Amalgamation Conundrum: A. History a Cue for a National Dialogue

Extract Nigeria’s Amalgamation Conundrum: An Opinion – FNC Oragwu

The following historic events and developments starting from 1914 make the holding of a Sovereign National Conference or National Dialogue of Nigeria’s constituent ethnic Nationalities before the year 2015 imperative for real peace, real unity, sustainable stability and real economic progress in Nigeria.

In1914, over 200 Nigeria’s diverse and distinct ethnic Nationalities or different Nations around the River Niger, earlier grouped and administered by British Colonial Power as British Northern Protectorates, British Southern Protectorates and British Colony of Lagos respectively, and which were earlier administered by Britain as separate Entities, were amalgamated by the force of British Imperial Power and Colonial Diplomacy to form one Nation State of Nigeria. The amalgamated Entities were thereafter administered as a Unitary State or one Nation from 1914-1951. This concept of Nigeria as a Unitary State seemed to ignore the fact that the amalgamated entities are distinct, different and disparate Nations or diverse ethnic Nationalities. The cobbling together by force of these different and disparate Nationalities is where all the problems of Nigeria as a Nation started.  Nigeria, as a Nation State of ethnic-Nationalities, can only be sustained as one Nation through negotiated and agreed terms of Union reached by the concerned ethnic Nationalities. The resistance to a forced amalgamation by Nigeria’s constituent ethnic Nationalities was “when the rain began to beat Nigeria “, apologies to late Nigeria’s internationally acknowledged novelist, Chinua Achebe.

In 1919, Nigeria’s Nationhood was made even a bit more complicated by the addition of German Southern Cameroun to the British Colony of Nigeria, following the defeat of Germany by Europe’s Allied Forces in the First World War of 1914-1918. The defeat of Germany caused her the loss of her Cameroun Colony to victorious Britain and France which shared the Colony between themselves, Southern Cameroun to Britain and Northern Cameroun to France, respectively under the supervision of the League of Nations, later renamed United Nations, after the Second World War of 1939-1945. The Southern Part of the Cameroun which went to Britain was added to the British Colony of Eastern Region of Nigeria. 

In 1951/1952, Britain, after operating Nigeria, albeit with a lot of difficulty, as a Unitary State from 1914 -1950 changed her mind by reorganising and changing the Administration to a Federal Structure Administration of Nigeria. This is in apparent response to the stiff resistance and rejection by the Nigeria’s Founding Fathers of the forced amalgamation of Nigeria’s diverse ethnic Nationalities. Each ethnic Nationality was reported to be insisting to be left alone to control and manage its respective natural resources and develop according to her own factor endowments within the Nigerian Union. It is at that point that Britain realised that in fact Nigeria is not a one ethnic Nationality Nation but believed it could be sustained as one Nation State by appropriate Federal Structure arrangement agreed to by the people concerned. In the then agreed Federal structure following the Conference of these ethnic Nationalities, Lagos became the Capital of the Federal (Central) Government with specific but limited responsibility of Common Services for the Nation State while the respective groupings of Northern Region of Nigeria, Western Region of Nigeria, and Eastern Region of Nigeria’s ethnic Nationalities, respectively, became Federating Regional Governments but with sole responsibilities to control the natural resources, the education of their respective citizens, their factor endowments, their respective domestic economies and internal security, within their respective domains. Their respective capitals became Kaduna, Ibadan, and Enugu for the North, West and East Regions, respectively. This Federal Structure Administration, arrived by consensus, is what ensured and sustained relative unity, peace and real progress in Nigeria as a Nation State from 1952 to January 15, 1966. The only subsequent problem encountered in this Federal arrangement was the domination of large population ethnic nationalities over the small population ethnic nationalities within the respective three Federating Units or Regions and the attempt by the largest of the three Federating Regions in terms of geographical space and population of one of the three Groupings, namely the Northern Nigeria to exclusively dominate and control the Federal (Central) Government.  The Northern Nigeria Federating Region had one exclusive Political Party named Northern Nigeria People’s Congress with no single membership from the entire Southern Nigeria. The Northern Nigeria was by British Colonial Census far more than the Southern Nigeria population put together. The resistance by the ethnic Nationalities political leaderships of Southern part of Nigeria against the domination of the Northern Nigeria political leadership of the Federal (Central) Government brought about endemic political crisis and political instability in the Governance of Nigeria as a Nation State  

