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Zungeru: Nigeria’s neglected birthplace

Naija4ever — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:50:28 +0000

Zungeru is a town in the present Niger State and can be said to be the birthplace of Nigeria and many prominent Nigerians. The pact bringing Nigeria into being was signed there and a number of colonial relics scatter all over the town. The first Nigeria’s indigenous Governor-General, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu and the incumbent Senate President, David Mark, were all born there, yet the historic community, which ought to be a tourist centre, begs for development. ADELOWO OLADIPO reports.

LITTLE was known about it prior to the advent of the British colonialists who were undoubtedly looking for a conducive place to settle down. With its clement weather and proximity to Kaduna River, Zungeru, a historical town in Niger State where the Northern and Southern protectorates of Nigeria were later amalgamated, easily caught the attention of the colonialists who used the town as their operational base.

The colonialists, some of whom employees of the Royal Niger Company, had combed towns and villages in a place later to be named Nigeria, prospecting for the company. Lord Lugard, the Governor-General of Nigeria between 1914 and 1919, for instance, was in Jebba and Lokoja where he settled down for a while before he later shifted his base to Zungeru, the then emerging trading point in Nigeria.

With the coming of the colonialists, Zungeru, an erstwhile Gwari-Nupe settlement, shot into limelight and drew people from the length and breadth of the country who settled down there. Being an emerging base of a yet-to-be-created nation and the European lifestyle as well as the desire of many to seek a greener pasture outside their towns and villages, people from different parts of the country were motivated to migrate to the town.

Zungeru served as the birthplace of the Nigeria’s first indigenous Governor-General, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, the late Biafran leader, Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the incumbent Senate President, Senator David Mark and many other Nigerians who later rose to stardom in the country. The town is home to European military cemetery, a colonial market, the amalgamation office, colonial prison, colonial Government House and a bridge built by colonialists as well as many other historical centres.

Sunday Tribune visited the town recently and discovered that Zungeru has been abandoned. All the structures have either collapsed or taken over by the federal highway that passes through the community. However, some of these colonial buildings, though collapsed, still have their foundations intact, except that during the raining season, they are usually overgrown with weeds.

According to Alhaji Abubakar Yusuf, the spokesman of the community, Zungeru has become the shadow of its former self. He said the problem of the town started when late Queen Elizabeth of England instructed Lord Lugard to leave Nigeria for India and Hong Kong with a view to introducing indirect rule in those two countries.

“Thereafter, somebody came to take over from him in Nigeria and the person was Brigadier Thomson Wallace, also of blessed memory. It was this man that complained of harsh weather as well as saying that so many members of the then Armed Forces were falling sick as a result of malaria caused by mosquito bites.

“He was asked to select other suitable places in Nigeria at the period and he chose Kaduna. That was exactly the foundation of what has led to the abandonment of Zungeru till date. Thereafter, Lord Lugard moved to Kaduna, after the completion of his action plan in 1916.”

He stressed that the British military cemetery in the community contained the remains of the first detachment of soldiers of the West African Frontier Force who were buried there, especially those who fought in the World War II. The military cemetery, according to him, consists 50 burial grounds of foreign soldiers and five Nigerians that were buried close to the enclosed cemetery. The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), he said, started in Zungeru.

“We used to have a locomotive engine called Wushishi, now at Minna railway station. We also had a town hall where Lord Lugard used to assemble the community members, which is now a market square in the middle of the town,” Alhaji Yusuf added.

A prominent researcher resident in Zungeru, Malam Mohammed Jibrin, stated that the parents of late Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu worked with the colonial masters for several years as clerks before leaving for Lagos in 1918 after the white men left for Kaduna in 1916.

Malam Jibrin, who took this reporter to the relics of the family compound where late Emeka Ojukwu was born, said even though (he) Emeka and his parents did not come back to Zungeru since they left the town, the fame the family brought to the town and even Nigeria as a whole was enough for the people of the community to identify with him even in death.

“Let us not deceive ourselves; Emeka played an important role in Nigeria and across. I remember him with this simple quotation, ‘How can we be immigrants in our father’s land? We fought to unite, why should we fight again to disunite?’”

He lamented the abandonment of the town, noting that the relics of the colonial buildings in Zungeru ought to have been rebuilt and turned into tourist centres for people within and outside the country.

He said the office where the amalgamation took place in 1914 was still there and not renovated. According to him, “Zungeru is the home of Nigeria, but unfortunately it has been disowned by its own people. The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Andrew Lloyd, was here recently. His counterpart from Australia, Ian Mccogvilce, also visited this town to inspect the relics scattered all over Zungeru. Some people from the United Kingdom came back to Zungeru with enthusiasm to inspect the tombs of their grand parents who died during the colonial days in the town. So, you can see the role this town played and can still play as a tourist centre for both Nigerians and foreigners alike if properly developed.”

