…Continued from yesterday.
The bane and chain down of Nigeria’s progress and development – •Excerpts from a 261-page book by Sir Olaniwun Ajayi
The bane and chain down of Nigeria’s progress and developmentThe Yorubas have undoubtedly occupied this homeland for many centuries. When the Portuguese arrived on the coast in the 15th century, their political organisation into a number of major and minor states had already been evolved, and may well have been in existence for several hundred years, as an examination of their king-lists and other oral data suggest. Their language, despite its many dialects, provides the main evidence of a common origin and cultural heritage…
In this connection, it is intriguing to observe the views of Lord Lugard in his early days as High Commissioner for Northern Nigeria. On page 25 paragraph 36, which formed part of his 1902 Annual Report on Northern Nigeria to both Houses of Parliament through the Colonial Office, in part wrote thus: “…The case of these alien conquerors (the Fulani) is wholly different from that of ancient chiefs ruling over people of their own race for long centuries past, as I believe in the case, for instance, with the Yoruba chiefs of Lagos, who are of the same race with their subjects, and have held their position for centuries with well – established system of communal land tenure…”
Furthermore, Lord Lugard’s biographer, Margery Perham said; “…The Yorubas, at least for centuries before British annexation, had taken to living in towns, and were indeed the most urban -minded of all African peoples, though it must be remembered that the people thus concentrated were still mainly farmers…” 55
We may add yet another view regarding the state of development even before the advent of Europeans, particularly the British. That is the view of the great scholar and author, James S. Coleman, who stated that:
“The Yoruba people may rightly claim to be the largest cultural aggregation in West Africa with a history of political unity and a common historical tradition… Additional distinguishing feature of the Yoruba are of significance. One is the comparative large-scale political organisation which existed before the British intrusion…. The whole Yoruba system was marked by check and counter-check:” and the superstructure was essentially that of a constitutional monarchy. 56
Finally, the prudence or advisability of corralling the manifest and intellectual views of experts and eminent persons will be amply met by adding the considered statement of a former Governor-General, Sir Arthur Richards, (later Lord Milverton) as recorded in his memoir by his biographer, Richard Peel. He stated, among other things, of the Yoruba:
“…The people of Western Province had, like the North, a more developed system of native administration and, in addition, an authoritarian, kingly rule handed down for centuries and therefore in many ways more bred in the bone.”57
Chapter 3
The Igbo Nation
The origin of Igbo people would appear to be a great conjecture as various writers hold different views with respect to where the Igbo originated. For example, M.D.W. Jeffreys held the view that the Igbo originated from Egypt. Whereas some Igbo writers, claimed that the lgbo were Hebrew or Egyptian, stating that the origin of Aro was the Nile Valley. 58
Perhaps for the purpose of this book, it will be sufficient to limit our research into the origin of the Igbo people to the fact that the Igbo have been in their present settlement for very many centuries. This view is supported by the evidence produced by the research report of Professor D.D. Hartle’s test excavation in the University of Nigeria Nsukka Agricultural farm, which produced evidence of human settlement, dating back to 2555 BC. The evidence went further to state that the materials recovered from the excavation, like ‘unfired clay vessels’ were like the unfired articles being used in Nsukka. We can then infer from the excavation evidence that the people of Nsukka are the descendant of the people occupying the area from time immemorial. The further inference from that hypothesis is that Nri-Awka-Orlu sector would appear to be the earliest centre from which Igbo waves of migration started. This view is confirmed by Talbot and Mulhall in their book – The Physical Anthropology of Southern Nigeria, Page 4. They said:
“The Ibo have no tradition from elsewhere and appear to have settled in the thickly populated parts of Nri-Awka and Isu-Ama areas for a very long period and to have spread from there.”
There is no record that the Igbo had a common ancestor. However, there were cases of various units of villages where people got together and made arrangement, whereby they looked upon themselves as brothers. Such villages or groups could unite for a purpose like forming themselves into constituency or community.
Geographically, substantial part of south-eastern Nigeria, which is the geopolitical region of Igbo people, is covered by dense forest and challenged by erosion.
Sir Alan Burns, the author of History of Nigeria (7th Revised Edition) wrote on Page 59 of his book:
“…At the time that Lord Lugard wrote the most important of these was the large lbo tribe. Among these people there was no highly recognised form of government and little tribal cohesion; practically every village was independent, and so great was the isolation of each small community that the inhabitants of neighbouring villages often speak in entirely different dialects…”
Margery Perham, writing on Lord Lugard in 1960 said:
Early in 1915, for example, he went on tour in the south-east, driving the first train along the sixteen miles of rail, between Port Harcourt and Imo River. From there he went north into the heart of the densely populated lbo country, visiting the coal field and calling at the headquarters of districts. He was greeted everywhere by the forest people, the women giving him the almost universal greeting of female Africa of shrill “lululuing” (many of the women of all ages were absolutely nude and Ah you, quite shocked, turned his back on them). Coal and railway-cutting focused his attention more upon geology than humanity. But he had an eye for the natural beauty of Enugu, the future Eastern capital, which was then almost virgin bush.
Political organisation, a remarkable chieftaincy system and a well established urbanisation which were the hallmarks of Yoruba nation before the British came were non – existent in lgbo nation. That state of development in the south-east (Igboland) was a problem to Lugard with particular regard to indirect rule.
