IT is a most welcome development that the National Conference has at
last taken off. I congratulate our President and his Advisers for their
determination. I also congratulate the delegates for the honor of being
among those selected for this historic assignment. There are millions
of knowledgeable Nigerians who were not fortunate enough to be among the
few so appointed. So the appointment to the conference should not only
be regarded as a privilege; it should be seen as sacred.
If I understand the purpose of the conference well, its ultimate goal is to fashion a constitution that all of us, nationals of Nigeria, will be able to live with and be proud of. This presupposes our willingness to accept a draft constitution that will
accommodate the interests of all stakeholders. It is in this spirit that I respectfully wish to request the delegates to consider postulations in two areas so far not considered in contributions that have been publicly advertised.
The two areas of my postulation are inter-related. The first is in the official name of the country and the second is in the structure of the government to emerge. I am thankful that neither falls in the category of items declared as no-go areas.
In this regard, let us look again at the historical factors involved in the creation Åof Nigeria and examine their relevance to the purpose of the on going National Conference. In January 1914, the two protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria were merged into one to form one large entity. Before the amalgamation, the two Protectorates were administered as two separate units. The amalgamation, so to say, merged the two separate Administrations and brought them under one control. From 1914 to 1954 when Regional Self Government was introduced, Nigeria was administered under a unitary system of government. In other words, for 40 years, the government of Nigeria was a unitary or unification government. Those who have recollections of those years confirm that they fall within what some of our discerning elders have referred to as golden or glorious years, which many refer to with nostalgia as among our best years. Although those years fall within the period of the Colonial Administration of Nigeria, yet there is no denying the fact that it was a period in which justice was enthroned all over the country. It was a period in which merit had pride of place in appointment of persons to positions in the public service and elsewhere. It was a period in which ethnic and religious affiliations were not made to override fairness and justice. Indeed, corruption and corrupt practices were strange or unknown!
The forty years of unitary government from 1914 to 1954 fostered a sense of oneness and unity; the centripetal nature (i.e. tending to look to the centre for its identity) of the structure of government helped to develop a mentality that was uniquely Nigerian; and the application of principles of equity and fairness built a mind-set that was proudly Nigerian. Two distinguished pioneer and foremost diplomats of Nigeria, Ambassador Olujimi Jolaoso in his classic memoir, “In The Shadows” and Ambassador John Mamman Garba (now late) in his inspirational biography, “ The Time has Come”, captured, in their memoirs, the beauty, essence, glory and pride of life in Nigeria in the forty years under that unitary government. Ambassador Jolaoso pointed out that when he and his colleagues left the shores of Nigeria to begin their diplomatic training in the United Kingdom, they left as Nigerians with a Nigerian mentality and mindset, which made them proud. He stated that soon after the introduction of regional self-government in Nigeria, he received letters from the Western Region Agent General Office in the UK driving it home that he was then a ‘Westerner’. The Ambassador’s memoir described succinctly the psychological trauma or confusion that the political development at home created in the minds of these otherwise patriotic pioneer diplomats of Nigeria. The point to make here is that a system that allows the principles of justice, equity, transparency and fairness to thrive consistently as was the testimony of the 40 years of governance during the first 40 years of the amalgamation is a system that can promote unity and an acceptable mind-set and mentality that the target people can identify with and embrace.
It is instructive that for the period 1954 to date, that is, a period of 60 years, Nigeria has been administered under a federal system of government. The official name of Nigeria then at Independence in 1960, became the Federal Republic of Nigeria or the Nigerian Federation. I find something insidious in the use of ‘Federal or Federation’ used in describing the nation of Nigeria. Federal or federation connotes divisiveness and so it is prophetically or psychologically inadvisable as name for a country that aims at being united or being one. Let us take note that Nigeria is not a classic federation as the United States or Canada or even the Russian Federation. The American Union was formed first by the coming together of 13 separate colonies mutually agreeing to submerge their identities into a Union to establish a new nation in which they would all be stakeholders and citizens of. They set down the criteria or parameters by which other intending colonies or groups could join the Union. They rejected the use of Federal or Federation as official name or title of their new union, I guess, because somebody there understood the fact that no one can rise above his name. The American Union has grown progressively from the original 13 states to 51 states making up the American Union.
