Amalgamation Conundrum: B. Nigeria without a National Dialogue

By Felix N. C. Oragwu

This Opinion piece is a rejoinder of support for the Editorial of The Guardian, Newspaper of September 26, 2013 titled “The Imperative of National Dialogue”. This well researched editorial should not be allowed to become another “read and throw away” on the matter as Nigeria’s continued survival as a Nation State in unity, peace and making progress, depends on it.  A National Dialogue of the true representatives of Nigeria’s over 200 ethnic Nationalities, is what is urgently required to return accountability in Government, to bring a new leadership in Government, to bring back true Federalism and to ensure the productivity of the economy, accountability as a serious instrument to prevent or fight the prevailing endemic corruption in the Polity and generally to address the current Nigeria’s existential Nightmare. The past Political developments and historic Events witnessed by Nigeria since 1914, have made Nigeria a laughing stock in the World. The above Issues are what make the National Dialogue of Nigeria’s constituent ethnic Nationalities not only imperative but urgent and immediate and whatever happens Nigeria must not be allowed to fail or disintegrate into its component parts.

It is interesting to note, as reported in the Newspapers, that the Presidency and the Leadership of the National Assembly are now “inclined”, albeit reluctantly, on the necessity for a National Dialogue. As someone who has lived for over 75 years on Planet Earth, one sees the reported Statements credited to Mr. President (Goodluck  E. Jonathan, and the Leader of the National Assembly (Senator David Mark, Senate President ) in the light of Comrade Governor Adams Oshimole’s Statement in his conversation with The Guardian of Sunday, of 29 September, 2013, namely, “when people talk of revolution, you have seen even conservative elements, including those who can be said to be responsible for the mess, that we are in, out of frustration, having now seen the mess themselves, say that a revolution is inevitable”. Is it not begging the question or missing the point to deny that the challenges of  current political instability, insecurity including the vicious and destructive Boko Haram insurgency, the ethnic nationality militant separatist movements, the “turn by turn” political maneuvering to grab and control the powerful Federal(Central) Government, the collapse of education values, standards and institutions, the joblessness and poverty, etc., in the midst of plenty in Nigeria, have their origin on the skewed Federal Structure of Nigeria, since the end of the Civil War of 1967-1970?  Is it not also true that Nigeria’s current political chaotic situation and economic underdevelopment impasse, began effectively in 1970 when by Military Fiat, the Terms of true Federalism negotiated and agreed to by our Founding Fathers (Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, respectively) in 1951-1954, were dismantled and replaced by the Military in 1970 to set up a quasi-Federal(Central) Government away from its earlier responsibility of Common Services for the Nation as at 1952-1965 into a very powerful and very attractive Federal (Central) Government, vested with all the executive and administrative control measures of governance in Nigeria, to undermine the Autonomy of the Federating Regional Units, which create Wealth for Nigeria?

The “inclined” face change of Mr. President and the Leadership of the National Assembly, now under PDP / President Goodluck Jonathan watch, should not be seen as an act of favor or magnanimity for Nigerians, who have been bearing the brunt of Nigeria’s frightening challenges /travails of Political instability, insecurity, economic underdevelopment and poverty, but that of bold and courageous acceptance (albeit reluctantly) of the reality of a National Dialogue to prevent Nigeria from collapse or disintegration. Is it conceivable, as the current National Assembly leadership seems to believe that the on-going self-serving “hocus-pocus” in the National Assembly in the name of Constitutional Review, can address the intractable chaotic political impasse and the frightening insecurity threatening Nigeria’s collapse?

