The seeds of fierce inter-ethnic strife are already sown by the provisional figures; all Nigerian patriots, both in the North and the South must unite in an appeal to the Supreme Military Council to prevail on the National Census Board to remove the seeds before they germinate and grow.

I am aware that those responsible for the 1973 census figures would like us to treat them as PROVISIONAL ONLY. I am also aware that they have assured us that they are immediately embarking on rigorous post-enumeration tests, surveys and checks which by the end of this year, would produce final accurate figures which could be greater or less than the so-called provisional figures.

It is my humble, respectful, but considered view that, again, we should all appeal to the National Census Board and to our Head of State, H.E. General Yakubu Gowon, to prevail upon the Board, to desist from this post-enumeration exercise. It can have no useful or beneficial end: it cart only produce result which would exacerbate feelings which are already wounded and embittered; or embitter those that are now at peace with the Board.

In the end, it would only involve the nation in further colossal dissipation and waste of energy and money. During the period of waiting, greater inter-state and inter-ethnic tension would be generated, and the deep wound already inflicted on our body politic would have that much time to fester and become traumatic

There are other reasons why the proposed post-enumeration exercise should be abandoned.

In the first place, final census figures after post-enumeration checks, etc., are never more than 5 per cent above or below the provisional figures. In the instant case 5 per cent above would land us in a desert of deep inter-ethnic distrust from which it would take us long to escaped. 5per cent below would only confirm us in the present deplorable and intolerable position. Up to and more than 10 per cent below would be proof positive of the worthlessness of the provisional figures.

In the second place, it is idle, in the extreme, to rely on the same inefficient machinery by means of which the National Census Board had produce these appallingly indefensible provisional figures to mend itself in the short time at our disposal, and produce acceptable final figures.

In this connection, it must be borne in mind that, to be acceptable, the final figures must show unmistakably that those States which were made to score minus — or low — growth rates have been restored to normalcy, whilst those which had been gratuitously endowed with maxi-growth rates have been made to diminish drastically their abnormal oversize.

In the third place, I do not see how the Census Board could achieve these manifestly desirable ends. For one thing, those who have been endowed with maxi-growth rates are not likely to co-operate in cutting themselves to size. For another, the National Census Board, for the sake of their own reputation, and because of the encomiums which they have received from pre-eminent quarters, are not likely to have the incentive to achieve a final result which is widely at variance with their provisional figures. Already they have been made to believe that their performances so far, which we all heartily deplore, are nonpareil. Superlative public tributes (not to mention innumerable private ones) which, by all accounts, are wholly undeserved, have been paid to the National Census Board by our Head of State himself, and by another member of the Supreme Military Council.

On 18th May, 1974, ten days after the provisional figures were announced, the New Nigerian carried the following report about H.E. Usman Faruk, Military Governor of North-Western State:

‘“Military Governor of the North Western State, Assistant Police
Commissioner Usman Faruk, has described the 1973 national census as
‘THE MOST REALISTIC AND THOROUGH POPULATION
HEADCOUNT EVER CONDUCTED IN THIS COUNTRY"
.
“Speaking on the weekly RKTV programme ‘Meeting
Point' in Kaduna last Thursday night the governor
maintained that there was nothing to compare with the
exercise.

“He confirmed that the procedures devised and put
forward by the census board were meticulously
implemented in the field during the headcount
exercise".'


According to the Daily Express of 9th May, 1974, nine days before Governor Faruk spoke, and presumably, on the same day as the provisional figures were announced, our Head of State, H. E. General Yakubu Gowon, said this about the census figures:

‘THE FIGURES ARE VERY PROVISIONAL BUT I CAN SAY THAT THE
1973 COUNT WAS PROBABLY THE MOST THOROUGH
HEADCOUNT OF HUMAN BEINGS BY HUMAN BEINGS ANYWHERE
IN THE WORLD.’

The near-identity of these two statements strongly suggests that the two leaders have reflected the views of the Supreme Military Council.

IT IS CLEAR FROM WHAT I HAVE SAID AND FROM THE EULOGIES BY THEIR EXCELLENCIES THAT THE FINAL FIGURES JUST CANNOT BE ANY DIFFERENT FROM THE PROVISIONAL FIGURES.

This being so, as sensible people we should make up our minds NOW to cut our loss and minimise our national pains and pangs by appealing to our Head of State and the Supreme Military Council to reject the provisional figures NOW.

The civilian Government did a similar thing in 1962.

