Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, on Tuesday, urged caution to avoid a distortion of the nation’s history, even as he sought clarifications about the planned centenary celebration of Nigeria’s Amalgamation next year.
Fashola, who was responding to a journalist’s question at the 53rd Independence Parade at the Police College, Ikeja on whether a low key celebration of Independence Day was a prelude to a more elaborate centenary celebration in January, said though the conception of the country took place in 1914, it is the birth date not the conception of a child that often qualifies for celebration.
Coming just three years after the country celebrated 50 years of nationhood, Fashola said the promoters of the centenary celebrations should clarify what it was all about.
“I will seek better understanding, better explanation by those who are behind the centenary celebrations because if we rolled out the drums three years ago to celebrate 50 years of Nigeria’s nationhood, independence that we fought for , people went to jail for, what is this centenary suddenly about?” the governor asked.
Continuing, he said it was somewhat puzzling how the nation suddenly came about the need for centenary celebrations.
“I don’t remember as a child ever coming out on amalgamation day and suddenly how did we get to 100, did we do 99, did we do 50, did we do 60? So, there is something wrong here, I don’t know what it is but I will like clarification”, he said.
According to the governor, a generation is coming behind the present one and that they need to be clear about the history of their country, adding: “As I have said, perhaps, maybe conception of Nigeria took place in 1914 but it is the birthday, date of birth of the child that you celebrate and I think that birth date was 1st October 1960”.
The governor also implored the citizenry to continue to reinforce their faith in the strength and unity of the country, while being driven by her diversity and the competitiveness and productivity that can come from such diversity.
It would be recalled that the President Goodluck Jonathan led government at the centre had lined up series of activities for January, 2014 to celebrate the centenary of the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorate in 1914 by the British colonialists.
According to the organisers of the Centenary celebrations, the foundation of what is today called Nigeria took place in 1914 when the two Protectorates were amalgamated by the Colonialists for administrative and political convenience.
