₦airaland Forum

DMerciful:
We modelled our structure like the US so if the US is working, we can work if we replicate their structure.

Going to the region is gonna complicate things. Many of our states are bigger than Netherlands so why won't they work on their own?

Again, leave the 36 states but give the full autonomy with their own constitution, state Supreme Court and state police.

How big is Croatia, Scotland, Belgium, Cyprus, Lithuania, Macedonia, Monaco? They're as small as states in Nigeria

DMerciful:
Leave the 36 states as they are but let them be autonomous, exactly as it is in the US.

Region is not necessary, its creating more public offices and cost of governance. The current structure is fine, just give states total resource control(they can pay 20% to run the fg and 15% into the Federation account to be shared equally) with state police

raskymonojendor:
How would you know when you live in Alaibo.

Houston
Ansterdam
New York
Toronto

DMerciful:
Leave the 36 states as they are but let them be autonomous, exactly as it is in the US.

Region is not necessary, its creating more public offices and cost of governance. The current structure is fine, just give states total resource control(they can pay 20% to run the fg and 15% into the Federation account to be shared equally) with state police

pazienza:
I think the states should be scrapped as well as the house of reps.
We are wasting to much money paying governors and their cabinet.
One Governor for each region will save cost.
So instead of 36 governors, you will have 6 governors.
The senate should be part time and only paid per seating.
The current states will serve as units of the new regions with administrators put in place.

This is how to go if the whole idea is about reducing cost of government.

OneNigerianist:
What will happen to local government and what will happen during military coup?

mrvitalis:
I mostly agree with u.. But there should be a minimum a state should remit to the federation account say 5 billion minimum or 50% of revenue generated depending which is higher


2) there should not be a limit to the number of state to be created... If you can afford it by all means create a state

A federation of six Regions Viz
North western region
North eastern region
Central region
Western region
Eastern region
Southern region

North Western region should be a religious and ethnic majority region
With a Northwestern commission and regional capital. It should have the following states:

Kano state
Kaduna state
Jigawa state
Kebbi state
Zamfara state
Sokoto state
Katsina state

North Eastern region should be a religious majority/strong minority and ethnic diverse region
With a NorthEastern commission and regional capital. It should have the following states:

Borno state
Gombe state
Adamawa state
Taraba state
Yobe state
Bauchi state

Central region should be a religious and ethnic diverse region
With a Central regional commission and regional capital. It should have the following states:

Niger States
Kogi state
Plateau state
Southern Kaduna state
Nasarawa state
Benue state
Apa state (depending on where they go)


Western region should be a religious diverse and ethnic majority region
With a Western regional commission and regional capital. It should have the following states:
Lagos state
Oyo state
Ogun state
Osun state
Ekiti state
Okun/southern Kwara
Ondo state


Eastern region should be a religious and ethnic majority region
With an Eastern commission and regional capital. It should have the following states:

Anambra state
Abia state
Anioma state
Enugu state
Igweocha/ Orashi state
Ebonyi state
Imo state


Southern region should be a religious majority and ethnic diverse region
With a Southern commission and regional capital. It should have the following states:

Edo state
Delta state
Akwa Ibom state
Cross River state
Bayelsa state
Apa state (depending on where they go)


The remainder of Kwara should join Niger and Kogi. The remainder of Rivers if any, should join Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom.

The entire process would be approve by a referendum

Without much ado let me go straight to the point. Restructuring the country should be based on Ethnic, religion and fiscal self determination. It simply means that all ethnic and ethno religious groups should live within a framework that fairly permits to develop in their own pace and capacity economically and culturally. With this, a group of related states should form a region while the regions themselves will become the federating units. The country should empower diversity as much as possible. Each state must be monoethnic or composed very related ethnic groups to minimize the concept of minority as much as possible. A group of homogeneous states will form a region and the regions will become the federating units. Each federating region should reflect ethnic or religious homogeneity. Thus, we can have federating units of about six regions of average of 6 to 7 states each. The states should 50% of its mineral and tax resources and still have governors in charge with immunity. Constituency allowance for legislators should be scrapped. The house of representatives should be scrapped and replaced with regional commissions. Civil defence, peace corp etc should be scrapped and replaced with regional police. Judiciary should be reorganized to make room for regional supreme courts to where cultural litigations should end. Defence, foreign affairs, central bank and monetary policy, immigration and customs should remain exclusive to the FG.

