From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State on Saturday laid the responsibility for what he called Nigeria’s ‘faulty foundation’ on the country’s British colonial past, pointing to the division of the country into North and South without the colonial administrators considering the consequences of their actions on Nigerians.
The governor noted that this ‘faulty foundation’ has made it difficult for leaders and the followers in the country to record significant and turnaround achievements in nation-building.
Speaking on Saturday at the launch of the N250 million Dr Abdullahi Ganduje Lecture Theatre and Award, organised by the University of Ibadan Alumni Association Worldwide, at the University of Ibadan, the Kano governor stated that the ‘faulty foundation’ was laid by the colonial masters deliberately to achieve their interests. He contended that the interest of the colonial masters was not in any way for the progress of Nigeria.
Many friends and political associates of Ganduje donated handsomely to the proposed Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje 500 Seater Lecture Auditorium for the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ibadan.
The Vice Chancellor, UI, Prof Kayode Adebowale; Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado-Bayero; Sen. Gbenga Kaka; and UIAA President, Prof. Elsie Adewoye; were among the dignitaries that attended the programme.
Governor Ganduje enjoined Nigerians not to see themselves as victims of their history, saying they should be more responsible and ensure that they overcome the challenges posed by the faulty foundation of the country.
The governor, who bagged the Most Distinguished Alumnus Award of the premier university in Nigeria, and also a guest lecturer, stated: ‘The challenges of nation-building in Nigeria are attributable to the very faulty foundation laid by European colonial masters. These were purely done to actualise their interests and not for any genuine development of the country.’
He noted that the division of Nigeria into the Northern Protectorate and Southern Protectorate, which later became Northern Region and Southern Region was not in the best interest of the country. He explains that the colonial masters did so without considering the peculiarities of the two regions, the difference in land tenure systems, local government administration, education and judicial systems.
Ganduje stated he reflected on the history of Nigeria in order for all and sundry to know the genesis of the challenges of nation-building in the country and why everyone must be concerned with a view to building and leaving a better legacy for the nation.
According to him, ‘from this historical legacy, therefore, regionalism has been a major challenge to nation-building in Nigeria. Under these conditions, it was easy for prejudice and fear to thrive. Nation-building is about building a common sense of purpose, sense of shared destiny and collective imagination of belonging. Nation-building is about building the tangible and intangible threads that hold a political entity together and give it a sense of purpose.’
He noted that the founding fathers of Nigeria adopted federalism as a system of government to deal with the challenge nation building, adding that they did what they could for the unity of the country.
‘The lack of consolidation of Nigerian federalism around commonly shared values and positions continue to undermine our efforts at nation-building. This could be seen in the division between ‘indigenes’ and ‘settlers’, which has been a source of domestic tension and undermined our efforts at creating common nationhood.’
