The Hypocrisy of Our Democracy #2 March 11, 2007
Posted by ibenaija in Blogroll, Naija, Nigeria, hypocrisy-of-our-democracy.trackback
Countries and cities vie to host global events like the Olympics, the World Cup, the Miss World pageant, etc., in hopes that the literal convergence of the world onto that geographic space will translate into some real contribution to the local economy, etc., etc.
It leaves one really, truly aghast then, when the argument purportedly advanced by “the spokesman for the Nigeria[n] Olympic Committee (NOC)” to support his country’s bid for hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2014 is the need to:
… celebrate the centenary of the unification of its northern and southern protectorate[s].
This refers, but of course, to the British “amalgamation” of northern and southern Nigeria in 1914. BUT… What exactly are we celebrating? The invasion, violation, and exploitation of the peoples inhabiting the Nigerian space circa 1914? Or the arbitrary drawing and re-drawing of geo-political maps and interventions into those peoples’ collective fortunes?
What an absolute goon.
I feel you, I’m sure the man spoke out of illiteracy and most likely, he was ill prepared as well. There’s more to Nigeria than that!