₦airaland Forum

CoronaVirusPro:
The world will never appreciate Reno until he is gone.

Same humans did to Fela. The man only started getting nationwide appreciation after death. I remember those days when people will mock you as a Shrine dweller and marijuana smoker.

Same will happen to Reno. Nigerians will start referring back to each and every state he made, and later realize they once had a prophet in their midst.

gidgiddy:
The world will definitely remember him calling someone a drug pusher, certificate forger, bullion van theif, and clueless dingbat with dirty teeth, only for the person to win Presidency and within a month, say that the person is the best thing Nigeria ever had

😆 🤣 😂 😹 😆, the world will definitely remember him alright

gidgiddy:
The world will definitely remember him calling someone a drug pusher, certificate forger, bullion van theif, and clueless dingbat with dirty teeth, only for the person to win Presidency and within a month, say that the person is the best thing Nigeria ever had

😆 🤣 😂 😹 😆, the world will definitely remember him alright

coputa:
Gowon Is Not The Enemy: Nnamdi Azikiwe Is Why Biafra Has No Legal Right To Secede

The recent comments by Peter Obi labelling former Head of State, General Gowon, as an 'enemy' to be 'forgiven' has emboldened many of his closet IPOB supporters who now wear the tag Obidients (which in reality is the political arm of the Indigenous People of Biafra movement) to revise history and make fallacious and salacious claims.

One such claim was made by a certain Onyekwelu, who asserts that Biafra has a legal claim to secede and is being extrajudicially held back in Nigeria by domestic and international powers, especially the British government.

But the truth is that by virtue of succeeding Nigerian Constitutions, beginning from the Independence Constitution of 1960, no part of Nigerians had or has a right to secede from the country named the Federal Republic of Nigeria. For that, we have Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe to thank if you believe in a united Nigeria, or blame if you support Biafran secession.

The idea for a secession clause was mooted by Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1954 during the Lagos Constitutional Conference, but Nnamdi Azikiwe rejected it and galvanised a majority of the conference attendees to kill the idea.

After this was rejected, Chief Awolowo again wrote to the then Governor General of Nigeria, who rejected the clause on the grounds that the majority, led by Nnamdi Azikiwe, was not in support of it.

It was because of Nnamdi Azikiwe that section 86 was inserted into our constitution with the proviso that if any region should secede, it would be an act of treason.

Nnamdi Azikiwe himself wrote about this in an essay that was published by the New Nigerian Newspapers in 1975. It has since been republished by other papers and by Mr Azikiwe himself.

The funniest thing is that those now accusing the North of forcefully keeping them in Nigeria are unaware that the North actually supported Chief Awolowo for the inclusion of a secession clause.

The essay was republished under the title 'Why I opposed Awolowo on secession'. For the benefit of those who have been misled by the likes of Peter Obi and their fellow fantasists, I will now republish Mr. Nnamdi Azikiwe's essay word for word, without adding or removing anything.

'My opposition to secession

By Nnamdi Azikiwe

When the 1954 constitution conference started, my good friend, Chief Obafemi Awolowo tabled a motion to the effect that in the new constitution, provision should be made that any state which feels like seceding should do so. I was opposed to it and said ‘no’ and said that once we have a federation, we are indivisible and perpetual.

That was when we began to use that expression – ‘The Indivisibility and perpetuity of the federation’ – and that to secede would amount to treason. And so, a debate ensued.

The Secretary of State then was Oliver Littleton, later Lord Chandos and he was very much interested and that was his first time in saying that the people of African descent were people actually debating at a high level.

So a full day was given to Chief Awolowo to make his points. He spoke brilliantly as a lawyer. He made his points why secession should be incorporated in the Constitution. He cited the case of the Soviet Union which is a federation, and that secession is written there so that any state in the Soviet Union can secede at will. He also cited the case of Western Australia and eventually he finished his case and was applauded.

Lord Chandos said that on the face of the arguments before him it would be suicidal to incorporate secession in our constitution and that is why we have section 86 in our constitution that if any region or state should secede, then it will be an act of treason.

We adjourned. The next day, I had to reply. I availed myself of the opportunity to, well, demolish the arguments of my friend and I cited the case of United States which based its constitution on that of the Swiss Confederation. That is Switzerland. I pointed out a case, I think, that of Texas versus White, where Mr. Salmon Chase, the Chief Justice laid down the principle – he was really an arbiter – that the union was intended to be perpetual and indivisible and that any attempt to divide the union by secession was treasonable.

