Philemon UTUNG

19/04/2025

ROAD MAP TO SOLVE NIGERIAN ETHNICITY CRISIS, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

By Aminu Sa'ad Beli

SEPARATION IS NOT ABOUT WAR, IT HAS PEACEFUL ASPECT.

In 1776, the USA split from the UK
In 1830 Belgium separated from the Netherlands
In 1965, Singapore split off from Malaysia
in 2002, East Timor got split off from Indonesia
In 1921, Ireland split off from the United Kingdom, and (possibly in the future) there will be secession of Scotland.
In 1944, Iceland split from Denmark with remarkable ease.
In 1905 Norway split from Denmark
In 1905, Norway and Sweden also peacefully split ways. One got the car. the other got the kids.

In 1947, the British India Dominion was partitioned into India n Pakistan. In 1971, Bangladesh secceeded from Pakistan.
In 1992-93, the two parts of Czechoslovakia agreed to each go their own way. Thus were born the Czech Republic and Slovakia after what's been named the “Velvet Divorce”., About the same time, another kind of separation occurred, of course, in Yugoslavia. This one led to a bloodshed.

in 1965, Singapore split from Malaysia for a variety of reasons, including religious (Malaysia is majority Muslim, Singapore isn't), ethnic/racial (Singapore has a very large majority Chinese population) and concerns over the Malaysian Bumiputra policy, which was (and is) basically a form of "Affirmative Action" for Muslim Malaysians - who make up the majority population in Peninsular Malaysia.

Ethiopia and Eritrea

Sudan and South Sudan are now separate countries

USSR is now broken down into several countries.

I see separation as an avenue for a healthy competition for development as the case of Singapore and Malaysia, India and Pakistan, Norway/Denmark/Switzerland.

In the case of Nigeria, I am sensing a healthy competitive development among the original component part, the North/West/East each making useful progress while competing with the others.

It is not about war after all there is nothing wrong for one to decide he is no longer comfortable with the union and therefore want to opt out.

LETS GIVE PEACE A CHANCE AND SEPARATE HONORABLY.

This is worth sharing over and over again...

British named them Burma. They rejected it, restructured & renamed themselves Myanmar.

-British named them Upper Volta, but they rejected it, restructured and renamed themselves Burkina Faso - Land of Incorruptible People.

-British named them Gold Coast, they rejected it, restructured and renamed themselves Ghana.

-British named them Southern Rhodesia. They rejected it, restructured and renamed themselves Zimbabwe.

-British named them Northern Rhodesia. They rejected it, restructured and renamed themselves Zambia.

-British named them Tanganyika. They rejected it, restructured & renamed themselves Tanzania.

-Germans named them colony of South West Africa. They rejected it, restructured and renamed themselves Namibia.

-France named them Dahomey. They rejected it, restructured and renamed themselves Benin.

-Belgium named them Zaire. However, they rejected it, restructured & renamed themselves Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

-Britain named a bunch of people - Nigeria. They rather kill to preserve it than restructure and give themselves a befitting new name.

"It is only an animal that bears the name that is given to it by his enemy" (Proverb).

THE FUTILITY OF PRESERVING NIGERIA

My angry reaction earlier today on APC UK platform:

Most of the Diasporans here living in Europe. Can you show me one multi-ethnic state in Europe where one group is positioned to dominate the rest that hasn't broken up?

For those who do not know, what you call ethnic groups in Nigeria are called nations in Europe.

There's nowhere in the world where the white man accepts domination from another white man in perpetuity.

It used to be so under the Roman empire and the like. Not anymore. The Communists tried it, dividing society into capitalists and proletariats, deluding themselves that ethnicity is effectively swept under the carpet, but what followed? The Communist edifices in Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and the big brother, USSR, all collapsed, while the two Germans that are ethnically the same but split by communism vs capitalism were reunited. Such is the power of ethnic nationalism.

Czechoslovakia was made up of two ethnic groups, the Czech and the Slovakians. Both separated peacefully on 1st January 1993. The former is today 10.6 million people and the latter 5.4 million. Added together, they're not up to Lagos. Yet, they split for peace. Two masters can't be in the same house.

Yugoslavia in 1991 was 23.2 million, barely more than Lagos population. It broke into six countries same year - all along ethnic lines, namely: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.

