Critical Steps Towards True Federation

The following Steps and Actions are recommended as the long- term / peaceful Resolution of the vexed Question of Nigeria’s Restructuring into a True and sustainable Federation, so that peace and real Economic progress can reign in Nigeria as a Nation State of over 120 different and distinct ethnic Nationalities. These Steps and Actions include the following, namely,

STEP ONE.

There is now the need to have a New Name for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In this respect, Nigeria should be renamed, “United States of Nigeria (USN)”. This may erase the ugly history of Nigeria’s forced Amalgamation of the different / distinct ethnic Nationalities, located along the Length and Breadth of the River Niger by Lord Fredrick Lugard, the first Governor General of Nigeria, 1914-1918, acting on the Authority of British Colonial Power and Colonial Diplomacy. This is amalgamation Action taken without the consent and agreement of the different / distinct ethnic Nationalities, now comprised in Nigeria has remained the cause of unending Crises of Good Governance in the Nation State of Nigeria, particularly, since 1966 when Nigeria witnessed Military Intervention in Politics.

STEP TWO:  Recommended TERMS of Union of the suggested United States of Nigeria (USN):

The Terms of Union are already well spelt out early in 1951 during the British Colonial sponsored National Conference of Representatives of the ethnic Nationalities comprised in Nigeria, at Ibadan, South West Nigeria, to restructure the amalgamated Unitary Administration of Nigeria operating since 1914. The Restructuring  Conference of 1951 was attended by the True Representatives of the ethnic Nationalities comprised in Nigeria, namely Sir Ahmadu Bello leading the Representatives of Northern Region of Nigeria (now 19 States of Northern Nigeria), Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe leading the Representatives of Eastern Region of Nigeria (now the 5 States of Igbo land and the States of AkwaIbom (Ibibio/ Anang) and Cross River State (Efik / Ogoja) land, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo leading the  Representatives of South West Nigeria (now, the 6 Yoruba States of Western Nigeria and the present Edo and Delta States, respectively.  The Conference was chaired by the British Colonial Secretary, then Sir Oliver Littleton.

The Terms of Union of the Nation State of Nigeria, arrived at the Ibadan Conference successfully kept Nigeria together in relative peace making fantastic Economic Progress as a Federation from 1952-1965 until 1966 when the Military Intervention in Politics scrapped the well worked out Terms of Union, operating from 1952-1965.

The Details of the Terms of Union of Nigerian Federation operating from 1952-1965,  are captured by the Macpherson Constitution of Nigeria of 1952, and also well documented by the following public Articles in 2019 by Felix N. C. Oragwu, titled “The Imperative of a True Federation for Nigeria” and “Do we (Nigerians) need 32 States Federation“ respectively. These Terms of Union are also published in Felix N. C. Oragwu’s Book, titled, “Nigeria’s Amalgamation Conundrum”, 2019. The Highlights of these Terms of Union that operated from 1952-1965, are as follows, namely,

