HISTORY OF NIGERIA

    
Before 1960, Nigerians had existed in Peace and Harmony with each other and conflicts were prevented or nil and where it existed was settled immediately at customary courts
Since 1960 when Nigeria gained her independence from the British, she has found herself embroiled in one crises or the other
The challenge of building a strong and viable Nation has been a t horn in the flesh of successive government from 1960 to the present
The shift from Civilian to Military to Civilian and then back to Military leadership again from 1966 to the death of Gen
Sani Abacha last military regime after which it has been civilian government all the way did little to build a viable economy for the country
The shifts have adversely affected the nation as time and time again each government in power shows its strong weakness in the face of greed for the oil wealth and lust for power
There is high disregard for the rule of law and wanton and great corruption in the land
People are persecuted for standing for their right and a general lack of freedom for neither ''
During the regime of the military in 1985, the Country entered the period of the worst crises ever as that was the period the naira exchange against the dollar went from N1 to $1 to N57 to $1 and from there on the inflation has only worsened
The country experienced a high inflation and the country took out a loan to purportedly help balance the economy but ended up in the pocket of the leaders and the popular ''
running in millions was never accounted for till this day
The regime created a security racket to protect itself, crack down on labor and trade union movements, attempt to silence the press, imprison opposition figures who dare to challenge them all in an attempt to cling on to power irrespective of the people''
In 1993 after the freest and fairest election in the history of the country, the result was annulled by the incumbent military leadership in power leading to widespread riots and mass protest all over the country and the resultant exodus of people to their hometown in anticipation of war which eventually never saw the light of day
Most people sold their properties and upon returning back started from scratch again and the whole drama adversely affected the nation and its economy
Eventually the fight ended after 4 years when the winner of the election died in prison when international observers came for a truce and one is left to wonder what really went down
Nigerians then went back to rebuilding their lives
Violence can erupt from disgruntled individuals who are opposed to the result of an election and will not concede defeat and accept the winner; rather they employ tact with modus operandis to scuttle the plans of the present administration
Such violence causes immediate physical or psychological pain, which could be a consequence of:
The untold stories assail our ears every day of the devastating events unfolding as a result of the activities of the Dreadful Sect ''
in the North Eastern part of the country consisting of:
Such activities have occurred in other States like Jos - Plateau State and Communities in Kaduna State
has now spread their tentacles to other geopolitical group in the north attacking new states like:
These are not limited to men and women but have also been extended to children like a case in Borno State where a Secondary school was attacked in the early hours of the morning and young boys were machete to death while their female counterparts watched the gory horror and recent unfortunate incidence where over 200 girls were abducted from their school (an all-girls school) in Chibok in Borno State
Their fate remains unknown as those of about 20 girls abducted earlier in the year also from their school in Borno State
The human and economic cost of conflict is not only devastating but its impact on the socio-political and economic development of any country and its surrounding neighbours are profound
It pays therefore to prevent conflict at all cost and where it had existed initiate peace building initiatives to restore balance in these communities
Two blasts killed seven people during independence day celebrations in the Nigerian capital of Abuja this morning, planted by members of an anti-government rebel group called the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND)
'We're aware of two blasts,' police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu said in a phone interview according to Bloomberg
'There were casualties, about seven dead and three injured
The blast occurred near the Federal High Court building where three cars were destroyed near a venue celebrating Nigerian's 50th year of independence from British colonial rule
'There is nothing worth celebrating after 50 years of failure,' Jomo Gbomo, a spokesman for MEND, stated in an e-mailed statement today
'For 50 years, the people of the Niger Delta have had their land and resources stolen from them
Last year MEND refused the Nigerian government's offer of amnesty in return for laying down their arms because the government had yet to address its desire for local control of the delta's resources
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All over the world there is war and strife, from the battle in the Arab world where bloodshed is the order of the day to the suicide bombings that daily deplete the world of its human species, the consequences too great to imagine
s inhumanity to man, videos show how these barbaric acts are carried out openly displaying little or no regard for the sanctity of the human life
From Afghanistan to Iraq, from Pakistan to Syria the story is the same and even Africa is not left out with the sordid tales of inhuman treatment in Libya, Iraq and in Syria
The Rwandan genocide of 1994 is still fresh in our minds and the country is yet to recover from the worst Genocide in human history, South Sudan is still embroiled in war for control of natural resources and power and the wanton destruction of lives and property unquantifiable, too many people seek refuge in neighbouring counties that barely have enough to feed themselves
The Nigerian Biafran war created a great colossal loss of lives and property that the nation has not fully recovered from
From 6th of July 1967 to 15th January 1970, the war raged and the conflict was largely due to the result of economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions mainly between the Hausas of the north and the Igbos of the southeast of the country for over two and half years
The attendant result was that about one million civilians died from famine and fighting and starvation was the order of the day
Women and Children were the hardest hit most of them dying from starvation and malnutrition
The then Military Governor of the Igbo dominated Southeast Odumegwu C
Ojukwu had declared the East as the Republic of Biafra and an independent nation on the 30th of May 1967
This was as a result of the massacres of the people of the East in the North and electoral fraud
