It was obvious. We’re obliviously digging deep. Receding, going down the drain. Intentionally pretending to be going forward. And making unseen progress.
It was all motion without movements. It couldn’t have been otherwise. Nobody did it the way we did it and succeed. Never, ever. It doesn’t work that abnormal manner.
The foundation of this contraception loosely tagged Nigeria was laid on disbelief, deceit, distrust and mistrust.
Population census is it! Courtesy, our cruel, crooked British colonial overlords. They threw us into permanent deception. Sadly enough. We refused to walk ourselves out of it. We opted to build on it.
And made a monster out of it. That was how we launched into our chequered history. A booby trip into the world of unknown.
The North is forever up in arms. Always wanting to have its way against all reasons and reasoning. This time around. It is cashing on its self-acclaimed “huge” population. All in effort to thwart President Bola Tinubu’s Tax Reforms Bill. It’s its most potent weapon against the bill for now. And they are threatening, raging and raving all the way.
We squarely lay the blame at the doorsteps of our British imperialists. This is why: They first counted us in 1886. They “wisely” restricted it to Lagos Colony. The second attempt, bolder, was in 1911. It covered Southern Nigeria.
But the real resemblance of a nationwide census was made possible in 1921. Sir Hugh Clifford held sway as Governor-General. The preliminary figure of 8.4 million was allocated to the South. The North was awarded 10.4 million. That was how the colonialists laid solid foundation for falsehood and falsity!
The 1931 census ought to be the second nationwide. But it was not comprehensive. The Second World War aborted census in 1941. The British conducted its last census in 1952. It was the longest, having spread over a period of three years.
Glaringly, the 1921 census stood out even on its fragile feet. That was the beginning of our woes. Clifford midwifed and superintended the charade. It was crystal clear, that was the start-up point of census fraud in Nigeria.”
Amazingly, it was initiated, perpetrated, orchestrated by the devilish British colonialists. And heightened to high heavens in the subsequent exercises.
They subterraneously made it for sordid, crooked headcount. We have never got it right since 1921 happened to us. They prepared the ground for permanent acrimony and bitterness we’re battling today. They came, they saw and they destroyed.
Let the bitter truth be told. The 60 per cent population claim the North flaunts at the slightest opportunity existed at no time. It’s rather a delusion, hallucination and illusion. All graphically rolled into one huge misconception.
Headcounts after independence were made messy and messed up. Almost all were smeared in unending controversies. They rarely escaped dispute. Everyone of them was highly contentious. Some were annoyingly cancelled outright.
All because of opposition from the North. They only want their will to prevail at all times. And all the time. That’s not the best way to run democracy. And live peacefully together with others.
There’s the spirit of give-and-take in communality and commonality. We should all learn and endeavour to imbibe this essential ingredient. It’s germane for our existence as a nation.
The 1962 census was the second countrywide in Nigeria. The first since independence in 1960. It was largely agreed: “It was better organised and more comprehensive when compared to the 1952/53 census.”
We thought we were getting it. We goofed. It wrapped up itself in absolute contention. It nearly tore the frail and frangible country into shreds. It showcased animosity, bitterness, bad blood, share hate and pure hatred.
Our population figure was put at 45.26 million. Out of this the North got 22.01 million. Other three regions shared 23.25 million. Southern politicians were excited. They jumped for exceeding joy. They applauded the result.
But not the North! Forever agitating, striving hard to dominate. Its politicians rejected it without thinking twice. Surprised? Not really. It’s their stock-in-trade.
Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa swung into action. The North must not be “disgraced” under any guise. He hurriedly held consultation with the Regional Premiers: Michael Okpara, East; Samuel Ladoke Akintola, West; Ahmadu Bello, North and Dennis Osadebe, Midwest.
With a fiat! Balewa announced the cancellation of the census results. Two weeks later and with the speed of light. He constituted a five-member board to conduct the 1963 census.
We genuinely suspected betrayal from some quarters. They couldn’t stand up to be counted for their regions. They caved in. They collapsed. And sold their people away so cheaply.
Even at that. The 1963 census couldn’t assuage our fears. It rather confirmed and emphasised our worries. A report claimed: “The 1963 census exercise despite the controversies it generated especially its rejection by Governors of Eastern and Midwestern Nigeria who went to the Supreme Court to contest the results but lost was accepted by the Federal Government.”