In 1900, Lord Lugard, as he later became, inaugurated the Protectorate in northern Nigeria which was later divided into Provinces. In the capital of each province, was a senior British official, known as Resident. Government policy was to the effect that the African rulers, mostly Emirs and their council and courts, were running the administration. This was the system later known as Indirect Rule.
In this regard, Lugard had a lot of problems in the South – east. There was no organisation nor chiefs as were in the northern protectorate. Indeed, Margery Perham made an indecent reference to the lgbo as:
“Coastal group in the region and a people of beastly living, without a god, laws, religion or commonwealth… Lugard could appreciate the formidable fact of their social fragmentation but are we then to assume that the attempt to adapt the fundamental principle of Indirect Rule to these intractable human conditions…”
However, because there were no rulers and chiefs in Igboland, the British government had to appoint chiefs by warrant in order to operate the Indirect Rule.
As to what remains of the history of Igbo people is not of any historical importance and relevance, it will be expedient to close up here and go to the history of Hausa/ Fulani.
Chapter 4
Hausa/ Fulani
Unlike the case of the Yoruba and somewhat similar to the case of the Igbo, there is, hitherto, no known origin of the Hausa people. All we know is that the Hausa speaking people are, to a great extent, of Nigeria origin. It would appear however, that as there are not many who could be identified as Hausa, those who speak the language are very many throughout the northern half of Africa, including Mecca.
Despite paucity of records, it is recognised that Kano, Zaria, Daura, Gobir, Katsina, Rano and Zamfara, were the original seven states of the Hausa in Nigeria.
With respect to religion, the people called Hausa would probably be pagans before the advent of the Islamic religion which came into Hausa community about thirteenth century. Thus, Muhammadanism spread quickly, making rapid progress among the people. The new religion affected both the religious and social life of the Hausa people. With the passage of time, a form of government developed among them. Each state had its king and judicial system which administered the law. In other words, a structure of an organised community was already present among them.
Since the Hausa could not claim a common origin or ancestor like Oduduwa for the Yoruba, each state was independent of the others. With time this state of separateness or individualism gave room for an engendered jealousy and disaffection which ultimately brought about internecine wars. Thus, for example, Zaria waged war against the Hausa and conquered the Hausa countries to the south and brought down Bauchi, just as Gobir fought all nomad tribes of the northern desert. Kano fought Borno without successes. But Bornu fought successfully Hausaland, while Askia, the King of Sonhay conquered Katsina and Kano and made them provinces of his empire.
With the growing power of the Hausa, a peace immigration into the country of a people called Fulani took place. Where they came from, nobody knew. A school of thought said they came from India. Some others opined that they were Jews, others argued that they were Malayan or Phoenician.
The generally accepted view however, was that they came from upper Egypt and moved westwards to the Atlantic Coast where most of them settled and some years later, some of them moved in the direction of Nigeria around the thirteenth century. They mingled with the Hausa and intermarried with them and adopted Muhammadan religion. In due course, their superior intelligence placed them in position of importance and power.
For many years however, the Fulani remained a subject race in Hausaland. However, in 1804, Othman dan Fodio, a Fulani Sheikh, rose among the Fulani group. Othman dan Fodio ran into conflict with the King of Gobir whom, with his Fulani followers, he defeated in a decisive battle. Consequently, following the defeat of Gobir and his followers, Othman dan Fodio became and recognised as the Sarkin Musulmi. His followers, the Fulani, sought and obtained his approval to wage war and conquer the Hausa among whom they had been living on sufferance.
The holy war began and Othman dan Fodio encouraged and boldened his followers to wage war in the name of Allah and His Prophet against pagans and unbelievers and those who appeared to them to be lukewarm. Not only were they conquered, their property was also taken as spoil.
In 1808, Borno, a Mohammadan country, was attacked by Othman’s fanatical followers, although not all the followers of Othman were Fulani. In truth, this was the Jihad which the natives in the country saw as preservation of their religion and so supported it. The Jihad was not a full success but it was at such a stage that Othman could hand over the country to his brother called Abdullahi and his son, Bello. Before he died in 1817, Othman had divided the country between his brother, Abdullahi, who made himself Gando, and Bello to be in charge of Sokoto, and recognised as Sarkin Musulumi.
Bello had a turbulent reign as he had to contend with constant warfare against the tribes who would not embrace Fulani rule.
A bit of peace came to Bello towards the closing years of his reign. The supporters and their descendants firmly owed allegiance to Sokoto, the seat of Bello. Sokoto became an empire which gradually included the emirates of Adamawa, Gombe, Hadeija, Kano, Katsina, Daura, Katagun, Bauchi, and Zaria. His troubled reign notwithstanding, Bello made for himself, time to study. He in time, became an author of several works on history, geography and theology.
It is intriguing to observe Bello, who was a learned person ordered that all the Hausa records in his domain should be destroyed. They were in fact, destroyed. He died in 1837. His brother, Abubakar Atiku, succeeded him.
Chapter 5
Fate and future of Nigeria’s minorities
Towards the latter part of 1943, O.G.R. Williams, the head of the West African Department of Colonial Office, took the initiative of writing a memorandum on ‘Constitutional development in West Africa.