States should not be scrapped
State should not be scrapped because collapsing states into regions will lead to so much socio-economic disruptions. Rather states will be empowered to control 50 percent of their resources, provide power, security and basic amenities.

Regions should be created
Regions should be made up of similar states and will serve as federating units. Each region should have a regional capital within it that will host the regional commission and some decentralised functions of the FCT which are not able to be decentralised to state levels.

The essence of the regions is economic cooperation and integration. When states in the region cooperate and by making common laws, they can easily harness their comparative advantage for the greater good of the region. For instance, a region can enact common law on wage, low tax on investment, ease of business, harmonize health system or education standards, build rail lines etc this will be easy because of shared interest and value.

Again, cultural development such as language promotion can be done faster at the regional level by enacting a common law. This includes local government need.

Additionally, since much of insecurity is regional and policing has cultural and religious dimensions, there should be regional police. Such a police force should be coordinated at the regional level in terms of standard but commanded at the state level. There should be a central body such as the NJC for the police that will liaise with each regional police to enforce their respective standards.

To break this down the more, the regions can do similar to what European Union does for European states and the regional commissions will do similar to what European commission do by proposing common legislative bills for the state HOA and initiate common development programmes and standards for the states in the region.

New states should be created.
Since states should generate most of their resources and presidency should rotate among federating regions, there will be less state creation demands except in situations to carter for specific ethnic and religious interests, in the spirit of self determination. In this case, we should have new state like Apa, southern Kaduna state, Anioma state, Okun/ southern Kwara state, Igweocha/ Orashi state etc

Rotational Presidency
Presidency should be rotated among the federating regions with a single term of six years. Where a president fails to complete another from the region should complete his term.

Part of the draft bill circulating on social media, seen by SaharaReporters is titled: "A Bill for an Act to Substitute the Annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with a New Governance Model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria."

Abill proposing a return to regional government in Nigeria is before the National Assembly and is expected to passed into law before October 1, 2024.




Part of the draft bill circulating on social media, seen by SaharaReporters is titled: "A Bill for an Act to Substitute the Annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with a New Governance Model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria."




Although the identities of the sponsors of the bill were yet to be ascertained, the Bill when passed would be cited as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria New Governance Model for Nigeria Act 2024.





The sponsors of the Bill explained that the current Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended) is not "autochthonous" as it does not evolve from the deliberations and consensus of the Nigerian people.





According to the advocates, the constitution amendment would be subject to a "yes or no" vote in a referendum by the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.





Part of the draft Bill seen by SaharaReporters on Friday partly read:



[b] "PART I - Preliminaries: WHEREAS Nigeria, its Peoples and Government have been governed under Decree 24 of 1999 that was handed down by the then Military Government without the express consent of the people despite the preamble of "We the people."



"WHEREAS the said Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended) is not autochthonous as it does not evolve from the deliberations and consensus of the Nigerian People.





"WHEREAS the Peoples of Nigeria now desire and effectively demand for a change to a Constitution based on Federal/Regional System of Government.



"WHEREAS the Federal and Regional governments are to operate within the provisions of this Constitution, it is within the discretion of the ethnic blocs within the States that constitutes a given region to aggregate or disaggregate as Provinces, Divisions and Districts, while being in control of their affairs without let or hindrance at whatever level of governance.



"Whereas the 1999 Constitution as amended is a schedule of a military decree now deemed to be an Act of the National Assembly for which the National Assembly have the powers to amend and/or abrogate as expedient.



"Whereas the National Assembly where so necessary and expedient can invoke the doctrine of necessity to resolve any point of law for the good governance of the country Nigeria."



On PART 11 - Substitution Clause, the drafters proposed that the National Assembly shall invoke its inherent powers to expunge the schedule attached to decree 24 of 1999 often referred to as 1999 Constitution as amended from the decree, which "is now deemed to be an Act of the National Assembly to which the National Assembly have the powers to so do and replace same with a new governance model for Nigeria effective not later than October 1, 2024."



"This amendment is subject to a yes or no vote in a Referendum by the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," it proposed.



On governance structure under PART III - Stipulations for Federal Administration, the sponsors proposed that: "(1) Nigeria shall be a Federation comprising of Regional Territories and a Federal Capital Territory and shall be a Republic to be known by the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.