What is now required, in my view, is not another debate and or political rhetoric as Nigerians have talked enough, but immediate and  speedy planning, convening and execution of a National Dialogue  of the true representatives of all Nigeria’s constituent ethnic Nationalities (both large and small) to address and resolve peacefully the following contending Issues, namely:

•  All Nigerians whether Hausa- Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo, Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv, Edo, Nupe,  Ijaw among many others with smaller populations, fully accepting and internalizing the fact that Nigeria is a Federation of diverse ethnic and multi-religious Nationalities and not of geographical regions of North, South, East  and West, not of Religious Faiths (Christian, Moslem, Animists and Ancestor Worshipers) and not of Administrative Units (current Nigeria 36 States are mere Administrative Units), but simply a Federation of Nigeria’s constituent ethnic Nationalities ( Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Fulani, Kanuri, Ibibio, Efik, Ijaw, Edo, Nupe, Tiv, among others), as a basis for establishing Federating Units,
• a Federal System that restructures the imposed  quasi-Unitary Government now euphemistically called Federal Government so that Federating Units or consenting Federating ethnic Nationalities are sufficiently viable and sufficiently powerful to control the natural resources within their domains, to develop at their own pace and factor endowments, and control the Education of all Nigerian Citizens within their domain, and within the Federal (Central) Government which is not so powerful and not so attractive to undermine the Autonomy of the Federating Units to avoid fanning Nigeria’s ethnic and religious diversity into destructive competition to grab and control the Federal Government, and in particular, where the Federal (Central) Government returns unequivocally to its own mutually agreed Common Services as was the case at 1952-1965 Constitutions, now dismantled by Military fiat, Is this not what the constituent Nigeria’s ethnic Nationalities have been agitating for since the end of the Civil  War? 
• a Federal arrangement that jettisons the unsustainable geographical zonal Federal Structure which operated from 1952-1965 Constitutions of three (3) dominant major population ethnic Nationality Power Blocks of Hausa- Fulani, Igbo, and Yoruba ethnic Nationality led Federating Regional Governments in which the aspirations and political interests of the ethnic Nationality minority population groups within their domains were given little or no attention, and or ignored, a situation that gave rise  to Adaka Boro insurgency of February 23, 1966, and a Civil War of 1967-1970,
• a Federal arrangement which makes it unattractive and therefore unnecessary for the cut throat competition among the three(3) major population Hausa-Fulani, Igbo and Yoruba, respectively or any other ethnic Nationality for that matter, to control and grab the now very powerful Federal (Central) Government which was the main cause of the Civil War of 1967-1970 and the current separatist Movements and  ethnic Nationality battles of marginalization, Islamization and the prevailing chaotic Political situation in Nigeria,
• a Federal arrangement that effectively addresses the vociferous cry of marginalization /subjugation by various Nigeria’s constituent ethnic Nationality groups,
• a Federal arrangement that takes due notice of the serious message namely that no Nigeria’s ethnic Nationality (large or small) is willing and ready to lose its ethnic Identity in Nigeria Nation State and or to be under the control of any other ethnic Nationality no matter how large or powerful in a Federal Structure of Nigeria,
• a Federal arrangement that appreciates the absurdity of artificial State creation, now 36 States, in which homogenous ethnic Nationalities such as Hausa-Fulani, Igbo and Yoruba, respectively are split into States to serve as Federating Units, now really  mere Administrative Units, under the control of very powerful Federal (Central) Government which action has set up Nigeria’s Federation not only with the most unique Structure but also a most expensive, corrupt, insecure , unstable and uncreative Federation in World history , United Kingdom for example is a Federation of England, Scotland and Wales which lived independently as Nations in one big Island called Great Britain but which fused into one Kingdom in 1707 in order to resolve peacefully into one United Kingdom of Great Britain through a Peace Treaty in 1707 and now making great progress as one Nation State.             
• a Federal arrangement which takes due note of Felix N. C. Oragwu Article titled “History a Cue for National Dialogue” published in the Opinion Page of The Guardian Newspaper of Wednesday, 10, July 2013, Thursday 11, 2013, and Friday, 12, July 2013 respectively which detailed the historic Events that led to the current Nigeria’s political, insecurity, poverty, technological and economic underdevelopment Nightmare. The above situation is why a National Dialogue of over 200 ethnic Nationalities comprised of Nigeria, is imperative to determine terms of their living together in peace, unity and progress and outcome of which Dialogue is a “make or break” for Nigeria.