But, instead of embarking on another headcount as the civilians did in 1963, we should go back and stick to the 1963 figures; not because they are accurate — of course they are not; but because:

1) they represent a mutual compromise among the entire people of this country at the time they were produced or concocted;

2) they had stood us in good stead in the past; and can with necessary ex adjustments to take account of differing rates of growth in our States, and of the phenomenal population growth rate in the City of Lagos, continue to avail us in the future and

3) they are, as I have pointed out the LEAST BAD, the LEAST UGLY, and, therefore, the MOST ACCEPTABLE of all our BAD, UGLY and DISPUTABLE CENSUS RESULTS FROM 1931 TO 1973.


For two decades— that is during 1931 to 1951 — we did no headcount in Nigeria. By the same token we could afford to postpone another headcount till say twenty years from now.

By that time, egalitarianism would have been crystallised among our entire people; inter-ethnic fears and suspicions would have largely disappeared; and practically all Nigerian children and youths would be in various levels of educational institutions. Because of all these, the inducement to demographic malpractices and pillage would have almost fallen to zero, and, even where such malpractices are attempted, it would be easy to detect them by using school population as a check.

It is at that time in the distant future that we should seek to improve on the 1963 figures. This is my fervent plea to our Head of State and the Supreme Military Council; and I believe this is the ardent plea of all right-thinking Nigerians in all parts of our fatherland as well.

END

Brigadier Murtala Muhammed's First Address as the New Head of State - July 30, 1975


Fellow Nigerians

Events of the past few years have indicated that despite our great human and material resources, the Government has not been able to fulfill the legitimate expectations of our people. Nigeria has been left to drift. This situation, if not arrested, would inevitably have resulted in chaos and even bloodshed. In the endeavour to build a strong, united and virile nation, Nigerians have shed much blood. The thought of further bloodshed, for whatever reasons must, I am sure, be revolting to our people. The Armed Forces, having examined the situation, came to the conclusion that certain changes were inevitable.

After the civil war, the affairs of state, hitherto a collective responsibility, became characterized by lack of consultation, indecision, indiscipline andeven neglect. Indeed, the public at large became disillusioned and disappointed by these developments.This trend was clearly incompatible with the philosophy and image of a corrective regime. Unknown to the general public, the feeling of disillusionment was also evident among members of the armed forces whose administration was neglected but who, out of sheer loyalty to the Nation, and in the hope that there would be a change, continued to suffer in silence.

Things got a stage where the head of adnministration became virtually inaccessible even to official advisers; and when advice was tendered, it was often ignored.

Responsible opinion, including advice by eminent Nigerians, traditional rulers, intellectuals, et cetera, was similarly discarded. The leadership, either by design or default, had become too insensitive to the true feelings and yearnings of the people. The nation was thus plunged inexorably into chaos.

It was obvious that matters could not, and should not, be allowed in this manner, and in order to give the nation a new lease of life, and sense of direction,the following decisions were taken:

1. The removal of General Yakubu Gowon as Head of the Federal Military Government and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.

2. The retirement of General Yakubu Gowon from the Armed Forces in his present rank of General with full benefits, in recognition of his past services to the nation.

3. General Gowon will be free to return to the country as soon as conditions permit; he will be free to pursue any legitimate undertakings of his choice in any part of the country. His personal safety and freedom and those of his family will be guaranteed.

4. The following members of the Armed Forces are retired with immediate effect:

Vice Admiral JEA Wey - Chief of Staff, Supreme HQ,
Major-General Hassan Katsina - Deputy Chief of Staff,Supreme HQ,
Major-General David Ejoor - Chief of Staff(Army),
Rear Admiral Nelson Soroh - Chief of Naval Staff,
Brigadier EE Ikwue - Chief of Air Staff, and
all other officers of the rank of major general (or equivalent) and above.

Alhaji Kam Salem - Inspector General of Police,
Chief TA Fagbola - Deputy Inspector General of Police

5. Also with immediate effect, all the present Military Governors, and the Administrator of East Central State, have been relieved of their
appointments and retired.

6. As you are already aware, new appointments have been made as follows:

Brigadier TY Danjuma - Chief of Army Staff,
Colonel John Yisa Doko - Chief of Air Staff,
Commodore Michael Adelanwa - Chief of Naval Staff,
Mr. MD Yusuf - Inspector General of Police

New Military Governors have also been appointed for
the States as follows:

1. Lt. Col. Muhammed Buhari, North East
2. Colonel George Innih, Midwest
3. Lt. Col. Sani Bello, Kano
4. Captain Adekunle Lawal (Navy), Lagos
5. Lt. Col. Paul Omu, South East
6. Colonel Ibrahim Taiwo, Kwara
7. Captain Akin Aduwo, (Navy), West
8. Col. Anthony Ochefu, East Central
9. Lt. Col. Usman Jibrin, North central
10. Col. Abdullahi Mohammed, Benue-Plateau
11. Lt. Col. Umaru Mohammed, North West
12. Lt. Col. Zamani Lekwot, Rivers

