Nairalanders have often asked, "What is the South-South? Who created the South-South Zone"? This thread answers those questions.

The South-South is a geopolitical zone in Nigeria. It represents the southernmost part of Southern Nigeria. It is a geopolitical region and like other geopolitical regions of the world, it is not dependent on compass points. There's no Middle East or Far East on a compass, yet these are regarded as regions of the world, just as there is no Midwest or South-Central on a compass, but these are geopolitical regions of the United States.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_East
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midwestern_United_States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Central_United_States


The South-South is one of the 6 geopolitical zones in Nigeria and the 6 zones are: North-Central, North-East, North-West, South-East, South-South and South-West. The zones are not recognised in the constitution, but they are recognised by several acts that have been passed by the National Assembly. These acts require the president to appoint people from all the 6 geopolitical zones into several commissions and boards.

Examples include the National Pension Commission
https://www.pencom.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/THE-PROVISIONS-OF-THE-PENSION-REFORM-ACT-2014-GOVERNING-APPOINTMENTS-TO-THE-BOARD-OF-THE-NATIONAL-PENSION-COMMISSION.pdf

And the Nigerian Communications Commission.
https://ncc.gov.ng/documents/128-nigerian-communications-act-2003/file

The idea of the 6 geopolitical zones was developed by former Vice President Dr Alex Ekwueme and former Ogun State Governor, Chief Bisi Onabanjo, when they were in prison between 1983 and 1985. Dr Ekwueme was the brain behind the idea, while Chief Onabanjo made contributions.

The basic idea was to provide equality between the regions of Nigeria. During the 1st Republic, Northern Nigeria was bigger than the other 2 regions (East and West) combined and there were always fears that it would dominate the country. Dr Ekwueme decided to address this issue by creating a balance.

Furthermore, minority ethnic groups were always complaining that they were being dominated by the 3 big ethnic groups and so his idea was developed in such a way that the minorities would have a voice.

In his idea, there would be an Eastern Region which would be mainly made up of the Igbo ethnic group and a Western Region that would be mainly made up of the Yoruba ethnic group. There would then be a South-South Region that would be mainly made up of the southern minorities.

There would also be a North-Western Region which would be mainly made up of the Hausa and Fulani ethnic groups and a North-East Region which would be mainly made up of the Kanuri ethnic group. There would then be a North-Central Region that would be mainly made up of the minorities in the North.

Dr Ekwueme presented his ideas to former President Shehu Shagari when he left prison. President Shagari had previously suggested something similar, but he told Dr Ekwueme that he had abandoned the idea because people did not accept it.

Dr Ekwueme then presented the idea at the 1995 Constitutional Conference. The idea was rejected, but the head of state, General Abacha, liked and accepted it.

In this interview Dr Ekwueme explains how and why he came up with the idea. The interview was conducted and published a few years before his death and it was republished after his death.

How Ekwueme, Bisi Onabanjo plotted six geopolitical zones from prison

ON NOVEMBER 25, 2017
5:59 AM

The idea of the six geopolitical zones looks brilliant. Was it your idea alone?

The only other person who contributed to it was my friend, Bisi Onabanjo. Two of us discussed this in prison.


It was from there you now took it to the Constitutional Conference where it was adopted?
Well, it wasn’t. But Abacha adopted it. The conference itself didn’t adopt it; they wanted the status quo to remain because it was in the interest of some people to maintain the status quo.


Some have suggested the abolition of the states and for the six geopolitical zones to become the federating bodies. Do you concur?

The states don’t have to be abolished. It is a matter of nomenclature. When we had Eastern Region, we had 12 provinces which Michael Okpara created. Ogoja province, Calabar Province, Uyo Province, Annang Province, Enugu Province, Onitsha Province, Owerri Province, Umuahia Province and Port-Harcourt Province, Degema Province. There were six provinces in the minority areas and six in the Igbo areas, and all these provinces had their provincial commissioners, had their assemblies and had their provincial scholarship boards.