 In 1956/57, with Nigeria agreed by all to be a relatively sustainable Federation, the British Colonial Authorities convened and held a Nigerian Representative Political Conference in London of Nigeria’s representative Political leaders from Northern Nigeria, Western Nigeria and Eastern Nigeria, respectively, with the sole purpose to agree and decide on the date of Nigeria’s Independence from Britain as a Colonizing Power. The Northern Nigeria People’s Congress Party (NPC) led by Alhaji Ahmadu Bello of Hausa-Fulani ethnic Nationality represented the Northern Nigeria ethnic Nationalities, (now the 19 Northern States), the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) led by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe of Igbo ethnic Nationality represented the Eastern Nigeria ethnic Nationalities (now the 5 South Eastern States of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, and the States of Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Cross  River), and the Action Group Party (AG) led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo of Yoruba ethnic Nationality represented the Western Nigeria ethnic Nationalities (now the States of Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti, Osun, Ondo, Edo and Delta, and Lagos then Capital of Nigeria). 

At that Conference, something happened to remind Britain that Nigeria is a Federation of diverse and distinct Nigeria’s ethnic Nationalities and “not of geographical regions nor of religious faiths and nor of administrative Units” as well stated by Ken Sara Wiwo in his Book  “The Darkling Plane”, but simply that of Nigeria’s diverse ethnic Nationalities. This bombshell at the Conference came from Chief Harold Dappa Biriye, a leading Politician of Ijaw ethnic Nationality from the Niger Delta area of Eastern Region of Nigeria. This was when Chief Biriye pleaded strongly with the British Colonial Authorities to carve out the Niger Delta part of the Eastern Region of Nigeria to serve as the 4th Federating Regional Government of Nigeria in order to take care of its peculiar environment, culture, ecology and to develop at its own pace and factor endowments. Pleading time as the constraint, the British Colonial Authorities asked the Government of Nigeria, after independence, to undertake that assignment.

On October 1, 1960, Nigeria, as a Federation of three Regions or Units, namely, Northern Nigeria, Western Nigeria, and Eastern Nigeria Groups of diverse ethnic Nationalities respectively, became an Independent and Sovereign Nation with British Queen represented by a Nigerian Governor General as a ceremonial Head of State.

At the National Election leading to the Nigeria’s Political Independence in 1959, the Northern Nigeria People’s Party (NPC) had overwhelming majority in National Parliament with more members than the other Parties, namely the NCNC of Eastern Nigeria and the Action Group of Western Nigeria put together. The NPC the largest Party in Parliament had no single Member from Southern Nigeria. The Ruling Party (NPC) at the Federal level at Nigeria’s Independence from Britain in 1960 was the Northern Nigeria People’s Congress (NPC) led by Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, a Hausa-Fulani ethnic Nationality.  The domination and exclusive control of the Federal (Central) Government by the NPC Party which had virtually no Membership from Christian dominated Eastern and Western Nigeria Regions is “when the rain began to beat Nigeria”, apologies to now late novelist, Chinua Achebe, of the internationally acclaimed Novel “Things Fall Apart”.  

In 1961, Southern Cameroun, which was then part of Eastern Nigeria, agitated that it wanted to leave Nigeria to re-join their French Cameroun brothers. The United Nations resolved the matter by conducting a plebiscite to determine whether it was the wish of the majority of the Southern Cameroun people, then part of British Colony, to leave the Independent Nation of Nigeria. An overwhelming majority, said to be around 90 % of the people, agreed to leave Nigeria and they did in 1961, thereby reducing the geographical size and population of Eastern Region of Nigeria, a clear warning of a possible separation of Nigeria’s constituent ethnic Nationalities from the Nigerian Federation. 