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Nigeria may become the 3rd most populous nation- says UN Chief

Naija4ever — Tue, 31 May 2011 10:05:04 +0000

By UDUMA KALU, With Agency Reports
LAGOS— Nigeria could be the world’s third most populous nation by 2100, with 700 million people, American economist Jeffrey Sachs has said.

The American economist famous for such books as The End of Poverty, currently serving as special adviser to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, said a three-child policy is needed to contain the population explosion.

Ban visited Nigeria last week and Sachs commented on Nigeria’s population growth.

The report said Nigeria’s population currently stands at around 160 million, adding that some estimates project that Nigeria could have over 700 million people by 2100, placing it third in population behind China and India.

Proferring a solution, Sachs said, “I am really scared about population explosion in Nigeria. It is not healthy. Nigeria should work towards attaining a maximum of three children per family,” Sachs told AFP on the margins of a presidential interactive meeting with key members of the business community.

He told the meeting earlier that an increased annual economic growth rate from the current seven percent, encouragement of integrated development in economy, agriculture, urban and rural sectors, provision of a good health system, education, power, railway, could see the country become one of the most important economies in the 21st century.

But a Nigerian family planning expert Isaac Ogo who said the three child proposal was not feasible. He pointed to the tradition of polygamy and the belief that the children were seen as a “gift from God” in a male-dominated society. Mr Ogo, from the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria, agrees with the goal but says it will be hard to change the views of many Nigerians.

He says Nigeria is a “high birth, high death” society where many people think: “I need to have as much children as I want, as I don’t know which will survive.”

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Swaziland: We want Nigerian Investments and professionals: Envoy

Naija4ever — Thu, 05 May 2011 17:04:48 +0000

Swaziland has urged Nigerians to　invest in its　banking, telecommunications and agriculture sectors,　Nigeria’s Acting Commissioner　to South Africa, Mr Bassey Archibong, has said.　

Archibong　told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Johannesburg that the　Swazis’desire to do business with Nigerians was　discussed　with the leadership of　its　investment promotion authority during　his visit to the country.

“For now,　the only banks in Swaziland　are South African banks and they want Nigerian banks to come on board, while in telecommunications, they have only MTN,” he said.

Archibong said the country was optimistic that the investment would boost Swaziland’s　economy.

Apart from investors, Archibong said he also held discussions with authorities in the health and education sectors　on the possibility of restarting assistance through the Technical Aids Corps (TAC) scheme which was stopped in　1999.

“The last set was in 1999. So now, they want us to send　science and mathematics teachers and doctors and they are so enthusiastic,” Archibong said.

The envoy said many Nigerian professionals were doing well in the country.

Archibong, who described his visit to Swaziland as “very fruitful,’ said no fewer than 3,000 Nigerians were resident in the country.

He said the immigration unit at the Consulate planned visits to Swaziland to ease the acquisition of the new passports by Nigerians there.

The Acting High Commis-sioner　restated his resolve to ensure that Nigerians were treated fairly in the country.

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American Undergraduates surprise Nigerians by their mastery of the Yoruba Language

Naija4ever — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:29:24 +0000

Five white American students from the University of Wisconsin, United States of America, who are undergoing a Language immersion programme at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, were some of the guests at the 2011 Yoruba Day at the Vivian Fowler Memorial Girl’s College, Lagos. Their mastery of the Yoruba Language is raising fresh concerns among language enthusiasts on the need for parents to encourage their children to speak the language, MOTUNRAYO ABODERIN reports One man’s meat is another man’s poison is a witty saying that aptly describes the decision of some American undergraduates to obtain Bachelors of Art degree in Yoruba Language.

The American students are actually treading a path that many Yoruba parents will never encourage their children to tread. Due to civilisation, the usage of the language has become a taboo in many homes, let alone going to the university to study it. But this is not so for Lauren Halloran, Caraline Harshman, Kelvin Barry, Kelly Moses and O’Neil Keegan, all undergraduate students of the University of Wisconsin, United States of America. Apart from studying the language, they have even adopted Yoruba names. Halloran is Abike, Harshman is Titilayo, Barry has adopted Kayode, and Moses is Akinwumi while Keegan’s Yoruba name is Kolade.

Yoruba Language is the language of about 40 million people living in the South West geo-political zone of Nigeria.

But the language is being threatened with extinction because of the poor disposition of some Yorubas to it. Yoruba Language and culture enthusiasts including Prof. Wande Abimbola, Prof. Akinwumi Isola and Prof. Ayo Bamgbose had at various forums, expressed fears that if care was not taken, the language might go into extinction in some years to come.

However, these students, who are currently at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, for a one academic session language immersion programme, were part of guests that witnessed the Yoruba Day organised for pupils of Vivian Fowler Memorial Girl’s College, Lagos recently.

