"Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah - Politics

"Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah - Politics - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum › Nairaland General › Politics › "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah (8832 Views)

1 2 3 4 Reply (Go Down)

"Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by Edygrin(op): 8:11am On Jan 18, 2025

A former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Victor Attah, has expressed the need for Nigeria to draft a new constitution that will be based on conditions unanimously agreed on by all regions of the country.

He said that the current 1999 Constitution was forced on Nigerians by the military, and insisted that things have been the way they are in the country because Nigerians are being forced to stay together without an agreement of terms to do that.

Attah, who governed Akwa Ibom from 1999 to 2007, was a guest on the Friday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television.

“So, what we should look at is how do we get back to a state of conditions and terms that will be agreeable to all Nigerians, if we don’t do that, we are wasting time,” Attah said on the programme.

“Let me tell you a very quick story. About two weeks ago, there was a story about a young girl of 14 who poisoned the groom and the guests at her wedding because she was being forced to the union she does not subscribe to. What that suggests is nobody on this earth will agree to remain in a union if they have not subscribed to the rules and conditions of staying together.

“So, we must not continue to force Nigerians to stay together without first of all allowing them to spell out the terms and conditions under which they want to stay together.”

“So, we must not continue to force Nigerians to stay together without first of all allowing them to spell out the terms and conditions under which they want to stay together.”

He said that Nigerian Constitution of 1963 accommodated true federal system, but that has been abandoned since for what he referred to as the authoritarian system in place now.

“For me, what is wrong is the constitution. We so not have a Nigerian constitution by Nigerians and the system must change,” he insisted.

There have been a lot of agitations in the country with some regions declaring that they want to secede from Nigerian. However, Attah believes those moves are triggered by frustration because nobody really wants to leave the country.

“My conviction is that nobody really wants to go but they are just tired and fed up with what is going on in Nigeria.”

He said that this discussion has been ongoing for a long time, but the government had turned a blind eye to it, forcing some people to say that they want to go because they are not allowed to be what they want to be in Nigeria.

The ex-Akwa Ibom governor said that if the country operated the constitution they are operating today in the 60s, Obafemi Awolowo may not have been able to declare free education in the then Western Region.

https://www.channelstv.com/2025/01/17/nigerians-shouldnt-be-forced-to-stay-together-without-agreement-terms-ex-gov-attah/

21 Likes 2 Shares

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by slimfit1(m): 8:19am On Jan 18, 2025

A round of aplus for this man for having the boldness to talk true for once.

60 Likes 3 Shares

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by PulaPower: 8:29am On Jan 18, 2025

Make we just go back to regionalism..

65 Likes

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by lawani(m): 8:43am On Jan 18, 2025

The 1999 constitution is faulty especially in the distribution of states which determines equity in government but the real issue that will remain if that is solved is that it is better for ethnic groups to be sovereign over their lands. We don't need a government in Nigeria that speaks English. Let every group take their land and align it as they wish. Nigeria could work but it will be as an English speaking country and that is not good enough. We are not English people.

2 Likes

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by Biggeststar01: 8:44am On Jan 18, 2025*

I wrote this in my free time. Pardon my English I’m still a student apropos the language.

“The core foundation of a successful project, like a country, is unity. Unity is a corollary of trust. Trust of the people in the government and vice-versa, trust in institutions and policies, trust in the modus operandi and also the modus vivendi of cultural and political organizations etc. In trust, there is a higher chance of productive alliance and collective goal setting. Trust is a corollary of reliability, or in some milieux, it could be a product of sense of belonging.

This does not need much explanation as it is the status quo in almost every successful homogeneous economic and industrial power house we know of. By and large, we observe how socially homogenous countries grow faster and more efficaciously as opposed to larger, more diverse countries. Now, saying that socioculturally heterogeneous countries are doomed to fail due to their preponderant cultural disparities, would be making a false causation fallacy.

That said, history has records of countries that owe their socioeconomic success to the critical avant-garde decisions in policy making that were unanimous and weren’t thwarted by ethno-based or religiously centered objections. That gets us to our next derivative, likemindedness, in this case, political likemindedness. Likemindedness is an offshoot of cultural homogeneity or shared experience. People who share a tradition and cultural behavior as well as people who have had to experience similar events in the past will probably be more likeminded especially apropos events that are related or similar to what they had experienced together, which is hardly the case with people who barely have anything in common.

