The Whole or the Sum of it’s Parts –A Historical Perspective and Analysis to Some of Nigeria’s Present Conflicts.
(By: Olalekan Alaowei A. Da-Cocodia)
Nigeria’s amalgamation in 1914 by the British Empire’s custodian, Sir Frederick Lugard, in bringing together the respective “Protectorates” to form what is today the State called Nigeria and subsequently Cameroon, could have faired better in hindsight, were it met with today’s advisory and research. Could some of the conflicts in these inland and border areas –the Lake Chad region, the North East, the Mambilla Plateau, the Benue Basin, Southern Kaduna, the Bakassi Peninsula, the Niger Delta crises all trace their roots to this?
It may be necessary to remember some historical timelines in the regions and bordering hotspots of Nigeria today.
“British Cameroons was a British Mandate territory in British West Africa. Today, the territory forms parts of Northern Nigeria in West Africa and Cameroon in Central Africa. Northern Cameroons became a region of Nigeria on 31 May 1961, while Southern Cameroons became part of Cameroon later that year on 1 October 1961. At the time, the area was administered as a United Kingdom Trust Territory. The National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons was formed in 1944 by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Herbert Macaulay, who was its first president, while Azikiwe was its first secretary. The name included ‘Cameroons’ because Cameroon became an administrative part of Nigeria in 1945. Cameroon had been a colonial territory of Germany. Following the defeat of Germany and its allies in World War II, the United Nations confiscated the territories under the administration of Germany before World War II. These territories were then given to various victor countries to administer them in trust for the UN until they were mature for political independence. They were at the time, called Trust Territories -Cameroon was handed over to Britain.

French Cameroun became independent, as Cameroun or Cameroon, in January 1960, and Nigeria was scheduled for independence later that same year, which raised question of what to do with the British territory.
In the Cameroonian Referendum on October 1, 1961, the largely Muslim northern two-thirds of British Cameroons voted to join Nigeria; the largely Christian southern third, Southern Cameroons, voted, in a referendum, to join with the Republic of Cameroon to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon, believed popularly by many to have occur so, because of the overbearing domination and maltreatment they faced by the Igbos in Nigeria. The formerly French and British regions each maintained substantial autonomy. Ahmadou Ahidjo, a French-educated Fulani, was chosen president of the federation in 1961. In 1962, the Francs CFA became the official currency in Cameroon.
Cameroon today, borders Nigeria to the east and contains a majority the infamous Sambisa forests that has been the bane of the Nigerian Armed forces ongoing battles with the international terror group -Boko Haram, including the Armed forces continued attempts to retrieve the remainder of the abducted Chibok school girls since their kidnapping, since over 1200 days ago, on the 14th of April, . The Boko Haram group is also believed by some to obtain supplies and re-fuel from the Cameroonian side.

Today, the Ambazonia or Ambazania secession agitations in Cameroon, refers to two separate entities. One pertains to an advocacy group struggling for the total restoration of the statehood of the former British League of Nations (now the United Nations) Mandate of Southern Cameroons. It is also used to refer to the Southern Cameroons by organizations that struggle for the dissolution of the 1961 union of the Southern Cameroons with Cameroun.

Similarly, in the past, the Nigerian Civil War, or Biafran War, (6 July 1967–15 January 1970), was a war fought between the government of Nigeria and the secessionist state of Biafra. Biafra represented nationalist aspirations of the Igbo people, whose leadership felt they could no longer coexist with the Northern-dominated federal government (the Nigerian government remains same, till date. Though unrelated, –the Bight of Biafra, coined from Mafra (which was named after the town Mafra in southern Portugal), between Capes Formosa and Lopez, is the most eastern part of the Gulf of Guinea; and contains the islands Fernando Po (Equitorial Guinea), Prince’s and St Thomas’s (São Tomé and Príncipe). The name Biafra or Biafara, fell into disuse in the later part of the 19th century, only to be used again in 1960’s by the Igbos in their self determination and secession quest. Did they have a larger plan, post Nigerian secession? The Nigeria-Biafra conflict resulted from political, economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions which preceded Britain’s formal decolonization of Nigeria from 1960 to 1963. Immediate causes of the war in 1966 included a military coup, a counter-coup, and persecution of Igbo living in Northern Nigeria. Control over oil production in the Niger Delta played a vital strategic role, and perhaps ultimately led to Biafra’s failure. Today, the Biafra agitations are very much rife, yet still with the same hopes of annexing the oil rich Niger Delta and the agriculturally endowed Benue basin. (Wikipedia)’’