So, it is a matter of nomenclature. The states should be provinces of the regions. I am putting together a book called Nigeria: Thoughts on the provision of a stable polity, and in that book, there is an article by Shehu Shagari that states should become provinces of the regions.

Eventually, when I met with him when I was putting together these ideas, he said that he found that his suggestion was not very well accepted, so he wasn’t pursuing it anymore.



What kind of political structure do you think will make Nigeria politically and economically viable?

Going back to history we negotiated over a decade starting from Ibadan Conference in 1951 up to the conferences in Nigeria in London and so on until independence in 1960 – a ten year period of negotiation and in the end what Nigerians agreed with the colonial masters on what would be the form of government on the basis of which they would be given independence was a federal form of government made up of three regions – North, East and West.

That was the form of government agreed with each region autonomous in many respects and with each region having its own Constitution and the Constitutions of the three regions annexed to the Federal Constitution in one document and with each region being able to develop at its own pace.

You will see for instance, Eastern Region that started as the poorest region, by 1966 the leadership had established agricultural plantations, rubber, cocoa plantations in Cross River State, palm in Anambra, Imo, Rivers and so on and they had industries, like Trans Amadi Industrial Estate in Port Harcourt, they were able to negotiate with foreign countries and were able to build the brewery in Umuahia, ceramic factory in Umuahia, the Calabar Cement Factory and there was development. They were able to build the University of Nigeria before the Federal Government took it over ten years after.

So, each region was given the freedom to exercise its initiative. It was Eastern Region that first started the Pay As You Earn tax in Nigeria. That was the creation of -21- Bon Ejike— the first minister of finance of Eastern Region in 1952 – Pay As You Earn, automatic deduction from salary. It was first started in Eastern Nigeria because when the region was founded they had to find means of raising money. It was in the East that they first started Entertainment Tax, if you went to cinema if it was One and Six, you paid three pence tax to the government.

People used their initiative. If you went to the North you would find groundnut pyramids in Kano everywhere. In the West, cocoa was booming and they used it to invest property in Lagos, Western House, WEMABOD, Cocoa House in Ibadan all that was based on the initiative. Even free education in the West and so on.

I did my analysis while I was in Kirikiri Prison, the only problem with the form of government that we had with that structure was that it was lopsided. The structure of the regions at independence was such that one region, the North was said to have been bigger than the two other regions, East and West and when even Mid-West was created the North was still bigger than East, West and Midwest and in a parliamentary system based on population, the membership of the parliament allocated more seats to Northern Region than to all other regions put together.

If as they did in the North, they all decided to go into one party, a Northern party, and they elected all their legislators on that party, then they would continue to have the leadership of the country for ever which would not be palatable to the rest of the country. That was one fault in the disparity in the size of the regions.

The second problem I discovered was that within each region, you had majority group and a group of minorities. In the West, the Yoruba were the majority group, and the minority group was what grouped together in what became the Midwest. In the East, the Igbo were the majority and the minority group called themselves the COR State – Calabar, Ogoja, Rivers. In the North, Hausa Fulani were the majority group and the minority were mostly the Middle Belt and to some extent, the Kanuri.

So, you had a struggle within each region between the majority and the minority. So, I decided to cure these two problems that we must have parity of regions between the Old North and the Old South and that was why I decided to have parity of geopolitical zones between the North and the South.

And it also helped to have parity between the majority regions and the minority regions; the majority regions being in the Northwest, mostly Hausa-Fulani, Southwest, mostly Yoruba and the Southeast , mostly Igbo; and the minority regions being Northeast where you have the Kanuri with a number of ethnic groups in Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa and Taraba; and in the North Central you have Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kwara, Niger; and in the South you have the minorities in the former Midwestern Region and the minority of the Southeast region who together formed the South-South.

So instead of three regions, you now have six regions; three majority, three minority; three in the North, three in the South – parity between North and South, parity between majority and minority and the apportionment of representation would be as we negotiated with our colonial masters on the basis of which we got our independence.



