclusion of the constitutional conference in London in 1958, I had an overpowering foreboding. His Majesty' s government had refused to create new states in Nigeria or at least break the north into two before the advent of independence on 1st October, 1960 and I felt quite strongly that Nigeria had been sentenced to a long period of doom. I could not shake off the feeling for quite a time; and I thought it wise to confide in my Deputy, Chief Akintola which I did. I confided in a few other colleagues. The foreboding that I had was that something untoward was going to happen to
> Nigeria. Whether the event or events would involve only the AG or other parties, only myself or other persons, I did not know, that it would happen, I felt sure but when it would happen I had no inkling".
>
> 5. Chief Anthony Enahoro said: "if we desire to create a viable federal structure and warm relationships among our nationalities, we have to design a formula under which we can live equitably together and the formula must provide for the recognition of the existence and
> corporate integrity of the nationalities. The only thing keeping Nigeria together at present is force".
>
> 6. Said Professor Wole Soyinka: "if nothing happens, I can not guarantee what recourse the people will take. The level of anger has peaked. I don't rule out Nigeria breaking up. That is what happens to a failed state".
>
> 7. Admiral Nduibuisi Kanu stated: "Nigeria has for far too long been proceeding heedlessly on the wrong road, the road antithetically opposed to nation building. The only road upon which Nigeria at independence could have embarked on the journey of nationhood was as a federation. We have to go back to that road, any other road leads to nowhere".
>
> 8. "We have been lying to ourselves that we are one indivisible nation. Can a Fulani man claim the same brotherhood with the Birom. Can an Ijaw man call an Itsekiri man his brother". Casmir Igbokwe.
>
> 9. "There is no need for a national conference because those who benefit from the rot that exists will not allow it. Each constituent part of what is Nigeria must first and foremost declare its independence from the failed state of Nigeria.
> Then those who are interested in forming a new modern state around the area around the rivers Niger and Benue can then go ahead and form such a state with due consideration for rules, regulations and proper procedures. Everything else is simply postponement of the inevitable"- Kole Omotosho
> =======
> What else does anyone need to understand the direction Nigeria is going which is described by Tony Nnadi in a recent article 'Is it possible to restructure Nigeria? Tony drew the attention to "...various groups are already taking unilateral steps to extricate themselves from the ‘mistake of 1914’ and to retrieve their portion of the geo-space (geographical expression) called Nigeria. In this category we find OPC arming itself outside the law, Lagos State creating 57 LGAs outside the constitution, MASSOB flying the Biafran flags â€" in rejection of the constitution (Nigeria). Today, 12 states in the north are operating sharia law outside the constitution, MEND is engaging the armed forces of Nigeria in a war â€" questioning their relationship with Nigeria in respect of the resources found in their region and which the constitution has vested in the centre by fiat. They are all saying the same thing â€" we have not agreed."
>
> The countries cited by Dr Kassim are not declining in growth, they are not retarding but advancing in spite of their differences. With this happening, one can say that the group-mix is of higher intelligence beings than we have in Nigeria?, else how do you describe a set of people arrogating to themselves the headship or rulership of the country? How do you explain the dismantling of the structures of foundation of the Republic and still expect the Republic to hold...unless something is wrong with our wisdom. How do you explain the continous downward sliding of the country while the people causing the problem remained unconcerned, and the ' siddon-look' populace continue to say 'e go beta'. I find it hard to share this 'wisdom'.
> Furthermore, let us look at the America example, Americans are Americans in and out of the USA. But for Nigerians, they are first their ethnic identity before being a Nigerian. An igbo man would rather have igbo people fill all the excutive positions of NIDO, so also is an Hausa man who would rather put his folks in juicy positions, and leave the others to scramble for the remnants, the Yorubas would do the same, but with some elements of fairplay, but let's leave fairplay aside.
>
> For those of us in the Western world, there is a saying you 'it ain't need a fix if it ain't broken', Nigeria is opposite of this, it needed to be fixed since 1959, yet no efforts are made to fix it, every successive administration continued to dismatled it.
>
> 10. Prof Sekoni in the same article referenced above have this to say, ".... between 1946 and 1963, Nigeria had moved considerably away from the centralist or unitary governance that the amalgamation of 1914 symbolised. It must be stated that the Republican Constitution of 1963 had entrenched in it the principle of 50% derivation for oil_producing regions Even after the creation of 12 states by Gowon, some measure of regional powers was still evident in each of the twelve states. It was the government of Murtala/ Obasanjo that resumed the process of de-federalisation that Ironsi introduced in 1966 and for which he was removed from office by Northern troops. Under this regime, symbols of federalism were removed: regional flags, coat of arms. The Federal Military Government took over regional universities, stadium, and broadcasting houses. It also commissioned the writing of a new national anthem to replace the Independence version, in addition to taking the power of indigenous communities over their ancestral lands and vesting such powers in the government through the Land Use Decree."
> =================
> For the die-hard supporters of this failling Nigerian state, you need to go to Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and see how fellow BLACK Africans are rulling their countries as they ensure, orderliness, rule of law, justice, efficient police systems etc.