In 1963, Nigeria became a Federal Republic of Nigeria with Rt Hon Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, an Igbo ethnic National from Eastern Nigeria replacing the Queen of England as Nigeria’s Ceremonial Head of State. The Northern Nigeria People’s Congress  (NPC) a Party with overwhelming majority in Nigeria’s National Parliament and effective leader of the Federal (Central) Government in Lagos, allegedly in a self-serving collaboration with its junior partner in Federal Government namely the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), a Party led by an Igbo ethnic Nationality but with minority membership in the Parliament, working together allegedly manipulated and carved out from Western Region of Nigeria, a Mid-West part made up of non- Yoruba ethnic Nationality minorities of the Niger Delta (now Edo and Delta States) to form the 4th Federating Region of Nigeria’s Federation ostensibly, as alleged, to punish the Action Group Yoruba ethnic Nationality led Western Regional Government, then in opposition to the NPC led Federal Government.  No such action was taken to carve out the Eastern Niger Delta part of the Eastern Region of Nigeria under the NCNC, as advised by the departed British Colonial Government in 1957. Agitations were also awash in Northern Nigeria for a separate Federating Region for the Mid-Belt group of ethnic Nationalities from the Moslem religious Hausa-Fulani dominated Northern Nigeria and for Calabar-Ogoja-Rivers (COR) ethnic Nationalities region from the Igbo dominated Eastern Nigeria, respectively. These agitations led to Political Instability, tension and often violence in Nigeria.        

On January 15, 1966, the First Military Insurrection took place in Nigeria in which a good number of Army Officers of Igbo ethnic Nationality were implicated and which overthrew the legitimate well constituted Civilian Governments (both Federal and Federating Regional Governments) . The resulting Military Government led by an Igbo Senior Military Officer namely General Aguiyi Ironsi, re-introduced the rejected “British forced amalgamation” of Nigeria’s constituent ethnic Nationalities in 1914, refused to address the agitations of the minority population ethnic Nationalities for separate Federating Units and went ahead to set up a quasi-Unitary Military Government thereafter called Federal Military Government (FMG). The FMG vested all the Executive Control and Administrative Powers of Government in the Federal (Central) Government, thereby leaving the existing semi-autonomous Federating Regional Governments as mere Administrative Units under the control of the now very powerful FMG. In effect the Military Administration abolished virtually all the agreed Terms of Nigeria Union by Nigeria’s Founding Fathers, re-enacted, in 1966, the totally rejected forced amalgamation of 1914 of Nigeria’s constituent diverse ethnic Nationalities that led to a Unitary system up to 1952. The latter is the Administrative system, which Britain, in agreement with Nigeria’s Founding Fathers, discarded and jettisoned in 1952.  In addition, an Igbo ethnic National and very Senior Military Officer, General Aguiyi Ironsi, who was reported to be the most Senior Army Officer in the Nigeria Armed Forces was appointed to head the now very powerful FMG to the anger and disgust of the Northern Nigeria Political leadership elite who had sustained the control and effective leadership of the Federal (Central) Government by virtue of Northern Nigeria’s overwhelming majority in National Parliament from the termination of British Colonial Rule in 1960. This meant the loss by the Northern Nigeria Political Leadership Elite of the control of the now very powerful and attractive Federal (Central) Government held since the termination of British Colonial Rule to the Igbo ethnic Nationality Political Leadership. 

The abolition of the agreed Terms of Nigeria’s Federation as at 1952-1966, the leadership of the now very powerful Federal (Central) Government by an Igbo ethnic National(albeit a Military Officer) and the loss of the autonomy and the control of the natural resources and factor endowments by the Federating Regional Governments or Units was what started the chain of actions and that in fact is “when the rain began to beat Nigeria” as well put by late Chinua Achebe, an Internationally acclaimed Novelist of “Things Fall Apart”.  The fight for the control of the powerful Federal (Central) Government or a reversal to “true Federalism’ as at 1952-1965 which began in 1967 is now being re-enacted by Nigeria’s constituent ethnic Nationalities for the oncoming 2015 Presidential Election.     

On February 23, 1966, Adaka Boro, a disciple of Chief Harold Dappa Biriye of Eastern Niger Delta part of Eastern Region of Nigeria in a reaction to the non- creation of the Eastern part of the Niger Delta as a Federating Regional Government rebelled against the FMG. This rebellion was in line with the demand of Chief Harold Biriye in 1957 during the London Independence Conference, to enable the area control the exploitation and use of its oil and gas resources and other factor endowments as was the case of the other then Federating Regional Governments. Sensing no action, Adaka Boro on February 23, 1966 declared secession of Eastern Niger Delta from Nigeria. Following his rebellion, Adaka Boro led his Niger Delta Volunteer Force and sailed to the Creeks of the Niger Delta and seized the facilities of Shell, a major multi-national oil Company. General Ironsi as Head of Nigerian Army and Government (FMG) (January 15, 1966 to July 29. 1966) mobilized the Armed Forces to crush Adaka Boro insurrection which was achieved after 12 days of fighting. Adaka Boro and his comrades in arms were captured and tried for treason in a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt and sentenced to death by hanging. They were taken to Ikoyi Prison to await death by hanging.    