What of representation at the National Assembly?

That will have to recognise the type of assembly we should have. Before we had a House of Representatives which was a House of the people based on population and we had a Senate which was based on equality of the regions.

So, in a real federation, the lower House represents the equality of all human beings within the country. Like in America, a state like Rhode Island will have two senators, New York will have two senators, California will have two senators, all the states will have two senators showing equality of the states in the upper chamber and equality of human beings means that New York may have 50 men in the House of Representatives whereas Nevada or North Dakota may have just two or three.

So would you go along with those who say that we should adopt a unicameral legislature to reduce cost?

In a federation, it won’t be wise to have one legislative body as you will have nothing to show that all the federating units are equal. It is the upper chamber that signifies the equality of the federating units.

The only problem is that we copied and abused it whereby we have full-time lawmakers. In the First Republic they had only one Long Session which lasted about six weeks for the consideration of the Appropriation Act and then another one for the Supplementary Appropriation Act, so they had two major sessions, and any other session was an emergency session lasting a few days, and they were all part-time members.

When they came, they were quartered in flats LEGCO Flats and they got sitting allowances on top of their salaries and salary wasn’t very much. Many of them were teachers, some local government officials and so on. But now, everybody who goes to the House of Representatives is a full-time person; he needs a fully furnished house, he needs legislative aides, he needs a constituency office.

Yes, all these are supposed to enhance the legislative process, but they cost a lot of money and how far this competence is enhanced is a matter of concern to some well-meaning people, because you find that some of these constituency offices, and there are some around here, you go there, and you just find a table and a chair, and you ask whether this is where a member of the House of Representatives is going to sit down and draft laws to be presented to the National Assembly? So, it is not a matter of having a single chamber just to save cost.

It is a matter of not adopting the American system hook, line, and sinker. But even in America, the congressmen have just modest accommodation in Washington; they take every opportunity to go back to their constituencies to stay with the people who elected them and to brief them on what is happening.

Will you then suggest that we go back to the parliamentary system with part-time legislators?

I am not advocating for a parliamentary system. I am ok with the presidential system, but it doesn’t have to have two chambers with full-time legislators assigned with a lot of staff, having staff at home and staff in Abuja.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/11/ekwueme-bisi-onabanajo-plotted-six-geopolitical-zones-prison/


Pictures below: (1) The 6 geopolitical zones. (2) Dr Alex Ekwueme. (3) Chief Bisi Onabanjo.

States in the 6 geopolitical zones.


North Central:

Benue
Kogi
Kwara
Nasarawa
Niger
Plateau
Federal Capital Territory


North East:

Adamawa
Bauchi
Borno
Gombe
Taraba
Yobe


North West:

Jigawa
Kaduna
Kano
Katsina
Kebbi
Sokoto
Zamfara


South East:

Abia
Anambra
Ebonyi
Enugu
Imo


South South:

Akwa Ibom
Bayelsa
Cross River
Rivers
Delta
Edo


South West:

Ekiti
Lagos
Ogun
Ondo
Osun
Oyo

Basically this was the idea of Dr Alex Ekwueme and it was accepted by General Abacha and then accepted by the National Assembly (which has included it in several acts).

They spoke through so many in the past. Who are they speaking through currently .

A great man he was

Oh my God!!..this is very very insightful and helpful, I have been confronted with this issue on several occasions by the children of unnecessary hate who love shifting blames and always looking for others to take responsibility for their own actions that failed to backup their current material for hate against others.
First it was the issue of construction of a railway from Nigeria to Niger Republic, the music coming out from the east was that, Buhari conceived and gave birth to the idea, but it was letter reveled that it was Good luck Jonathan's concept after all!'
Another issue that is still lingering is that of accusations against the people of Benue state on massacre of Igbos on river Benue bridge during the civil war when it was actually the Nigerian army who was at war with them that commited the act..this same people will never mention their own deadly activities against the minority tribes in the south during the war e.g "go-Niger" "gaa Naja" a festival in Kalahari Kingdom to remember one of the atrocities by the Igbo soldiers against them during the war.