It is not the same with the Nigerian Union. The truth is that the earliest attempt to make us one country was when the amalgamation took place in January 1914. From then until 40 years after, we were administered as a country called Nigeria. For the convenience of the British Administrators, Nigeria was centrally administered. Again for ease of governance, the country was divided into 22 units called provinces of which eleven were in the North and eleven in the South. In essence, Nigeria was administered as one ‘indivisible’ whole until 40 years after, i.e. in 1954 when the country was deliberately divided into three regions, namely Northern, Eastern and Western. This structure was further amended in 1963 when the Mid-West region was carved out of the old Western region to bring the existing regions to four. These four regions became the units or component parts of the federation when the new federal constitution was adopted. Nigeria thereby had the unique position of being the first federation that was established by dividing one ‘united’ country into four parts to form a federal government. Where the unitary system breeds centripetal tendencies and allegiances, our federal system encourages centrifugalism. By this, I mean that whereas a unitary system tends to encourage tendencies towards unity or unification, federalism tends towards division and divisiveness.
Our operation of a federal system in the last 60 years, I dare say, does not leave us with much to write home about. Some have claimed that we have not practiced pure federalism. I do not believe that Federalism can be purer than what we have at the moment. Federalism purer than what is practiced now can only be recipe for brinkmanship. What some have openly and strongly canvassed is adoption of a geo political zoning system. It is based on the same ‘federating’ root. This zoning principle mixed with the ambitions of strong politicians can drive us inexorably into adopting Con-federalism with all its consequences for a nation that has not disciplined itself to be law abiding!
Since what we want is a constitution that will give us a nation of our dreams, the only logical way to go is for the Conference to also consider a return to a country with a strong central government with a number of administrative units which I dare to suggest should be 44 i.e. double the number of component parts, or provinces we had in the earliest (i.e. from 1914 to 1954) unitary government. The Conference will agree on structures to be put in place to ensure that the system functions as it should.
Zoning is a glorified name for confederating. The centrifugal character of federalism expects representatives to owe their allegiance to their sending states or provinces or communities rather than to the national or central government. Under such a system, Nigeria will ever remain a geographical expression as many see it today. Let me draw an analogy from the Holy Bible which my Muslim compatriots can easily appreciate and identify with. In the book of Mark, chapter 10 and from verse 46 to 51, a blind roadside beggar called Blind Bartimaeus who heard that Jesus was passing by, called on Jesus to have mercy on him and open his blind eyes. When Jesus stopped and asked that the blind man be called, Bartimaeus by faith cast away his beggar’s uniform and approached Jesus. He got his healing. The point here is that there are times you give up the good to get the better! The Hausa Fulanis, the Igbos, the Yorubas, the Edos and other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria had their glorious past at one time or the other. Good as such past had been, I believe that God who put us all in the geographical enclave called Nigeria must have a purpose that is beyond the glory of the past. No one can make progress who keeps on holding to past glory.
Some may point to some experience during our military era when one of our early military Administrations attempted to establish a unitary government through military fiat and the success or lack of success that greeted that effort. With all sense of responsibility, I wish, from my perception of that vision, to state that the timing of the introduction was wrong; and the circumstances surrounding the attempt to implement the vision at the time were inauspicious. This could not vitiate the potentiality of the enduring principle which succeeding military Administrations adopted in their style of governance without acknowledging to the name of Unitary!
The Solomon Asemota Ethnic Nationalities Committee has thankfully confirmed from their painstaking research efforts that we have over 400 ethnic nationalities in Nigeria. A number of those nationalities like mine could not be included in the National Conference. While some of the other small nationalities not included were inadvertently excluded, I believe these nationalities like mine which could not be accommodated or nominated for the conference, will be satisfied if their interest which is largely hinged on equality of opportunities is taken into consideration in the final outcome of the exercise. What can better protect the interest of small or large ethnic nationalities if not a unitary system with a strong central government?
Only one day after the opening of the conference, the Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI), led by the revered Sultan of Sokoto, raised an alarm about Muslims not having a fair deal in the number of Muslims nominated to the conference. This is the spirit of federalism at work and it is missing the point. There certainly will be other criticisms of either the composition of the conference or of the terms of reference or some other issues. The Federal Government will do well to take note of such points, which can be addressed in due course; but Government should not allow itself to be distracted. It is gratifying that Christians have not raised any objection to the appointment of the Hon. Alhaji Idris Kutiji, former Chief Justice of Nigeria as chairman of this historic Conference! Since he is eminently qualified for the position let all give him all the support necessary.
Speaking for the ethnic minorities not included in the nominations like mine, let me emphasize that freedom of religious worship must be one of the human rights to be enshrined in our new constitution if it is to be acceptable. Religion is a very personal matter and every body should have access to freedom of worship. Fundamentalism that seeks to deprive others of freedom to worship, like the Boko Haram, must be proscribed.