That leaves us to our last element, History. History connects the dots. It is what determines the likelihood of future alliances or yet, future conflicts between regions. It doesn’t take much critical thinking to become cognizant of the fact that a country made up of different historically belligerent tribes and cliques that don’t tolerate each other, will hardly ever want to put aside their tribal interests and identities, and work together to benefit the collective interest of the country that is sure to benefit every unit.

This phenomenon is prevalent in both educated and uneducated societies and is not merely a product of lack of exposure or a lack of education on tolerance and respect for differing cultures. It’s simply human nature. Something we evolved with, a quasi tacit manner of behavior and perception of the world and the people in it.

As humans, we all have the proclivity to attach our identities to our tribe, race, religion, country, etc. We also tend to prefer our in-group over the out-groups. We especially don’t like rival out-groups because we find them threatening to our communities’ safe space, especially when we’re being compelled to share the same geopolitical region as the outsiders. This spawns a myriad of obstacles to developing the country.

You can’t force people to work together, especially when they have no reason to trust each other, let alone sacrifice their inherent identities, and replace them with artificial identities.

This keeps constituent sections of the country in a brutal stalemate, where no one wants to be the first to sacrifice their individual clans’ interests for the benefit of the nation. Sure, there are solutions to these problems that don’t involve separating into individual sovereign states, but many will not voluntarily participate in these solutions because it will involve putting aside their tribal identities and embracing a more nationalistic identity, which might even be considered quixotic both a priori and a posteriori.”

-Biggeststar.

10 Likes 1 Share

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by Leobankx(m): 8:46am On Jan 18, 2025

Well this is the truth, you can't dump over 100 tribes together to make one country with no single agreement.

We'll keep fighting insecurity till God knows when, it was the Niger Delta militants in the early 2000s then Boko Haram up north then can the UGM in the South East, all fighting to secede.

Unless the government solve the root cause of the problem then we'll keep using billions that could have been used to develop other sectors in fighting insecurity

16 Likes

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by Quest7777: 8:54am On Jan 18, 2025

If Niger Delta oil finishes today, Nigeria will disintegrate.

Only solution is for Nigeria to split into the various Ethnic Nationalities, then those that wish to come together as one will do so under their terms and conditions.

Small Population should not is not an issue. There are several countries in Europe and Africa with less than 1million - Infact Seychelles has just 99k population...

Europe:
- Malta: 925,244.
- Iceland: 375,547.
- Montenegro: 628,077.
- Andorra: 72,005.
- San Marino: 34,017.
- Gibraltar (UK): 34,003.
- Liechtenstein: 38,111.
- Faroe Islands: 56,081.

Africa:
- Equatorial Guinea: 1.4 million
- Mauritius: 1.3 million
- Eswatini: 1.1 million
- Djibouti: 921,458
- Comoros: 902,079
- Reunion: 860,812
- Cape Verde: 561,899
- Mayotte: 279,507
- Sao Tome and Principe: 223,364
- Seychelles: 99,105 people

21 Likes 3 Shares

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by happney65: 9:25am On Jan 18, 2025

Quest7777:
If Niger Delta oil finishes today, Nigeria will disintegrate.

Only solution is for Nigeria to split into the various Ethnic Nationalities, then those that wish to come together as one will do so under their terms and conditions.

Small Population should not is not an issue. There are several countries in Europe and Africa with less than 1million - Infact Seychelles has just 99k population...

Europe:
- Malta: 925,244.
- Iceland: 375,547.
- Montenegro: 628,077.
- Andorra: 72,005.
- San Marino: 34,017.
- Gibraltar (UK): 34,003.
- Liechtenstein: 38,111.
- Faroe Islands: 56,081.

Africa:
- Equatorial Guinea: 1.4 million
- Mauritius: 1.3 million
- Eswatini: 1.1 million
- Djibouti: 921,458
- Comoros: 902,079
- Reunion: 860,812
- Cape Verde: 561,899
- Mayotte: 279,507
- Sao Tome and Principe: 223,364
- Seychelles: 99,105 people

Exactly. It is Niger Delta Oil wey wè still dey spend they make us dey together. If it finishes today,that is the end.

As Nature would have it, if it were the North, SE or the SW that has oil in laege deposits like the ND,I'm sure wè wont be having what wè have right now.

But as Nature would have it, None of the Major ethnic group is in charge of it. Most especially if it were the North that has Oil,the country would have gone a long time ago.. Those ones that cant accept 1/3 of what they dish out

19 Likes 3 Shares

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by mrvitalis(m): 9:27am On Jan 18, 2025

Good morning sir

2 Likes

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by Odin13: 9:53am On Jan 18, 2025

They Yoruba tribe will largely disagree.. even though the Arewa North might stay silent on this .. and when seriously push.. will consider

But the Yoruba of southwest .. will soon come to abuse , insult and curse this Chief for a silly opinion

Even tag him ipob ..