The school’s proprietor, Chief Leila Fowler, said that the Americans were invited for the event to motivate pupils and parents to embrace the use of Yoruba Language in their homes and in school. As each of the students from the University of Wisconsin spoke the Yoruba language with such dexterity and passion, with the American accent, the audience was forced to clap and scream for joy. “Americans speaking Yoruba, our mother tongue! Should this be a slap in the face of Yoruba girls who can’t even say a word in Yoruba?” a parent sitting close to our correspondent asked rhetorically.

The Americans have been at the UI since September 2010 to sharpen their understanding of the Yoruba language and culture. This involves living with Nigerian families for close to one year. The Nigerian families signed an undertaking to speak to the students in Yoruba as well as encourage them to speak the language.

Before coming to Nigeria, they had been learning the Yoruba language at the University of Wisconsin, in the US along with their major courses for close to three years. At their first day in the Yoruba class in America where they were taught by professors from Nigeria, they were given a list of Yoruba names to pick from, and were asked to choose the appellations that best suited them.

And since then, they prefer being called their Yoruba names.

Interestingly, they eat Yoruba food, greet in the Yoruba way, and speak the language better than many Yoruba-born persons.

Kayode, when asked what his best food was, said in Yoruba, “Any day, any time I will go for Oka and Abula (Okro and Amala). It’s divine and I love it. Nigeria is one place I’ve always wanted to live. So, being here is like a dream come true. I wouldn’t trade this opportunity for anywhere else.’’

Being endowed with an unbeatable talent and skills on how to beat the talking drum came as a surprise to the audience. “I developed an intimacy with the language by listening to radio stations, reading Nigerian newspapers, and also watching Yoruba movies. I always listen to Radio Lagos 107.5FM from the US. That really helped in getting to know the Yoruba accent.

“Also, I leant through the Yoruba films, you can watch any type of Yoruba movie on YouTube from America.”

Titilayo, who was the most outspoken of the group, said someday, she wants to become a West African correspondent for one of the top media houses in the world.

“I want to be able to communicate in various African languages without any barrier. After mastering the Yoruba language, I’m going to pick up other African languages,” she said.

Living in the ancient city of Ibadan, she said, had been an interesting experience, bringing her closer to the Yoruba culture and its components,

“My experience in Nigeria so far has been better than what I expected. I never thought I would become a motivation for kids to take pleasure in learning their mother tongue. It has been a big experience. Everyone has been so warm and welcome. Well, I hope this challenges people to know that the Yoruba language is a beautiful one, and Yoruba-speaking parents especially should ensure that they teach their children how to speak the language. If I can do it, so can they,” Titilayo said.

Kolade, the most reserved of the group, said because of his nature, naturally he didn’t think he could stay in Nigeria other than the stipulated time his course required, but because of the warm nature of Nigerians, he might change his mind.

“I’m more of the quiet type, I don’t really like talking. Nigerians are really great at making you feel at home. A lot of people don’t know much about Nigeria, that’s why they have the impression that the country is wild and dangerous. But I have discovered that this impression is not true,” he said.

On some of the challenges he faces, one of their teachers, Mr. Moses Mabayanje, said despite the passion he has for his job, teaching foreigners was harder than teaching Nigerians. “I have passion for what I do, but it can be challenging teaching foreigners than Nigerians who already have an idea and the nitty-gritty of the language. For foreigners, you have to start from the scratch. Also, I have to make sure that the five of them master the Yoruba language,” he said.

Responding to fears that foreigners would one day have to teach Yoruba people their mother tongue, he said, “There is every possibility that this could happen. It may look like a joke, but it could happen. However, I don’t think this would happen as a result of me teaching foreigners the Yoruba language; rather it will be as a result of parents failing to teach and imbibe in their children the Yoruba culture.”

Also, Yoruba author, Olarotimi Makanjuola, said children now prefered speaking either the British English, or most especially the American English to their peers and parents, and that in some years’ time, there would be nothing left of the Yoruba culture if caution wasn’t taken.

“Would our grand children know the English meaning of the Yoruba word, ‘Wa’? Almost everywhere this issue is brought up, people lament on the neglect of the Yoruba language. As they speak, you can hear the pain and sadness in their voices. Very soon, the whites are going to be the ones teaching our children their mother tongue,” he said.

However, the Chairman, Association of Yoruba Language and Culture Teachers Association, Lagos State, Mr. Atanda Olawale, has called on parents and stakeholders in the education sector to fight against the extinction of Yoruba language.

He said, “The greatest tragedy regarding language is the dominating trend of parents wanting to speak only English to their children, making it their first language, and then sending them to private schools which only teach English. This makes these children to value English above other languages.”

“When I heard about the story of the five students from University of Wincosin who are currently in UI studying Yoruba, I was not so shocked because I’ve always said that if we are not careful, the Yoruba language will soon become extinct. Then we will have foreigners coming down here to teach us our own mother tongue,” he said.

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