Although the name Nigeria was coined in an article written and published in the Times Newspaper of London by one Flora Shaw in 1897, the history of the present day Nigeria which derives its name from river Niger dates back to January 1, 1914 when the Northern and Southern protectorates were amalgamated under one unitary system of government presided over by Lord Lugard.
The amalgamation was described as a bad mistake by late Sir Ahmadu Bello , the
Sarduana Sokoto , a Northern Nigerian politician while his counterpart from Western Nigeria, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was quoted as saying that Nigeria is a mere geographical expression.
General Yakubu Gowon was also quoted as saying that the basis for Nigeria’s unity did not exist.
These unfortunate statements credited to the three citizens showed that they neither believed in Nigeria nor the mission and vision of her founding fathers.
Happily, Nigerian leaders after them translated the myth of the so-called geographical
expression into reality of national unity, peace and integration.
Nigerian leaders after Ahmadu Bello and Awolowo were inspired by the selfless leadership and success stories of the unification of Germany by Otto Von Bismarck; unification of Italy by Cavour and Mazzini and that of United States of America by George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and others.
Historically, Nigeria gained independence on October I, 1960 and became a republic on October I, 1963 with the republican constitution that guided the operations of the former regions.
Nigeria enjoyed sixty three uninterrupted months of democratic rule before military
intervention in her political journey to greatness .
However , following the issuance of decree number thirty four which resulted in violent disturbances in Northern Nigeria, the heartless massacre of many prominent politicians and the wanton destruction of property across the length and breath of the country , the military intervened and terminated the first republic on January 15,1966.
The proclamation of a state of emergency throughout the country, the promulgation of a decree that divided Nigeria into twelve states by General Yakubu Gowon and the conflicting interpretations of the Aburi Accord entered into between Ikemba Odumegwu
Ojukwu of blessed memory and Yakubu Gowon resulted in a civil war which started on
July 6, 1966 and ended on January 15,1970 with a declaration of ” no victor no vanquished” after General Effiong signed the Formal Act Of Surrender at Dodan Barracks Lagos before Gowon .
General Yakubu Gowon’s regime which started from August 1,1966 ended on July 29,1975 in a bloodless coup carried out by the Armed Forces while he was attending the OAU Summit meeting in Uganda.
Gowon’s regime was accused of insensitivity to the sufferings of Nigerians and inaccessibility by prominent military officers among others.
Consequently, General Murtala Mohammed who was the Inspector of Signals in the Army and Commissioner of Communications in Gowon’s government became the new Head of State and Commander-In Chief of the Armed Forces.
General Murtala Mohammed who created additional seven states in Nigeria and approved a committee’s recommendation for the relocation of Nigeria’s capital from Lagos to the Federal Capital Territory Abuja was ambushed and assassinated on his way to the office in Lagos on February 13, 1976 by Lieutenant colonel BS Dimka and his group.
General Olusegun Obasanjo who was the Chief Of Staff, Supreme Headquarters took over the mantle of leadership of the country and completed the transition to civil rule program initiated by General Murtala Mohammed while also supervising the conduct of the election that brought Alhaji Shehu Shagari to power as President from October I ,1979 to December 31,1983 when General Muhammadu Buhari overthrew the democratically elected government.
Buhari’s military regime was also overthrown in a military coup by General Ibrahim Babangida on August 27, 1985 following series of allegations against him .
General Ibrahim Babangida who ruled Nigeria for eight years stepped aside voluntarily after annulling the results of June 12, 1993 presidential election and the transition to civil rule decree.
General Babangida also promulgated a decree that suspended Nigeria’s constitution and the National Electoral Commission under the Chairmanship of Professor Humphrey Nwosu.
The Interim National Government of Chief Ernest Shonekan which took off on August 17,1993 was tactically removed by late General Sani Abacha on November 17,1993.
It was during the regime of General Sani Abacha who later died suddenly on June 8,1998 that Nigeria was suspended from membership of the Commonwealth for alleged human rights abuses including public execution of a prominent Ogoni man, Chief Ken Saro Wiwa and his eight Ogoni followers despite pleas for clemency by the international community.
General Sani Abacha was succeeded by General Abdulsalami Abubakar who did a very wonderful international image laundering for Nigeria and also ensured the return to civil rule on May 29,1999 with the conduct of presidential election won by President Olusegun Obasanjo and his subsequent swearing in for the second time as a civilian president.
The Obasanjo administration which ensured that Nigeria was re-admitted into the Commonwealth, ruled from May 29, 1999 to May 29,2007 and handed over power to Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua.
Following the death of President Yar’Adua after a protracted sickness , the then Vice President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan assumed office as President through the instrumentality of the doctrine of necessity fashioned out by the National Assembly.
