CITIZENSHIP AND THE SETTLER-INDIGENE DICHOTOMY IN NIGERIA: AN ASSESSMENT OF GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

Duruji, M. M. (2016) CITIZENSHIP AND THE SETTLER-INDIGENE DICHOTOMY IN NIGERIA: AN ASSESSMENT OF GOVERNMENT RESPONSE. In: Governance, Economv and National Securitv in Nigeria. Nigerian Political Science Association. ISBN 978-978-50037-5-8

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Abstract

The question of citizenship has not been fully defined in Nigeria. Consequently, the problem of who is a citizen vested with all the rights and privileges that accrue to such a person under the constitution arise in the practice of Nigeria's federalism. Naturally the need for survival and improved quality of life precipitate movement of persons and groups from their areas of origin to new areas. When this movement by a particular group gets intense, the environment for friction is thus created. This friction often culminates in crisis, most times very fatal and destructive. The Nigerian State has been plagued by multiple crises of violence and communal crisis, like the Kafanchan uprising of Kaduna State in 1987, the Wukari-Takum conflict in Taraba State since 1990; the mass killing in Tafawa Belewa local government of Bauchi State between the Semayi and Hausa. The 1992 Zango-Kataf clashes between the indigenous Katab and the Hausa-Fulani migrant community. The Aguleri-Umuleri and lfe-Modakeke clashes; the intermittent Warri crisis between the /jaw, ltsekiri, and Urhobo, the clashes between Hausas and Yoruba in Sagamu, /Iorin and /badan, the sharia legal controversy, the Nasarawa crisis involving the Tiv and other ethnic groups. The Yelwa-Shendam as well as the perennial inter-ethnic clashes in los between the Biron and Hausa-Fulani. The Nigeria State has not been aloof to all these crises stemming from settler indigene question. Several panels have been constituted to look into theses crisis especially when they assume violent dimension and many reports has been churned out suggesting the way forward for the country but almost in all the cases, the problem still remains. The paper focused on these issues by interrogating the factors that create the environment for settler-indigene dichotomy in Nigeria. It also examined the management of this dichotomy by the Nigerian state with the view to explaining while it still persist in spite of the many reports that were churned out by committees and panels of inquiry.

Item Type:	Book Section
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Inter-Group Relations, Settler-Indigene Dichotomy, National Integration, Civic Citizenship
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
Divisions:	Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences
Depositing User:	Mrs Hannah Akinwumi
Date Deposited:	01 Aug 2018 08:38
Last Modified:	01 Aug 2018 08:38
URI:	http://eprints.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/id/eprint/11282

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