Then on July 29, 1966, a coup de tat led by Northern Nigeria Army Officers assassinated General Aguiyi Ironsi, Head of the FMG, and an Igbo ethnic Nationality, in apparent revenge coup de tat of January 15 1966 in which many Army Officers of Igbo ethnic Nationality were implicated. This brought the then Lt Colonel Yakubu Gowon (a Northern Nigeria Senior Military Officer) to become the new Head of the very powerful FMG and Head of State.

On January 4-8, 1967 an attempt was made in Aburi, Ghana by the Military Leader of Ghana Government convening a Meeting of Nigeria’s Military and Political Leaders to resolve the political problems in Nigeria. In that meeting, Colonel Gowon, the Head of the Federal Military Government led the Nigerian delegations of the Northern Regional Government, Western Regional Government and the Mid-Western Regional Government delegations while Colonel Ojukwu led the Eastern Nigeria Regional Government delegation respectively. In that Meeting the following Statement was credited to Colonel Ojukwu, namely: “ I, (Ojukwu) in all sincerity, in order to avoid further friction and further killings (in Nigeria) do submit that the only realistic form of Government to day in Nigeria is such that moves people slightly apart Government that controls various (ethnic Nationality) entities through people of their areas. It is better that we move slightly apart and survive, it is much worse that we move closer (a quasi-Unitary Administration) and perish in the collision. Therefore I say no single person today in Nigeria can command the loyalties of various groups and therefore to save the suspicion to enable us to settle down, it is essential that whatever form of Government we have at the Centre (Federal (Central) Government) must be limited and controlled by a Consensus to which we all agree”.

The Communique of the Meeting at Aburi, Ghana, reflected most of Colonel Ojukwu’s Statement. However on return to Nigeria, the Federal Delegation namely the Federal (Central) Government, the Northern, the Western and the Mid- Western Regional Governments reneged on the Agreements reached in Aburi, Ghana. The reneging and ignoring of this reality painted by Colonel Ojukwu in Aburi, Ghana, by the Federal led Delegation on return to Nigeria caused Nigeria a Civil War of 1967-1970.                                                

On May 27, 1967 Colonel Gowon, the Head of the Federal Military Government arbitrary carved Nigeria into twelve(12) States ostensibly to isolate the Igbos from the rest of Nigeria and punish Colonel Ojukwu by reducing his area of influence and Administration in the Governance of Nigeria.

In a reaction, on May 30, 1967, three days after the 12 States’ creation, the then Lt Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu, an Igbo ethnic National and Head of the Federating Regional (Military) Government of Eastern Region of Nigeria in response to the arbitrary States’ creation announced the Secession of the Eastern Region of Nigeria from the Nigerian Federation and declared it as a Sovereign State of Republic of Biafra.                                                   

In July, 1967, the FMG declared War on the Republic of Biafra and needed the support of the ethnic minority population Nationalities of the Niger Delta of Eastern Nigeria to prosecute the War and reverse the secession of the Eastern Region of Nigeria. For this purpose, the Ijaw and other minority ethnic Population Nationalities of the Eastern Region of Nigeria became strategic Partners of the FMG in its campaign to crush Biafra. This led Yakubu Gowon led FMG to grant Amnesty to Adaka Boro and his Comrades in Ikoyi Prison in Lagos then awaiting death by hanging and offered them an option to join the Nigerian Army which earlier had crushed their own rebellion. Adaka Boro, a University Graduate in Chemistry, July 1965 of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, was appointed and decorated with a Major Rank in the Nigerian Army and together with his Prison Comrades, then granted Amnesty, fought to secure the Niger Delta Creeks for FMG starting from Bonny and to liberate Port Harcourt from the grip of the Biafra Army and to assist in policing the blockade by FMG of the Republic of Biafra from outside World through the Sea and the Creeks of Niger Delta.

