Reflections on the Nigerian Civil War.

An Excerpt from Chapter 3, Reflections on the Nigerian Civil War by Raph Uwechue

In the current Nigerian situation what we have is a stale-mate-no definite agreement to live together but no agreement to separate. In such a case only a compromise solution is reasonable and realistic. We should not separate-since there is no agreement to do so-but we should not suffocate ourselves in too tight an embrace to cling together.
The important thing is that in the light of our past and present experiences, an adjustment should be made such that can allow the best in different communities to come out while keeping the worst in adequate check.

The Nigerian Federal Constitution as it stood at the opening of 1966-that is before the introduction of the current army rule-could be compared in geometrical terms to a rhombus.
Taken in its totality, this particular rectangle has everything that is required to make a square, namely four equal sides and a total angular sum of 360 degrees. Yet it cannot stand squarely on any plane simply because the angles are unevenly distributed.

In Nigeria we have nothing to add or subtract in order to make our country firm and stable. The only treatment required is the mere adjustment of the angles of our constitutional rhombus to make them right angles and so produce a structure that can stand squarely on any given national base.

I do not believe that this task is in any way beyond our capabilities.

In view of the reality and peculiar awkwardness of our situation, the time has come for us to try the same trick as Christopher Columbus did some five centuries ago. He made an egg stand on one of its ends, simply by flattening and thus broadening its base.
We can make Nigeria stand, and all our people secure and happy by broadening the base upon which our union is founded. Until our various peoples have had enough time to learn more about one another and discover and appreciate the hidden beauty and values locked up in the multifarious habits and cultures of our numerous ethnic groups, we have no realistic choice open to us other than that of lengthening-and thus relaxing the cracking tension on it-the cord that holds us together.

Raph Uwechue. (1971). Secession and the problem of minorities. In: Reflections on the Nigerian Civil War. New York: Africana pub. Corp. pg 66 - 67

Nreport_ep02 - INEC

This was funny and educative...just had to share.