• The Federal (Central) Government is to operate as a Coordinating Government and not as a Controlling Government, but has the exclusive Responsibility for the mutually agreed Common National Services, such as Armed Forces,, Nigerian Police, Citizenship, Customs, , Central Bank of Nigeria, / National Currency, Immigration , Foreign Affairs including Foreign Trade, National Education Standards, but not Educational Institutions (Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Levels, which are the sole Responsibilities of Federating Regional Governments), National Scientific, Technological Industrial Goods standards including Agricultural / Mineral Commodity Export Standards, Trunk A Roads Interconnecting High ways of Nigerian Federation, but any other responsibility not specified for the Federal (Central) Government, is a matter for the Federating Regional Governments, For more Details, please see the Report of Nigerian Conference at Ibadan, Western Nigeria, 1951, attended by the Political Leaders of Nigeria’s Federating Regions, led respectively by Sir Ahmadu Bello for Northern Nigeria, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe for South East Nigeria  and Chief Obafemi Awolowo of Western Nigeria which include Mid -West Nigeria now Edo and Delta States and Chaired by the then British Colonial Secretary,  Sir Oliver Littleton. This Conference gave rise to the above- named Macpherson Constitution of Nigeria.
• as agreed in 1951 Nigeria’s Restructuring Conference, Chaired by the then British Colonial Secretary Sir Oliver Littleton and as stipulated in the Macpherson Constitution of 1952,
• The Federal (Central) Government was then required by the Ibadan National Conference to develop the existing University College, Ibadan, established in 1948 to a full University on behalf of the Three (3) Federating Regional Governments. That is why the Eastern Regional Government under the Leadership of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe the Premier of Eastern Nigeria Region, established its own Regional University, but named it University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), in 1960 to emphasize that though UNN is a Regional University, all Nigerians are fully entitled to attend the University as a National Institution. The Western Regional Government under Chief Obafemi Awolowo established Apapa Industrial Estates, Illupeju Industrial Estates and Ikeja Industrial Estates in Lagos, then part of Western Nigeria to emphasize that not all the Areas of Lagos was ceded to the Federal (Central) Government by the Yoruba Nation to serve as the Capital of Nigerian Federation.  Later in 1962, the Northern Regional Government led by Sir Ahmadu Bello, established its own University, now known as Ahmadu Bello University and the Western Regional Government also established its own University in 1962 and named it University of Ife, Ile-Ife. This is True Federation in Action. By 1965 Nigeria has a total of five (5) Universities namely, University of Ibadan (UI) and University of Lagos (UNILAG), (Federal) and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and the University of Ife Ileife (UNIFE), respectively, all Regional Universities,  
• The Financing of the Nigerian Federation based on mutually / freely agreed Terms from 1952-1965 are as follows,  namely, (a) Each Federating Regional Government  or Unit should contribute to the National Financing Pool 50% of its Export Revenue derived from its Region to a distributive National Revenue Pool but keeping the other 50 % exclusively to its self (b) The Federal (Central) Government has no land Resources for Economic Activities but only a Capital Territory and therefore no Export Revenue as its only Revenue is from the Taxes derived from the Personnel working for the Federal Government, (c) Out of the Regional Government Contributions the Budget needed for the Federal (Central) Government Responsibilities will be worked out and passed on to the Federal (Central) Government (d) the balance from the Regional Governments Contributions shall be shared out to all the Governments of Nigerian Federation in proportion to the contribution of each Government to the National Revenue Pool, and ( e) It is interesting to note that in the 1954 Revenue Sharing Exercise, that the Western Region of Nigeria got 45 Million pound Sterling the highest for that year, the Northern Nigeria (now 19  States got 35 Million pounds Sterling, the Federal (Central) Government got 30 Million pounds Sterling and the Eastern Nigeria Government got 10 Million pounds Sterling the lowest for that Year , 1954,
• In the mutually Agreed Terms of Union of the three Federating Regions of Nigerian Federation and as agreed during the 1951 National Conference at Ibadan, it was resolved that all Political Parties shall be ideologically competitive and not ethnic Nationality (Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba Igbo, Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv, Edo, Nupe, Ijaw and what have you) based, in order to avoid divisive ethnic Nationality Politics as was the case of what happened during the UK of Great Britain in which some Scottish Citizens who did not want to belong to UK of Great Britain, formed what is now known as Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP),     
•  Federal Structure of Government, as agreed, recognized that Nigeria as a Nation State has heterogenous populations with diverse Religious / Cultural Communities / peculiar Attributes, and therefore cannot / and should not operate a Unitary Government Administration, otherwise there will be a monumental Political / Ethnic / Religious Crises.  One can now see the ongoing Agitation in which NdiIgbo ethnic Nationality Leadership is calling for NdiIgbo Presidency in 2023, but what of other 120 ethnic Nationalities comprised in Nigeria which have not been Prime Minister or President since 1960?
• Each Regional Government, as Constitutionally stipulated, is completely independent of each other and also independent of the Federal (Central) Government, then in Lagos as its Capital and only Land Area,
• Each Regional Government has its own Constitution and could legislate on both the Concurrent and Residual Matters, and it is reported that Each Regional Government has Diplomatic Relations with London of UK of Great Britain, as well as the High Commissioner for the Federal (Central) Government, and
• ALL the Three (3) Federating Regional Governments of the then 1952-1965 were in healthy competition in economic development with each other, with Western Regional Government under Chief Awolowo, setting the pace in socio-economic developments, free Education for all her Citizens, establishing Western Television, the first in Africa and the Eastern Nigeria under Dr Azikiwe  establishing the UNN, and the Industrial Estates in Port Harcourt, Enugu, Calabar etc. all in healthy competition with Chief Awolowo led Western Nigeria, and the Northern Nigerian Government seemed not so much interested in such industrial / Economic Development Activities  and
• To end, by restating that the Capital of the Federal (Central) Government or Nigerian Federation was Lagos, and that of Northern Nigeria was Kaduna, that of Western Nigeria was Ibadan and that of Eastern Nigeria was Enugu, respectively.

STEP THREE: Determination of True Federating Units of Nigerian Federation in view of 1952-1965 Experience:

As a Rule or Convention, a True Federating Unit is Ethnic Nationality or Nation or a Consensus Group of Nations based. The Example of a Consensus Group of Nations is the Russian Federation which is a Federating Unit of USSR Federation of 14 Nations of which Russian Federation is one of them. When USSR disintegrated in1993, it did so into its 14 Nationalities. This means that a Federating Unit is Ethnic -Nationality or a Group of consenting ethic Nationalities based. This should serve as a Guide in determining Federating Units to avoid the ugly Experience of 1952-1965 Nigerian Federation.  