In May, 1968, Major Jasper Adaka Boro died in mysterious circumstances at the age of 30 and his body was buried in Ikoyi Cemetery in Lagos and Biafra itself was defeated on January 10, 1970, when it surrendered to the superior military might of the FMG and got itself reintegrated into the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1970.                                                                          

The Developments since the end of the Civil War in 1970:

The FMG instead of reflecting deeply and honestly on what really caused the Civil War, namely the introduced skewed Structure of the Nigerian Federation in 1966, simply resumed its Administration of Nigeria from 1970 -1979 as a very powerful quasi Unitary Military Government of Nigeria, controlled effectively by Northern Nigeria Army Officers. There was no serious attempt to address the reversal to Nigeria’s preferred “true” Federal Structure Administration of 1952-1966 or even what really caused the Civil War. This failure to return to true Federation, in my view, was what seemed to actuate the chain of events including political instability in Nigeria and the “resurrection” of Adaka Boro under a new name called Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), to resume the fight for the control of the resources and factor endowments of the Eastern Niger Delta, a fight, which was rudely interrupted by the Nigeria-Biafra War of 1967-1970. In addition to MEND, other ethnic separatist movements and insurrections such as Odua (Yoruba)Peoples’ Congress and the current vicious Boko Haram insurgency have emerged and still Nigeria’s Political leaders who benefit from the political and economic chaos, inexplicably remain in denial of the main issue responsible for Nigeria’s Political Instability, the resulting endemic  corruption, the insecurity and joblessness in the country, which in my view are the consequences of the dismantling of the agreed Terms of “True Federalism” for Nigeria by the country’s Founding Fathers which successfully kept Nigeria in relative unity,  peace and economic progress from 1952-1965.

Developments following the return of Civil Democratic Administration in October 1979:

 From October 1, 1979 to December 1983, Nigeria returned to a quasi-Unitary Political democratic Administration, this time with President Shehu Shagari, a Civilian from Northern Nigeria as President of Nigeria and Head of the very powerful and very attractive quasi-Unitary Federal (Central) Government. It was at this time that Nigerian Politicians particularly  from Southern Nigeria became apprehensive that the leadership of the very powerful Federal (Central) Government was becoming virtually a birth-right of the Northern Nigeria Hausa-Fulani ethnic Nationality Northern Nigeria dominated Political Elite. This was when a new rumbling on the “true” Structure of Nigerian Federation restarted among the Southern Nigeria’s Political Elite. After a tumultuous first Term in Office from October 1979 to September 1983 followed by a highly disputed second Term Election of 1983, the Shagari Administration was on December 31, 1983 overthrown, surprisingly by Hausa-Fulani Military Officers of Northern Nigeria, which cited corruption and non-accountability in Government as well as indiscipline in the Nation. The resulting Military Administration of 1984 however resumed the Administration of Nigeria as a quasi-Unitary very powerful FMG led by Northern Nigeria Military leadership from January 1984 to July1985. The Military Administration to its credit introduced far reaching positive reforms in Nigeria to address pervasive corruption in Government, the lawlessness and indiscipline in the Nation before it was overthrown in August 1985 by yet another set of Military Officers of Northern Nigeria. The reason given by the new Northern Military Leaders of 1985 was to restore human rights which were said to be abused by the overthrown FMG.                                                                                                                                     

From August 1985, the new FMG resumed Administration of Nigeria as a quasi-Unitary powerful Military Government still under the full control of the new set of the Northern Nigeria dominated Military leadership. The new Northern Nigeria Military Leadership immediately reversed all the positive reforms for good Governance of the immediate past Military Administration and virtually institutionalized corruption as an article of Governance in Nigeria. However to its credit, the Military Administration conducted a democratic Civilian election aimed at returning Nigeria to Civilian democratic Rule. The  Election was  adjudged and acclaimed (both locally and internationally) as the freest and fairest Presidential election in Nigeria but because the election was unexpectedly, squarely and fairly, won by Alhaji M. K.O  Abiola, a devoid Moslem of Yoruba ethnic Nationality of South West Nigeria, which meant the loss of the control of the powerful Federal (Central)Government to the Yoruba Political Leadership of South West Nigeria, the Result of that Election was annulled by the incumbent Northern Nigeria Military Regime to set up intractable  and prolonged violent protests by  Nigerians which forced that Military Regime to step aside and in doing so, set up a makeshift Yoruba ethnic National led Interim Civilian Administration which lasted only about 3 months before being swept away by yet another Northern Nigeria led Military Administration namely Abacha Military Administration on November 16, 1993.         

