What Britain Did to Nigeria Quotes

“The absence of paramount kings ruling over large areas was encapsulated by the maxim 'Igbo amaghi eze' (the Igbo knows no king). In a culture without a paramount king, admission to a title society was a status symbol and evidence of achievement. Admission was remarkably democratic. Every male adult was eligible so long as they could demonstrate high achievements in their lifetime. Such titles were rarely hereditary and there were few or no qualifications for them other than achievement or money. A man could gain a title simply by raising funds and paying for it. These titles incentivised achievement and provided upward social mobility. Hence, having an honorific title in Igboland did not necessarily make the title-holder a political ruler”
― Max Siollun, What Britain Did to Nigeria: A Short History of Conquest and Rule

“The priority of Colonial Office Officials was to minimize the financial burden to the British taxpayer, reduce bureaucratic duplication and maximize revenue. In that regard it succeeded from Britain's perspective. Nigeria was a page in a colonial accounting ledger.”
― Max Siollun, What Britain Did to Nigeria: A Short History of Conquest and Rule

“It was difficult to build patriotism and emotional loyalty to a country created by a foreign invader and inhabited by people whose prior loyalties had never extended beyond their family, village or kingdom”
― Max Siollun, What Britain Did to Nigeria: A Short History of Conquest and Rule

“Whatever its real or perceived justification, British aggression and violence against Nigerians was a choice, not a necessity.”
― Max Siollun, What Britain Did to Nigeria: A Short History of Conquest and Rule

“Nigeria's army and police were the country's first national institutions, and both are ironically older than the country Although Nigerians are reluctant to admit it, the itself. story Nigeria is to some extent the story of its army. There are few countries where the country's fate and that of its army are as of tightly interwoven as Nigeria. For the first 102 years of its existence, Nigeria's army was under British command. At various points in time, the army has played different roles as conqueror, destroyer, ruler and protector of the country it is supposed to defend. Without it, Nigeria would not exist. Yet it has a com- plex history, including its role as a tool that helped foreign invaders conquer its own people”
― Max Siollun, What Britain Did to Nigeria: A Short History of Conquest and Rule

“The absence of paramount kings ruling over large areas was encapsulated by the maxim 'Igbo amaghi eze' (the Igbo knows no king). In a culture without a paramount king, admission to a title society was a status symbol and evidence of achievement. Admiss- ion was remarkably democratic. Every male adult was eligible so long as they could demonstrate high achievements in their life- time. Such titles were rarely hereditary and there were few or no qualifications for them other than achievement or money. A man could gain a title simply by raising funds and paying for it. These titles incentivised achievement and provided upward social mobility. Hence, having an honorific title in Igboland did not necessarily make the title-holder a political ruler”
― Max Siollun, What Britain Did to Nigeria: A Short History of Conquest and Rule