The 1973 census was conducted from November 25 to December 2, 1973. It was the first headcount by a military junta. Ironically, it was adjudged technically sound: “This was largely because it was the first time an enumeration area demarcation was carried out before the actual census. It was also the first-time homeless people were taken into account and the census became more detailed at last.”
In spite all these, it was jinxed like those before it. General Yakubu Gowon, Head of State, blatantly refused to publish its result. He later cancelled it. That was after he announced a population figure of 79.76 million.
The report again testified: “Like the two censuses before it, there were allegations of organised inflation across the states.” Other reasons included but not limited to:
“Size and composition of the membership of the National Census Board. Interference in the work of the board by the Federal Military Government (FMG). Appointment of two state governors to serve on the Committee of Experts of the Board.”
The next census took place in October 1991. We were counted to be 88.5 million Nigerians. It was less controversial.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo came on board. He too tried his hands on census. In March 2006, he presented to us provisional population and housing result of 140,003,542 million people.
The census figure North pretends to hold on to is a fluke. At best make-believe and unverifiable. It’s self-acclaimed. It couldn’t have held water. Nor stood the test of times. The reason we lazily settled for “population estimation.” Not population census.
We couldn’t count ourselves, by ourselves, since 1960! That’s why policies summersault constantly. They are always based on faulty premises. You can’t build something on nothingness.
It is on that warped population figures. That the North premised its strong opposition to the tax reforms. They insist, everything and all things. Must be based on their self-acclaimed “dense” population in the semi-desert region. And of course, their known large expanse of arid land.
The North won’t give up. It would rather remain adamant. Others must learn from their insistence. Let every part of the country intensify its assertion. None must cave in to blackmail.
Let’s escalate our demand. None of us should be accorded any monopoly. Let there be a level playing ground. There are no second-class citizens anywhere here. We must shine our eyes. Even with the last drop of blood in our veins.
The North ferociously went after Obasanjo in 2006. And it recruited willing hands from the South. Together, they deliberately coloured OBJ’s Constitutional Amendment Bill as his Third Term Agenda (TTA).
And we sheepishly bought into it. We submitted ourselves to be manipulated, fooled and deceived. And this is where I am going. This must not happen to Tinubu’s Tax Reforms Bill.
The National Assembly violently threw Obasanjo’s bill into the dirty dustbin of history. Without looking back. And see our lot. Monumental losses! These are what we would have gained minus TTA. Startling samplers:
Resource control for the Niger Delta; independent candidature for elections; local government reforms; states creation; total independency of INEC and removal of immunity clause from the constitution. Can you sincerely beat that? Be honest, be genuine.
Dr Christopher Isike lectures in African Politics, University of Zululand. Sakiemi Idoniboye-Obu is of the School of Politics, University of KwaZulu-Natal. In their paper, “Throwing out the baby with the bathwater,” in Journal of African Election, page 150, the duo put it more succinctly:
“One of the immediate results of the TTA was that constitutional amendments which would have enhanced good governance, transparency, accountability and ipso facto, democracy, national integration and development, were thrown out along with the review process.
“In the end, the 119 amendments sought to deal with festering issues such as fiscal federalism, derivation principle, secular nature of the country, equality of states and local governments, state federal government relations, citizenship, police, judicial independence, human rights, women’s rights and land use all had to be discarded because of the tenure extension controversy.”
That blunder must not rear its ugly head. Not again in this clime. The National Assembly may want to amend the vexing items in the tax bill. Or better still, expunge such if they’re so nauseating to them. That’s the essence of robust debate.
Let the lawmakers put away their parochial sentiments and emotions. They ought not be narrow-minded. The business of law making is a serious business. It’s not cut for the small-minded. They should be large-minded and accommodating.
Be seriously warned. Never again should they throw out the baby with its bathwater. They should apply discerning hearts, if they have.
We are paying heavily and dearly already for your past goofs. Let it end there. There should be no repeat performance of that grave errors. Be wise. Learn useful lessons from your mistakes.
Think out of the box. Even for once. And we would all be glad you did! This democracy must work. And work well!
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