In the light of the above Observations, the following Federating Units or Regions are recommended for consideration in Nigeria’s Restructuring Process, namely,

• The 7 North West Nigerian States of Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger including Nupe and Gwari, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna and Zamfara, should serve as a Federating Unit because they have many things cultural / religious in common,
• The 6 Yoruba States plus Yoruba ethnic Nationalities located in Kwara State and in Kogi State, should form one Federating Unit.
• The 5 Igbo States and Igbo Anioma Section of Delta State, should form one Federating Unit
• The Akwaibom, the Efiks and the Ogoja ethnic Nationalities also qualify as a Federating Unit like Russian Federation in a USSR Federation, should form one Federating Unit,
• The Kanuri dominated North East of Nigeria including Bauchi, Yobe, Gombe, Jigawa and Adamawa States should form one Federating Unit,
•  The States of Plateau, Benue including Idoma and Igala, Taraba, Nasarawa States similarly qualify as a Federating Unit
• The States of Rivers including Ijaw, Bayelsa qualify as a Federating Unit
• The States of Edo, Urhobo, Itschekiri, Isoko, and other non-Igbo States in the present Delta State also qualify as Federating Unit.

However, it is important to ask any of the above ethnic Nationalities to indicate which Federating Unit they wish to belong, and the adjustment should be made accordingly during the Restructuring Process which exercise must be by consensus Agreement.   

In the above respect, Nigeria may have no more than Ten (10) Federating Units Federation.  This will be a welcome Relief from the existing 36 Federating Units, in which over 75% is utilized in servicing the bureaucracy leaving only 25% for socio-economic development, the main / prime objective of Good Governance.

Each of the above suggested Federating Unit is capable of taking full and exclusive responsibility / control of its Land, Agriculture, Economy, Education at all levels of its Citizens and other factors of socio-economic development within its domain, and can develop at its own pace and factor endowment in healthy competition with other Federating Units without any interference whatso ever from the Federal (Central) Government. The Federal (Central) Government itself, is a Coordinating Government of mutually agreed Common National Services and not a Controlling Government. In this regard it is immaterial which ethnic Nationality is the President or Prime Minister of Nigerian Federation.  The Common Services of the Federal (Central) Government are well defined as indicated above.  

                                                        CONCLUSIONS

In Conclusion, the Federating Units of a True Federation of Nigeria should be ethnic Nationality and or Consenting Groups of Ethnic Nationalities comprised in Nigeria based, and as the case of UK of Great Britain which is a Federation of ethnic Nationalities of England, Scotland and Wales all located in distinct/ different Parts of the Great Island called Great Britain which came into being in 1706 under a Treaty titled “Treaty of Union” and that of Canada which is a Union of English Speaking Americans and French Speaking Americans which came into existence following American Independence from Europe. In these two sustainable federations, It does not matter which ever ethic Nationality is the Prime Minister or President of UK or Canada, because the Responsibility of the Federal (Central) Government is limited to mutually Agreed Common Services of the respective Federation. UK of Great Britain and Canada respectively. Nigeria should follow suit.

Secondly the Financing of the Federation is as well spelt out above and should continue to form the Basis of the Financing of Nigerian Federation.

Thirdly Nigeria can be restructured peacefully and quickly by the 2/3 of the National Assembly and 2/3 of the current 36 States Assembly as required by the current Nigerian Constitution which empowers these Assemblies to amend the Existing Constitution any time as Nigerians want. This Power of Constitutional Amendment is not extended to the President of Nigeria or the Governors of the States. The only Role of the President is to endorse the decision of the Assemblies and if he refuses to endorse the 2/3 Decisions of the Assemblies, the latter has the Constitutional Power to repeat their Votes and the Constitution is automatically amended the Way Nigerians want it. All these in effect mean, is that neither the President nor the Governors nor the partisan Political Parties per se can Restructure Nigeria into a True Federation, Nigerians now want.   Consequently, all these hate -ridden, abuses and demonization of one ethnic Nationality or the other as the Villain against Restructuring of Nigeria is misplaced and an exercise in futility and unnecessary Street Fighting as nothing good can come out of these Fights. Therefore a Bill to effect the necessary Amendment along the above Suggestions should now be sent to the National Assembly by anybody who seriously want Restructuring of Nigeria into a True Federation so that real Peace, real Unity and Real Economic Progress can reign in Nigeria as a True Federation leading Nation in African Continent..  

For more Details please read the following References, namely,

• UK of Great Britain, Treaty of Union of 1707,
• The treaty of Union of the Federation of Canada,
• Nigeria’s Restructuring Conference Report at Ibadan, Western Nigeria, 1951,
• Macpherson Constitution of Nigeria of 1952,

My following Articles in my Book titled, “Nigeria’s Amalgamation Conundrum” 2019, namely “The Imperative of a True Federation for Nigeria” and “Do we (Nigerians) need 32 States unviable Federation”, respectively.

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