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Nigeria: One of Africa most fractious democracies

By on March 19, 2010
It’s shameful we slaughter basic truth on the altar of pride, sentiments and excuses, voiced a Nigerian citizen when asked if Nigeria is a failed state. His answer was “that’s the mistake of 1914″, referring to the British colonial administration at that time, merging the northern and southern protectorates and the colony of Lagos to form the actual Nigeria.

The reality is elsewhere, to be blaming the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria as the reason for failure is no “Excuse”, and for how long should the Nigerians continue to dwell on 1914 issue?
Nigerians must keep in mind the attempt by the Igbo people of south-eastern Nigeria to secede in 1967. This attempt sparked a war which left more than one million people dead.
The 1914 mistake has yet to be acknowledged, for if nations are “imagined communities”. Nigeria was clearly unimagined by its would-be citizens and perhaps unimaginable for very long in its current state of existence.
For this irreversible fact and evidence, Amalgamation of 1914 event alone is not responsible for the turmoil and problems in Nigeria. The country is in trouble owing to massive corruption and misgovernance, which cut across ethnic lines.
Nigeria appears to be a failed state at the moment but change is coming to Nigeria. If the government can address basic conditions of infrastructures, like electricity, water, transportation, road and medical care. Then all other things will fall in place.
Until November 2009, Mr Jonathan was the vice-president. Now It remains to be seen what path Mr. Jonathan the acting president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces will tread.

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