Senior Advocate of Nigeria and immediate past Chairman of the Nigerian Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, advocated for the renaming of the country, emphasizing that the current name is demeaning and hypocritical.
Chief Olanipekun made this declaration at a colloquium held in Abuja to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama as a SAN….CONTINUE READING
During his presentation, titled “The Nigeria Of Our Dreams: A Call To The Patriots,” the senior lawyer called for the renaming of the country..
He stated: “My position is that we should stop mocking ourselves by retaining the name Nigeria, a hypocritical and demeaning appellation given to us by Lugard’s mistress.
“It is intriguing that, to date, we have not mustered sufficient courage to drop this denigrating appellation. Come to think of this, the French named their French colony Niger, while the British gave us the ridiculous appellation Nigeria.
“What is the difference between Niger as pronounced in French and Nigeria as pronounced in English? A citizen of Niger is called a Nigerien, while a citizen of Nigeria is called a Nigerian.
“Have we bothered to ask ourselves what the difference is between these names? It is a difference without a distinction, and the recent development in the Republic of Niger has brought to the fore this stark reality.
“As a person, I keep asking myself why I am described and addressed as a Nigerian, a name imposed on us/me by the imperial masters?
“Thus, the first takeaway from this Colloquium is a challenge to all of us, to offload this appellation or nickname, and decide to give ourselves a name that is indigenous to us; that is arrived at through a consensus, and that evokes in us a strong sense of belonging and ownership because it will carry meaning that proclaims a destiny or actualization of a dream, worth being proud of.”
Additionally, Olanipekun, SAN, urged President Tinubu to investigate past administrations, citing the need for answers regarding the state of the economy, airport conditions, currency devaluation, and other critical issues.
The event was chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice Mary Odili and attended by dignitaries, including the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN….CONTINUE READING
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