Nigeria: history forgotten

By Uwem Akpabio
History written or oral, depicts background of a people, keeps their focus to shape their future, embolden in their reflects patriotism towards nation building and as recipe for development, but in Nigeria’s, such of these factors are easy deplete with history charred and too buffoon to be accepted, not been told or kept, and most of all, not been transferred to succeeding generations. The function of history to the younger Nigerian generation is the recluse built by the older generation to informally derail the mechanism of self identity. With this attitude, the background of our historical values has been extricated from the patriotic consciousness of the younger generation who would not be able to defend the cause for national historical value when such needs arise, and or, who would not see the need for such patriotic zeal.
Nigeria’s diversity contents being the constituent composites of the Nigerian state and nationhood, is the primordial factor in strength, collectiveness and unity for the indivisible nation, shielding every tribe, sub region as a federated nation. Who we are, what we were (pre and post colonial era ), the struggle for the emancipation and agitations for self governance are issues bedrocked in the archives and functions of our history which need be transferred to the younger generations for purpose of posterity. History debunked is self identity destroyed, relevance and values expunged. Our history are the posits from our political struggle pre and post colonial era, it is about our rich culture heritage, our tradition and religion being very intrinsic in us and the diversity of the component structure of the federated Nigeria with equal diversified rich historical contents whose inputs are corralled in the unification of the country cut across the geography.
Vividly, a scenario like folktales under the moonlight used to be narrated by parents, grand parents or elderly people in the community to the younger generation, and such evening tales milled around the warmth of a fireplace burning hearth, were all procedures to preserve and disseminate historical information of the ancestry to the modern, particularly among the younger generation whose inquisitiveness would probe in-depth details. The community progenitors as custodians of such historical facts have always been revered because of their wisdom and statute of historical for the historical purpose conveyed from one generation to another. To the contrary, modern parents are historically shy from telling their wards about their history within such family circles, are practically overtaken by the modernity terrain of their generation which their professional callings have taken the center stage to the detriment of historical values of their lineage.
History, in most part of the world is kept by oral tradition, of which such could form part of their constitutional and political development, whose baton is handed from one generation to another by maintaining the tradition, keeping the custom and culture of its people through the observance of dates, and occasions. The metaphor of the Nigerian federation has the constitution of individual tribe or sub regional foundations, customs and traditions as precepts before the emergence of colonial masters in the political spheres of the amalgamated landscape – Nigeria.
The political and historical activities of the pristine era are all awakening parts of the mould whose reasons form the making of the Nigerian nation as it is today. The emergence of the Europeans on our shores and their primary intent for colonialism, slavery and slave trade, their sudden diversionary concepts for education, missionary works and health of which we inherited from, should be the very many reasons for the dissemination of historical information to the younger generation by contents of history subject in our schools and educational sector . History subject of total Nigerian/African history contents should be made compulsory study to all Nigerian school children from the cradle to the tertiary. The extinction of history subject from our academic syllabus from the primary school education in the 1980s left us the room for the infiltration of foreign ideology mastery, an insult to our national psyche. In the ‘70s, history subject was made compulsory in the primary school education which was an outlay for national development.
The colonial masters while quitting the stage understood the values of history as an effective tool for political and economic development, whereby, inculcating it to be integral for the natives’ consumption in the curriculum based on their European infusion and understanding, and such historical products so manufactured to suit their whim. The occupation of political leadership by the military for an overwhelming timeframe ought to have the set the pace for the awakening of our history curriculum but failed to attempt it for the lack of self esteem and credibility; rather, mutilated whatever that remained of the basic educational policy inherited from the colonial masters.
Nigerian elites are particularly the obsessed lots of foreign history, principally, those of the British and the American. For reasons of discourse, historical relevance would be made of either of the two economies for references because, these people have well developed history, packaged for their nationals yet unborn, whose steps of the forbearers must be followed. As a matter of policy, history of these nations are taught from the primary school level to groom and mould the intelligentsia of the citizenry character, to defend and protect the cause of their nations with patriotism.
The idiosyncrasy by the military while it held sway the political leadership, maligned the despots of history in Nigerian educational sector by neglecting the background of political and economic development pre/post colonial era vis a vis pre/post independence era of which their occupations on many occasions have jettisoned the smooth sail process for democratic development over time of the country’s political advancement, therefore, our history should be collated with wit for value of our political advancement, economic relevance and empowerment. The odyssey of history is to create the penchant for self worth and esteem as a nation and as a people looking beyond the interjectory of our weaknesses in addressing saline tribal issues. The creed of the WAZOBIA confluence would rather mar the picturesque of the trio than the relevance of a true Nigerianism without the contents of the minority groups.
Considerations to the historic advent of the Europeans on our shores should be noted , the over four hundred year trans Atlantic slave trade activities and slavery are other inputs , its abolishment and fall kept in view . The struggle for independence from colonial masters , the attainment of independence , interjection of coup d’état in political process as well as subsequent beleaguered political strands that led to the ousted of the military from the scene are enough historic materials to enrich our history curriculum . Relevant, are equal contents of the forbearers of those confederated units as tribes that make up the Nigerian nationhood. The EGBOSHERI migration and history (this is the foremost Ibibio name of the modern Akwa Ibom state and the Efiks), the Igbos , the Yorubas, the Hausas, and the Fulanis etal. These should form the bulk some of history, rich, for our curriculum. Lessons should be drawn from other established economies of the preservation of their history and their utilization for maximum national benefit.