The North (NPC) supported Action Group. The question was then: Should we have secession? The Colonial Office came to our rescue. You know, the usual principle of Britain – ‘divide and rule’ (laughs) but this time, it was in our favour. So, the colonial office backed us.

Lord Chandos said that on the face of the arguments before him it would be suicidal to incorporate secession in our constitution and that is why we have section 86 in our constitution that if any region or state should secede, then it will be an act of treason and that was what led to this war, because Col. Ojukwu seceded and so violated the constitution."

Here ends the essay by Mr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.

Biafra would have had the legal right to secede if it had not been for Azikiwe.

Moreover, even before that conference, Mr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, in a speech he gave at a caucus meeting of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons on Monday, May 12, 1953, threatened the Northern Region of a blockade and denial of access to the sea if they should attempt to secede from Nigeria.

His exact words were as follows:

"It may lead to economic nationalism in the Eastern Region, which can pursue a policy of blockade of the North by refusing it access to the sea, over and under the River Niger, except upon payment of tolls. It may lead to economic warfare between the North on the one hand, and the Eastern or Western regions on the other."

Those who would like to read the full speech of Mr. Azikiwe threatening the Northern Region can do so here: https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/1953-nnamdi-azikiwe-speech-secession/

On February 23, 1966, Isaac Adaka Boro declared the secession of the Niger Delta Republic from Nigeria. After he did this, there was outrage in the Eastern Region, which almost resulted in riots. Please go and research it. The then Head of State, Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, quashed what he called the Isaac Boro mutiny using primarily troops of Eastern Nigeria origin.

When his 'rebellion' was crushed twelve days later, there was celebration in the Eastern Region. The other regions were not so enthused.

My question to you, Onyekwelu, is this: If Isaac Boro's declaration of the Niger Delta Republic was seen as a crime by the then Head of State, Major General Ironsi, and the Government of the Eastern Region headed by then Lt. Colonel Ojukwu (Isaac Boro's part of the Niger-Delta was then under Eastern Nigeria), why should the declaration of the Republic of Biafra be seen as lawful?

Lt. Colonel Emeka Ojukwu himself was the military Governor of Eastern Nigeria who first moved against Isaac Boro with the assistance of the Ironsi central government. If both Ojukwu and Ironsi fought Isaac Boro for attempting to secede from Eastern Nigeria and Nigeria, why are some of Peter Obi's supporters blaming Gowon and Nigeria for fighting Colonel Ojukwu when he declared Biafra?

Reno Omokri

Gospeller. Deep Thinker. #TableShaker. Ruffler of the Feathers of Obidents. #1 Bestselling author of Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years. Hodophile. Hollywood Magazine Humanitarian of the Year, 2019. Business Insider Influencer of the Year 2022.

CoronaVirusPro:
We all have sinned and come short of the glory of the Lord. Reno was at that time in darkness and later found the light.

His journey has been like that of Alostle paul who transited from a murderer to an apostle.

Like Christ said, old things have passed away.

gidgiddy:
One thing every Nigerian can learn from this write-up is how much time we have wasted trying to be an unworkable country and a nation.

We should have gone our seperate ways a long time ago rather than staying with something that has proved to a colossal failure since 1960

helinues:
Stop talking about going separate way again

You can't eat your cake and still be asking us about it's whereabouts.

Direct your anger to Nnamdi Azikiwe who bluntly rejected any secession clause in the Nigeria constitution . Not once not twice

Blame Aguiyi Ironsi who who stopped others from leaving this contraption, abi what was the sin of Adaka Boro.

Just like the Tigray People of Ethiopia, when they had power for decades, Eithiopia as a country was the best but the moment they lose the grip of power, that's when they started thinking about having their own country.

People should be laying a good bed because of future

helinues:
Toh

gidgiddy:
You need secession clause to leave a colonial contraption created in West Africa by the white man?

You need secession clause to leave a union that hadms never worked?

You don't know that the Ethiopia you are talking about let go of Eritrea?

A Yoruba man is currently President, but some Yorubas are currently agitating to go along with Sunday Igboho

Nigeria is unworkable, that's why it has never worked. It becomes pointless to carry on with a union that has only brought death, suffering, poverty to the people

WebIgbos need to have our seperate country out of this long failed British colony

Lesotho is in the middle of South Africa and has less than 3 million people, but they are surviving, progressing and enjoying their independence

We Igbos must gain our independence from Nigeria

JASONjnr:
They're no substantial amount of truth from his supposed nugget.