Today we all have an opportunity to revisit our past, objectively assess our present and plan for our future. Let the delegates come into this assignment therefore with an open heart. I call on all well meaning Nigerians including those of ethnic nationalities like mine, not included in the nominations to pray for the success of the National Conference. May God bless the United Peoples of Nigeria (or whatever name the Conference may come up with)!
If I understand the purpose of the conference well, its ultimate goal is to fashion a constitution that all of us, nationals of Nigeria, will be able to live with and be proud of. This presupposes our willingness to accept a draft constitution that will
accommodate the interests of all stakeholders. It is in this spirit that I respectfully wish to request the delegates to consider postulations in two areas so far not considered in contributions that have been publicly advertised.
The two areas of my postulation are inter-related. The first is in the official name of the country and the second is in the structure of the government to emerge. I am thankful that neither falls in the category of items declared as no-go areas.
In this regard, let us look again at the historical factors involved in the creation Åof Nigeria and examine their relevance to the purpose of the on going National Conference. In January 1914, the two protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria were merged into one to form one large entity. Before the amalgamation, the two Protectorates were administered as two separate units. The amalgamation, so to say, merged the two separate Administrations and brought them under one control. From 1914 to 1954 when Regional Self Government was introduced, Nigeria was administered under a unitary system of government. In other words, for 40 years, the government of Nigeria was a unitary or unification government. Those who have recollections of those years confirm that they fall within what some of our discerning elders have referred to as golden or glorious years, which many refer to with nostalgia as among our best years. Although those years fall within the period of the Colonial Administration of Nigeria, yet there is no denying the fact that it was a period in which justice was enthroned all over the country. It was a period in which merit had pride of place in appointment of persons to positions in the public service and elsewhere. It was a period in which ethnic and religious affiliations were not made to override fairness and justice. Indeed, corruption and corrupt practices were strange or unknown!
The forty years of unitary government from 1914 to 1954 fostered a sense of oneness and unity; the centripetal nature (i.e. tending to look to the centre for its identity) of the structure of government helped to develop a mentality that was uniquely Nigerian; and the application of principles of equity and fairness built a mind-set that was proudly Nigerian. Two distinguished pioneer and foremost diplomats of Nigeria, Ambassador Olujimi Jolaoso in his classic memoir, “In The Shadows” and Ambassador John Mamman Garba (now late) in his inspirational biography, “ The Time has Come”, captured, in their memoirs, the beauty, essence, glory and pride of life in Nigeria in the forty years under that unitary government. Ambassador Jolaoso pointed out that when he and his colleagues left the shores of Nigeria to begin their diplomatic training in the United Kingdom, they left as Nigerians with a Nigerian mentality and mindset, which made them proud. He stated that soon after the introduction of regional self-government in Nigeria, he received letters from the Western Region Agent General Office in the UK driving it home that he was then a ‘Westerner’. The Ambassador’s memoir described succinctly the psychological trauma or confusion that the political development at home created in the minds of these otherwise patriotic pioneer diplomats of Nigeria. The point to make here is that a system that allows the principles of justice, equity, transparency and fairness to thrive consistently as was the testimony of the 40 years of governance during the first 40 years of the amalgamation is a system that can promote unity and an acceptable mind-set and mentality that the target people can identify with and embrace.
It is instructive that for the period 1954 to date, that is, a period of 60 years, Nigeria has been administered under a federal system of government. The official name of Nigeria then at Independence in 1960, became the Federal Republic of Nigeria or the Nigerian Federation. I find something insidious in the use of ‘Federal or Federation’ used in describing the nation of Nigeria. Federal or federation connotes divisiveness and so it is prophetically or psychologically inadvisable as name for a country that aims at being united or being one. Let us take note that Nigeria is not a classic federation as the United States or Canada or even the Russian Federation. The American Union was formed first by the coming together of 13 separate colonies mutually agreeing to submerge their identities into a Union to establish a new nation in which they would all be stakeholders and citizens of. They set down the criteria or parameters by which other intending colonies or groups could join the Union. They rejected the use of Federal or Federation as official name or title of their new union, I guess, because somebody there understood the fact that no one can rise above his name. The American Union has grown progressively from the original 13 states to 51 states making up the American Union.
It is not the same with the Nigerian Union. The truth is that the earliest attempt to make us one country was when the amalgamation took place in January 1914. From then until 40 years after, we were administered as a country called Nigeria. For the convenience of the British Administrators, Nigeria was centrally administered. Again for ease of governance, the country was divided into 22 units called provinces of which eleven were in the North and eleven in the South. In essence, Nigeria was administered as one ‘indivisible’ whole until 40 years after, i.e. in 1954 when the country was deliberately divided into three regions, namely Northern, Eastern and Western. This structure was further amended in 1963 when the Mid-West region was carved out of the old Western region to bring the existing regions to four. These four regions became the units or component parts of the federation when the new federal constitution was adopted. Nigeria thereby had the unique position of being the first federation that was established by dividing one ‘united’ country into four parts to form a federal government. Where the unitary system breeds centripetal tendencies and allegiances, our federal system encourages centrifugalism. By this, I mean that whereas a unitary system tends to encourage tendencies towards unity or unification, federalism tends towards division and divisiveness.