The Structure of Government has been reorganized.
There will now be three organs of government at the
federal level namely,

(i) The Supreme Military Council
(ii) The National Council of States
(iii) The Federal Executive Council

There will of course continue to be Executive Councils at the State level. The reconstituted Supreme Military Council will comprise the following:

The Head of State and C-in-C of the Armed Forces
Brigadier Olusegun Obasanjo - Chief of Staff, SHQ
Brigadier TY Danjuma - Chief of Army Staff
Commodore Michael Adelanwa - Chief of Naval Staff
Col. John Yisa Doko - Chief of Air Staff
Mr. MD Yusuf - IG of Police
GOCs -

1st Division, Brigadier Julius Akinrinade
2nd Division, Brigadier Martin Adamu
3rd Division, Brigadier Emmanuel Abisoye
L.G.O., Brigadier John Obada

Colonel Joseph Garba
Lt. Col Shehu YarAdua
Brigadier James Oluleye
Brigadier Iliya Bisalla
Colonel Ibrahim Babangida
Lt. Col Muktar Muhammed
Colonel Dan Suleiman
Captain Olufemi Olumide (NN)
Captain H Husaini Abdullahi (NN)
Mr. Adamu Suleman, Commissioner of Police
Lt. Col. Alfred Aduloju
Lt. Commander Godwin Kanu (NN)

All the civil commissioners in the Federal Executive Council are relieved of their appointments with immediate effect. The composition of the new Executive Council will be announced shortly.

Political Programme

We will review the political programme and make an announcement in due course. In the meantime, a panel will be set up to advise on the question of new
states. A panel will also be set up to advise on the question of the federal capital.

With due regard to the 1973 population census, it is now clear that whatever results are announced will not command general acceptance throughout the country. It has, therefore, been decided to cancel the 1973 population census. Accordingly, for planning purposes, the 1963 census figures shall continue to be used.

A panel will be set up to advise on the future of the Interim Common Services Agency (ICSA) and the Eastern States Interim Assets and Liability Agency (ESIALA).

The Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture is postponed in view of the obvious difficulties in providing all the necessary
facilities. Consultations will be held with other participating countries with a view to fixing a new date.

Finally, we reaffirm this country's friendship with all countries. Foreign nationals living in Nigeria will be protected. Foreign investments will also be protected. The government will honour all obligations entered into by the previous Governments of the Federation. We will also give continued support to the Organization of African Unity, the United Nations Organization, and the Commonwealth.

Fellow Countrymen, the task ahead of us calls for sacrifice and self discipline at all levels of our society. This government will not tolerate
indiscipline. The Government will not condone abuse of office.

I appeal to you all to cooperate with the Government in our endeavour to give this nation a new lease of life. This change of Government has been accomplished without shedding any blood; and we intend to keep it so.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Nigeria Reveals Census' Total, 88.5 Million, and Little More
By KENNETH B. NOBLE
Published: March 25, 1992

After months of weighing the heavy political risks involved, the Nigerian Government has finally released its census findings, publishing figures about the country's overall population, but very little else.

The head count released on Thursday, the most thorough in the nation's history, put the country's population at 88.5 million, which though confirming Nigeria as Africa's most populous country, was far below the widely held belief that there were more than 110 million Nigerians.

When for three days last November, Nigeria closed its borders, shut down shops and factories and ordered tens of millions of people to stay at home in what officials hoped would be the first reliable statistical portrait of the country, the census takers did not even ask many of the questions that Nigerians are most eager to know.
Three times -- in 1962, 1963 and 1973 -- Nigeria has undertaken a national census, and each time the results were greeting with loud and angry accusations of fraud, usually by people who felt that their groups were being underreported in efforts to shortchange them in terms of political representation.

On the first two occassions, the mostly Christian and animist western and eastern regions of the country, in particular, accused their countrymen in the mostly Muslim northern regions of grossly inflating their figures. The final counts were eventually changed by politicians to conform to their notions of equity. The 1973 census was simply nullified by the Government on the ground that the results in many areas appeared so incredible as to doubtlessly be fictious.

Moreover, during the 1973 census, there were widespread reports that census-takers had been beaten or even kidnapped on their rounds, that villagers had fled to the bush as enumerators approached, that town dwellers had rushed to their native villages to be counted there, and that enumerators had taken bribes to swell the total. Rivalries and Estimates

The regional rivalries are intertwined with longstanding ethnic and religious antagonisims. In most of northern Nigeria, Islam is the dominant religion, crossing ethnic and linquistic affinities. But across much of the south, from the eastern Ibo region to the preserve of the Yoruba around big cities like Lagos and Ibadan, Christianity is dominant and Islam has often been regarded with suspicion and as a threat to secular government.

