NATIONAL FEDERAL STRUCTURE
The membership of the European Union stands at present at 15 nations. Each of the nations is a mature democracy with an enviable track record in leadership and governance. Nigeria, it has been said, is made up of more than 100 nations, none of which has any substantial experience in Western style democracy. Furthermore, the total record of leadership and governance in Nigeria has been nothing short of tragic.
It is these realities, combined with bitter experience over the four decades since independence, that have informed our view in MNR that the key to peace and progress in Nigeria is not the continuous search for an ethnic superman who can manipulate the country’s existing constitutional structure but instead, to engineer a superstructure that can be effectively managed by the people’s representatives. Our original position, first argued in 1991, was that Nigeria should be structured into eight regions. Our thinking on this issue has broadened, taking account of the events which have since occurred in Nigeria and in the world at large in the context of peaceful co-existence between peoples of different races and ethnic groups. We now propose therefore that a new Constitution for Nigeria should reflect a Federation of Constituent Nationalities within which the nationalities should be grouped into Regions, and that each Region should itself be a federation of sub-nationalities or a federation of smaller nationalities. Where a region consists of a single nationality, as in Yorubaland or Igboland, its federating units should be its contiguous component sub-nationalities. Where a region consists of multiple nationalities as in the Middle Belt areas, its federating units will be the contiguous component nationalities. Under these proposals, a nationality or sub-nationality cannot form, or be part of, more than one Region. Under our proposals, the federating sub-nationalities of a mono-nationality region should be designated “provinces” and should have specified territorial powers greater than those of local government councils but less than those of a Region. The federating nationalities of a multi-nationality region should be designated “Associated Territories” and should each have (or they may choose to share with neighboring nationalities) autonomy in a range of subjects such as chieftaincy, cultural affairs, primary education, language development.
On the basis of these principles and criteria, the MNR suggests that the starting number of regions, each of which should itself be a federation, should be 18, of which 12 will be mono-nationality regions, which should be:
1. Ibibio Federation,
2. Ijaw Federation,
3. Igbo Federation,
4. Urhobo Federation,
5. Edo Federation,
6. Yoruba Federation,
7. Nupe Federation,
8. Tiv Federation,
9. Gbagyi Federation,
10. Hausa Federation,
11. Fulah Federation and
12. Kanuri Federation.
The other six (6) of the Regions should be multi-nationality regions, as follows:
(i) A federation comprising minority nationalities in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states (i.e. Eket, Annang, Oron, Ibeno, Efik, Ejagbam, Korop, Boki, Bakwara, Yakurr, Yala).
(ii) A federation comprising the minority nationalities in Rivers and Bayelsa states (i.e. Ikwerre, Etchei, Ekpeeye, Engeni, Ogba, Eleme, Ndoni, Ogoni, and Andoni).
(iii) A federation comprising the minority nationalities in Delta State (i.e. Ika, Ndokwa, Warri, Isoko).
(iv) A federation comprising the minority nationalities in West Middle Belt, i.e. Zuru, Kambari, Bariba, Bussa, Karekare, Ngizim, Angamo, Bola, Funne, etc.
(v) A federation comprising the minority nationalities in Central Middle Belt, i.e.: (a) Ebira Group: Ebira, Uku, Ebira-Ugu, Ebira-Panda, Etuno-Igarra, Ebira Mozun, Bassa-Nge. (b) Igala Group (c) Upper Benue Group: Alago Eggon, Gwandara, Mada, Kakanda, Mighili, Bassa-Komu, Ninzom, Arum etc.
(vi) A federation comprising the minority nationalities in East Middle Belt, i.e. (a) Plateau Group: Ngas, Berom, Afezere Taroh, Goemai, Nmavo – Jukun, Amu, Pyem, Youn etc. (b) Taraba Group: Chamba, Jukun, Kuteb, Mambila, Kona, Kunni, Kaanab, Ndoro, Abakwa, Mumuye, Yububen, etc. (c) Savanna Group: Bura, Tangale – Waja, Bachama, Manghi, Kilba, Yungu, Mwanna, Bwazza Mbula, etc.
The underlying principle of the suggested structure is that all the nationalities, regardless of size, are autonomous federating units of equal value to the whole. In this spirit, the divide between the nationalities suggested to be Regions in their own right and those which are suggested should co-operate to form a Region, is to be clearly established by nothing more than pragmatism, having regard to the tasks, responsibilities and resources expected of a Region.
FUNDAMENTAL RETHINKING
A good constitution must be designed to cope with the dynamics of human relationships. It must have in-built shock absorbers, since the aspirations of nationalities are not static. To guard against our past experience of lurching from one constitutional crisis to another, the design of the new constitution must be flexible enough to accommodate new aspirations of nationalities and Regions without upsetting the balance of the whole structure and prospects for stability.
In the course of time, nationalities starting out as parts of a Region may wish to be Regions in their own right, having become capable of so qualifying. The constitution must allow for such development. The MNR therefore proposes dual criteria for the creation or recognition of a Region, viz:
(i) Adequate Economic Resources, i.e. viability of the area concerned having regard to the scope of Regional powers and functions, which should correspond with the powers and functions of Regions under the 1951 Constitution; and
(ii) Adequate Human Resources, i.e. combined population of not less than one million people living within the area concerned.
These combined criteria underline our belief that neither population nor resources should be the sole determining factor as to which nationalities can by themselves constitute Regions.
SECESSION
Given our traumatic experience, I suggest that the following question is pertinent: should the constitution allow for the ultimate change of secession? In the past, this issue has been treated as a taboo topic but the absence of thought and debate on the matter is a poor substitute for judgement. Obasanjo has helpfully opened discussion on it in his book “This Animal Called Man“, wherein he stated that any future constitution of Nigeria must provide for a right of secession. This is but a recognition of the reality that, short of brute force, the only way that different nationalities can be kept together in the long term is by their will to stay together.
Our expectation is that in the new Union of Nigeria in which all nationalities are treated fairly, no nationality will have cause to want to secede. It is nevertheless prudent that provision should be made for this possibility, however remote it may seem at present. The peace and stability of the departing nationality, no less than the peace and stability of the surviving members of the Union, would require that a pre-agreed peaceful procedure should be followed. The procedure, which the MNR suggests is one that would ensure that the initiative has genuine popular support within the nationality concerned. This can be ascertained by a two-thirds majority vote of the legislature of the territory concerned as well as by a two-thirds majority vote in a referendum of the people of the territory concerned. The MNR also recommends that there should be a three-year interval between the initial formal proposal in the legislature concerned and the referendum of the people concerned. This is to allow adequate time for proper reflection, for the calming of nerves, and for alternatives and compromises to be considered and worked out. However, since under our proposals the nationalities through their freely chosen representatives at a National Conference will have adopted the Union arrangements, it would not be unreasonable for the constitution to provide that a period of fifteen (15) years should elapse after the adoption of the Union arrangements before any new Region can be created or any democratic secession moves mature.(TO BE CONTINUED)