Dr Goodluck Jonathan, a peace loving sitting President, handed over power to former President Muhammadu Buhari after conceding defeat at the heavily compromised presidential election conducted by Prof. Attahiru Jega.
It is on record that General Muhammadu Buhari desperately contested the presidential elections three consecutive times and failed.
Professor Attahiru Jega’s successor, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who was appointed INEC Chairman by Buhari on October 21, 2015 conducted the 2019 presidential election that ended with the re-election of Buhari and the 2023 presidential election that brought President Bola Tinubu to power on May 29, 2023 .
Today, October I,2024, Nigeria is 64 after being ruled by different military and civilian leaders with decrees and constitutions.
Nigeria, a multi -ethnic, multi -religious and multi-lingual country with thirty six states, a Federal Capital Territory , six geo-political zones and 774 Local Governments is richly blessed with natural and mineral resources .
A cursory look at Nigeria’s sixty four years of nationhood shows that despite obvious challenges , the country recorded tremendous landmark achievements in various sectors of the economy – education , agriculture, transportation, industrialization, sports development healthcare, housing, youth empowerment, tourism and security among others.
But the present precarious insecurity of lives and property, high cost of living occasioned by sudden removal of fuel subsidy by the President Tinubu – led administration on the occasion of his inauguration , May 29, 2023 , the alarming rate of youth unemployment, foreign debts, banditry, monumental electoral frauds, kidnapping , institutionalized injustices , socio-economic and political marginalisation of some sections of the country, ethnic distrust , violent crimes and criminality have made a mockery of the modest achievements recorded by previous military and civilian leaders.
However, there is still room for improvement in some key areas and resuscitation of the nation’s economy through introduction of people -oriented policies and programmes coupled with attitudinal change on the part of the leaders and the led, in realization that selfish leadership, selfish aggrandisement, ill-gotten wealth and power intoxication are the bane of development of a nation.
Good name, people say, is better than ill-gotten wealth or riches.
Again, recall that Nigeria had two national anthems between 1960 and a few months ago.
The reintroduced former national anthem took into consideration the existence of different ethnic nationalities in the country where it stated that ” though tribes and tongues may differ, in brotherhood we stand”.
This is true definition and interpretation of Nigeria’s unity in diversity, peaceful coexistence among her citizens, equity, justice and fairness in the scheme of things in the country .
This is why the Igbos, Hausa, Yorubas, Ibibios, Efiks, Benis and Edos, Kalabaris, Ijaws and a host of others have been co existing and still need each other as equal partners in the Nigeria project.
Unarguably, man is a social animal as he does not live in isolation but in the comity of humans.
To this end, no ethnic group or citizen would like to be marginalized, traumatized, oppressed or treated with disdain as though they were second class citizens.
At 64, Nigeria has come of age and should demonstrate unwavering commitment to true national unity, equity and justice in her dealings with the citizens and the various ethnic nationalities.
True national unity puts fundamental human rights of citizens, equity and justice first before parochial ethnic interest .
This is because national unity without freedoms for citizens is to say the least , regimentation and censorship while unity without equality and justice is akin to totalitarianism and marginalization.
Equality is equity and with equity in the running of the affairs of Nigeria particularly in equitable and even creation of states, elective political posts and allocation of development projects to needy zones , the clamour and sporadic calls by prominent citizens and groups for its restructuring or a review of the 1914 amalgamation would be absurd and uncalled for.
Honestly, Nigeria cannot move forward socially, economically and politically without peace, unity, equity and justice as well as co-operation of the various ethnic groups, respect for rule of law and the fundamental rights of the citizenry.
The leadership of Nigeria at all levels should use the opportunity offered by her sixty-fourth independence anniversary to address all the contentious issues that tend to militate against her socio-economic and political development.
As Nigerians observe and celebrate Nigeria’s sixty-fourth independence anniversary today amidst hunger, hunger-related sicknesses, poverty, all manner of afflictions and also without the usual pump and pageantry, the leaders should rededicate and redouble their efforts at delivering the benefits of democracy especially the basic necessities to the citizens.
They must commit to building a strong and united nation of our collective dreams where democratic institutions are strengthened to guarantee fundamental human rights, independence of the judiciary and legislature to ensure checks and balances which are the cornerstone and bedrock of democracy, a nation with detribalised executive, a nation with vibrant political parties and patriotic citizens abhorrent to vote buying and selling.
We congratulate Nigeria at 64 despite her shortcomings and pray that the sacrifices of her founding fathers shall never be in vain.
Let all patriotic Nigerians, therefore , stand up and drink the toast for Nigeria’s unity, peace, love, divine protection, progress and all-round development.