Note:I am not an Hausa/fulani or a Yoruba..

To me, as long as the South are still divided the balance of power will not be achieved. The North today still see themselves as a unit and continue to vote and act in similar pattern.
The power of a united South was evident in the Asaba declaration on the ban on open grazing, and we can see its effectiveness
Whether this can be achieved, time will tell.

Rubbish country.

MrTemple:
D Igbos ve always meant well for this country.

South South got more voices after that idea.

Then what do we get as payback?
Backstabbing from West and south.
We want out, Nigeria don't want our wellbeing, they want to tame and suppress our progression.
No matter how hard they try, the sun will surely rise from the EAST

@ op respect for posting this.

To Those who have been asking dumb question about what is SS, here you have your answers.

Hope they can rest and stop the attachee by force

Here are some of the threads in which this question has been asked.


1) What Does South South Even Mean?

2) What The Heck Is South South? It Should Be East, West, North And South!

3) Why Is South-south Often Referred To As 'the East'?

4) How Igbo Created South-south (onlytruth, Dede1, Etc., Sorry To Spoil Your Day)


5) Why did The North create the South-South in 1967

H

Brilliant

Most of those who shout we are South South don't even know how South South came about

Nairaland has concealed dumb people behind tge keyboard. The way some Eastern miscreants always come here to scream about how xyz created south south to divide the east, one would think they have something in their heads.

While I am 100% in support of people going their different ways, we should be aware of how we got here. Na una kicked as secession clause in the constitution. Na d same una dissolved regionalism. Na dis same una use una hand split una region.

Enlightening!

Who's the ignorant person that scrapped History from the school curriculum sef!

It was not Alex Ekwueme that created the idea of the South-South zone. The South-South zone was created by the Igbo intelligentsia, a group within the Ohaneze Ndigbo. Ekwueme just happened to be a member of the Igbo Intelligentsia. Also being the highest ranking political office holder alive at the time (serving or retired), he was asked to lead the group at the Constitutional Conference. He did a good job at the constitutional conference, but the Northerners voted it down.

Ebuti Ukiwe, I believe, was the one who eventually executed the plan, being the highest ranking Igbo military officer at the time (serving or retired).

I will never be moved by the so-called insightful story. Either south-south or south east oooo that wan no concerns me Biafra is the only message I long to hear now. Biafra nation will united the people of the South-South and East in one body

Thank God for the division if not, igbos would have stolen then resources of these people and turn dem to slaves in their own land..

Ever8090:
Oh my God!!..this is very very insightful and helpful, I have been confronted with this issue on several occasions by the children of unnecessary hate who love shifting blames and always looking for others to take responsibility for their own actions that failed to backup their current material for hate against others.
First it was the issue of construction of a railway from Nigeria to Niger Republic, the music coming out from the east was that, Buhari conceived and gave birth to the idea, but it was letter reveled that it was Good luck Jonathan's concept after all!'
Another issue that is still lingering is that of accusations against the people of Benue state on massacre of Igbos on river Benue bridge during the civil war when it was actually the Nigerian army who was at war with them that commited the act..this same people will never mention their own deadly activities against the minority tribes in the south during the war e.g "go-Niger" "gaa Naja" a festival in Kalahari Kingdom to remember one of the atrocities by the Igbo soldiers against them during the war.

Note:I am not an Hausa/fulani or a Yoruba..

You may not be Hausa or a Yoruba but I'm certain you are stewpid

Nice

Geopolitical zones are not a constitutional creation

Some people are born to blame everyone else for their great grandparents' mistakes. They always think they are wiser than others in all scheme of things. Open your eyes and heart to see the reality of life dot com.

"There is no doubt at all that there is a strand in contemporary Igbo behaviour that can offend; by its noisy exhibitionism and disregard for humility and quietness" -Chinua Achebe

insightful

D Igbos ve always meant well for this country.