Then the big brother, USSR. It had, at least, the following ethnic groups identified by their languages:

Regional languages:

Ukrainian

Belarusian

Uzbek

Kazakh

Georgian

Azerbaijani

Lithuanian

Moldavian

Latvian

Kyrgyz

Tajik

Armenian

Turkmen

Estonian

Minority languages:

Abkhaz

Bashkir

Buryat

Chechen

Finnish

Volga German

Korean

Ossetian

Tatar

& various others.

Today, your fingers will not be enough to count the number of countries that have emerged from the USSR.

Sit down there and be preaching unity in Nigeria as if you're the kindest gentleman on earth while you have no solution to the genocide in Southern Kaduna, the illegal but officially condoned arms in the hands of killer herdsmen roaming the country, and be condemning those better informed about the fact that the country is undergoing the strains of a forced union and should be peacefully restructured or let people go their separate ways.

In Europe, the two best examples of fairly stable multi-ethnic states are the UK and Switzerland. The former is led by reasonable men who permitted regional autonomy to the Irish, the Scots and the Welsh, while the English dominate Westminster. That's something some of us are asking for, but you're fighting against it in your own country wracked by ethnic crisis. Your own people are better off under oppression of fellow black men because your people have bad leaders who can't do better than their new internal colonisers.

The latter country, Switzerland, has four ethnic groups. Each of them rotates the presidency annually through seven cantons that constitute the federation units. All the four languages of the four ethnic groups are recognized as official languages and school languages to boot, namely: German, French, Italian, and Romansch that has just a few thousand speakers!

There's nowhere in the world where the Caucasians allow the domination of their group by another.

In Canada, Quebec is the only full French-speaking province, aside a little section of New Brunswick. The other seven provinces are English-speaking. Yet, Canada is bilingual for the sake of Quebec! And each of the provinces is largely self-governing.

Here we are in Nigeria, you have people arguing vehemently that a decrepit, structurally-flawed, and crisis-prone artificial contraption badly configured by the British only needs good people to survive. Why not centralise the powers of the British regions to London and see what happens?

My Conclusion:
When many commentators read and repost or share your articles with many of their friends and contacts, they do so because they want others to learn.

NIGERIA'S 36 STATES & FCT RANKED IN ORDER OF LAND SURFACE AREA (KM²)*

1. Niger State 76,363KM²
2. Borno State 70,898KM²
3. Taraba State 54,473KM²
4. Kaduna State 46,053KM²
5. Bauchi State 45,837KM²
6. Yobe State 45,502KM²
7. Zamfara State 39,762KM²
8. Adamawa State 36,917KM²
9. Kwara State 36,825KM²
10. Kebbi State 36,800KM²
11. Benue State 34,059KM²
12. Plateau State 30,913KM²
13. Kogi State 29,833KM²
14. Oyo State 28,454KM²
15. Nasarawa State 27,117KM²
16. Sokoto State 25,973KM²
17. Katsina State 24,192KM²
18. Jigawa State 23,154KM²
19. Cross River State 20,156KM²
20. Kano State 20,131KM²
21. Gombe State 18,768KM²
22. Edo State 17,802KM²
23. Delta State 17,698KM²
24. Ogun State 16,762KM²
25. Ondo State 15,500KM²
26. Rivers State 11,077KM²
27. Bayelsa State 10,773KM²
28. Osun State 9,251KM²
29. Federal Capital Territory 7,315KM²
30. Enugu State 7,161KM²
31. Akwa Ibom State 7,081KM²
32. Ekiti State 6,353KM²
33. Abia State 6,320KM²
34. Ebonyi State 5,670KM²
35. Imo State 5,530KM²
36. Anambra State 4,844KM²
37. Lagos State 3,345KM²

*Anambra + Enugu + Abia + Imo + Ebonyi = 29,525KM²*

*Kogi = 29,833KM²*

*Ogun + Oyo + Osun + Ondo + Ekiti = 76,320KM²*
*Lagos = 3,345KM²*

*Niger alone = 76,363KM²*

*Niger State = Entire Southwest States - Lagos*

*The entire Southeast
is a little less than Kogi State only.

Just for our record

The North Has enough land for ranching and cattle colony.