"(2) The territorial jurisdiction of Nigeria shall comprise the territory of the Regional members of the Federation and its boundaries shall be as determined by international agreements



"3.2 Basis of the Federation: "(1) Every Ethnic Nationality and People in Nigeria has an unconditional right to self-determination within here delineated territories.



"(2) The sovereignty, powers and authority to formulate the articles of association towards any reform of the Central Federal Government of Nigeria, at any other time shall lie jointly and severally with all the ethnic nationalities occupying their respective territories.



"(3) Every Ethnic Nationality and People in Nigeria has the right to a full measure of self-government which includes the right to establish institutions of government in the territory that it inhabits and to equitable representation in the Federal and Regional Governments.



"(4) A "Ethnic Nationality or People" for the purpose of this Constitution, is a group of people who have or share large measure of a common culture or similar customs, mutual intelligibility of language, belief in a common or related identities, a common psychological make-up, and who inhabit." [/b]

ChiefJusticeFuc:
And I will tell you now that the Ikwere will prefer to remain with the SS and not you leaches.

The last sit at home should guide you were your Biafra or eastern region starts and ends.

You can have Asaba . It's already filled with your people sef.

ChiefJusticeFuc:
SE legislators will oppose it on the condition that we return back to the original four regions.

Just watch and see.

Those people can never be on their own.

They staged a coup to prevent creation of COR region.

They dismantled regionalism for centrism so that they can leach on the entire polity.

They dragged same COR people into their useless Biafra after they were booted out.

Since then, they have been undermining a return to true federalism.

Even their useless Obi campaigned on sustaining the central govt and the useless 1999 constitution.


Just watch and see how they will join northern hawks to frustrate this major bill.

helinues:
Anambra state attracted $1m foreign investors in the whole 2023.

Ogun state is attracting local investors with $20m , just one oo.

Btw, how much did you think the Igbo's contribute to the new Lagos GDP?

forgiveness:
List all the sectarian violence in SW.

helinues:
According to op, the talk about Igbo's relocating home have been so loud since 2015 yet there are no signs to show from the states in the region on how they have been attracting not just foreign investors, local investors too to the region.

The Emzor woman just invested heavily in Ogun state, she is from SE, are you saying no conducive state out of the 5 states for her to have invested such huge amount on? That's if the call about investing home is true

helinues:
.

helinues:
I know of 3 Igbo's personally who shunned the ideas of investing home when the ESN and UGM madness was at peak not to talk of so many gory stories we read online

helinues:
Okay, tell us how many businesses/investment have been moved from SE states to other regions since ESN and UGM started their madness

Slytiger:
Sebi one woman from the SE just invested $20m in a pharmaceutical factory in Ogun state. This was even after all the noise.

helinues:
Bro, those who relocated from the region during the madness of ESN and UGM, how many years would it take those people to reconsider returning back home?

They do things without considering the future consequences

helinues:
Yet na more flocking to other places we have been seeing since that same 2015.

This matter is not about chest beating. Make una walk the talk

Many people were injured after hoodlums clashed in the Ile-Epo area of Lagos State.

Punch Metro gathered that a fight started in the market situated in the area on Wednesday night and continued till Thursday morning.

Some shops were set on fire while some goods were destroyed in the process.

Our correspondent who visited the scene of the incident gathered that an early intervention by the police was restricted by the hoodlums.


A fire service truck that drove into the market this morning was also forced to reverse after being pelted with stones.

Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin, has suspended six traditional functionaries for pledging loyalty to Ooni of Ife, the Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.

The palace aides are — Johnbull Igbinosun, Iduhonre (Ihogbe), S.E. Aigbiremwen, Efesieoghoba (Ogbelaka), Ogbeide Osagie and Osamudiame Edo.

Their suspension was announced in a statement issued by Sam Igbe, the Iyase of Benin, on behalf of the Benin Traditional Council (BTC).

The traditional functionaries were alleged to have visited Ooni and declared themselves as his subjects.

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“The attention of the Benin Traditional Council (BTC) has been drawn to video clips circulating on social media in which a group of self-serving traditional functionaries from Benin engaged themselves in a sacrilegious show of shame and falsehood against the Benin Custom,” the statement reads.

