synopsis into the book: The Last Byte of Oneness Left in our Blood--Idepe Earlier

 

Chapter One: WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT OUR HISTORY

Henry! Hey! Hen, wait for me I’ve been looking for you everywhere, where have you been? As he rushes down the stairs in the bid to catch up with Henry. They are best buddies from middle class in swelllview junior, prep to be promoted to Swellview High. Yeah, buddy whatzaaaapp (with his tongue out) a typical response from High School buddies of their age in USA, they are young fellas of about 13-15 years. Equivalent to this in Nigeria, they would be kids of Junior Secondary School 1-2 (J.s.s.1) maximum. I didn’t see you in History class today?, Miss Shapen taught us a lot about Poeto Rico I was particularly fascinated about their productivity in banana he (winks).  Yeah, bout that, I went to a jazz club; jazz club? I didn’t notice you have special attraction in Jazz? Now agitated Jasper, have you been lying to me?

Well, the above conversation is a popular teen series on Nickelodeon ‘Henry Danger’. I am not trying to narrate the plot summary of an episode from the series; the point is that the characters had a conversation on an important prattle of Henry missing a class, which is, the History class.

Nigeria started missing the zeal, the patriotic touch of its citizens placing the country at the forefront of love, concern, patriotism and nationalistic approach the very time History as a subject became unimportant. Many citizens are oblivion about their background. Juxtapose with the Western world, History is a compulsory subject for pupils of lower cadre, kids are groomed to understand the pain, struggle and background of their fatherland. Growing up as a primary school pupil of FACM, I could not for once recall a class I had about Nigerian History, its topography, independent struggle, heroes or past leaders. Ask many graduates in Nigeria about past leaders from 1960 till date, you will be amazed and under the cloud about the wrong responses and the political apathy.

Good afternoon class? We reluctantly replied, Good afternoon Mr. Roberts, dragging our voices in a protesting manner, we were all looking withered like heaps of vegetables placed under the sun for long, it was few moments passed midday. before the bell jingles, alerting us for a lunch long break, we had anticipated the noise and have our minds positioned on the spots we would choose for our various activities in the playground, we had a mathematics class before the break, an exhausting period of learning, math time is a time we all wished didn’t happen, because Mr Robert, a tall typical Ijaw man with a tiny water cane , African students generally call it ofiofio or bulala and the likes. No pupil would want the bulala to land on his or her butt, African teachers prefer to flog your butt so as to hide the effect of the damage it must have inflicted on the skin. A water cane is a tiny thick long smooth cane that drives through ones skin, it sends a message to the brain and leaves a lasting mark on the skin. I know you are all tired now from the fruitless, aimless running around the fields during the break, he said in a more hospitable tone this time. He is usually unaccommodating in terms of giving students leverage to vent their ideas, he doesn’t give room for smiles, this we assumed to be an element of wickedness. Mr Roberts is a disciplinarian to the core, who sometimes could be mistaken for been transferring aggression on us. My friend Miyen would whisper into my ear; I think Mr Roberts’ wife has divorced him, na why him dey vex always. I couldn’t allow my feelings reflect my outwards appearance, If I  do, Mr Roberts is going to kill me, because I was filled with laughter, without any reaction to Myien’s shenanigans, my focus and attention was fixated on Mr Roberts, my eyes wide open, I maintained a fake smile to hide the laughter that has been pregnant inside of me before it delivers suddenly, my upper and lower set of teeth slightly met while I maintain my fake smile, you could mistake my reaction to be enjoying whatever Mr Roberts is saying.

We have social studies now he said calmly. this is the only subject at the primary level closest to history or anything related to knowing about one country’s history; “which did not tell in-depth the story of the past” Miyen would exclaim. Social studies only teach about the environment, man and his surrounding, moral and community upbringing. All through my time in the primary school, as a pupil I didn’t know about the Nigerian independence struggle, I only heard some uncut and non-arranged story of how Nnamdi Azikwe became the first president of Nigeria, I was totally verbally rebellious on a disgrace I received based on Nigeria’s first executive president, I confidently said Nnamdi Azikwe; which is wrong an answer. Nigeria’s first president could be Azikwe but definitely not the first executive president.  

 

Nigeria practiced a parliamentary system from 1960 to 1966, a system that operates dual offices of (a) Head of State and (b) Head of Government. Sir Tafawa Balewa was the Prime Minister who was Head of Government and Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe was the president and Head of State respectively. The president of the period didn’t possess executive functions, until 1979 when Nigerian adopted a presidential system of Government which gives the power of both head of states and head of government to one man, the NPN party of the second republic under the president Alhaji Shehu Shagari.

to be continued....