Since then, it has become normal practice to make "guesstimates" of Nigeria's population. The United Nations Population Division estimated that the population was 95.7 million in mid-1985, growing at 3.4 percent a year, and that it had reached 105 million by mid-1988. The World Bank came up with a mid-1988 estimate of 110 million.

By comparison, the Nigerian Government's estimate of the 1987 mid-year population was 112.3 million

Nigeria's military leader, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, is a Muslim, but he has taken pains to assure that military and Government posts are about evenly divided between Christians and Muslims. But among some Christians, the perception persists that the Government favors the northern Islamic groups. The leaders of a failed April 1990 coup justified their action on the basis of favoritism toward the north.

The political risks of the census remain high. The results come 9 months before a scheduled return to democratic rule after nine years of military government. If the results are again widely disputed, it would be a severe blow to General Babangida's timetable that is to lead to state and national elections at the end of 1992.

Population counting has also been a highly contentions matter because the share of federal Government revenue in the 30 states is partly determined by population.

"People are aware that they are going to gain more from the central purse by falsifying the head count, and they do just that," said a recent commentary in West Africa magazine, an influential London-based weekly.

Mindful of the political turbulence and ethnic rivalry, the questioners avoided asking about religious affiliations, tribal allegiances or linguistic groupings. Angry Response to Counts

The decision to keep the census superficial to avoid antagonizing any ethnic or religious group against another was based on past experience.

ebere1712: OBJ is the worst thing to happen to Naija after IBB. These two people sold Nigeria to the pinks. The pinks are using mtn to spy on yous. You guys are f.uc.k.ed. The pinks are nearing their sentence.

The Unmasking of Nigerian Federalism
by Remi Oyeyemi

“Conscience is an open wound, only the truth can heal it” – Uthman Dan Fodio (1754-1817) -
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana, The Life of Reason, Volume 1, 1905 -

It was Uthman Dan Fodio, a Fulani and great Islamic scholar who described “Conscience” as “an open wound” that could only be healed by “the truth.” Whatever served as the inspiration for this concept could not be anything other than awesome. In fact, one of the finest stables in the Nigerian media market, The Guardian, definitely shares the depthness of this thought as it adopted this in its logo: “Conscience nurtured by truth.” The fact that this same Dan Fodio is the great grandfather of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the late Sultan of Sokoto and Premier of Northern Region, the man who has played a prominent role in the Nigerian vicissitudes makes it highly imperative that we all open our “consciences” and allow “the truth” to heal them, if Nigeria must be saved.

It is important that Nigeria returns to true Federalism if it must survive. In this era when there is clamour for the Sovereign National Conference (SNC), it is important that we try to look back in History and examine how our Federalism was unmade. This is because as the Spanish born American Essayist Geoge Santayana once contended, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In this venture, all of us, regarfless of our ethnic background must allow “the truth” to nurture and heal our “consciences” for the sake of our collective survival as a country.
The Nigerian Federalism was unmade via two fronts: (1) Structural or Political and (2) Fiscal or Financial:

In 1952, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sultan of Sokoto and the leader of the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) made the following request to the Nigerian Colonial Seceretary, Mr. Oliver Lyttleton:

“If you want us (the North) to be part of this Nigeria you have in mind, then we want 50% of the membership of the National Assembly.”
It would be recalled that as a result of the elections of 1954, there were 162 seats in the Nigerian National Assembly. Out of this, the South had 83 seats (51.23%) and the North had 79 seats (48.76%), including the Yoruba people of Kwara. This means that if the Kwara people were not lumped with the North, they would still have less number of seats than 79, since this was based on population. This shows that the South of Nigeria has always been more populous than the North of Nigeria. But Sultan Bello, as evident from this 1952 request, has a different idea. If one considers his aristocratic background, one would have an understanding of his fear of “pure” democracy. Aristocracy is “the government of a country by a small group of people especially a hereditary nobility” which is “a group believed to be superior to all others of the same kind.” Thus for the Sultan to seek to dominate by any means necessary, would seem natural to him.

In 1957, he refused the independence of Nigeria because he insisted the North was not ready. But the North was ready when he got what he wanted, and more, before Nigerian Independence in 1960. The British overlords, in order to assuage Sultan Bello’s fears and put Nigeria in his control, created in 1959, 312 seats for the Nigerian National Assembly without any election or new Census. Out of this 312, the North was allocated 174 and the South 138 in the anticipation of the Parliamentary Political System being put in place for Nigeria’s independence. Sultan Bello asked for 50% of the seats in the National Assembly, he got 55.7%. Suddenly, an apartheid system was put in place as the majority South, became the minority and the minority North became the majority. This is where the future of Nigeria was unmade, and the seed for the destruction of the Nigerian Federalism was sowed.