> And for Sudan, of which composition is somehow similar to Nigeria, it is about to have a referendum to split the country into North and South.
>
> On a final note I can only summarise that the people who are for a continous Nigerian State, are; 1. those who have gone out of their tribal enclave into other tribes for marital purpose; 2. those who are okay with the status quo; 3. those who value their tribal-friendship to the overrall greater good; 4. those who are too intellectually lazy to research the evolvement of Nigeria, and how it had abandoned the basis of what brought it into existence, and finally 5. those who have allowed themselves to be brainwashed that it can't happen, or that is the way it supposed to be'
>
> We need encouragers of how a country should be, not discouragers of it cannot be undone.
>
> Happy new year!
> TTT
>
> “No one can make you a slave without your consent.†- Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt
>
> --- On Mon, 1/3/11, Adeniran Adeboye < aadeboye@... wrote:
>
>
> From: Adeniran Adeboye < aadeboye@...
> Subject: Re: [OmoOdua] Is Chief Obafemi Awolowo Right Afterall? Ouote of the Cen ...
> To: OmoOdua@yahoogroups.com
> Cc: NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com, USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com, nigerianid@yahoogroups.com, NIDOCANADA@yahoogroups.com, NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com
> Received: Monday, January 3, 2011, 1:06 AM
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Dear Dr. Kassim,
>
>
> Happy New Year to you and your family.
>
>
>
> Your post below seems to be a response to one by Paul Oranika. However, I do not have the post by Oranika and I'll greatly appreciate getting to read it so that I can put your reply in proper perspective
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
> Adeniran Adeboye
>
>
>
>
> On Jan 2, 2011, at 3:04 PM, OlaKassimMD@... wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> In a message dated 02/01/2011 10:20:24 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, oranika@... writes:
>
>
>
>
> Chief Obafemi Awolowo, wrote in 1947, “Nigeria is not a nation. It is a mere geographical expression. There are no ‘Nigerians’ in the same sense as there are ‘English,’ ‘Welsh,’ or ‘French.’ The word ‘Nigerian’ is merely a distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria from those who do not.â€
>
>
> Source: Obafemi Awolowo , Path to Nigerian Freedom (London: Faber
>
> and Faber, 1947), pp. 47â€"48.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Dear All:
>
>
> The above statement by Chief Obafemi Awolowo (in a book published in 1947) would also have been applicable to a pre or immediate post independence USA as in those early days of the British North American Empire, there could also not have been in the true sense of the word any "Americans" (except for the Aborigenies) in the same way as there were English, Irish, Welsh and French immigrants answering, in the pre-independence era to the authorities of the King of England and the King of France..
>
> The USA found its nationhood and the reason for her existence, in the same act that led to her independence--the rebellion against Great Britain. Subsequent generations of Americans since 1776, have continued to build on the ground breaking work of their founding fathers..
>
> Instead of building on the accomplishments of the founding fathers of Nigeria's independence, subsequent generations have unlike the Americans been engaged on a backward mission to dismember the unifying monuments that their founding fathers built. We do this probably unknowingly through our obsessive glorification of past ethnic or sub ethnic achievements at the expense of the present. We are busy chasing the past instead of concentrating on building a prosperous and united Nigeria. We tolerate mediocrity in all oaspects of our national life as long as one of our own--a member of our clan is in charge even if he.she lacks the ability to perform the duties that are being assigned to him.
>
> Nigeria is not the only multi-ethnic nation in the world. Other nations like India, Malaysia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, USA , Australia etc. have proven that ethnic diversity is not necessarily an hindrance to national unity and progress.
>
> Thus, I believe it is unfair to blame the lack of a unifying national ethos in Nigeria on the words of Chief Obafemi Awolowo who was writing about the situation on the ground in 1947, some 13 years before Nigeria' s independence.
>
> We can not blame the failure of Nigerians to find their nationhood even after more than 50 years post independence on the words of the late sage! Doing so will be no different than a failed adult of 50 years who is blaming his lackluster and unproductive life on a high school teacher who once told him that he will never make it in life!
>
> When you try to justify the breakup of Nigeria, it is only fair for the sake of historical purity to leave Chief Obafemi Awolowo out of the picture--as the records would undoubtedly show that he spent his entire political career trying to build a united Nigeria. The basic question
> we should be asking is whether Nigeria would have been in such a mess if Chief Obafemi Awolowo had had the opportunity to serve either as a prime Minister or President.
>
> If Chief Awolowo\s achievements as the premier of the the Western region is anything to go buy, it is safe to say that Nigeria will probably have surpassed countries like South Korea, Malaysia, India and others in terms of socioeconomic development. If Chief Awolowo had served even one term as Nigeria's president, he would have laid a solid foundation--one that would have avoided many of the ills of today's Nigeria. Most importantly, Nigeria will not be a Republic of Darkness at night, and a nation that manufactures almost nothing because of insufficient electrical power supplies if Chief Awolowo had been given the opportunity to serve as Nigeria's president!
>
> Bye,
>
> Ola
>
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