“In the said clip, the individuals who have been identified as Johnbull Igbinosun, Iduhonre (Ihogbe), S.E. Aigbiremwen, Efesieoghoba (Ogbelaka) and two other Ogbelaka functionaries identified as Ogbeide Osagie and Osamudiame Edo were in the presence of the Ooni of Ife, falsely claiming to be emissaries of the Omo N’ObaN’ Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II, Oba of Benin.

“These individuals not only declared themselves subjects of the Ooni, but also rendered inaccurate and disjointed account of the connection between the Benin Royal Dynasty and the Ooni-ship of Ife.


“While the BTC does not wish to be drawn to restating the well-known connection between the two thrones of the Oba of Benin and the Ooni of Ife, the general public is urged to disregard the inaccurate accounts rendered by the ill-bred individuals named above.

“For the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever, the BTC advise the general public to avail themselves of the official account of the connection between the two ancient monarchies as contained in the authoritative book titled ‘I Remain, Sir, Your Obedient Servant’ authored by His Royal Majesty, Oba Erediauwa, Oba of Benin (1979 — 2016), published by Spectrum Books/Safari Books, 2004 at pages 205-212.

“The BTC considers the conduct of these functionaries as inappropriate, sacrilegious and calculated to ridicule traditional history and to bring disrepute to Benin custom.

“Consequently, on the authority of the Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare Il, Oba of Benin the Prescribed Authority over Benin Custom, the BTC hereby announce the suspension of the individuals mentioned above from their role as Benin traditional functionaries.”

The Benin kingdom asked the public to “refrain from having anything to do with them as traditional functionaries” throughout their suspension.

The two kingdoms have a history of battle for supremacy.

In 2016, the Ooni of Ife said Benin Kingdom remained part of the expansive Yoruba race.

Movie producer, Adanma Luke, has broken her silence on the boat accident that occurred during her new movie shoot in Delta State, claiming the lives of popular Nollywood actor, John Paul Odonwodo, and four others

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Odonwodo, popularly known as Junior Pope, and four other actors drowned after their boat capsized in Anam River in Anambra State on Wednesday while returning from the location of the movie shoot.

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) had earlier said 12 individuals were on the ill-fated boat.


NIWA added that of the 12, seven were successfully rescued, two found dead, including Mr Odonwodo while three others – two females and one male – were declared missing.


The police in Anambra State, Friday, said they had recovered bodies of the three missing Nollywood stars.

Real reason

Mrs Luke, in her first public comment on the incident in a video clip she posted online on Saturday, blamed the death of Junior Pope, on his refusal to use a life jacket during the boat travel.

“On that shooting day, I saw my director. I saw Emeka. They were outside. My director was wearing a life jacket. Emeka, the D.O.P. was on a life jacket. There was still one other jacket which I don’t know who took it,” she said in a video clip uploaded on her Instagram handle on Saturday.

Continuing, the filmmaker said, “My production manager said they saw one life jacket hanging there. So, they took it. He even told the late Friday to send one (live jacket) to Junior Pope but Junior Pope said it was dirty and so, he didn’t take it. These people with life jackets survived (the boat accident).

“And they also told me that when they were in the water trying to survive, the Junior Pope was there asking if everybody was Okay. And that they even threw a gallon to him to use and hold himself which he was holding. But all of a sudden,they didn’t see him again.”

She did not, however, confirm if four other crew members who died in the boat accident were not putting on life jackets during the incident.

AGN’s moves
The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) had declared Thursday as ‘No Shoot Day’ for all Nollywood filmmakers, and suspended movie production involving riverine areas indefinitely, following the death of actor Junior Pope and others.

Making the declaration in a statment on Thursday, Emeka Rollas, National President of AGN, also announced the suspension of the production of the movie which led to the accident, ‘The other side of Life’, produced by Adamma Luke.

“Following the tragic incident of a boat mishap that claimed the life of Junior Pope and three other crew members at waterside of River Niger Cable point Asaba on 10th of April, all films that involve riverine areas and boat riding is hereby suspended indefinitely.

“No Shoot on all locations nationwide on Thursday, 11th April 2024 and the film titled ‘The other side of Life’ is suspended indefinitely,” the statement said.

It also barred actors from dealing with the movie producer for the time being.

“Also, no actor is allowed to work with Adamma Luke as a producer till further notice, while we keep searching for the bodies of the remaining persons,” he said.

The police in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria, have also begun an investigation to unravel any criminal liability in the cause of death of John Pope and others.