South South got more voices after that idea.

Ever8090:
Oh my God!!..this is very very insightful and helpful, I have been confronted with this issue on several occasions by the children of unnecessary hate who love shifting blames and always looking for others to take responsibility for their own actions that failed to backup their current material for hate against others.
First it was the issue of construction of a railway from Nigeria to Niger Republic, the music coming out from the east was that, Buhari conceived and gave birth to the idea, but it was letter reveled that it was Good luck Jonathan's concept after all!'
Another issue that is still lingering is that of accusations against the people of Benue state on massacre of Igbos on river Benue bridge during the civil war when it was actually the Nigerian army who was at war with them that commited the act..this same people will never mention their own deadly activities against the minority tribes in the south during the war e.g "go-Niger" "gaa Naja" a festival in Kalahari Kingdom to remember one of the atrocities by the Igbo soldiers against them during the war.

Note:I am not an Hausa/fulani or a Yoruba..

If you are informed enough you will know that the people of Benue and Plateau made up bulk of the Nigerian army on the Nigerian side of that war.

aikyg:
It was not Alex Ekwueme that the idea of the South-South zone. The South-South zone was created by the Igbo intelligentsia, a group within the Ohaneze Ndigbo. Ekwueme just happened to be a member of the Igbo Intelligentsia. Also being the highest ranking political office holder alive at the time, he was asked to lead the group at the Constitutional Conference. He did a good job at the constitutional conference, but the Northerners voted it down.

Ebuti Ukiwe, I believe, was the one who eventually executed the plan, being the highest ranking Igbo military officer at the time.

Ebitu Ukiwe was removed from office on October 1st, 1986, long before the 1995 constitutional conference. I remember that day very well. I even remember what Taiwo Obileye said during the national broadcast and what Babangida wore.

MrTemple:
D Igbos ve always meant well for this country.

South South got more voices after that idea.

Then what do we get as payback?
Backstabbing from West and south.
We want out, Nigeria don't want our wellbeing

This were men who had vision for Nigeria. Not the type of leaders we have today.

To make Nigeria great again. We need people with foresight and not people with myopic reasoning.

God bless Nigeria!

naptu2:
Ebitu Ukiwe was removed from office on October 1st, 1986, long before the 1995 constitutional conference. I remember that day very well. I even remember what Taiwo Obileye said during the national broadcast and what Babangida wore.

Yes, but that does not change the fact that he was the highest ranking Igbo military officer at the time. Serving or retired.

And these people always blame others for their own mistakes

aikyg:


Yes, but that does not change the fact that he was the highest ranking Igbo military officer at the time. Serving or retired.

No he wasn't. (I am hoping that you will ask me who was higher).

Secondly, you said that he executed it. How could he execute it when he was not in office?

Furthermore, apart from getting Ukiwe's position wrong, you have stated, without any evidence, that Alex Ekwueme, who you admit was a member of the group you talked about, was wrong in his description of how the idea of the South-South was created.

Dr Ekwueme was detailed in his description of how he created the idea and how the only other person that contributed to the idea was Bisi Onabanjo (read the interview). Can you provide proof and evidence to show why we should believe you over Dr Ekwueme?

What makes your word more credible than Dr Ekwueme's?

The only other person who contributed to it was my friend, Bisi Onabanjo. Two of us discussed this in prison.

aikyg:
It was not Alex Ekwueme that the idea of the South-South zone. The South-South zone was created by the Igbo intelligentsia, a group within the Ohaneze Ndigbo. Ekwueme just happened to be a member of the Igbo Intelligentsia. Also being the highest ranking political office holder alive at the time (serving or retired), he was asked to lead the group at the Constitutional Conference. He did a good job at the constitutional conference, but the Northerners voted it down.

Ebuti Ukiwe, I believe, was the one who eventually executed the plan, being the highest ranking Igbo military officer at the time.