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The Nigerian Citizenship Question By Ovie Ughwanogho, MD. In recent times, not without cause, several commentators have written on the citizenship question facing Nigeria. Many have argued that Nigeria, as it is now, is a country without citizens. Nigerians often act by themselves, about themselves and for themselves, forgetting the common good. There is apathy for collective action. This unfortunately, to a large extent, is also true for the rest of Africa. Perhaps the manner and means by which most African countries came to existence may have a role in this glaring lack of citizenship across Africa. Prior to the Berlin conference of 1886, the area called Nigeria never existed as a geographical entity. The misadventure of Europeans for their political and economic interests resulted in the arbitrary creation of several African countries including Nigeria. These countries until this day have failed to evolve into nation states perhaps partly because of the unfortunate accident of their creation. At the Berlin conference, no African ethnic nationality was represented even though viable African kingdoms with apparatus of government existed at that time. By implication, the sovereignty of the different ethnic nationalities in Nigeria nay Africa remain intact. They were never negotiated away but were brutally stolen in order to exploit the limitless natural bounties of Africa. Consequently, in Africa, it is not uncommon for the same family members to belong to different countries. I recently had an interesting conversation with a young fellow from Gambia whom I met at a party in Atlanta. During the course of our discussion, he revealed that his mom and dad are of the same ethnic group but his dad is from Gambia and mom from Senegal. Predictably, his mom is French oriented and his dad is English oriented. One family, two countries and two different orientations. This scenario replicates severally in virtually every African country and one is left to wonder the criteria used to carve these “countries”. Are we surprised that Africans do not have a sense of citizenship? In no other country is this lack of citizenship more manifest than in Nigeria. Where does the allegiance of the Ibo man lies? What about the Yoruba, Hausa, Ijaw, Urhobo, Bini, Itsekiri, Efik, Tiv, Kanuri etc etc. I bet their nationalities remain in controversy. Their ethnic nationality has been stolen, raped and bastardized both by external and internal colonizers. To their credit, they have refused to fully participate in an illegal creation of Europeans called Nigeria. The pretence to participation in Nigerian polity by individuals is a fraud perpetuated to loot and plunder the resources of a defenseless minority natives. To the discredit of the ethnic nationalities, except perhaps the Ijaws and the Ibos, they have done nothing to negotiate their existence within and possibly without Nigeria. What really identifies us as Nigerians? Do we really share a common identity and goals? Have we really agreed to be called Nigerians? To those who will say yes, I ask when? That the Europeans tagged us Nigerians really means we have agreed to be Nigerians? Too many questions about ourselves beg for answers. Until these questions are answered, confusion about our nationality and allegiance will persist and manifest variously as we remain a conquered people. It will not be a wrong assertion to say that Nigeria to the extent that it was not and has not been negotiated by the ethnic nationalities, remain illegal and whatever is built on it is illegal. On this premise, coup plotters are allowed to be members of the national executive council, elections are annulled without cause, state governors are kidnapped and the kidnappers become board members of the ruling/stealing party, attorney general of the federation can be murdered and the accused murderer becomes a senator from jail, a political godfather defies a court ruling and uses the Nigerian police to chase away a sitting governor, a president denies having a hand in tenure extension in one part of the country and the next day he is begging/coercing the leaders of his ethnic nationality to do everything possible to prolong his stay in power, the Nigerian police watches while a mob throws aspersions at the vice president while the same police will not allow prominent Nigerians including the vice president hold a peaceful meeting to deliberate on national issues, a president will not speak on tenure extension to Nigerians but goes to Washington DC to explain to foreign journalists why God is not a God of abandon projects……….. Our entire lives have been established on an illegal entity, our identity stolen and replaced with a false one. Until we search deep into our souls and answer the questions we have fought so hard to ignore all these years, forever we shall remain slaves materially and intellectually. Ovie Ughwanogho, MD. Consultant, Infectious Diseases Metro Infectious Disease Associates, Inc. 1203 Cleveland Avenue Suite 1B Atlanta, Georgia 30344.
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