The story of Nigeria since Independence in 1960, is the story of degeneration. In this series, we shall prove this statement correct, using the institutional approach.
Simply put, we shall examine the institutions of Nigerian society, and state how each of them has degenerated into a stupor to the extent that Nigeria is now a crisis-riden, impoverished, rudderless society with no visible focus for redemption, and no forseeable future to hope for.
On the night of September 30th, 1960, at exactly 12 midnight, I was at the top balcony of king's college, Lagos, a form III boy beaming with joy for seeing the Union Jack, the British flag of imperialism and empire being lowered and a bright, shining green and while flag -the symbol of a new state - Nigeria, being raised simultaneously, to herald a new era.
The night was cool, the air was fresh and my joy was bountiful and fulfilling. After all I told myself that even at that age, I could justifiably be proud for after all, I had joined in the struggle for independence. I could remember how my friends and I - all Lagos-born and Lagos-trained used to run around shouting “Zeek....Zeek.....Zeek.. ”at Isaleganga square at Campus square, at Oko-Awo play ground, whenever the great man came around to harangue us about the need to fight imperialism and rid ourselves of "slavery, economic exploitation, human degradation and excuse ourselves of the nuances of insipidity and apoplexy which the white man had thrown us into". Whether we understood what he meant or not, is not the issue. The point was that the big grammar attracted us, especially when we were yet to get to college , and we crammed up everything he had to say.
Then of course, there was Obafemi Awolowo, who, though based in Ibadan then, came often to Lagos, which was the hot-bed of Nigerian politics, to also preach for Nigerian Independence.
My attraction to him was more long-standing since my dad was a tenant in J.F Odunjo's house at Abeokuta when Odunjo was Minister of Lands under Awolowo’s Government in the West. Awo used to visit Odunjo in Abeokuta and the great writer of frightening stories stories in Yoruba language ( odunjo ) used to appear to me intriguing.
Back at Ibadan, Awo's house at Oke Ado was not far from ours at Oke Bola, and interplay among us and the two kids- Segun, Wole in particular, was taken for granted. So whenever he was in Lagos for campaign for independence or whatever- we were all there shouting "Awo....Awo...Awo.
When Princess Margaret had ended up with her ceremony of lowering and raising the flags, I felt not just happy but fulfilled. I looked around me, and being very inquisitive and abracious, I watched out for reactions from our white masters who had given us the indulgence to watch the ceremony from the balcony. I saw pride in their faces, afterall, they had built a new state out of groups of disparate, disunited and uncoordinated peoples.
Thus when the fireworks went up and everything glittered, one or the wives of the masters referred to the scenery as reminding her of Guy Fawkes day. Guy Fawkes was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. She was reprimanded by her husband. How dare you compare an act of creation with an act of destruction. I quickly turned my face away.
Thus there was joy all around, shephered by hope, excitement and high expectations. A new dawn had arrived, a new state was born, a state of 33 million people then, destined to be the leader of Africa- for better or for worse.
The hopes were justified, the expectations inscrutable. The indices for greatness were present- massive land mass, large population, richness in minerals, anchored by the discovery of oil in Oloibiri in the late fifties. All eyes were turned to the new state.
The basic Institutions of society are the political, the economic, the educational, the religious Institutions, and the family.
By 1960, the British had built up a political system on the structure of the system they met on the ground. They imposed the indirect rule system - ruling through the chiefs and traditional rulers. This system had only a partial success, but at least it prevailed until when - with constitutional development running through 1861, 1900, 1906, 1914, 1922, 1947, 1951, 1954, 1957, 1959, we got politically free, and by 1963, Nigeria was a Republic.
The political system Britain bequeathed to Nigeria in 1960 was not perfect. A parliamentary system, a party system, a democracy, a responsible government, a free press, a country of three regions, one (the North) of which was favoured by the British in everything (for supporting British rule) and two others who were not favoured owing to their stringest opposition to that rule. This was evident in the rigged census which gave the North a population which it did not merit.
With all the imperfection however, the system was effected, accepted by all parties, and operative in 1960.
Then came desperation, disaster, and degradation.
To be continued. Please subscribe to access the coming editions of this important series. To subscribe now click here.
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