From November 17, 1993, Nigeria was returned once again to a quasi-Unitary Military Administration this time led by yet another Northern Nigeria (General Sanni Abacha) Military leadership which stubbornly braved the continuing violent protests by Nigerians against the annulment of a free and fair Presidential election won by Alhaji M. K. O. Abiola of Yoruba ethnic Nationality until he, General Sanni Abacha, the Leader of the FMG died by natural causes in 1998. However before his untimely death, General Sanni Abacha set up about 5 Political Parties for transition to Civilian Rule but got the 5 Political Parties to adopt him as a Sole Candidate for the democratic election, a sad reflection of Nigeria’s political comedy-tragedy.  

Nigeria however returned to a quasi-Unitary Military Administration under the leadership of yet another Northern Nigeria Military General following the death of the Military leader (General Sanni Abacha) in Office due to natural Causes.  Alhaji M. K. O. Abiola (then in detention by the General Sanni Abacha Military regime) while fighting strenuously to regain and actualize his Election mandate) also soon after, died while in detention in controversial circumstances. With the death of both General Sanni Abacha and Alhaji M.K.O Abiola, the way was clear again for yet another Northern Nigeria General to run the FMG from 1998-May 28, 1999, with the June 12,1993 Election imbroglio still unresolved.

The Developments following Second coming of Democratic Civilian Administration, 1999:

 On May, 29 1999, the incumbent Military Administration conducted a democratic Election that ushered in a Yoruba ethnic National (a retired General) as an elected Civilian President. This was made possible because of the concession given by the Northern Nigeria Military and Political leadership which allowed only Yoruba ethnic Nationality Candidates to run for the Presidential Election. This concession was ostensibly to assuage the anger of the terrible Political Power loss and wrong against the Yoruba people by the annulment of Presidential Election won squarely and fairly by a Yoruba ethnic National but with a caveat, albeit allegedly unwritten, namely that a Northern Nigerian Civilian Political Elite should resume the leadership of the powerful Federal (Central) Government thereafter. Things seemed to work out as planned because the Northern Nigeria Political Civilian leadership won the disputed election of 2007. However confusion set in, following the death in Office of the elected Hausa-Fulani President from Northern Nigeria due to natural causes in 2010, when the Northern Nigeria Political leadership tried seriously to stop the Vice President, an Ijaw ethnic National from Bayelsa of South- South Nigeria’s grouping from stepping in as a new President in accordance with the Constitution written and given to Nigeria by the Northern Nigeria led Federal Military Government. Although the Vice President from South-South Region of Nigeria was eventually allowed to do so, however from then on hell was let loose on Nigeria manifestly clear because of the failure for a Candidate from Northern Region to become the President of Nigeria in 2011. The country has since 2011 been going through a wave of Crises after Crises of political instability, good Governance, ethnic Nationality conflicts and cut throat competition by various ethnic Nationality Groups to control the powerful and very attractive Federal (Central) Government, a situation that led to a violent and vicious Boko Haram destructive insurgency, an insurgency shrouded in ethnicity, politics, religion and poverty, now ravaging the Northern States of Nigeria and making Nigeria almost ungovernable. The tension, destruction, and despondency being generated by the most vicious, destructive and violent Boko Haram insurgency are now threatening Nigeria with another Civil War and a possible collapse of Nigeria. All these are coming because, as alleged, of the loss of the Nigeria’s Presidency by the Northern Nigeria political leadership elite to a non-Northern Nigerian candidacy.

