Emergence of Non-State Actors in our Nation State

Following Nigeria’s Political Independence from British Colonial Rule in October 1, 1960, Nigeria has witnessed the following non State Actors trying hard to disintegrate the Nigerian State into its component ethic Nationalities. These non -State insurgent Actors are, namely

• Adaka Boro Insurgency of February 1966, following the first Military Intervention in Politics in January 15, 1966
• Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND),
• Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB)
• Oduduwa Yoruba People’s Congress (OPC),
• Ijaw National Congress (IJN) and the latest,
• Independent People of Biafra (IPOB).

All the above non-State Insurgent Actors have one Mission in Common, namely, the Disintegration of the Nation State of Nigeria into the ethnic Nationalities or Nations comprised in Nigeria to go their separate ways or in the alternative, a True and Sustainable Federation of these ethnic Nationalities or Nations that make up Nigeria. It is however well understood that a True Federation is a Federation of two or more ethnic Nationalities or Nations, which have freely come together to determine and mutually agree on their Terms of Union. For example, the United Kingdom of Great Britain, our Colonial Master, is a Federation of the Nations of England, Scotland, and Wales, which came into being freely in 1707, following the Mutually Agreed Terms of Union (Treaty of Union) of these three Nations, which are domiciled in one Great Island, called Great Britain. The UK of Great Britain is still waxing strong since 1707 in Unity, Peace and making fantastic Economic Progress, as one Great and World Powerful Nation.

It will be interesting to inform the generality of Nigerians that the Grudge of the above Non- State Actors against the continuing Existence of Nigeria as one indivisible Nation, is Nigeria’s inability or Refusal to restructure Nigeria into a True / Sustainable Federation of the following ethnic Nationalities, namely, Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, NdiIgbo, Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv, Edo, Nupe, Ijaw. Urhobo, Itshekiri, Idoma, Igala among others. Please see the British Colonial Census of Nigeria of 1931 as well as my Book published in 2013 titled *Nigeria’s Existential and Technological Nightmare* for more detailed Information.  The Fate of non-State Actor namely, ADAKA BORO as described in the above Book seems to await all these Non-State Actors.

                                            The ADAKA BORO non-State Actor in Focus:

Isaac Adaka Boro is of Ijaw ethnic Nationality, in present Bayelsa State, was born in 1938 and was known as a Disciple of Chief Harold Biriye a leading Politician of Ijaw ethnic Nationality. It is reported that Chief Harold Biriye, had strongly pressed the British Colonial Authorities to create a separate Niger Delta State out of the former Eastern Region of Nigeria, during the British Colonial Conference, held in London, in 1956/1957, to determine and agree on the Date of Nigeria’s Independence, from Britain. The British Colonial Authorities however could not oblige Chief Harold Biriye request, citing time as the constraint for such Action but asked Chief Harold Biriye to take up the Matter Nigeria after Nigeria’s Independence.

On 23 February 1966, six years after Nigeria’s Independence and following the Military intervention in Politics, ADAKA Boro and its compatriots of Ijaw ethnic Nationality, forcibly / courageously seceded from the Eastern Region of Nigeria / Nigerian Federation. The Secession was met with Federal Military Might and crutched by the Nigeria Army and ADAKA Boro was captured and tried for Treason and sentenced to Death – by Hanging and was taken thereafter to the Ikoyi Prison in Lagos to await Death by hanging. The rest of Adaka Boro Insurgency is History and an interesting reminder of possible Fate that awaits the current non-State Actor namely, IPOB of our generation.

In the light of the above Nigeria’s Political Reality, I did send a well- researched Memorandum to the National Assembly Committees (Senate and House), which were dealing with the Review of the Nigeria’s Constitution in 2012, containing 16 Paragraphs  on Pages 16, 17, 18 and 19 of my Book titled “Nigeria’s Existential and Technological Nightmare” embodying my well thought-out Suggestions or Recommendations for the Amendment of the Existing Nigeria Constitution so that Nigeria will have peace and develop as one Great Nation making real Economic progress as one Great Nation in Africa. To my surprise and consternation, the National Assembly Constitutional Review Committees (Senate and House) in 2014 seemed to have thrown away such deeply researched / relevant Memorandum. threw away my Suggestions as irrelevant and went ahead and made the Situation worse. One may wish to visit my Website Blog, technogeria.ng (Technology in the Defense of Nationhood or for a Copy of my Book, titled Nigeria’s Existential and Technological Nightmare, a Book, which will be happily given free of Charge, to any Nigerian who wishes Nigeria well, and who want Nigeria to have Peace and develop as one united Great Industrial / Powerful Nation in Africa.   

Felix N.C. Oragwu, FSAN, MInstP (IOP) London

Former Senior Academic in Physics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (UNN), from 1960s,
Head of Research and Development (R&D)  Planning Division / Coordinator of  Technological Services of the Industrial War Machine that operated in the defunct State of Biafra, 1967-1970.
Retired Senior Director in Charge of the Department of Science and Technology (S&T) Policy, Planning and Development of the Federal Government Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) 1979-1987
Former Technology Development Consultant to UNECA, UNDP and UNIDO