Review of Nigeria Existing Constitution into a True and Sustainable Federation

INTRODUCTION:

These Proposals, for Reconstitution of Nigeria into a “True and Sustainable Federation which were earlier, in 18^th May, 2012 submitted to the Senate and House Committees of the National Assembly, dealing with the Review of the Nigeria’s Existing Constitution are, hereby being re-submitted to the current National Assembly for necessary Action. This is a response to the developments, arising from the ongoing 2023 Elections. The Issue of North South, Christian Moslem pairing of President and Vice President, Moslem -Moslem and Christian – Christian Religious Controversy is an anomaly in a True and Sustainable Federation. It is well known that a True and Sustainable Federation is a Federation of two or more ethnic Nationalities or Nations. Is there anything like a Religious Nation or Religious ethnic Nationality? That explains the Nigeria’s dilemma in understanding what a True Federation is all about. Most Nations or ethnic Nationalities, if not all, are multi -Religious, namely, Christians, Moslems, Ancestor Worshippers, Communists, Quasi Idealists and what have you. In the light of this current Nigeria’s Religious Controversy, I have decided to resubmit my 18 May 2012 Proposals for Restructuring Nigeria into a True and Sustainable Federation to the type of things happening in 2023 National Elections. 

  In response to the earlier Call by the Nigeria’s Constitutional Review Committees (Senate and House of Representatives) National Assembly for Nigerians to submit their Views on the Amendments to the Nigeria’s Constitution, being undertaken by the Nigerian National Assembly, in 2012. My proposed Suggestions on a “true Federal Structure Arrangement”, is almost similar, to a Parliamentary Form of Government, which served Nigeria well in Peace, relative Unity, Progress and Prosperity and at less Administrative Costs, from 1954-Januar 15, 1966, when a Military insurrection on January 15, 1966, dismantled it.

The Main Issues submitted for the Consideration by the National Assembly:

It is well known that Nigeria came into Existence as a Nation State in 1914 through forced Amalgamation or cobbling together by British Imperial Power and Colonial Diplomacy of over 200 distinct and disparate ethnic Nationalities or Nations (some with large, some with small populations) but with different languages, cultures, religious beliefs, unique myths, modes of administrations and what have you.  However, Nigeria has been sustained relatively as a Federal Nation State from 1951-1960 under British Colonial Rule and at Independence from British Colonial Rule from 1960-1966, in relative peace, unity and progress until January 15, 1966 when there was Military intervention in Politics  followed by a Civil War of 1967-1970, which dismantled the Terms of Union, negotiated and agreed to by Nigeria’s Founding Fathers, that brought Nigeria into being as a Federation beginning from 1951-1954.

From the end of the Civil War in 1970, the emergent Military Administrations from 1970 and subsequent Civilian Administrations that run Nigeria to present, distorted the extant Federal Structure Arrangement which set off intractable Political Instability and Crisis of good Governance in Nigeria, which have refused to abate. The Federal Structure Constitutions and Governance arrangements of 1954-1966 vested on the Federating Regional Governments or Units with sole responsibility for the control, within their respective domains, of their respective land, natural resources, Agriculture, production economy, primary and secondary education of their respective Citizens, internal security among others, but vested on the Federal (Central) Government with specific but limited and coordinating responsibilities of mutually Agreed Common Services , namely,  the Armed Forces, National Police, Citizenship, Customs, Central Banking and Currency, Immigration, Foreign Affairs including foreign Trade, National Education Standards, National Industrial goods Standards and National Scientific Research Standards, respectively. That is why the Federal Central Government is a Coordinating not a Controlling Administration.

 The Nigerian Federation is in many ways similar, to the Federation that brought ethnic Nationalities of England, Scotland, and Wales, living as independent Nations within one large Island, named Great Britain, and by a treaty named Treaty of Union of 1707 into one great Nation State, namely the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The Nigerian Federation again before Its distortion by Military Insurrection is again similar, to what happened later after the American War of Independence, when the English speaking and French speaking Nationalities set up a Nation State, named Canada. Both UK of Great Britain (now British Nationality) and Canada, respectively are living in peace and making progress as a united Nation State, but this is not the case with Nigeria, since the end of Nigeria’s Civil War of 1967- 1970, since both the Military and Civilian Administrations that run Nigeria now run Nigeria., are Military and Civilian Administrations, that have continued to run Nigeria as  a quasi-Unitary Administration which vested almost all the Executive control powers of Government in the Federal (Central) Government, leaving the Federating State Governments as mere Administrative Units of the now very powerful Federal (Central) Government. That is the Nigeria’s major debacle and until this is addressed Nigeria will be Politically unstable and Insecure.

