From Chuks Collins, Awka
More Nigerians have joined in the crusade to keep the nation as one. A
prominent University of Benin lecturer, Prof Anthony Afejuku at the
weekend in Awka noted that the on-going National Conference is a
veritable “opportunity for citizens to discuss our problems and
challenges with open minds so as to make progress as a nation”.
According to him, disunity or destabilization remains an ill-wind that
blows anyone good. He stressed that it becomes more worrisome when the
groups involved have been living together as one for a very long time.
He cited the Sudan/Southern Sudan, India/Pakistan, Bendel
state-Edo/Delta and the former Eastern region that has now divided
into 5 states of Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi as examples of
people who agitated for separation, got it and still remain at daggers
drawn on key issues.
Afejuku therefore observed that balkanization of Nigeria as being
threatened and canvassed by some people would not solve any problem.
That our places of origin were merely a natural accident of birth and
we must therefore make Nigeria work.
Speaking as a guest lecturer at the 9th Pope John Paul 2nd Annual
Memorial Lecture series at Pope John Paul Major Seminary, Okpuno-Awka,
with the theme-“The Nigerian Project: The Politics, The Problems, The
Challenges and Prospects” noted that Lord Fredrick Lugard in his views
meant well in his amalgamation policy in 1914.
He believed that the nation’s and the black man’s problem is unbridled
greed and avaricious amassing of wealth. The black man needs selfless
leaders who would live and serve their people. He bemoaned the
unfriendly disposition and treatment of South Africans to Nigerians
despite the leadership of Nigeria in their apartheid struggle.
A cleric, Rev Fr (Dr) Umezinwa said that if we must live together as a
nation, we must discuss and dialogue. He however insisted that the
discussion must be preceded by massive education of citizens.
According to him, Nigeria has more than 250 ethnic groups and its only
an indigenous Constitution that would help us make progress.
Dr Umezinwa stated that in coming up with that home-grown Constitution
we must take into account the democratic instincts of the Igbos; the
aristocratic pattern of life of the Northerners and then the oligarchy
as practised by the Yorubas of the South western Nigeria.
The lecture was organized annually for students, including seminarians
and reverend Fathers by the Rector-Fr Benjamin Ewelu and the Dean-Fr
Linus Okika.