The various divides viz: religious, ethnic/tribal, political are still looming. Additional state creation in Nigeria has been proposed by some. Larger states in the North (e.g. Niger state) are preserved, population disparities that seem not tally with internally generated revenues, birth and death rates, statistics of primary, secondary, tertiary educational institutions intakes and graduation data are prevalent. For instance, Kano state is said to be of a larger population than Lagos and Rivers states respectively, contributing to advantageous Federal Revenue Sharing and numerous constitutional privileges to Kano and similar Northern states, in terms of resources, federal character allocations, and a voting majority advantage in a young democracy. Among all that is the popular opinions by many a citizenry, of the self centered and callous antecedents of the Igbos at the expense of all other groups; the issues of trust and betrayal said of the Yorubas;’ the perceived ‘low’ ethics of South-southerners or Niger Deltans –whose territories still account for over 90 percent of Nigeria’s wealth; and the ‘born to rule’ mentality of the Hausa or northern “tribes” (which some claim was their gifted token for servitude and loyalty to the British colonialists) -including the Fulani’s, whose ancestral roots are believed to be in the Futa Jalon regions in what is today’s Guinea Conakry (and parts of Senegal) in West Africa. -These are all but some of the stereotypes that embroil and disunite Nigeria today.

With the incessant loss of lives and the continuous battles seemingly overwhelming Nigeria’s defense forces within and without, including the dreadful, almost daily attacks and bombings by Boko Haram in the North East and bordering the Republics of Niger, Chad and Cameroon, the sudden upsurge of terror in the hinterland between the Fulani nomadic cattle herders and indigenous land owners and farmers –affecting the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba state (which is again Nigeria’s northern continuation of the Bamenda Highlands of Cameroon), down to Plateau state, to the Benue basin and up to the inlands of southern Kaduna states (all coincidentally, seeing an upsurge in Fulani herders attacks at a time that the current leadership of Nigeria and critical sectors are Fulanis’); to the killings of Nigerian fishermen and residents who cohabited peacefully, sharing common territories and waters with southern Cameroonians in the Bakassi region post U.N Greentree Agreement of October, 2002 between Nigeria and Cameroon to resolve their numerous armed clashes in claims for the oil and gas rich Bakassi peninsula. Not to mention the restive, bottled-up Niger Delta militancy issues. –Could there be a root cause for all these? And how much can a country handle, not minding prevalent conflict profiteers, within the Nigerian government system –not excluding former National Security and Military chiefs?
A discussion with Bakut T. Bakut, Ph.D –a Federal Director and Conflict Resolution expert in Abuja recently, buttresses the fact that Africa continues to suffer a great disservice by the West, including her colonialists. One such is Africa’s suppression to mere “Tribes” and “Ethnic Groups” –a negative and relegating terminology. All while they yet meddle in her affairs for the obvious reasons of their respective interests.
A serving Nigerian Senator and senate leader –Godswill Akpabio was quoted saying: “Nigeria is like a child born out of rape since Lord Lugard — you don’t want the child but you cannot get rid of it!” (sunnewsonline.com/nigeria-is-sick-akpabio/)

I equally recall a former Militant leader — Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, addressing a television interview on Aug 20, 2013 saying: “Nigeria is a fluke, a fraud!”
The essence and privileges of citizenship and Nation-hood seem missing in today’s Nigeria. Equity and the basic provision and RIGHTS to life are a far cry. The institutions that ought to preserve and render these rights are non existence in the so-called Nigerian State.
The term ‘states’ (small letter “s” –or a state) depicts provinces, or governing regions that can be within any State or Nation or Nation State that is implementing a Central or Federal governing system.
If history teaches us anything however, it is that States have been known from time-to-time, to dissolve or cease to exist. Yugoslavia, USSR, Rhodesia are examples, though their Peoples or nations remain, as they are simple referred to as another nomenclature e.g. Zimbabwe, Bosnia, Croatia, Herzegovina etc.
The term “nations” (small letter “n”) -comprises of the ethos, history and background of a people with their territories including ancestral and burial lands and rites or a tightly knit group of people sharing a common cultural.