This development gave unburnished confidence to Sultan Bello who declared on October 12, 1960, in an interview with The Parrot, just days after independence the following words:

“This New Nation called Nigeria, should be an estate of our great grand father, Uthman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We use the minorities in the North as willing tools, and the South, as conquered territory and never allow them to rule over us, and never allow them to have control over their future.”

With Alhaji Tafawa Balewa firmly in charge in Lagos, Sir Bello’s confidence became ebullient. To him Chief Obafemi Awolowo has been a thorn in his flesh politically, having mainatained an effective opposition to the feudalisation of Nigeria. Earlier in 1959, he had vowed to make Chief Awolowo pay dearly for forcing him to canvass for the votes of his Northern people. Awolowo had to be caged. Thus in the Daily Times of May 3, 1961, Sir Bello said the following:
“I’m set and fully armed, to conquer the Action Group, AG, in the same ruthless manner as my grandfather conquered Alkalawa, a town in Sokoto province, during the last century.”

In May 1962, twelve months after this statement, the NPC Prime Minister of Nigeria, Tafawa Balewa, acting on instructions from Sultan Bello moved a motion to Declare A State of Emergency in Western Region. Below is an excerpt of Chief Awolowo’s contribution opposing the motion of Prime Minister Balewa on May 29, 1962:
“Not long ago after independence, there was rioting of a most severe nature in the Tiv Division of Northern Nigeria. Several lives were lost, several properties were destroyed, there was arson and a host of other crimes were committed. At that time, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was the Prime Minister as he is today. He did not think it fit to call this parliament to declare a state of public emergency in the Northern Region. Also in Okrika – there was widespread rioting in Okrika; again, several lives and properties were lost. I understand that this widespread rioting in Okrika occurred twice in the Eastern Region. The Prime Minister and the cabinet did not think it fit on that occasion to declare a state of public emergency in the Eastern Region.

“But, because the Action Group is pursuing the normal democratic processes as laid down in our constitution to oust someone who happens to be a very close friend of the Prime Minister, and also because the AG is looked upon as a moral foe to the NPC, this very far-reaching provision of our constitution is now being invoked, …..It is doing violence to our constitution and doing violence to the construction of words to suggest that what happened in the Western House of Assembly amounts to a state of public emergency.”

On July 16, 1962, exactly 46 days after Chief Awolowo moved this motion and fourteen months after Sir Bello made the statement of conquest of the AG, Chief Awolowo was arrested on the trumped up charges of Treasonable Felony. On November 2, 1962, Chief Awolowo and 28 other members of his party were put on trial. After a hearing lasting eleven months, he was sentenced (September 11, 1963) to ten years imprisonment. This effectively shut down the opposition to the unmaking of Nigerian Federalism which continued unabated.

Thus, why Awolowo was incarcerated, the Northern Peoples Congress led Federal Government embarked on headcount. This exercise was headed by a Briton as Federal Census Officer, Mr. J. J. Warren. The exercise was later cancelled because it was unacceptable. Daniel Agbowu in his book “NIGERIA: The Truth” quoted from M. Crowder’s book, “Story of Nigeria” published in 1966 noting that “The 1962 figures were first questioned in the first place not by politicians but by the civil servant in charge of the Census.”
The Census was reconducted in 1963 but not without controversy. The figure released on February 24, 1964 is as follows:
North: 29,809,000
East: 12,394,000
West: 10,931,000
Midwest: 2,536,000
TOTAL: 55,670,000.

This was in contrast to the initial figure of over 60 million. Dr. Michael Okpara, Premier of Eastern Region described it as “worse than useless.” Chief Dennis Osadebey characterised it as the “stupendous joke of our age.” Chief S. L. Akintola, revelling in his supposed invulnerability having allied himself to the NPC, which mastermined the incarceration of Awolowo, gladly “accepted the census figures” and said “the figures were accurate..” Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, encumbered by his involvement in the Balewa government, could not effectively artculate the anger of his people as he pleaded that “all should remain calm” because the Census controversy “might plung the nation into disaster.” Chief Awolowo was meanwhile effectively out of circulation. Sultan Bello had come out smoking as he threatened that “he and his party were ready for a complete showdown” and “warn all Nigerians” that his “Government has accepted the published figures.”

Tafawa Balewa ignored all the protestations and went ahead to distribute the seats in the National Assembly as follows:
North 168 53.8%,
East 69 21%,
West (Lagos included) 61 19.6%,
Midwest 14 4.5%.