Our operation of a federal system in the last 60 years, I dare say, does not leave us with much to write home about. Some have claimed that we have not practiced pure federalism. I do not believe that Federalism can be purer than what we have at the moment. Federalism purer than what is practiced now can only be recipe for brinkmanship. What some have openly and strongly canvassed is adoption of a geo political zoning system. It is based on the same ‘federating’ root. This zoning principle mixed with the ambitions of strong politicians can drive us inexorably into adopting Con-federalism with all its consequences for a nation that has not disciplined itself to be law abiding!
Since what we want is a constitution that will give us a nation of our dreams, the only logical way to go is for the Conference to also consider a return to a country with a strong central government with a number of administrative units which I dare to suggest should be 44 i.e. double the number of component parts, or provinces we had in the earliest (i.e. from 1914 to 1954) unitary government. The Conference will agree on structures to be put in place to ensure that the system functions as it should.
Zoning is a glorified name for confederating. The centrifugal character of federalism expects representatives to owe their allegiance to their sending states or provinces or communities rather than to the national or central government. Under such a system, Nigeria will ever remain a geographical expression as many see it today. Let me draw an analogy from the Holy Bible which my Muslim compatriots can easily appreciate and identify with. In the book of Mark, chapter 10 and from verse 46 to 51, a blind roadside beggar called Blind Bartimaeus who heard that Jesus was passing by, called on Jesus to have mercy on him and open his blind eyes. When Jesus stopped and asked that the blind man be called, Bartimaeus by faith cast away his beggar’s uniform and approached Jesus. He got his healing. The point here is that there are times you give up the good to get the better! The Hausa Fulanis, the Igbos, the Yorubas, the Edos and other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria had their glorious past at one time or the other. Good as such past had been, I believe that God who put us all in the geographical enclave called Nigeria must have a purpose that is beyond the glory of the past. No one can make progress who keeps on holding to past glory.
Some may point to some experience during our military era when one of our early military Administrations attempted to establish a unitary government through military fiat and the success or lack of success that greeted that effort. With all sense of responsibility, I wish, from my perception of that vision, to state that the timing of the introduction was wrong; and the circumstances surrounding the attempt to implement the vision at the time were inauspicious. This could not vitiate the potentiality of the enduring principle which succeeding military Administrations adopted in their style of governance without acknowledging to the name of Unitary!
The Solomon Asemota Ethnic Nationalities Committee has thankfully confirmed from their painstaking research efforts that we have over 400 ethnic nationalities in Nigeria. A number of those nationalities like mine could not be included in the National Conference. While some of the other small nationalities not included were inadvertently excluded, I believe these nationalities like mine which could not be accommodated or nominated for the conference, will be satisfied if their interest which is largely hinged on equality of opportunities is taken into consideration in the final outcome of the exercise. What can better protect the interest of small or large ethnic nationalities if not a unitary system with a strong central government?
Only one day after the opening of the conference, the Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI), led by the revered Sultan of Sokoto, raised an alarm about Muslims not having a fair deal in the number of Muslims nominated to the conference. This is the spirit of federalism at work and it is missing the point. There certainly will be other criticisms of either the composition of the conference or of the terms of reference or some other issues. The Federal Government will do well to take note of such points, which can be addressed in due course; but Government should not allow itself to be distracted. It is gratifying that Christians have not raised any objection to the appointment of the Hon. Alhaji Idris Kutiji, former Chief Justice of Nigeria as chairman of this historic Conference! Since he is eminently qualified for the position let all give him all the support necessary.
Speaking for the ethnic minorities not included in the nominations like mine, let me emphasize that freedom of religious worship must be one of the human rights to be enshrined in our new constitution if it is to be acceptable. Religion is a very personal matter and every body should have access to freedom of worship. Fundamentalism that seeks to deprive others of freedom to worship, like the Boko Haram, must be proscribed.
Today we all have an opportunity to revisit our past, objectively assess our present and plan for our future. Let the delegates come into this assignment therefore with an open heart. I call on all well meaning Nigerians including those of ethnic nationalities like mine, not included in the nominations to pray for the success of the National Conference. May God bless the United Peoples of Nigeria (or whatever name the Conference may come up with)!