We in the South West have little land mass. PLEASE LET US BE; LEAVE US ALONE TO MANAGE THE LITTLE LAND WE HAVE

*GLOBAL CATTLE BUSINESS: FACT SHEET*

*A*. Top 10 NATIONS in terms of cattle inventory (2017).

1. INDIA 303 million
2. BRAZIL 226 million
3. CHINA 100 million.
4. USA 93 million.
5. EU 89 million.
6. ARGENTINA 53 million
7. AUSTRALIA 27 million
8. RUSSIA 18 million
9. MEXICO 16 million
10. TURKEY 14 million.

*B*. TOP 10 MILK EXPORTERS

1. NEW ZEALAND $4.4 Billion
2. GERMANY $2.6 Billion
3. NETHERLANDS $1.9 Billion
4. FRANCE $1.5 Billion
5. USA $1.4 Billion
6. BELGIUM $1.2 Billion
7. AUSTRALIA $852 Million
8. BELARUS $637 Million
9. UK $569 Million
10. SAUDI ARABIA $556 Million

*C*. TOP 10 BEEF EXPORTING NATIONS (2016).

1. AUSTRALIA $5.6 Billion
2. USA $5.2 Billion
3. BRAZIL $4.3 Billion
4. INDIA $3.7 Billion
5. NETHERLANDS $2.7 Billion
6. IRELAND $2 Billion
7. NEW ZEALAND $1.9 Billion
8. CANADA $1.5 Billion
9. URUGUAY $1.4 Billion
10. GERMANY $1.3 Billion

Additional Considerations

1. Nigeria is not among the top 20 nations in the global cattle business.
2. Non of the top cattle producing nations create cattle colonies or engage in primitive cattle grazing. All the top cattle producing and exporting nations utilise modern technology and ranching methods to maximise production and profit.
3. Non of the top nations earning billions of dollars annually from the cattle business condone the killing of citizens for cattle.
4. Nigeria's cattle business requires a complete re-think now and not later, for posterity's sake.

_Knowledge_is_power,_

Share to educate our leaders and citizens!

Educational Consultant

19/09/2024

Celebrating my 1st year on Facebook. Thank you for your continuing support. I could never have made it without you. 🙏🤗🎉

30/03/2024

08/03/2024

Living Is A Survival Game In Nigeria: A Testament of Resilience and Faith.

By Philemon Victor Utung

In our humble parish nestled within the heart of Nigeria, our beloved parish priest shared a poignant tale that echoed through the pews, leaving congregants with a profound sense of reflection. His words were not just a mere anecdote they were a testament to the unwavering spirit that defines those who navigate the complexities of life in Nigeria.

As the priest began to unravel the narrative, he painted a vivid picture of the challenges that permeate the daily lives of Nigerians – from economic hardships to political uncertainties, and the omnipresent struggle for basic amenities. The congregation listened intently, hearts heavy with the weight of the shared experiences that bind them together.

With each word, it became clear that survival in Nigeria is not just about enduring the physical adversities but also about navigating the emotional and spiritual toll that accompanies such a journey. The resilience of the people in the face of adversity is a testament to their unyielding faith and unbreakable spirit.

The priest's words resonated deeply as he conveyed the message that anyone who can endure and thrive in Nigeria possesses a resilience akin to facing the fires of hell. It was not a statement made lightly but one rooted in the profound struggles that the people of Nigeria confront daily.

Yet, amidst the challenges there exists a unique beauty in the collective spirit of Nigerians. A spirit that refuses to be extinguished, a flame that persists against all odds. The very essence of survival in Nigeria mirrors a journey through the depths of hell, where one's strength is tested and their character refined.

In the shared silence that followed the priest's narrative a palpable sense of gratitude emerged. Gratitude for the strength to face the daily tribulations that accompany life in Nigeria. Gratitude for the unbreakable bonds forged in the crucible of shared struggles.

As we leave the parish that day, the story lingers in our hearts. It serves as a reminder that survival in Nigeria is not just a physical feat but a testament to the indomitable human spirit. The echoes of resilience and faith will continue to reverberate through the lives of those who call Nigeria home, proving that even in the face of adversity there is a strength that transcends the earthly realm – a strength that can endure even the fires of hell.