The resulting quasi Unitary Administration has also led to serious protests and disquiet among most Nigeria’s ethnic Nationality Groups leading to Insurrections of Non-State Insurgent Actors, such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the Odudua Yoruba People Congress (OPC), the Ijaw People National Congress (IJN) and a Movement calling for the actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), and a new destructive Criminal Insurgent Actor in town, namely, Independence People of Biafra (IPOB), among others, all clamoring for the disintegration of Nigeria into its component ethnic Nationalities , and or for a Return  to True Federal Arrangement, as has existed before the Civil War of 1967-1970. These protests have since escalated to Nigeria’s current nightmare (details later) of political instability, the interplay of religion, politics, and ethnicity, shrouded by corruption, poverty, and insecurity, now ravaging and destabilizing Nigeria. The most recent Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East of Nigeria, is so vicious that it now threatens Nigeria with another Civil War, quite different in scope and complexity to the Civil War of 1967-1970. 

The Country is now witnessing stringent Calls from the generality of the concerned Nigerian population including Nigeria’s Elders for a Sovereign National Conference or National Dialogue to address Nigeria’s National Question and the Terms for a return to a sustainable Federal Arrangement so that Unity, Peace and Progress can return to Nigeria as a Nation State. This is what these my Proposals are calling on the National Assembly to please address.      

           Predictions and Lessons Arising from 1967-1970 Nigeria’s Civil War:                                           The  Book on “Scientific and Technological Innovations in Biafra: The Ogbunigwe Fame, 1967-1970”,  written by me (Felix Oragwu), after the Civil War informed  Nigerians and in particular, the Youths of Nigeria, most of whom were born during and after the Civil War, on the perceived main cause of the War, the lessons from the War  and the serious implications for Nigeria’s peace, unity and progress in replacing by Military fiat, after the War, of the Terms of Union of  Nigerian Federalism, negotiated and agreed to by the Nigeria’s  Founding Fathers in 1951-1954, with a manifestly quasi Unitary Administration.  It will seem that the Military was either unaware or had forgotten what led to Federalism in 1951-1954 (see details in my Book on Innovations in Biafra) as a way of keeping Nigeria’s disparate Nationalities together, as one Nation State, exacerbated by serious ethnic Nationality cleavages, political instability and a vicious Boko Haram insurgency, all threatening Nigeria’s corporate existence. The quasi- Unitary Nation state of Nigeria has also given rise to vicious in fighting among the Groups of ethnic Nationality Elites for the control of a very attractive powerful Federal Central Government. These Developments, in my view, are the consequence of usurping by the Federal (Central) Government of the Constitutional responsibilities invested by 1954-1966 Constitutions on the Federating Regions or Units over land, natural resources, education (except that in the case of University education the Regional Governments share equal responsibility with Federal Government), the production economy (i.e. agricultural and industrial production), internal security etc. a situation that now render the Federating Units as mere administrative Units under the control of the now very powerful Federal Government. The crux of the matter or the Solution is to return, in spirit and letter, to the terms of Constitutional Arrangement and the form of Governance that vested the Federal (Central) Government with specific but limited powers, namely Common Services (see details in my Book on Technological Innovations) so that Nigeria will have Peace and that is what my Memorandum to National Assembly is all about.

First a Word on past Attempts to address the Political Instability Crisis of Nigeria as a Nation State:

 To address Nigeria’s emergent intractable Challenges (see details of these challenges listed below) arising from the change from “true Federalism” to quasi Unitary Administration, the Military Government went ahead splitting homogenous ethnic Nationalities into several States, (example Yoruba Nationality into six States and NdIIgbo Nationality into five States) a situation that led Nigeria from 12 States in 1970 to the current 36 States, and more States are irrationally still being demanded. The States Creation itself, has led to a most expensive Government and a worrying self-serving corrupt bureaucracy in Nigeria, in which well-over75% of National Budget is expended in running the political administrative bureaucracy, leaving 25% for National economic development projects, a situation responsible for continuing economic underdevelopment, unemployment  and pervasive poverty in Nigeria.  It is also manifestly evident that the States creation since 1970s has neither restored “true Federalism” as practiced from 1954-1966 nor engendered in real terms peace, unity, equity, and economic progress in Nigeria.