I also have to disagree with people who say that all Nigeria’s problems are due to “the mistake of Amalgamation”  in 1914 of over 200 differing and distinct ethnic Nationalities to set up Nigeria as a Nation State. This is because it is “ Amalgamation” that made United States of America (USA) a big and most powerful Nation on earth, USSR a second most powerful Nation on earth and United Kingdom (UK) of Great Britain a great and formidable Colonial Power in Europe.  Nigeria with its large population and talented human resources, huge natural resources and large geographical space can be a great power at least in Africa. However USA and UK respectively came into being through a strategy of negotiated terms of Union in the case of USA of America States who are all immigrants from Europe, Asia and Africa, respectively, but who found themselves in North America originally owned by what is now history called the Red Indians, and in the case of UK of Great Britain is also through a negotiated Union of independent Nations of England, Scotland and Wales living independently in one big Island called Britain, which through the resulting Treaty of 1707 brought UK into being. What I believe is the “Mistake” in the case of Nigeria is the strategy of “forced Amalgamation” in 1914.  Britain herself to her credit as a Colonial Power later realized her “mistake” and corrected it in 1951, when she organized a National Conference of representatives of Nigeria’s over 200 constituent ethnic Nationalities led by Alhaji Ahmadu Bello leading the Northern Nigeria’s Group of Nationalities (now the 19 Northern States), Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe leading the Eastern Nigeria Group of Nationalities (now the South East States, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwibom and Cross River States, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo leading the Western Nigeria Group of Nationalities (now the 6 South West Sates, Edo and Delta States) respectively, in Ibadan, Western Nigeria for a negotiated Federation in 1951 to make  Nigeria a true Federation, which sustained Nigeria in relative unity, peace and progress from 1952-January 15, 1966 until Nigeria, by Military Fiat, jettisoned and disbanded the well worked out Terms of Nigeria Union by our Founding Fathers in 1952 to now introduce  a destructive Unitary Administration.

Let me end this Rejoinder with a brief explanation of the Concept of “true” Federalism that operated in Nigeria from 1952-1965 but which is not now well understood by our new Leadership Political Elite. The Federating Regions or Units (Northern, Western and Eastern Nigeria Regional Governments) were fully responsible and in control of their land, natural resources, education at all levels of their respective citizens, economic/ industrial production, etc., and operated at their own pace and factor endowments. They contributed through their respective export Revenues to National Revenue Pool or Wealth. The Federal (Central) Government had responsibility only for Common Services and had no export Revenue as it was only limited to a Capital Territory then in Lagos and therefore  could contribute little to the National Revenue Pool or Wealth as it has no production base or activities. This means that the Wealth of the Nation must come from the Federating Units and each Federating Unit got its allocation from the National Revenue Pool or Wealth after deduction of what was required to run the Federal Government exactly in proportion to the contribution of each Federating Regional Government to the National Revenue Pool or Wealth. This is what assured accountability, peace and economic productivity in the Nation.

Each Federating Regional Government had to work hard and diligently to improve the education of its citizens and has to develop its capacity for the exploitation of its natural resources and industrial production base so that it can compete effectively with other Regional Governments in export of raw materials and industrial goods. That capacity is mostly possible through (a) high quality education at all levels for all its citizens and (b) Science and Technology (S&T) activities in order to improve its economic / industrial production base. Here S&T refer to education in the disciplines of S&T (namely Physical, Biological, Engineering, Agricultural and Medical Sciences), scientific research, Research and Development (R&D) of the output of research or inventions into industrial goods and technical processes (namely technologies), mass production of technologies, and technology innovation (that is modification and upgrading of existing technologies) to produce new technologies. Technologies here refer to modern equipment, machines, engineering tools, measuring and control instruments etc.