©Utung

18/11/2023

The Uniqueness of Nigerians in Terms of Resilience and Perseverance: A Scholarly Exploration

By Philemon Victor Utung

Nigerians are renowned for their resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. This unique quality has been instrumental in shaping the country's history and culture, and it continues to inspire generations of Nigerians to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

Historical Context of Resilience and Perseverance

The history of Nigeria is marked by periods of hardship and struggle. From the transatlantic slave trade to the challenges of colonialism and post-colonial development, Nigerians have consistently demonstrated their ability to adapt, innovate, and overcome obstacles. This resilience is rooted in a deep-seated belief in the power of the human spirit and a determination to succeed despite the odds.

Cultural Factors Contributing to Resilience

Several cultural factors contribute to the resilience of Nigerians. These include:

1-A strong emphasis on family and community:

Nigerians place a high value on family and community ties. These strong social bonds provide support and encouragement during difficult times.

2-A belief in the power of faith:

Many Nigerians are deeply religious, and their faith provides them with a sense of hope and strength.

3-A strong work ethic:

Nigerians are known for their hard work and dedication. This work ethic has been instrumental in helping them overcome poverty and achieve economic success.

Examples of Resilience and Perseverance in Nigeria

There are countless examples of resilience and perseverance in Nigeria. Here are a few notable examples:

*The story of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie:

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a world-renowned novelist and nonfiction writer. She was born in eastern Nigeria and raised during a period of political and economic turmoil. Despite the challenges she faced, she went on to study in the United States and achieve international acclaim for her writing.

*The struggle for democracy:

Nigerians have fought long and hard for democracy. In 1993, the country held its first free and fair elections, but the results were annulled by the military. Nigerians continued to protest and demand democracy, and in 1999, they finally succeeded in electing a civilian government.

*The response to natural disasters:

Nigeria is prone to natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes. In the aftermath of these disasters, Nigerians have come together to support each other and rebuild their communities.

Conclusion

The resilience and perseverance of Nigerians are a testament to the strength of the human spirit. These qualities have been instrumental in shaping the country's history and culture, and they continue to inspire generations of Nigerians to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

18/10/2023

The Hypocrisy of State and Federal Governments on Free Basic Education: Running a School Without Funds is a Crime

By Philemon Victor Utung

Free basic education is a fundamental human right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, in many countries, including Nigeria, the state and federal governments have failed to provide adequate funding for free basic education. This has led to a situation where many schools are underfunded and unable to provide quality education to their students.

The hypocrisy of the state and federal governments on free basic education is evident in the fact that they continue to make promises to provide free education to all children, while at the same time failing to provide the necessary funding to make this happen. For example, in Nigeria, the Universal Basic Education Act (UBE Act) was passed in 2004, which guaranteed free and compulsory basic education for all children aged 6 to 15. However, the government has never fully funded the UBE Act, and as a result, many schools are underfunded and unable to provide quality education to their students.

The underfunding of schools has a number of negative consequences for students. First, it leads to a shortage of qualified teachers. Many teachers are underpaid and overworked, and they often do not have the resources they need to do their jobs effectively. Second, underfunding leads to a lack of essential teaching and learning materials. Students may not have access to textbooks, workbooks, or other resources that they need to succeed. Third, underfunding leads to poor school infrastructure. Many schools are overcrowded and in poor condition, which can create a hostile learning environment for students.

The underfunding of schools is not only a crime against students, but it is also a crime against the future of Nigeria. Education is the key to economic development and social progress. However, if the government fails to invest in education, then the country will not be able to reach its full potential.

There are a number of things that the state and federal governments can do to address the problem of underfunding in schools. First, they need to increase the amount of money that they allocate to education. Second, they need to ensure that the money that is allocated to education is used efficiently and effectively. Third, they need to improve the transparency and accountability of the education sector.

The state and federal governments also need to work with other stakeholders, such as the private sector and civil society, to address the problem of underfunding in schools. For example, they can partner with businesses to provide funding for schools and to develop educational programs. They can also work with civil society organizations to advocate for better education policies and to monitor the implementation of these policies.

The underfunding of schools is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. The state and federal governments have a responsibility to provide free and quality education to all children. By failing to adequately fund schools, they are violating the fundamental human rights of children and compromising the future of Nigeria.