   The new Developments since 2014 as widely reported in Nigeria’s Media:

One observes most recently from 2014 with a lot of consternation, the following worrying acrimonious bold headlines in the Nigeria’s Media, which seemed to be heating up Nigeria as a Nation State, namely that:

• “Arewa Consultative Forum (a Northern Nigeria Political Leadership Grouping) has vowed  no support  for Jonathan(the incumbent Nigeria’s President of Ijaw ethnic Nationality from Southern part of Nigeria) Candidacy for President in 2015”,
• “O’ Odua Group (a Yoruba ethnic Nationality Grouping) warning the Yoruba Leaders against any alliance with Hausa- Fulani” (i.e. Hausa-Fulani ethnic Nationality Leadership of Northern Region of Nigeria),for 2015 Presidential Election”,
• the current Ruling Party (PDP) at the Federal Government level announcing that “there is no vacancy in Aso Rock and that the incumbent President (HE Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR) will get automatic ticket for the Presidency in 2015”,
• the Ijaw ethnic Nationality “freedom fighters” warning sternly “that Nigeria may burn or cease to exist if the incumbent President is not re-elected in 2015”,
• the Ohaneze Ndigbo (an Igbo ethnic Nationality Grouping) “ resolving that for equity and fairness to reign in Nigeria, an Igbo ethnic National should be allowed by all Nigerians to be the sole Candidacy for 2015 Presidential Election”,
• the leadership of National Assembly Constitution Review Committees reportedly said to be “self-serving and irresponsive to the Nation’s constitutional travails by refusing to address the widely felt demand for a Sovereign National Conference or National Dialogue to restructure the current skewed “Structure” of  Nigerian Federation, an action which may affect or cut down their outlandish salaries”,
• a statement by John Campbell, former US Ambassador to Nigeria and Author of “Nigeria Dancing on the Brink”, giving a serious warning in the Media Report of 24th June , 2013, “about the implications of complacency of Nigeria’s Political leaders and the elite over the seeming alienation of the core North (referring to Moslem dominated Northern Nigeria)” in the oncoming 2015 Presidential Election,
• the reported patriotic and courageous advice in Nigeria’s Media, namely “ Don’t Run, Jonathan Don’t in 2015”, by His Eminence Anthony Olubunmi Okogie, the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos in his interview with the Guardian Newspaper on Sunday, 22 September 2013, and   
• the worrying implication of the “on-going drama of the Government conflicting Boko Haram Amnesty vs. Emergency crushing policy on the continued sustainability of Nigeria as one Nation”.

One will like to ask, why has it not been possible over these years since 1970 for Nigeria to sustain the relative political stability, national cohesion, peace and healthy competition for development among the Federating Units and the substantial economic progress, which the country witnessed from 1952 to 1965?  What then can and should be done?

Where does Nigeria go from here in resolving her worrying endemic Political Impasse?

It is manifestly evident, from the above account of historical events and current developments in Nigeria, that Nigeria’s enduring Challenges of Unity, Peace and Progress, are primarily the consequences of Nigeria’s skewed Federal Structure since January 15, 1966 when by Military Fiat, the Terms of Nigeria’s Union of 1952-1966 were dismantled and destroyed by the Military. To resolve Nigeria’s existential Problems as a Nation State, consideration should be honestly, sincerely and courageously to the following Actions, namely : 