The Eastern Region Soilicitor General, Mr. D. O. Ibekwe “took out a writ in the Supreme Court to restrain the Federal Government from using the 1963 Census figures for delineation of the country.” But the Supreme Court said it had no jurisdiction over the case, thus the unmaking of Nigerian Federalism continued.

Crisis followed that action of 1964 by Tafawa Balawa. In the West, the people took their destiny in their hands to confront the government of S. L. Akintola in an episode ingloriously referred to as “wet e.” The Tiv Riots, simmering since 1960 also came to a head in 1964 in what was called “nande nande” (burning burning) and “atem ityough” (head breaking). The whole country went up in flames which unfortunately, consumed the main actors, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sir Tafawa Balewa and Chief S. L. Akintola, as the Military ascended the political pedestal to continue the serial rigging of Nigeria’s Federalism.

As at the time the First Republic went up in flames in 1966, there were different constitutions for each region and Nigeria. Each region has its own High Commissioner in London. What does this mean? It meant that every region was in control of its destiny. Most historical analysists believed that General Aguiyi Ironsi who took over the reign of power from the uncoordinated plotters of the coup was the first leader who actually practicalised Unitarism of the Nigerian political space, at least officially. Reasons for this should not be difficult to decipher given the chaos that ended the First Republic. But this particular act coupled with the fact that in January 15, 1966 coup led by mainly Igbo officers, Sultan Ahmadu Bello, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa (both Fulani) and Chief S. L. A. Akintola (Yoruba) were killed. But this was reportedly an excuse for the July 25, 1966 coup led by Murtala Mohammed that eventually saw the installation of Lt. Colonel Yakubu Gowon as the military Head of State.

If the Northern soldiers abhored Unitarism, part of the reason they had allegedly staged a vengeance coup, one would have thought that things would have been different on taking power. But alas, that was not the case. The Aburi Agreement meant to calm the nerves after the 1966 pogrom that would have guaranteed each region the control of its own destiny was violated by the North led Federal Government which went ahead to break Nigeria into twelve states. One region, the North ended up with six states. The three other regions ended up with 6 states in yet another rigging of Nigeria. And then there was the Civil War and the unmaking of Nigerian Fiscal Federalism commenced in earnest.

The Constitution establishing Nigeria stipulated 50% derivation “in respect of any Mineral extracted from that region.” Sub-sections 1,2 3,4 and 5 of the Constitution explained this in detail. But this would not deter the rigging of Nigeria as Yakubu Gowon unilaterally took off 5% oil receipt of the Niger Delta leaving them with 45%. He then proceeded with another Census in 1973. At first, Gowon came out with a total of 79,758,969. The six states of the North got 51 million while the Southern six states were given barely 28,758,969. “This meant that the population of the North had jumped from 53.6% in 1963/64 to 63.8 in 1973/74 census. The Southern populatin had dwindled to 36.2% from 46.4%….” The Chairman of the census board late Sir Adetokunbo Ademola said “the figures published by Gowon were not my making.” Chief Obafemi Awolowo, now out of incarceration called the 1973 census a “barren exercise..”

To appreciate the extent of the rigging of the census figures, a comparative analysis of the figures alloted to the North of Nigeria showed that Niger Republic with 1,266,700sq km in land space in the desert has 5,013,966 population in 1973. Chad with 1,259,200 sq km of space had 4,011,856 population in 1973. But the North of Nigeria sharing boundaries with Chad and Niger Republic and with 679,534 sq km of space had 51million! The 1990/91 Census gave the North 47,261,959. Nothing points more to rigging when you look at the 1973 figures of 51 million and 1990 figure of 0ver 47 million. There is no scientific explanation for the reduced difference of almost 4 million.

The Northerners rigged the population in favour of the North and used it as a basis to create States and local governments to the North’s advatage as ameans to siphoning resources to the disadvantage of the South. The Northern Military rulers who created states made sure that the North always had more states than the South as the tables below shows:
Year Governing Official North West East Total States
1967 Y. Gowon 6 3 3 12
1976 M. Mohammed 10 4 5 19
1987 I, Babangida 11 5 5 21
1991 I. Babangida 16 7 7 30
1996 S. Abacha 19 9 8 36

At the risk of stating the obvious, it is an open seceret that the North has 64 more local governments than the entire South – North 419 LGs to South’s 355. What is obvious is the careless abandon with which money is allocated to the states and local governments of the North such that the North takes home 21/2 times what the former Eastern Region took, and 3 to 4 times what the Western Region took and at times, as much as 10 times what the former Mid-Western Region took.