 In 1981-1985, the Civilian Administration of 1980-1983 set up a National Economic Development Plan with lofty “Goals” of socio-economic growth and development as a recipe to turn around Nigeria’s political and economic fortunes and to make Nigeria, namely, “a United, strong and self-reliant Nation, a great and dynamic Economy, a just and egalitarian Society, a land of bright and full Opportunities for all its Citizens, and a free and democratic Society”. These words now sound hollow and eventually ended up as a mere rhetoric, because of the failure to address the fundamental destructive issue namely, Nigeria’s Political instability or the National question, namely “true Federalism” and the resulting most expensive Presidential system of Government.

          Resume on Nigeria’s daunting Challenges as a Nation State since 1970:

 The refusal by all Governments (Military and Civilian) from 1970 to present, to address honestly, truthfully, and seriously Nigeria’s intractable Challenges of Political instability, Economic and industrial underdevelopment, massive unemployment, and related pervasive poverty, led to the following intractable Challenges threatening the very Existence of the Nigeria Nation State itself, namely:

• Political tension resulting from ethnic Nationality conflicting cleavages, “do or die” political fights, corruption ridden “turn by turn” self-serving political opportunism, etc., by various ethnic Nationality groups, all geared selfishly to control the very attractive Federal Government and eat up the Nigeria’s national resources since 1999,
•   pervasive and incredible corruption at all levels of Governance, self-serving political gambits and widely reported frightening looting and thievery of Government financial resources, and lack of accountability by various leadership elites in Government,
• sprawling Incidents of armed robbery, kidnapping, hired killers, political assassinations, Sectarian killings, Insurgencies, Criminality, and other unwholesome, often violent, and destructive militant activities,   
• Boko Haram criminal insurgency, the most inexplicable vicious religious / poverty / political induced destructive insurgency ravaging most parts of the Northern States of Nigeria and the Federal Capital, Abuja, causing despondency among the generality of the Nigerian population,
• pervasive poverty and unemployment in the population (official Government statistics put 70 % of Nigeria’s population in 2011 as living below poverty line) exacerbated by non-existent industrial economic production base and or a competitive industrial economy, rendering Governance a frightening nightmare in Nigeria,
• debased education value, standards and institutions (the veritable instrument essential for producing good citizens, disciplined citizens and knowledgeable citizens required for the development of a Nation) have become Centers for Certificate acquisition fraught with examination malpractices, illegalities, the entire education institutional collapse which has led to a situation in which Nigerian Universities, which used to rank within the first ten (10) in the World before 1970, now struggle to be mentioned within the first 1000 hundred Universities,
• Science and Technology activities in which there is near total exclusion of domestic endogenous capability and or capacity building for R&D, engineering design and fabrication,  technology production and technology innovation in Nigeria’s domestic economy, leaving the sustenance of an industrial economy in Nigeria to the vagaries and caprices of foreign produced technologies, foreign produced  industrial goods including materials and foreign professional scientific and engineering personnel to leave Nigeria dangerously poor,
•    pronounced Inadequacies in critical economic development supporting infrastructures including Electrical Power supply infrastructure (the prime energy for sustaining competitive manufacturing sector of the economy, wealth creation and employment generation in an economy) now , Nigeria with a population of 160 million people and highly well-endowed with abundant natural resources and talents now struggles to produce 5000 Megawatts of electricity for her economy, compared with 40000 Megawatts by Republic of South Africa with a population of less than 50 million 
• unnecessary high prestige and status accorded University Academic Degrees and Diploma in Nigeria compared to inexplicable lower status accorded the Polytechnics, Colleges of Technology and Technical College Diploma and inexplicable low priority accorded to the training of applied scientists, engineers, technologists, technicians, craftsmen, technology alert entrepreneurs, etc., the prime movers of a competitive wealth creating, and employment generating industrial economy, and
• a bloated National Political Federal /States Administrations in which well over 75% is being spent on servicing the most inefficient and uncreative bureaucracy leaving less than 25% for capital projects needed to build and to sustain the Critical socio-economic development activities,

The above Challenges and Travails in my View are the consequences, in my view, of the distortion and or abandonment of “true Federalism” and the introduction of a most expensive Presidential System of Government for a developing Economy, which  should be the prime focus of the National Assembly Constitution Review Committees, in order to bring Nigeria back to a preferred true Federation and Parliamentary form of Government so that Peace can reign in Nigeria.