These are not facts but mere copy and paste from books written from individuals about the events that unfolded about the seceding process with the colonial power.

helinues:
You can't stop others from leaving this contraption and still think those same people will support you leaving. We die here together. Karma is bae

Don't you get it? Emotional blackmailing didn't work when others made the attempts, why do you think it will work this time around?

helinues:
Toh Toh Toh

Don't let 3 letter words scatter your morning for you. Because I no dey understand the meaning of all this shalaye now.

I don buy hammer now, that hand knocking dey cause pain, the thing wey dey do you gree gree to dey carry head come my side, if you chop one hammer knocking now, you will find somewhere to go and sit down

gidgiddy:
One thing every Nigerian can learn from this write-up is how much time we have wasted trying to be an unworkable country and a nation.

We should have gone our seperate ways a long time ago rather than staying with something that has proved to a colossal failure since 1960

coputa:
you didn't learn anything from this write up or maybe you didn't understood it.

It is a crime for any tribe , ethnic group or entitiy to aspire to break out from Nigeria,it is enshrined in the Nigeria constitution

gidgiddy:
You mean the constitution General Abdulsalam Abubakar wrote in his bedroom?

So the white man comes from Europe overruns and steal the lands of Indigenous People, merges them together to create a colony. In 1960, the white man goes back to Europe. But it becomes a crime for the Indigenous People to ask for the return of their stolen lands?

It doesn't work like that.

CoronaVirusPro:
The world will never appreciate Reno until he is gone.

Same humans did to Fela. The man only started getting nationwide appreciation after death. I remember those days when people will mock you as a Shrine dweller and marijuana smoker.

Same will happen to Reno. Nigerians will start referring back to each and every state he made, and later realize they once had a prophet in their midst.

helinues:
Stop talking about going separate way again

You can't eat your cake and still be asking us about it's whereabouts.

Direct your anger to Nnamdi Azikiwe who bluntly rejected any secession clause in the Nigeria constitution . Not once not twice

Blame Aguiyi Ironsi who who stopped others from leaving this contraption, abi what was the sin of Adaka Boro.

Just like the Tigray People of Ethiopia, when they had power for decades, Eithiopia as a country was the best but the moment they lose the grip of power, that's when they started thinking about having their own country.

People should be laying a good bed because of future

coputa:
While many in Nigeria are of the opinion that ethnic nationalities have the ultimate legal right to break away from the country drawing on comparisons from other countries, this is not entirely accurate. In fact, the Nigerian Constitution does not back secession. Article 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is clear on this. It firmly states: Nigeria is one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign state to be known by the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

International law does not encourage separatist agitation either. It is trite in International Law that cases of self-determination are totally an internal matter of states and international legal instruments further recognise the creation of new states, only when it transpires through nonviolent means, most especially when the existing state approve of it. This presupposes that the internal constitution of a sovereign country is the guiding principle on the question of secession.

At the height of economic and political crises in the 1990s, Boris Yeltsin, the Soviet Union President, dissolved the Union into 15 states after the Soviet Union itself recognised that these countries were illegally annexed in opposition to the desires of their people. It immediately withdrew its occupation forces from the countries starting with the Baltic states after granting them independence. The point here is that these states gained independence not through secession but through peaceful agitation and negotiation and the parent state (Soviet Union) recognises it.

Arguments that referendums in other countries led to secession have also been a subject of debate in Nigeria, prompting separatist groups to demand a referendum be conducted not minding that the Nigerian constitution has no referendum clause.


A referendum was organised in Sudan in 2011 because the country’s constitution has a referendum clause that permits South Sudan to leave if they want to. Article 219 of Sudan’s constitution of 2005 states, “the people of Southern Sudan shall have the right to have self-determination through a referendum to determine their future status.” After the referendum was conducted, over 98% of South-Sudanese people voted in favour of independence, and they rightfully split from Sudan.

In the case of Canada which operate a confederacy government and tolerates the right to separation in its constitution after a referendum. The French-speaking Quebec side of the country has historically sought independence and referendums were conducted twice in 1980 and 1995. The attempt to break away failed with the majority opting to remain in the Union.


The rule is clear in the situation of secession, both in Nigerian law and international law including how separatist groups are successful in other countries.


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gidgiddy:
Now you know why Nigeria will never be at peace, no enforced union ever is

gidgiddy:
Now you know why Nigeria will never be at peace, no enforced union ever is

coputa:
unless the constitution have to be amended or provisions will be made for a referendum

GBTYO:
Then blame Zik and his Afro Marxist in Enugu who dreamed up that foolishness


But there's hope.

Get your leaders, politicians and elders to push for a constitutional amendment that will include a secession clause complete with referendum.

Disturbing us here online and offline with your nuisance agitation will not solve anything.