A Nation State is a type of state that joins the political entity of a state to the cultural entity of a nation for political legitimacy and sovereignty. The Nation State is perhaps preferable — for well being, happiness and ethics, human flourishing of their kin-and-kind, or simply eudiamonia. –A sovereign geographical body of nations or Peoples who willingly, collectively coming together, proclaiming or defending a common interest, aligning histories and allying forces, resources for the common identity and to present a common bigger national representation for legitimacy and self preservation, in their chosen self determination.
Before the ‘Nation States’ concept was ratified and brought into modern terminology, were Empires –which were governed by a king, an emperor or a Sultan. This may bring to bear the question, why, the paramount Sultanate in Nigeria till date, is that born of the Islamic Jihad of the great Fulani Ardo –Uthman Dan Fodio, who finally set his stool to reign in Sokoto state after traversing and conquering most of the north and parts of central Nigeria?
A “Country” (can be used interchangeably) denotes a State, a Nation or a Nation State, refers to a self governing political entity.
One then wonders why it is, that the inhabitants of the U.S, of Europe etc, are not referred to as “tribes” or “ethnic groups” but rather as nations?! The all conquering U.K for instance, consists of the nations of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. These have ‘nation-al’ soccer, cricket, rugby teams, national currencies from their respective central banks, even respective national anthems, national flags, “nation-al” governing bodies/parliaments, who are within or part of A CENTRAL OVERSEER OR ADMINISTRATOR — “THE CENTER” or simply put, A Federal Government, in true Federalism of a Country or a true Nation State. This is no different in U.S, Canada, or Australia. But in reference to Africa, where their resources and raw materials are plundered from, she and her Peoples are divided and lowered to derogatory “tribes” and “ethnic groups”. Is it any wonder that even in Western Nations like Australia, Canada, the U.S., there exists the higher nomenclature of their indigenous land owners as First nations: Cree nation, Apache nation, Cherokee nation, Louis Bull nation… yet all of Africa is but plagued with tribes?!
–The State known as Nigeria is the mere political creation of Lord Lugard, an imposition that is yet to become a Nation State, tightly knit, fighting to preserve a common culture or background, given its several issues of marginalization and inequities. Some even describe Nigeria today, as a marriage of convenience, rather than one born of love.
Nigeria, the regional pillar of West Africa and giant of Africa, has never slept in its responsibilities or awareness of these internal and now cross-border issues, even across the globe. A major player in International peace keeping and major donor of foreign aid, the giant might rather be plagued with symptoms of illnesses stated above, may need to administer the timely dose or antidotes for cure.
Proper diagnoses through the Sovereign National Conference of 2014 and numerous National discourse over the years may need implementation. Heavens forbid, a modern day war in Nigeria, the entire West and Central Africa would be devastated and overwhelmed by the spillover effects. The new generation of Nigerians today need not be bothered by the whiles and caprices of Lord Lugard or the old guard of elderly politicians and traditional rulers that continue to recycle themselves, or grandfather their heirs to administer the Commonwealth of the country. And from all indications do not care for same — they WILL have equity, or you will have it another way! –While some people have been prediction the breakup on Nigeria since 2010, she yet remains here. But who would have thought of daily suicide bombings in Nigeria’s North East today? Who would have thought that a youth drive such as the ‘Occupy Nigeria’ group could dent the armour, invariably unsitting an incumbent President in Nigeria? Behold a Youth Rising; afterall… the youth are “not too young to vote” in their own leaders.

We therefore need preserve the strengths of the whole, which is invariably greater than the sum of its individual parts, while at self determination.
The writer, Da-Cocodia, Olalekan Al-bashir A.T. is an Academic Researcher with the federal government of Nigeria, in Abuja, with interests in: Health and Safety of the Environment, Human Security (and human rights), Countering Violent Extremism, Sustainable Development Goals and Restorative Justice. His previous careers include working in the Oil and Gas (upstream) sector and Realtor services in North America. He is a pioneer member of the North East Intellectual Entrepreneurship Fellowship, A USAID –North East Regional Initiative working at restoring North Eastern Nigeria (using the social media hashtag #NotAnotherNigerian). Lekan is well learned and traveled, and enjoys: International Relations -Development and Negotiations, Technologies, Driving, Cooking, Wellness and all Sports. He is a fan of prude and prudent women.
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