According to “Nigeria: The Truth,” since 1980 when the Federation Account was introduced before the 13% derivation was resuscitated, the take home of each region in percentage of the total accrued money is as follows:
North 54%
East 22%
West 18%
Midwest 6%

Not many Nigerians are aware that the Northern Region paid custom duties to the Western Region until 1976, when Murtala Mohammed took over the reigns of Government. Or that as at 1975 when Murtala Mohammend overthrew the Yakubu Gowon administration, the Niger Delta enjoyed 45% rents and royalties? Murtala Mohammed slashed it to 20% (Decree No. 6 of 1975) to assuage the Northern States, before Olusegun Obasanjo, through the Aboyade Technical Commission which recommended the removal of the remaining 20% of the rents and royalties, finally nailed the coffin of the Southern States without any protest from the people of the Niger Delta or other parts of the South.

Since then the North has been having advantages in appointments and resource distribution and have been robbing Peter to pay Paul. Now that the call for Sovereign National Conference is increasing, it is important that Nigerians isolate where the country went off the track and seek ways to retrace their steps as a way of moving forward. Way to go include but not limited to the following:

Install TRUE FEDERALISM and allow each region to have its own constitution according to the Principles of Self Determination;
This will put an end to the apartheid system where the minority North is lording it over the majority South.;
This will end the injustice against the South, the goose laying the eggs being deprived of appropriate entitlements to its resources;
Allow a minimum of 45% derivation if we cannot go back to the old 50%;
Allow state or regional police force and dismantled the Nigeria Police Force;
Decentralise the Nigerian Armed Forces and allow each region to manage its own defence;
Decentralise power generation (already in place); and

Let each Region or zone be able to enunciate its own economic plan without the Central Bank being able to overrule them.
Nigeria as is presently, will not survive much longer. It is either we restructure it as brothers or we part ways as friends who have irreconcilable differences. Apartheid – the domination of the majority (South) by the minority (North) – is what we have in Nigeria. It will not hold. Truth is bitter, but it is what the conscience needs as an open wound to get healed a la Uthman Dan Fodio.[b][/b]

ilugunboy: Nigeria is one huge lie...!!

nitlad: Interesting read!
I repeat my call for a SOVEREIGN NATIONAL CONFERENCE.

Kslib: Wonderful!! Well,this is Nigeria for you. The only country that can clone real humans when a new state is formed..
The only country that allows criminals to rule normal people.. I know say many countries get criminal leaders,but our own leaders criminality don reach to make devil know say before he became a criminal,Nigerian leaders have won several awards for criminality,be it oscar award,grammy award,headies award,most valuable criminal,oldest criminal,up-coming criminal,revelation of the year criminal,best act criminal,innocent looking but dangerously dangerous criminal of the year award and many more..
News reaching me suggests that when the devil read,heard and analysed Nigerian leaders,and their dubious/carefully engineered ways on fooling the masses,he was short of words,and all he had to say was "I HAVE NEVER BEEN SINCERE DESPITE ALL MY JOURNEYS ACROSS THE WORLD,BUT SINCERELY SPEAKING,WHAT NIGERIAN LEADERS ARE DOING IS NOT FAIR..I EVEN GATHERED THAT HE SCREAMED "HABA"...

ysquare: Indeed. Many only expected a truthful and 'correctional' head count of Nigerians from OBJ. We did not want favouritism in the South. We just wanted sincere actions that begin to make Nigeria a more equitable nation. Instead, OBJ embraced injustice and parochial servitude as he has done many times when in a position to truly deliver inspired leadership that may put Nigeria on the path of greatness.

Tragic really.

I don't know what is wrong with us in this country that what ever we said is base on sentiment, those allocation being to your leaders what are they doing with it that you want more?

afam4eva: I was shocked when in 2006 i learned that Kano had more people than Lagos. How is that possible when every village is represented in Lagos. Lagos welcomes the highest number of people yearly. I'm surprised that Nigerians did not stand up fiercely to oppose the census figures. I guess the government knew that they would get away with it but won't get away with releasing a fraudulent census that includes ethnicity and religious affiliation because they know people will stand up against it. I think the best way to solve this problem is to truncate population as a criteria for sharing the nation's resources.

The first time in a long time someone came close to addressing it was when Chief Edwin Clerk single handedly took on some past leaders.

ochukoccna:
Until and unless the SW+SE+SS+MB regions unite together ,put aside ethnic sentiments and tackle the core North, we are in for a long thing
But having seen the tribal vituperation on NL daily, Achebe's take on Awo and the maelstrom it created, we are in for a longer thing

ochukoccna:

Don't even push that thing about Clark here, seeing he's in the same boot with those he vilified

afam4eva:
You're right. But will the south ever unite? It seems the suspicion between southern groups especially Igbo and Yorubas keeps increasing by the day.