is the beginning of wisdom as these men unleash terror and fear on the populace in the northern region of the country leaving destruction and ruin in their wake
From Borno state with heavy attacks and subsequent heavy casualties in the state capital - Maiduguri and other smaller villages and communities scattered throughout the state
Other states that are targets include Kaduna - the once amiable enclave of the Northeast with its serene environment and warm people, Yobe and Adamawa States
Other states of the North like Zamfara, Plateau and Nasarawa also have their share of the same violence and death in the wake of visits by members of this dreaded sect the recent being the attacks
s all the same story of violence and mayhem all over the country as these are exhibited in different forms and patterns but all with the same result
The rich oppressing the poor and delighting in the misuse of power as a show of strength and wealth
Yet we as a people of diverse cultures and multi ethnic society should be united by our shared strength - our country
Why then, do we let strife, anger, religious intolerance and hatred into our hearts and into our lives
Why do we look at our neighbours, family and friends and see only the ''
When did the friends, colleagues and neighbours become infidels and sacrificial lambs for the slaughter, when will we see war and strife as ''
s a warring universe alright where people believe in settling scores and issues and arguments the ''
way as was done in the medieval times and Era where it was ''
- two men enter one man leaves and a corpse is removed
Do we still have to follow such frivolous excuses at settling scores
Nelson Mandela came out of prison in 1990 after 27 years behind bars with hard labour and wicked and uncompassionate wardens yet the first thing he did was to forgive his captors and embrace them in the name of peace and love and enjoined his fellow South Africans to embrace same
It is time for all individuals and all Africans to embrace his last request to Africans to unite or face the consequences of violence and ultimately war on our hands
In Conclusion, Nigeria is at a fragile state in its quest for a free and fair election and all hands must be on deck to realizing this goal
Our political office holders and aspirants should watch their utterances so as not to ignite negative feelings against any tribe or religion or incite violence in the hearts of the populace at this time
They should preach peace and tolerance in their messages and campaigns to their wards and Nigerians at large geared towards achieving sustainable growth of development of the nation
All over the world there is war and strife, from the battle in the Arab world where bloodshed is the order of the day to the suicide bombings that daily deplete the world of its human species, the consequences too great to imagine
s inhumanity to man, videos show how these barbaric acts are carried out openly displaying little or no regard for the sanctity of the human life
\r\n\r\n - From Afghanistan to Iraq, from Pakistan to Syria the story is the same and even Africa is not left out with the sordid tales of inhuman treatment in Libya, Iraq and in Syria
The Rwandan genocide of 1994 is still fresh in our minds and the country is yet to recover from the worst Genocide in human history, South Sudan is still embroiled in war for control of natural resources and power and the wanton destruction of lives and property unquantifiable, too many people seek refuge in neighbouring counties that barely have enough to feed themselves
\r\n\r\n - The Nigerian Biafran war created a great colossal loss of lives and property that the nation has not fully recovered from
From 6th of July 1967 to 15th January 1970, the war raged and the conflict was largely due to the result of economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions mainly between the Hausas of the north and the Igbos of the southeast of the country for over two and half years
The attendant result was that about one million civilians died from famine and fighting and starvation was the order of the day
Women and Children were the hardest hit most of them dying from starvation and malnutrition
The then Military Governor of the Igbo dominated Southeast Odumegwu C
Ojukwu had declared the East as the Republic of Biafra and an independent nation on the 30th of May 1967
This was as a result of the massacres of the people of the East in the North and electoral fraud
\r\n\r\n - Back home in our great nation, the fear of
is the beginning of wisdom as these men unleash terror and fear on the populace in the northern region of the country leaving destruction and ruin in their wake
From Borno state with heavy attacks and subsequent heavy casualties in the state capital
Maiduguri and other smaller villages and communities scattered throughout the state
the once amiable enclave of the Northeast with its serene environment and warm people, Yobe and Adamawa States
Other states of the North like Zamfara, Plateau and Nasarawa  also have their share of the same violence and death in the wake of visits by members of this dreaded sect the recent being the attacks
s all the same story of violence and mayhem all over the country as these are exhibited in different forms and patterns but all with the same result
The rich oppressing the poor and delighting in the misuse of power as a show of strength and wealth
Yet we as a people of diverse cultures and multi ethnic society should be united by our shared strength
\r\n\r\n - Why then, do we let strife, anger, religious intolerance and hatred into our hearts and into our lives
Why do we look at our neighbours, family and friends and see only the
When did the friends, colleagues and neighbours become infidels and sacrificial lambs for the slaughter, when will we see war and strife as
s a warring universe alright where people believe in settling scores and issues and arguments the
way as was done in the medieval times and Era where it was
- two men enter one man leaves and a corpse is removed
Do we still have to follow such frivolous excuses at settling scores
\r\n\r\n - Nelson Mandela came out of prison in 1990 after 27 years behind bars with hard labour and wicked and uncompassionate wardens yet the first thing he did was to forgive his captors and embrace them in the name of peace and love and enjoined his fellow South Africans to embrace same
It is time for all individuals and all Africans to embrace his last request to Africans to unite or face the consequences of violence and ultimately war on our hands
\r\n\r\n - In Conclusion, Nigeria is at a fragile state in its quest for a free and fair election and all hands must be on deck to realizing this goal
Our political office holders and aspirants should watch their utterances so as not to ignite negative feelings against any tribe or religion or incite violence in the hearts of the populace at this time
They should preach peace and tolerance in their messages and campaigns to their wards and Nigerians at large geared towards achieving sustainable growth of development of the nation