 First, an insight into Nigeria’s ethnic- Nationalities before Amalgamation in 1914:

 The National Assembly Constitution Review Committees, in the process of reconstituting Nigeria into “true Federalism”, should always bear in mind that the Nation State of Nigeria came into existence in 1914 not by voluntary means but by virtue of the British Imperial Power and Colonial diplomacy forced Amalgamation of what were then known as the British Northern Protectorates, the British Southern Protectorates (East and West of the River Niger respectively) and the Colony of Lagos (conquered by Britain in 1861).  The different ethnic Nationalities making the above British Protectorates were cobbled together by force of British Imperial Power to form a Nation State in 1914 and to serve British prime Objectives of colonizing Nigeria.

In 1931, the British Colonial Census of Nigeria indicated that the first ten largest Populations of Nigeria’s constituent ethnic Nationalities with different cultures, languages, religious beliefs, myths and governance structures were in the following descending order of population namely 1. Hausa 2.Igbo 3.Yoruba, 4.Fulani, 5.Kanuri, 6.Ibibio, 7.Tiv (Munchen), 8.Edo, 9.Nupe and 10. Ijaw Nationality, respectively. Other Nigeria’s ethnic Nationalities with smaller Populations said to number over 190 were not grouped. It is interesting to note that the Igbo ethnic Nationality was reported by the 1931 Census the second largest in terms of population in Nigeria.

Some information on the factors leading to a Federal Structure of Government for Nigeria:

It is important for the National Assembly Constitution Review Committees (Senate and House) to be always aware of what led to the Federal Structure Administration for Nigeria. Following the British forceful Amalgamation in 1914 of the ethic-Nationalities comprised in Nigeria, (initially grouped as British Northern Protectorates (now 19 States), and British Southern Protectorates (now 17 States of Southern Nigeria, including Lagos State) respectively, Nigeria has had no Peace, no Real Unity and no serious Economic/ Industrial Growth and Development commensurate with its enormous endowment in talented Human and Natural Mineral Resources.

Nigeria has witnessed Military Intervention in Government as a Result of this Amalgamation of the following ethnic Nationalities or Nations to form a forced Federation, namely, Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, NdiIgbo, Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv, Edo, Nupe, Ijaw, Urhobo, Itschekiri, Idoma, Efik, Igala, Isoko, and many others. See the 1931 British Census.  Nigeria has been witnessing the following Non -State Actors wanting to disintegrate Nigeria into its component ethnic Nationalities. These non -State insurgent Actors, are, namely,

• Adaka Boro Insurgency of February 1966 following the first Military Intervention in Politics in January 1966.  
• Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, (MEND),
• Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB),
• Oduduwa Yoruba People Congress (OPC),
• Ijaw National Congress (IJN), and the latest, and now the new in Town
• Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) Criminal / destructive Insurgency.

All the above non-State Insurgent Actors have one Mission in common, namely, the Disintegration of the Nation State of Nigeria into the ethnic Nationalities or Nations that make up Nigeria, to go their separate Ways or in the alternative, a True and Sustainable Federation of the ethnic Nationalities or Nations, that make up Nigeria. It is however, well -understood, that a True and Sustainable Federation is a Federation of two or more ethnic Nationalities or Nations which have freely come together to determine and freely agree on their Terms of Union. For example, the United Kingdom of Great Britain our Colonial Master is a Federation of the Nations of England, Scotland and Wales which came into being freely in 1707 following the Mutually Agreed Terms of their Union (Treaty of Union) of these three Nations, which are domiciled in one Great Island called Great Britain. The UK of Great Britain is still waxing strong since 1707 in Unity, Peace and making fantastic Economic progress as one Great and Powerful Nation.   

 Total Rejection of Amalgamation of Nigeria’s ethnic Nationalities by Nigeria’s Founding Fathers of Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and Dr, Nandi Azikiwe, respectively in Focus:

Nigeria’s Founding Fathers at a Meeting in Ibadan, Western Region of Nigeria called by the British Colonial Authorities for the Restructuring of Nigeria, into a True and Sustainable Federation, are, namely,

• Alhaji Ahmadu Bello leading the ethnic Nationalities from Northern Region of Nigeria, now 19 States,
•  Chief Obafemu Awolowo, leading the ethnic Nationalities from for Western Region of Nigeria, now the 6 Western States including Lagos States, the Edo State, and the Delta State, respectively and
• Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe leading the ethnic Nationalities of the Eastern Region of Nigeria, respectively, now Abia State, Anambra State, Ebonyi State, Enugu State, and Imo State, now named (South- East States), AKwaIbon State, Rivers State, Cross River State, and Bayelsa State, respectively.

These three Regions, Northern Region of Nigeria, Western Region of Nigeria, and Eastern Region of Nigeria with their Capitals at Kaduna, Ibadan, and Enugu respectively, and Lagos became the Federal Capital of Nigeria as a Federation.       

