His Royal Majesty, Oba
Adetokunbo Okikiola Gbadegeshin Tejuosho the Olu of Orile Kemta Adabonyin of
Egba Land has charged every Nigerian to do away with actions, utterances and
other factors that are capable of endangering the unity of this country.
The monarch made this
known in his independence message to celebrate the occasion of the 59th
Anniversary of our dear nation. He also charged all the citizens to support the
government towards bringing good governance to the grassroots and top most
level of the country.
THE JOURNEY TO
INDEPENDENCE IN NIGERIA.
Our history in Nigeria
can be traced to prehistoric settlers (Nigerians) living in communities as
early as 1100 BC. Numerous ancient civilizations such as the Kingdom of Nri,
the Benin Empire and the Oyo Empire settled in this region that is today
Nigeria. Islam was introduced through the Borno Empire (1068 AD) and Hausa
States (1385 AD) while Christianity came to Nigeria in the 15th century through
Augustinian and Capuchin monks from Portugal. (Clarification needed)
The history of Nigeria
has been crucially impacted by the Transatlantic Slave Trade which started in
Nigeria in the late 15th century. At first, Europeans captured Nigerians who
lived in coastal communities. Later, they used local brokers to provide them
with slaves. This dynamic escalated conflicts among the different ethnic groups
in the region and disrupted older trade patterns through the Trans-Saharan
route.
Nigeria revealed a
9th-century indigenous culture that created highly sophisticated work in bronze
metalworking which was independent of any Arab or European influence.
Microlithic and
ceramic industries were also developed and were continued by subsequent
agricultural communities. In the south, hunting and gathering gave way to
subsistence farming around the same time, relying more on the indigenous yam
and oil palm than on the cereals important in the North.
The stone axe heads,
imported in great quantities from the north and used in opening the forest for
agricultural development, were venerated by the Yoruba descendants of Neolithic
pioneers as "thunderbolts" hurled to earth by the gods.
NIGERIA IN THE 19th
CENTURY
The history of natural
rubber production in Nigeria began in 1894 with the exploitation of Funtumia
elastic, indigenous wild rubber. The wild trees that yielded rubber were,
however, ruined by poor tapping systems, and the export of wild rubber dropped.
In a search for sources of natural rubber to supply the demand of a rapidly
expanding automobile industry, Heavea brasiliensis (Muell Arg.) was found to be
the best source of the plant because of its singular ability to renew its bark
and thus ensure a sustained harvest. It was introduced into Nigeria from Kew
Gardens, England around 1895 with the first rubber estate planted at Sapele in
1903 and a second one at Nkisi in the then eastern region in 1912. By 1925,
some 1,000 hectares of European owned estates existed in Southwestern Nigeria
(Uraih, 1980).
Rubber is grown in
Edo, Delta, Ondo, Ogun, Abia, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Ebonyi,
and Bayelsa States where the amount of rainfall is between 1,800 mm and 2,000
mm per annum (Aigbekaen, Imarhiagbe, & Omokhafe, 2000). It serves three
main functions in Nigerias economy: it provides raw materials for the agro-
based industries and foreign exchange earnings, places the country in the world
map as a net exporter of rubber, and lastly, it offers employment to a sizeable
segment of the Nigerian farming population.
In 1990 Nigeria
overtook Liberia as the largest rubber producer in Africa. Production rose from
60,000 tons in 1986 to 147,000 tons in 1990. It dropped to 125,000 tons in 1995
and 107,000 tons in 2,000 but went up again in 2003 to 142,000 tons and
remained at 142,000 in 2004.
The economy history of
Nigeria in the 19th Century would not be complete without making mention of
Cocoa. The earliest cocoa farms in Nigeria were in Bonny and Calabar in the
1870s but the area proved not suitable for cultivation.