• that Nigeria should now hold an all embracing  National  Conference or National Dialogue of all the  representatives of  Nigeria’s constituent ethnic Nationalities ( small and large) to enable them sincerely, honestly and courageously sort out themselves and agree without force or coercion on the Terms of their Union, as was done at Ibadan, Western Nigeria, in 1951 in order to bring Nigeria back to  voluntarily agreed Terms of Union,
• in such a Dialogue, Nigeria Political leadership and Elite who have been  benefitting from the current Nigeria’s chaotic situation should stop being in denial and accept the reality that Nigeria is a Federation of distinct and disparate ethnic Nationalities and as well put by the immortal words of Sir Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, one of Nigeria’s Founding Fathers, namely that  “we must endeavour to respect our differences (we are Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Ibibio, Ijaw, Nupe, Kanuri, Edo, Tiv, Efik, etc, nationals before we became Nigerians) rather than trying to forget these differences so that Nigeria can grow in unity and peace”, 
• the evolving Federating Units or Regions from the proposed Dialogue should, as much as possible, be based on ethnic Nationality or  Groups of consenting ethnic Nationalities (with small populations), in which each Federating Region or Unit is sufficiently viable and sufficiently powerful to develop and progress according to its respective resources, effort and factor endowments within its domain as Nigeria experienced from 1952-1966 Constitutions, and within the Nigeria Union , 
• the current Federal (Central) Government should, without equivocation, return to its specific Common Services as detailed in the 1952-1966 Constitutions, in order to address the resulting destructive and divisive issues that emerged since 1966 namely the Constitutions that made the Federal (Central) Government very powerful and very attractive, to fan Nigeria’s ethnic and religious diversity into destructive competition to grab and control the now very powerful and politically attractive Federal (Central) Government,
• “true Federalism” as witnessed and practised from 1952-1965 will re-establish the healthy competition for national development, among the Federating Units or Regions with the immediate scrapping of the current artificial non-viable 36 States, as well as, all the consequent divisive issues in the country such as federal character in appointments,  the ridiculous , controversial and absurd admission quota to the so called “Unity Colleges” in which a candidate with 2 or 6 or 9% mark from some Federating States, in a National Competitive Examination get Admission into such Colleges but candidates from other Federating Units in the same Examination with over 140% cannot gain admission into the same College,
• a return to 1952-1966 when the Federating Units are exclusively responsible for primary and secondary education of the citizens within their respective domains,
• “true Federalism” in which every  Federating Unit knows that no other Federating Unit owes her a living and has therefore to work hard and diligently to improve the welfare of her citizens,
• a “true Federation “ that re-enacts  a Nigerian Federation of 1952 -1965 which witnessed the following positive developments, such as, namely: (a) Alhaji Umaru Altine, a Hausa Fulani Moslem from Northern Nigeria, living and working in Enugu, Eastern Nigeria being elected and re-elected for second term as a Nigerian Citizen on his merit by Igbos as the Mayor of Enugu, John Umoru  from Etsako in Edo State in Western Nigeria being  elected to the Eastern Nigeria House of Assembly to represent Port Harcourt  and for Mazi Mbonu Ojike, of the “boycott the boycottables” fame, an Igbo from Eastern Nigeria living in Lagos in Western Nigeria, being elected on his merit by the Yorubas of Western Nigeria as Deputy Mayor of Lagos, (b)Nigerian citizens qualified for any job in the Civil Service (Federal and Federating Regional Government),  competing and getting appointed or promoted on their merits as Nigeria’s Citizens without recourse to such divisive and unwholesome issues such as quota, “turn by turn” and or Federal Character, and (c)Nigerian Citizens owning property in any part of Nigeria without the fear of such property being treated as an “abandoned property” in the event of a crisis or whatever necessitating the Citizen’s temporary relocation to a peaceful region of Nigeria, and
• Federal (Central) Government reverting without equivocation to its responsibilities of Common Services as was the case from 1952-1965 to ensure Regional autonomy, fiscal Federalism, and Resource control by the Federating Units so that real unity, peace and progress will reign again in Nigeria as witnessed from 1952-1965,
• a “true, consensus and voluntary, not forced, Union of Nigeria’s over 200 distinct, different and disparate ethnic Nationalities in which no ethnic Nationality no matter its size and population is willing and ready to lose ethnic Nationality identity and nor ready to be under the control of any other ethnic Nationality no matter how large or powerful that ethnic Nationally is in Nigeria’s Union, is what is required to re-invent and actualize Nigeria’s once lofty aspirations, namely, “a united, strong and self-reliant nation, a great and dynamic economy, a just and egalitarian society, a land full of bright and full of opportunities for all its Citizens and a free and democratic society”, and
• Anything short of the above, in my view, may not help to resolve Nigeria’s prevailing existential nightmare and enduring challenges of Nationhood.      

NB:  The Chief M.K.O. Abeola June, 12, 1993 Election Result Annulment Debacle was  resolved on June 12 2018, by the President M. Buhari Administration of 2015-2019, which declared late Chief M.K.O. Abiola posthumously the Winner of the June, 12, 1993 and inaugurated him (Chief M.K. O, Abiola) posthumously as the President of Nigeria and his  Running Mate (Babagana  Kingigbe), as the the Vice President of Nigeria, and declared June 12, 2018 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, which abolishes May 29, 1999, previously declared in 1999 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day.

Felix N.C. Oragwu, FSAN, MInstP (IOP) London

Former Senior Academic in Physics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (UNN), from 1960s,
Head of Research and Development (R&D)  Planning Division / Coordinator of  Technological Services of the Industrial War Machine that operated in the defunct State of Biafra, 1967-1970.
Retired Senior Director in Charge of the Department of Science and Technology (S&T) Policy, Planning and Development of the Federal Government Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) 1979-1987
Former Technology Development Consultant to UNECA, UNDP and UNIDO