•   The robust Rejection by Nigeria’s constituent ethnic Nationalities of “Amalgamation” described as “an artificial action on paper” together with the setting up of a Unitary Form of Government for  Nigeria is manifested by the following positions reportedly taken by the leaderships of the respective ethnic Nationality groups during the Ibadan Conference in 1951, namely Alhaji Ahmadu Bello of British Northern Nigeria Protectorates who stated that “North is for the people of the North, West for the people of the West, East for the people of the East and Lagos the Capital is for us all”,  Chief Obafemi Awolowo of the British Western Nigeria who agreed that  “ North is for the North, West for the West, East for the East but that Lagos as part of the West belongs to the West, and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe of the ethnic Nationalities of the British Eastern Nigeria who agreed  with both Alhaji Ahmadu Bello and Chief Obafemi Awolowo in principle, but had to differ on the position of Lagos, which Dr Azikiwe suggested should be independent Capital of all the three Regions, and to serve as an independent Capital of the evolving Federal Union State of Nigeria. This position was eventually accepted in 1954 as the basis for the Federal Administration of Nigeria. The National Assembly Constitutional Review Committee should find time to read the Restructuring Report in the Archives where I read it.

It is clear however, from the above that a True and Sustainable Federation is not a *Federation of Geographical Regions, North, East and  West, nor of North and South of Nigeria, nor of Administrative Unites  but simply a Federation of the ethnic Nationalities or Nations, comprised in Nigeria, namely, Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, NdiIgbo, Kanuri, , Ibibio, Tiv, Edo, Nupe, Ijaw, Urhobo, Itsechekiri,  Idoma, Igala, Efik, Ogoja, Ogoni , among others comprised in Nigeria* . So, says Kanule Saro-Wiwa, an Ogoni Political Activist, in his Book, titled, *The Darkling Plane*.

In the light of the above Reality, the Federating Units of a True Federation for Nigeria are Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, IndiIgbo, Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv or Munchem, Edo, Nupe, Ijaw, Urhobo, Itschekiri,  Idoma, Igala, Efik, Ogoja, Beroms, and other ethnic Nationalities contained in the 1931 British Colonial Census of Nigeria of 1931. This obviously and clearly indicate is that the Nigerian 36 States Federation is not a True and Sustainable Federation for Nigeria and should be abolished for a True Federation so that Nigeria can have Peace and develop in Unity making Economic Progress as One Nation State in Africa, South of Sahara                .

A Word on Mutually Agreed Terms of Union of Nigeria as a Federation from 1952:

 Following the National Conference in Ibadan in 1951 chaired by the British Colonial Secretary, Sir Oliver Littleton, Nigeria was restructured into a Federation of three Regional Governments with their respective Capitals at Kaduna, Ibadan, and Enugu,, and a Federal Government with Lagos as the Capital of the Federal Government.      From 1952ollowinIn 1951, the Conference of the representatives of the ethnic Nationalities of Nigeria convened by the British Colonial Authority in Ibadan reportedly agreed on the following Terms of Union for a Federation of Nigeria’s ethnic Nationalities grouped into three, namely Northern Nigerian Nationalities, Western Nigerian Nationalities, and Eastern Nigerian Nationalities, respectively with Lagos as Capital of the Federal Government and Kaduna, Ibadan and Enugu respectively as Capitals of the federating Northern, Western and Eastern Nigeria Regional Governments, respectively.

The Mutually Agreed Terms of the Nigerian Federation with effect from 1952:

The Agreed Terms of Nigeria’s Federation, in Focus are as follows, namely, each Federating Regional Government, should:

•  take full control and exclusive responsibility for land and agriculture, development of resources (human and natural primary raw materials (agricultural and minerals)) within its domain, other factor endowments and internal security,        
• control exclusively the education of its citizens at the Primary and Secondary education but share responsibility with the Federal Government in establishing Universities in order to allow the existing University College Ibadan established by Colonial Government to continue to be developed to full University for all the Regions by the Federal Government, but that all the Secondary education Schools established by the British Colonial Government in each respective Regions should be taken over by the respective Regional Government,
•  contribute 50 % of its export revenue derived from its Region to a distributive pool for all Nigerians and keep 50 % exclusively to itself but Federal Government which had no land resources for economic activities, but a Capital territory should contribute nothing and should also keep for itself the personal income tax derived from all Nigerian Citizens working for the Federal Government,
•  Out of the contributions by the Federating Regional Governments to the National financial pool, the Budget requirement for running the Federal Government should be worked out and passed on to the Federal Government, the balance of the contributions should be shared in proportion to the contribution of each Regional Government to the Federation Account among the three Federating Regional Governments,
• To the Federal (Central) Government, the following specific responsibilities referred to as Common Services are assigned, namely, the Military to defend the National Territory against external aggression, Police, Immigration, Customs, Central Bank, Foreign Affairs including foreign trade, Railways and Telecommunications Services, National Agricultural Scientific Research, National Industrial Products Standards, National Scientific Research and Technology Development Standards, and
•  any residual responsibility not specifically mentioned for the Federal (Central) Government, should be the exclusive responsibility of the Federating Regional Governments.