In 1954 National Revenue Allocation based on contributions by the Federating Regional Governments to the National Revenue Pool or Wealth,  Western Nigeria (now South West States and the States of Edo and Delta) had the largest revenue allocation of 45 million pounds Sterling, Northern Nigeria (now 19 Northern States) got 35 million pounds Sterling, Federal(Central) Government got 30 million pounds and Eastern Nigeria (now South East States , Rivers, Bayelsa, AkwaIbom and Cross River States) got 10 million pounds Sterling, the lowest allocation of that year.  Western Nigeria highest allocation was reported to be due to the vision and leadership of Chief Obafemi Awolowo who led Western Regional  Government, which saw education of its citizens as a critical instrument for economic development and which set up industrial Estates for modern industrial production and went ahead to give its citizens free education and massive scholarships for higher education in and outside Nigeria in addition to setting up industrial Estates in Ikeja, Illupeju, Apapa  then not under Federal Government, and Ibadan and made enormous economic achievements.  Eastern Nigeria Regional Government under the leadership of Dir. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Dr. Michael Okpara immediately after 1954 followed Chief Awolowo’s example and set up University of Nigeria Nsukka with emphasis on all aspects of Science and Technology and Professional courses including Economics, Land Economics and Mineral Studies, then unknown in the University College, Ibadan, to facilitate the development of Eastern Nigeria’s economy. The Eastern Nigeria Regional Government also established Industrial Estates at Enugu and Port Harcourt in order to compete effectively with Western Nigeria Regional Government in export of raw materials and industrial goods and by 1964 leapfrogged from the least Federal Revenue allocation of 10 million pound sterling in 1954 to be the fastest growing economy in West Africa.  The Northern Nigeria relative economic and industrial underdevelopment in spite her huge natural resources potential, is credited primarily to the initial denial of modern education to her people by her then Political Leadership and or rejection of what is referred to as “white” man’s education which left the mass of her population mostly without modern education at all levels of education, and modern education is a critical instrument of modern economic development, prosperity and modern economic progress.    

During the period 1952-1965, however there was accountability in Government, there was little corruption as any person found corrupt had a most harrowing, humiliating and devastating sanction, there was nothing like Federal character or quota nor cries of marginalization by any ethnic Nationality group, the phenomena that began in 1970, following the Military dismantling of the Terms of Nigeria’s Union of 1952-1965. Every Regional Government was seen to be in robust and in healthy competition with each other, worked hard to improve the lot of its respective Citizens because every Federating Regional Government knew that no other Federating Government owed her a living. There was very little support from the Federal (Central) Government which was itself struggling to meet its own responsibility of Common Services for the Nation with its own allocation from the National Revenue allocation and with no other source of revenue except from the taxes of Nigerians working for the Federal Central Government. There were no “turn by turn” political fights to control and or little agitation to grab the Federal (Central) Government.  This Federal Structure arrangement is what the country should aim at so that the aspirations of Nigeria at Independence in 1960 should be realized, 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.”

In summary, it is necessary for Nigeria’s Elite in Politics and Government to stop denying the above stated true causes of Nigeria’s endemic Political Instability, come to terms with them and  to understand and appreciate that the Politics of Ethnicity is a serious challenge to Nigeria’s continuing existence as a Nation State, that the Politics of Religion is dangerous and fatal to the survival of Nigeria as a peaceful and united Nation State and that the Politics of dichotomy of the so called Moslem North and so called Christian South is a delusion. All these are well indicated by the Republic of Sudan which have now split into Arab Moslem North Sudan and Christian / Animist South Sudan and South Sudan itself is now being seriously threatened by a fatal Ethnic Nationality conflict. This is a serious warning to Nigeria’s Political Leadership of what the Fate of Nigeria will be if we do not restructure into a consensus Federation. Therefore, in my view, without a consensus National Dialogue of all the constituent Nigeria’s ethnic Nationalities to determine how they wish to live together in peace and real unity, any future Election in Nigeria including the on-coming 2015 Election without a National Dialogue, to voluntarily agree on how the diverse ethnic and religious peoples comprised in Nigeria can live together in unity, peace and progress or go their separate ways peacefully, is an exercise in futility. The Experience of Adaka Boro insurgency of February 23, 1966 and that of Nigeria-Biafra Civil War of 1967-1970, respectively, have shown that attempts at forceful Secession cannot be the way to go, consequently, in my view, all ongoing agitations and or emerging secessionists movements remain a costly exercise in futility and whatever happens Nigeria must not be allowed, for the sake of Africa, to fail or disintegrate into its component parts.    

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