In 1880, a cocoa
farm was established in Lagos and later, a few more farms were established in
Agege and Ota. From the farms in Agege and Ota
information
disseminated to the Yoruba hinterland about cocoa farming, thereafter, planting
of the tree expanded in Western Nigeria. Farmers in Ibadan and Egba land began
experimenting with planting cocoa in uncultivated forests in 1890 and those in
Ilesha started around 1896. The planting of cocoa later spread to Okeigbo and
Ondo Town both in Ondo State, Ife and Gbongan in Osun State and also in Ekiti
land.
Before 1950, there
were two main varieties of cocoa planted in Nigeria, the major one was
Amelonado cacao which was imported from the upper Amazon river Basin in Brazil.
The second was a heterogeneous strain from Trinidad. The Amelonado pods are
green but turning yellow when ripe but the Trinidad variety was red.
The rich history
of the country in commerce and economy shows a country that can be described to
be flowing with milk and honey. This should be a source of pride for every
Nigeria and motivation for improvement. President Ram Nath Kovind of
Indian said and I quote, " Nation building is about creating that optimal
partnership between voters and their representatives, between citizens and
their government, and between civil society and state" ; We are first
Nigerians before other things, let us never forget that.
INDEPENDENCE A UNIFICATION
Dear Nigerians,
I have always wondered
if attaining our sovereignty was a curse, since every individual desires a
certain level of independence and freedom. Then, should there be a cause for
eternal celebration by a Nation like Nigeria? Fellow Nigerians, we are not
Nigerian by hating on one another, not a Nigerian by creating a down fall plot
for each other but the real interpretation of Independence today is not where
we are but we will surely get there.
Today, I join millions
of Nigerians to preach peace, unity, love, tolerance and commitment to the
development of our country as we have no other place to call our home than our
country - Nigeria. We rise by helping others to rise, we grow by helping others
to grow while we are also growing. The most important factors we need in
Nigeria and as Nigerians are: 'Unity, Love, Tolerance and Peace'.
Nigerians need to be
united the way we unite during football matches of our national team. When the
national team scores, we all shout goal and jump for joy. So, lets inculcate
this in our everyday life. United we stand, divided we fall.
The moment we
inculcate love as citizens of Nigeria, we will have a better Nigeria. A Nigeria
free of ethnic hate, religious hate, etc. Love makes the world go round, lets
inculcate this virtue of love as Nigerians.
Tolerance is the
ability to endure pain or hardship. Nigerians have been known tolerate each
other despite our diverse ethnic groups and religion in the past. We will have
a great and better country if we continue in this enduring light. Christians
should tolerate the Muslims and vice versa. Same as ethnic groups and all other
segregating factors.
Peace is a state of
tranquility, quiet and harmony. This is the absence of civil disturbance,
oppression and war. Our fathers land will only reach its full potential when
there is peace. I implore us as Nigerians to preach and accept peace as people
who want the growth and development of Nigeria.
This is a nation with
several ethnic groups, religious practices and even varying status, we will
always have disagreements and misunderstanding but with love, unity and
tolerance, we will overcome all our challenges and move forward as a nation.
Don't curse the nation but ensure to bless this land by saying, God bless
Nigeria."
Independence portrays
that people, tribe, religion, or culture should not be divided but united as
one. We still need to hold on to the strength of this country which is unity,
love, tolerance and peace. We will surely overcome our ample challenges and be
great as a nation and we will be the cynosure of all eyes for positive reasons
as Nigeria would be great.
Finally, I hereby
implore Nigerians to be patient with the government of the day and give them
the maximum support they need to run a successful administration in other to
meet the needs of the people. I also implore our government to empower more
youth and provide their essential needs to curb bad characters in our society.
Our youths are not lazy, they are only short of opportunities to showcase their
strength.
I wish us happy 59th
Independence Anniversary.
God Bless our nation
Long Live Nigeria!!
HRM OBA AMB.
ADETOKUNBO OKIKIOLA GBADEGESHIN TEJUOSHO.
(OLU OF ORILE KEMTA)
ADABONYIN 1
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