Decisions that led to the attainment of Political Independence for Nigeria in 1960:

In the 1956/1957 London Conference called by the British Colonial Authorities to decide on the date for Nigerian Political independence, the Western Nigeria and Eastern Nigeria Governments, respectively, were allowed by the British Colonial Authorities to become self- governing entities within their responsibilities as agreed by the 1951 Terms of the Union but Northern Nigeria refused the British offer of self- government and decided to remain under direct rule of the British Colonial Government just as the Federal (Central) Government itself. However, in March 1959, after eighteen months of Self-Government by Western Nigeria and Eastern Nigeria Regional Governments, the Northern Nigeria Government decided to accept the British Colonial Authorities offer of self-government within its own responsibilities but insisted that before any Political Independence for Nigeria, the Northern Nigeria Regional Government must be allowed to enjoy same 18 months of self-Government like both Eastern and Western Nigeria did. In the light of this decision by the Northern Regional Government and to accommodate the wishes of the Northern Nigeria Regional Government, the British Colonial Authorities extended the date of Nigeria’s independence by 18 months from March 1959 to October 1, 1960. That is how October 1, 1960, came to be Nigeria’s Independent Day. This action again is a clear manifestation of true Federalism and the autonomy of the Federating Regional Governments from Federal (Central) Government control. However, In 1963 Nigeria became a Federal Republic.

An Insight into the Operation of “true Federalism” in Nigeria, during 1960-1966:

Except for the splitting out of the Mid-Western Nigeria, made up of non-Yoruba ethnic Nationalities of the present Edo and Delta States from the Western Region of Nigeria in 1963, to form a fourth Federating Regional Government, the Governments of the Federation (Federal and Regional) operated with little or no difficulty within their respective Constitutional responsibilities from 1952-1966 in relative peace, unity, and genuine progress.

Each Regional Government was observed to start full gear developing its respective agricultural economies and industrial services, increasing its respective revenue profile, developing, reorganizing, and improving its educational institutions to accommodate more students as well as building and developing its economic supporting infrastructures of roads, energy and water supply, etc.  For instance, the Western Nigeria Regional Government under the leadership of Chief Obafemi Awolowo went into industrial estates establishing such estates at Illupeju, Ikeja, and Apapa, Areas then not under the Federal Government. It also embarked on massive building of educational institutions, offering free education and scholarships in and outside Nigeria for its Citizens. It embarked on industrialization of its Region and agricultural development and made immense economic achievements. Till date, the Associates of Chief Awolowo and entire Yoruba Nationality still honor him and regard him as a hero with such reverence and encomiums as “an icon of immeasurable stature, an administrator of impeccable integrity, a statesman of statesmen and a leader who put his people first”

The Eastern Nigeria Government under the creative and innovative leadership of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Dr Michael Okpara followed suit and went into massive Agricultural production, industrial estates in Enugu and Port Harcourt and in 1956 offered massive scholarship awards to its Citizens for education and training in and outside Nigeria, in Science, Technology and professional courses including Physical and Biological Sciences, Engineering including Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Metallurgical engineering respectively, Agricultural Sciences and Professional courses including Architecture, Land economics and technological courses and set up a full-fledged  University namely University of Nigeria, Nsukka, for the first time in Nigeria’s University development history.. The policy of the Eastern Nigeria Regional Government was to develop a full-fledged University to cater for the economic and industrial development needs of a developing country as opposed to British Colonial University at Ibadan. By 1964, Eastern Nigeria which got only £10 million pounds Sterling during the first revenue allocation in 1954 was reported to be the fastest growing economy in West Africa.