Not many Nigerians are aware that the Northern Region paid custom duties to the Western Region until 1976, when Murtala Mohammed took over the reigns of Government. Or that as at 1975 when Murtala Mohammend overthrew the Yakubu Gowon administration, the Niger Delta enjoyed 45% rents and royalties? Murtala Mohammed slashed it to 20% (Decree No. 6 of 1975) to assuage the Northern States, before Olusegun Obasanjo, through the Aboyade Technical Commission which recommended the removal of the remaining 20% of the rents and royalties, finally nailed the coffin of the Southern States without any protest from the people of the Niger Delta or other parts of the South.

ekt_bear:

Interesting. This I did not know.

thelastPope:
I said much in idioms because I don't want this to become a tribal war knowing the nature of threads on NL. But on the Clark thing, I know what I am saying. He might have his issues and no one is actually free of issues, but he knew what he was doing and he did the right thing! There is a circle of betrayals and legion of sycophants that have allowed the neo colonial structure to grow and survive. When you begin to hammer that structure, it will fight back but if you insist, it will fall flat on its face.

That apart, I feel the ND region [or is it the Ijaw ] are confused about what the actually want i.e. resource control or political power& the financial patronage it confers

afam4eva:
You're right. But will the south ever unite? It seems the suspicion between southern groups especially Igbo and Yorubas keeps increasing by the day.

ochukoccna:

Which is why I almost shied from putting my thoughts across about him
That apart, I feel the ND region [or is it the Ijaw ] are confused about what the actually want i.e. resource control or political power& the financial patronage it confers
I believe the momentum they had when they started resource control agitation has been lost
With hindsight it was all a ruse
While a lot of the agitators had criminal slant with kidnapping and getting money from the oil companies, they could have metamorphosed into the genuine article by truly demanding for resource control [semi autonomy in another word] for the ND region especially the oil producing areas are really deprived
However they settled for crumbs by 1stly accepting the government amnesty which is just another economic drainpipe and funnel
And topped the cream by having their 'son' as president under whom mind boggling scams continue unabated
BH activities are just a remainder to Ebele& his crew to chop for till 2015 and allow the core north their turn at the ca$h till
As Afam rightly noted , the south CANNOT unite
The Fuel subsidy protest which was hushed in the SS&SE and colored as an attack against Ebele regardless of the truth that all the country felt the impact of the price adjustment
Also the observation that militancy is more or less Ijaw political chess to corner a share of the national cake for their tribe& appointments made by Ebele strongly reinforce this observation of his worship at the altar of tribe even amongst the SS region
Going by CURRENT realities on ground, 2015 Aso Rock politics promises sorrow, tears and blood in its aftermath
I need to get me some monster LED TVs to view it all

thelastPope:
I am sorry but you are soooo wrong. I will say it loud and clear! GEJ is the best thing to ever happen to Nigeria since 1914!!!
That is the problem I have with folks like you. You want me to stand with people like Buhari, Tinubu and El Rufai and fight GEJ. That is double irony. They are the enemy and an enemy of my enemy is my friend. How can I participate in a protest that supports the survival and clinging to power of the very neo colonial system and structure that is holding me to bondage. That is the most stup1d thing to do!
The only winners in the fuel subsidy protest are the oil cabals! Both the government and the people lost out. 80 percent of oil wells in Nigeria are owned by the folks that ruled between 1970 and 1999. Do you know that OBJ, as much as we insult him, didn't really own oil wells after he left in 1979? I will repeat it. GEJ is the best thing that has happened to Nigeria since 1914! You will thank him after he leaves. You are echoig the cabals when you say bogging scams have being taken place under GEJ. That's so laughable. Let me put it properly for you. Mega scams have been going on since independence but started coming to the public's awarewness under GEJ. That's a big plus and achievement, not a failure! Like I said, don't forget to thank him later. That you are aware of them does not mean it just started happening. It means the person in charge is not trying to cover it up like before and that certainly means he is not a part of it.

thelastPope: Lastly, your take on the ND agitation is sooo shallow. There are different kinds of struggles depending on the calibre of those agitating. The militants were mostly illiterates. They do not have the intellectual prowess to push a struggle of International proportions. They used the only tool they understood which was violence. People like Saro Wiwa were more equipped to push but unfortunately, he was killed. Why will they fight GEJ? Is it GEJ that has held them in bondage all these years. Your argument is actually funny. First, they didn't know, a few years back that they could even produce a president in a country where they are treated as second citizens. Then suddenly by stroke of luck, their own becomes president. Then the same regions that have held them in bondage and contempt suddenly goes against their own and wants to bring him down and you expect them to join their oppressors to fight their own? I don't get your logic. Have they ever gained anything from those regions and their leaders? Did Buhari or El Rufai and all those fighting GEJ do anything for ND when they were in power? So why should any ND person join these people to fight their own brother? Funny logic!