FROM one of Britain's key players in the designing of the entity called Nigeria has come a damning verdict: It was a mistake on the part of the colonial power to have forced the different ethnic groups into a single political entity.
In a position paper titled: "Nigerian Lesson," made available to The Guardian in London, Peter Smithers, who was then Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State and the Secretary of State in the Colonial Office (1952-1959), said, the then Secretary of State had intended to have a powerful state with ample material resources to play a leading role in Africa and the world.
"But in retrospect, it is clear that this was a grave mistake which has cost many lives and will probably continue to do so. It should have been better to establish several smaller states in a free trade area", he said.
Unfortunately at the time, Smithers said the colonial power did not have the lessons of the collapse of Yugoslavia and the defunct Soviet Union to guide them.
His view seems to have corroborated with the position of eminent Nigerians like Chief Anthony Enahoro and Senator Abraham Adesanya among others, who insisted that Nigeria must return to regionalism as a solution to the problems plaguing the nation.
According to Smithers, the negotiations for Nigeria's nationhood were very complex and difficult. He noted that the chief problem that confronted the negotiators was the control of the police and the military.
"We were at crossroads on whom the responsibilities of controlling the police and the military should rest upon. It was a very difficult position".
According to him, the colonial master decided to allow the centre to control the police and the military then to avoid them being used by ethnic groups against one another.
Citing recent history, coupled with the myriad of problems facing the nation, Smithers said it would be best to complete the development of the common market and to call a halt to political integration in Europe.
Nigeria, he maintained, still has the capacity of restructuring itself to face modern day challenges. With its resources, careful planning and good leadership, Nigeria would be a better place to live in, he added.`
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