The Northern Nigeria under the leadership of Alhaji Ahmadu Belo, which at first was reported to be lukewarm in educational activities in Northern Nigeria, began to compete with the other Regions by offering Scholarships to its gifted citizens and to improve its agricultural economy. The Northern Nigeria in particular, began to intensify its primary Agricultural production in particular Cotton, groundnuts, hides and skins as well as exploration of its solid Minerals potential in order, to boost its export revenue. This is evidence, of desirable healthy competition for development among the Federating Regions and which engendered peace, unity and sustained progress in Nigeria in a True Federalism.                                                                                                                                                                Nigeria was in fact really moving forward in peace, unity and prosperity in a true Federalism until the tragedy of Military insurrection in 1966 which dismantled and destroyed the existing Federal arrangement that sustained Nigeria as one Nation in relative peace and progress. Since the emergence of Military and Civilian Administrations from 1970 till present Nigeria’s unity, peace and progress were seriously and fatally impaired leading to the intractable challenges and travails earlier above mentioned, which now threaten the very existence of Nigeria as one Nation State.

 Now what is the Way Forward to go to overcome the Political Instability Crisis of Nigeria as a Nation State?

Recently, one has observed some encouraging regrouping of the existing mostly economically non-viable Federating States of Nigeria towards Regional Economic Union similar, to the situation, we had in 1954. The Five States of former Western Nigeria (Oyo, Ogun, Oshun, Ekiti, and Ondo) plus Lagos State are now regrouping into one solid economic Union of one Yoruba Nationality. Similar action is taking place in South- South Region of Nigeria in which the minority ethnic-Nationality States of Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta are also regrouping into one solid economic Union of consenting minority ethnic-Nationalities. In a recent statement credited to a former Colleague in the Federal Public Scientific Research Service and former Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria,  namely, Professor Ango Abdulahi, a leading light, in Northern Nigeria’s Political Establishment, to the effect that “ it was a tragic mistake for Lord Lugard  to have amalgamated  Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria to form the Nation State of Nigeria” seems to me a possible move by Northern Nigeria towards regrouping of the contiguous and complex 19 Nigerian Northern States of various ethnic Nationalities (large and small) into possible three distinct homogenous economic Unions possibly namely, Hausa/ Fulani Nationality led 7 North Western States, Kanuri Nationality led 6 North Eastern States  and the 6 Minority Nationalities States of Benue, Plateau, Nassarawa, Niger, Kogi and Kwara, respectively. Again in April 2012,  a distinguished Senator and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, from South Eastern States, in a brilliant Address at the 6^th Annual Oputa Lecture at the Osgood Hall Law School, York University of Toronto, Canada, stated that “ a return to the Regions in the long term seems a major plausible thing to do, if we are to nurse any hopes of reversing the dwindling fortunes of our Federalism by engendering viability and self-reliance of the component Units, healthy competition, reduction in the cost of governance and enthronement of acceptable level of equity”.  This statement from a distinguished Senator from South -Eastern States seems to me that the 5 South East States of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo are also on the way to South -East Economic Union of one Igbo Nationality. With these consenting, Regional Groupings, Nigeria may be on the way to six (6) viable, equitable self-sustainable Federating Regions or Units, a less expensive Federation and an early return to “true and sustainable Federalism” as was the case from 1954-1960 and 1960-1966. This laudable development may lead to the determination of agreeable and sustainable Terms of Union of the evolving Entities to jettison the unwholesome “turn by turn” political maneuvering to control the attractive and powerful Federal Government thrust on Nigeria by Military fiat in 1970 and lead to a welcome return to a more accountability in Governance in Nigeria. The National Assembly Constitutional Review Committees should key into these developments in their effort to give Nigeria a new and acceptable Constitution and “true” Federal Constitution, that will meet the aspirations of all the Nigeria’s constituent ethnic Nationalities (large or small).

                                             CONCLUSIONS:

To conclude, the National Assembly Constitution Review Committees should discard the existing 36 States Federation Constitution because it is more of Administrative Unit of Nigeria’s ethnic Nationalities or Nation and note and ensure that a desirable new Constitution for Nigeria is one that promotes the following, namely, that:

