As the clamour for the restructuring of the country heats up, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, has said that the United Kingdom is in support of a united, peace and prosperous Nigeria.
Arkwright, who spoke in an interview on Thursday 19th, said that it was too late for Nigerians to continue to blame the underdevelopment of Nigeria on the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914, pointing out that a lot had taken place since the country attained independence in 1960.
Arkwright said, “1914 is a rather long time ago and it’s a bit too convenient to blame the British for anything that happened over a hundred years ago. Nigeria has been independent since 1960, Nigeria is a proud and rightly independent sovereign country, so whatever happened in the past is not worth raking over, or blaming one side or another.
“There are different sides obviously to what you talked about in 1914. But I would say the UK recognises a unified Nigeria.
There is a federal government, there is a constitution; it’s important that all elements of society work toward strengthening the constitution and strengthening the unity of Nigeria. “So I do know that there have been constitutional debates.
I do know that there are various proposals for restructuring of Nigeria. I think that’s a healthy debate. It is a political debate and it is one that should continue.
The British government does not take a particular position on that other than to say we are strongly supportive of a united Nigeria.
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