I subscribe to the call by Okuntimo and Soludo for regionalism. Abolish states now.

Let Nigeria return to the parliamentary government where we had regions, divide the state into regions and let every region generate its own resources and let the fedral government only be on advisory role, to regulate these regions. Certain percentages like 20 percent should then be reserved and contributed to the centre. Give power to these regions power over every sector of our national life except defence and few other issues. Let these regions have total control over the manner of their education, agriculture, sports, roads tax etc. Resources available in each state differ so let each state move according to its own pace , if this is done then Nigeria would move forward, because the problem is what we are facing now, is everybody is looking to the centre for allocation, for resources, and the centre is almost saturated

- General Paul Okutimo was the Commander of the then dreaded Rivers State Task Force

Soludo called for the pruning of Nigeria back to six regions with Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja as special centres also advocated for the abolition of the present 774 local governments, saying they are merely conduits for profligacy and waste, as well as the adoption of a unicameral legislature that would reduce the number of law- makers from 459 to 150.

Explaining what he saw as a precarious situation for the country with the present presidential system of governance, he said the military which led the nation into creation of states made a huge mistake.

He said the present costs of running the 36 states, the 774 local government areas, the large bicameral federal legislature and the Federal Government are clearly not sustainable, urging Nigerians to rally for a change that will abolish the states and embrace creation of six regions on the basis of their fiscal viability.

-Soludo

makes a lot of sense, but the question and real problem is that those who exploit the system is been asked to change it.
how do you think this will work?
A lot of politicians earn there living from the bad arrangement we call Nigeria,

While i agree with this idea, i don't think we should stop at regionalism. Why stop there ? Why don't we break the country up ?
Breaking the country up doesn't mean we will become 6 or 7 different countries, we could emulate the model of the United Kingdom with Scotland, England etc. I don't know what the fuss is about remaining one country cos it's having negative effect on the growth of everyone.

As long as there not any South-South region.

I am talking about only 4 regions or maybe 5 if you add the Middle Belt region but under no circumstances the South-South region.

That is another way of cutting the East from the sea, even though there are Igbo speaking communities throughout the fictional South-South.

The East shall be divided. And all Igbo speaking regions in the West should be given to the Eastern region, not the Midwest region.

The best arrangement we've had in Nigeria was the three regions, and that is why the three biggest parties in the 50s and 60s -NPC, NCNC and AD fought to ensure there was no division in their respective regions (North, East and West). Those were the days of sanity.

The Mid-west was even created because the AD was in disarray and had broken into two. So, it was basically forced upon the West.

Gowon in his "wisdom" created the twelve states and it has been downhill since then.

Current state system is a drainpipe siphoning away scarce national resources.

The best state creation today should be mergers.

I wonder why Port-hacourt should be declared a special territory along with Lagos and Abuja. It was never a capital.

afam4eva:

I wonder why Port-hacourt should be declared a special territory along with Lagos and Abuja. It was never a capital.

Actually it makes sense because of its location and cosmopolitan make up. That is what the former Eastern Nigeria government under Michael I. Okpara wanted to do with Port Harcourt. They wanted Port Harcourt to rival Lagos in terms of development. Everything went to the dogs once the agents of divide and conquer had their way.

Onlytruth:

Actually it makes sense because of its location and cosmopolitan make up. That is what the former Eastern Nigeria government under Michael I. Okpara wanted to do with Port Harcourt. They wanted Port Harcourt to rival Lagos in terms of development. Everything went to the dogs once the agents of divide and conquer had their way.

But port-hacour had no federal funding like Lagos and Abuja.

afam4eva:

But port-hacour had no federal funding like Lagos and Abuja.

Yes, but that was not going to stop the regional government under Okpara. In fact, under the regional government, it was more doable, and they were already doing it before the coup of 1966.

Our current mistake is to assume that only the federal government can undertake such projects. In a properly reconstituted regional arrangement, it is more likely to be accomplished.

If something like this happens then Port-hacourt will be unser the east just as Ibadan is to th(i think) is to the north.

Even as I write this, the most sensible arrangement would be to build up Port Harcourt and give it the type of transportation (especially shipping) infrastructure rivaling Lagos. There is a need for synergy between South east and south south on this. The Igbo business men want to bring their money closer home. Only when such synergy is established would that happen.

EzeUche:

As long as there not any South-South region.

I am talking about only 4 regions or maybe 5 if you add the Middle Belt region but under no circumstances the South-South region.

That is another way of cutting the East from the sea, even though there are Igbo speaking communities throughout the fictional South-South.

The East shall be divided. And all Igbo speaking regions in the West should be given to the Eastern region, not the Midwest region.

Haba ezeuche, how can you say that? no there will be a south south but excluding the igbo people currently skewed into it and off- course that will give us access to the sea, but why just port Harcourt, what of enugu? lets ugwu ocha be, within a few years of destroying the hausa yoruba conspiracy we will be on our feet, we have done it before, Biafra, the only place and time in the past 1000yrs blacks ran a modern government with a black technology and where fully in charge, my brother na so God create am, scores of years of servitude will destroy it, a diamond is diamond is a diamond and it is still a diamond