GEJ Celebrating 100 YEARS of Nigeria's Amalgamation an act of self-delusion and masturbation Writing by Kayode Ogundamisi

I am unable to join Goodluck Ebele Jonathan next year (2014) in his LAVISH celebration of the Amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria. What happened in 1914 was a FORCED UNION by the British for the economic and political benefit of the government and people of Britain without the consent of the federating units that make up what is today called Nigeria.

To rob insult on INJURY the name Nigeria came from an illegal relationship between Flora Louisa Shaw and concubine of Lord Lugard. They where in bed and she suddenly said to her then boyfriend Lord Lugard. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we name them (Negroes) Nigeria?” That was it a Nation was born in bed.

The 1914 amalgamation was as fraudulent as the British interrupting the independence of pre Nigerian Sovereign Nation State who had the potentials of becoming independent countries in today’s world.

Even as I recognise that Nigeria of today cannot be divided into smaller countries or Nation State.  As I pray and hope we will remain a truly UNITED people who have shared a lot of joy, pain, hope and disappointment.  Celebrating the amalgamation would be a tacit approval of the fraud of 1914 and other frauds committed on the federating units that make up todays Nigeria.

It is self evident that Nigeria is a MIRAGE it only exists in the minds of those who fraudulently benefit from its present structure, a structure that allocates the power of the federating units in the hands of anyone who is able to capture the PRESIDENCY. A structure whose electorate vote not for a COMPETENT candidate but vote based on where the candidate comes from.

Until we genuinely renegotiate the forced union of 1914 and all other forces marriages, until we decide to build a new Nation.

We need a nation that will not abandon northern Nigeria to Boko Haram simply because the violence does not affect the south.

We need a nation that wil not abandon the Niger Delta region and the many injustice against its people by the Nigerian government and the oil companies simply because a clueless man who only happens to be from Niger Delta is misruling Nigeria.

A nation that does not abandon its working class people and poor people from all segment of the country simply because a 1% is able to control the commonwealth..

Until we do the needful celebrating Nigeria’s amalgamation is simply another jamboree, that we have a Nigerian Nation is a LIE we hope to tell ourselves over and over again hoping that it will one day be true.

We don’t have a NIGERIA. NOT YET!  That new Nigeria will emerge by consensus, restructuring and returning power to the federating units, social justice for all and a determination to forge a new Nation with equal rights and opportunity for ALL.