"THE UNANSWERED QUESTION OF NATIONAL UNITY IN NIGERIA 100 YEARS LATER"

"THE QUESTION ABOUT THE TRUE NATIONAL UNITY LINGERS ON IN NIGERIA TODAY AFTER ALMOST 100 YEARS OF FORMATION":Even Lord Lugard, who was the British Governor General who set up the Nigerian nation on January 1, 1914 and the principal founding fathers of Nigeria that fought for her independence from Britain and won it in 1960 who had had the major universities, streets, public buildings, national currencies and postage stamps named in their memories in Nigeria today did not believe in one united Nigeria that is ethnically and religiously blinded from the onset and from their various documented comments about Nigeria that are listed below:
LORD LUGARD:“The North and the South are like oil and water, they will never mix.” Yet he went ahead and amalgamated them.

ALHAJI SIR ABUBAKAR TAFAWA BALEWA:“The Southern people who are swamping into this region daily in such large numbers are really intruders; we don’t want them and they are not welcome here in the North. Since 1914, the British Government has been trying to make Nigeria into one country. But the people are different in every way, including religion, custom, language and aspirations… we in the North take it that Nigeria unity is only a British intention for the country they created. IT IS NOT FOR US”.

CHIEF JEREMIAH OBAFEMI AWOLOWO:“Nigeria is only a geographical expression to which life was given by the diabolical amalgamation of 1914, that amalgamation will EVER remain the most painful injury a British Government inflicted on Southern Nigeria”.

AL-HAJJI SIR AHMADU BELLO:“The new nation called Nigeria should be an estate from our great grandfather, Othman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We must use the minorities in the North as willing tools, and the south as conquered territories and never allow them to have control of their future.”

Retired GENERAL YAKUBU GOWON:“Suffice it to say that putting all considerations to the test, political, economic as well as social, the basis of unity is not there.”

Is Nigeria not more divided today in 2013 than in 1914? Are those caliphates, kingdoms, empires and their internal boundaries that were officially eliminated in 1914 by the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates together to form Nigeria not rapidly forming back again almost 100 years later? Do Nigerians today see themselves first and foremost as Nigerians or as ethnic nationals, Christians, Muslims, traditionalists or pagans? Are MASSOB, OPC, MEND, Boko Haram and the other ethnic, religious, militants and cultural groups across the length and breath of Nigeria today not the new 21st century caliphates, kingdoms and empires that were believed to have been finally laid to rest in 1914 by Lord Lugard?

In conclusion:what is the way forward for Nigeria in this 21st human universe? I believe 100% that the present day Nigeria that was formed in 1914 was structurally deficient. Nigeria will never work without holding an independent Sovereign National Conference that will decide the new terms of engagement for her 450 ethnic nationalities, many religious faiths and cultures who were fully exempted by Britain and Lord Lugard in the formation of Nigeria in 1914.