• Nigeria is a Federation of ethnic Nationalities and not a Federation of “Geographical Regions, or Religious faiths or Administrative Units” respectively, that is, a Federation, similar, to that of United Kingdom (UK) of Great Britain which brought the ethnic Nationalities of England, Scotland, and Wales into one Nation in 1707 by the Treaty of Voluntary Union of 1707,
•  Nigeria’s political leadership elite should not be allergic to the above Truth namely, that Nigeria is a Federation of ethnic Nationalities and should summon the integrity and courage to return Nigeria to true Federalism as was the case in 1954-1966 Constitutions so that peace and progress will reign again in Nigeria,
• True Federalism is the best way to go to bring the various and disparate ethnic Nationalities of Nigeria into one sustainable Nation State, so that relative peace, stability, national cohesion, love, and understanding will reign in Nigeria as was experienced from 1954-1966 but with some adjustments to allow consenting ethnic minority Nationalities to form Federating Units,
• The present intractable Challenges of Governance (stated above) and the frightening political nightmare we now experience in trying to run Nigeria as one Nation State will vanish with the return of true sustainable Federalism. if the Terms of Union and a Parliamentary system of Government that kept Nigeria as one Nation from 1954-1966 in relative peace, unity and genuine socio-economic progress are re-enacted in the revised Constitution to address the stringent calls for “Sovereign National Conference” or “National Dialogue “which, in my view, is all about calls for a re-affirmation of the terms of true Federalism of 1954-1966 Constitutions,  
• Each emerging Federating Unit or Region based on the revised Constitution should however appreciate that no other Federating Unit or Region owes her a living and, as per the Holy Book, “Out of the sweat of thy brow shall thou eat” .
• Each Region should be relatively on her own with full control of her own land, natural and economic resources, education of her citizens, her industry and economy and will have to develop within the Nigerian Union the creative talents of her people to create wealth for the Nation State of Nigeria in which the Federal (Central) Government will return to its responsibility of specific Common Services for the Nation as was the case in the 1954-1966  Constitutions and the well-known principles of Federalism,
• The threat to Nigeria’s unity or the fear of Nigeria’s disintegration will vanish with Federal (Central) Government return to its responsibility of agreed specific Common Services and National coordinating responsibility,
• S&T activities (namely S&T education, scientific research, R&D, engineering design / fabrication, technology development and technology innovation) in the economy,  in the light of the above Constitutional arrangement should not only return to their past glory but will get a boost from  all the Governments of the Federation  to serve as  a critical instrument for socio-economic development and competitive industrial economy where competitive domestic endogenous capacity building for the production and manufacture of modern technologies, industrial goods including industrial materials, and for the transformation of Nigeria into a globally competitive industrial economy capable of generating real wealth and combating poverty will thrive,
• Education, in general, as an instrument for the development of good non-corrupt citizens, disciplined citizens and knowledgeable citizens required for the socio-economic growth and development as was the case in 1954-1966 will thrive again in Nigeria,
• Nigeria currently, no doubt, is not a self-sustaining competitive industrial economy since her economy is sustained almost totally by  foreign produced technologies, foreign industrial goods including industrial materials and foreign professionals with a domestic manufacturing sector now contributing very little to the country’s GDP, leaving Nigeria technologically underdeveloped, poor and insecure because the Science and Technology activities currently undertaken in Nigeria are unable to play their historic role in Nigeria of transforming  Nigeria into a competitive industrial economy capable of producing real wealth, generating real employment and combating poverty in the Nation as is the case in industrial Nations of the world and should be reviewed,
• Federal Government now far away in Abuja, in the spirit of a true Federalism and for sustainable peace and progress in Nigeria, should, without equivocation or hesitation, devolve to the evolving Federating Regions or Units all the usurped responsibilities as at 1954-1966 and to return to its own specific responsibilities of Common Services to vanish once and for all, the self-serving politics of “ turn by turn” political maneuvering  and opportunism of which ethnic Nationality, Region or Unit should control the very attractive and powerful  Federal Government,
• The Common Services of the Federal Government are herein reiterated namely, Military, National Police (internal police for the Federating Units), External Affairs, Customs, Immigration, Central Bank and common Currency, Foreign Trade, and Investment, Nigeria’s National Scientific and Industrial Standards, Railways, Telecommunications as was the case from 1954 -1966. 
• Political Parties should be National and ideologically competitive, to jettison the “turn by turn” political power fights to control the Federal Government, 
• a virile and accountable professional Civil Service which is performance driven (and not by politics, not patronage, not “Federal character” or other related divisive issues) should be a cardinal issue in the revised Constitutions to ensure effective formulation and implementation of Government Policies, in both the Federal and Federating Regional Governments, as witnessed and experienced from 1960- 1975, and
•  With the above in place in the revised Constitutions, the Nation State of Nigeria will emerge united, strong, self-sustaining globally competitive industrial economy and capable of providing leadership in Africa and the World.

The above canvassed Suggestions, Proposals and Ideas should, I continue to plead,  be endorsed to the Senate and House of Representatives by the Constitution Review Committees for adoption and should not be thrown away as irrelevant as was the Case in2012 when this my well researched Memorandum was ignored and thrown away as irrelevant..    

Highest Regards to All who care to read this Memorandum and do something about its Mission.