Would Hugh Clifford repeat these comments on Nigeria today?

In 1920, Hugh Clifford, the British conquest and occupation governor of Nigeria, makes the following contribution to a “Nigeria Council Debate”:[1]

[Nigeria is a] collection of Independent … States, separated from one another by great distances, by differences of history and traditions and by … racial … political, social and religious barriers.

Today, 31 October 2013, 93 years on, would Hugh Clifford conceivably make those same assertions? If so, why? If not, why not?

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[1]Quoted in George C E Enyoazu, “Sovereign National Conference – Will the people have their say at last?”, African Democrat, [http://africandemocrat.com/content/sovereign-national-conference-%E2%80%93-will-people-have-their-say-last-george-c-e-enyoazu – accessed 31 October 2013])

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