Why Britain Avoided Azikiwe, Awolowo, Madiwe, Okpara In Independence – Akinyemi

Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bolaji Akinyemi, has disclosed that the British, in 1960  handed over power to a group of people they can control.

Naija News reports that Professor Akinyemi said the British avoided Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe and the likes of Michael Okpara because they wanted to remain in control of the country after independence.

In an interview with Arise News on Monday the former Minister stated that there had always been a grand plan to destabilize Nigeria.

He disclosed this this while speaking on the allegation that the United States through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Boko Haram terrorist organization.

“Nigeria had been a target before we even became independent and that’s why even the British arranged the handing over power to, if you like, the least developed part of Nigeria and picked an elite that they think they can control. That is even before we became independent. 

“As far back as 1945, the British had decided who they would hand over power to and it’s not the Azikiwes or the Awolowos or the Mbadiwes or the Okparas that they picked upon because they knew they couldn’t control those people. 

“So, to that extent, they learned their lesson when India under Jawaharlal Nehru managed to escape their control. They learned their lesson that from then on, any of their colonies that is going to become independent, they have to ensure that the person they’re handing over power to is the person they can control so that they can continue to control those countries and Nigeria had been a target,” he said.

The former Minister further disclosed that he attended a conference in Washington where he learned that the developed nations did not want a superpower to come out from black nations.

“I believe it is Nigeria that they are trying to destabilize and use any agency that comes or that they can create. I attended a conference once in Washington and it came up that no country in the global north wants a black country to become a superpower because it will affect the domestic racial conundrum that they themselves are facing. It happened to Kwame Nkrumah. Recall what Mandela said, that until Nigeria makes it, there is no country with a black race that will make it in this world,” he stated.