This is the reality of Nigeria

11 Likes 1 Share

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by powerkey: 10:03am On Jan 18, 2025

Yorubas will Never agree to a United Nigeria.

They don't want a peaceful and united Nigeria because of their demonic selfish interests.

See as they'll start fighting against Chief Attah.

5 Likes 1 Share

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by LivingSage: 1:59pm On Jan 18, 2025

Rare picture of Frigga13 Asgard73 Odin13

Odin13:
They Yoruba tribe will largely disagree.. even though the Arewa North might stay silent on this .. and when seriously push.. will consider

But the Yoruba of southwest .. will soon come to abuse , insult and curse this Chief for a silly opinion

Even tag him ipob ..

This is the reality of Nigeria

4 Likes 2 Shares

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by UltraSolid: 2:14pm On Jan 18, 2025

Well said Sir and God bless you beyond this life. Unlike the OBJ's of the world who wish 'One Nigeria' slavery to be the portion of today's generations and many unborn because of the actions of his peers in Khaki who forced the very wicked and demonic 1999 constitution on us and their acolytes in power who ensured such remained unchangeable till date.

By the grace of God, Tinubu will bell the Cat and do you proud before you pass on to rest. This is a fight the progressives cannot afford to lose and, in Tinubu, we have the President to assist peaceful, progressive and visionary Nigerians gain the power to banish 'One Nigeria' so we can all go and live as we wish as it has now been conclusively proven that the 1999 template forced on us does not work at all for most Nigerians. In fact it is the root of all our problems.

1 Like

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by UltraSolid: 2:16pm On Jan 18, 2025

Odin13:
They Yoruba tribe will largely disagree.. even though the Arewa North might stay silent on this .. and when seriously push.. will consider

But the Yoruba of southwest .. will soon come to abuse , insult and curse this Chief for a silly opinion

Even tag him ipob ..

This is the reality of Nigeria

Just shut up. Shameless and wicked old man. You are a disgrace and I bet a loner no one, not even his own kids, will want to associate with as you are so hateful and unprogressive.

10 Likes 2 Shares

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by Chimarto: 2:17pm On Jan 18, 2025

Attaches will call him IPOB

9 Likes 1 Share

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by UltraSolid: 2:24pm On Jan 18, 2025

PulaPower:
Make we just go back to regionalism..

Simple. The complete solutions to all our national problem. Watch how terrorism and craziness will stop in the North and SE once those folks realize they will only be harming themselves and not other Nigerians who are forging ahead with their peaceful, economically stable and progressive lives as regional governance gives them the full autonomy to do.

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by gidgiddy: 2:36pm On Jan 18, 2025

Nigeria is a failed cause, disintegration is best. There's nothing to unify any more

3 Likes

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by kingzjay(m): 2:41pm On Jan 18, 2025

Regional government won't be a bad idea afterall

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by b3llo(m): 2:41pm On Jan 18, 2025

Ride on Obong Victor Attah

1 Like

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by Softmirror: 2:42pm On Jan 18, 2025

gidgiddy:
Nigeria is a failed cause, disintegration is best. There's nothing to unify any more

56 Likes 1 Share

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by ade4real2016: 2:42pm On Jan 18, 2025

Exactly 💯...Our opinions count in term of unity...We must be properly consulted n consent analysed... This forced marriage is choking...

1 Like

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by Omalicious1: 2:44pm On Jan 18, 2025

Edygrin:
A former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Victor Attah, has expressed the need for Nigeria to draft a new constitution that will be based on conditions unanimously agreed on by all regions of the country.

https://www.channelstv.com/2025/01/17/nigerians-shouldnt-be-forced-to-stay-together-without-agreement-terms-ex-gov-attah/

The Father of Modern Akwa Ibom has spoken and there is no lie in what he has said.

4 Likes 1 Share

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by Godwin4444: 2:45pm On Jan 18, 2025

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by chukwutee: 2:45pm On Jan 18, 2025

Honestly,if not that the heart of a black man is dark and wicked ,How can the northern part of the country dominate the oil sector produced by the south south,and you will think that when a southern president is on sit ,he will do the right thing. That’s when it will get even worse.

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by LivingSage: 2:46pm On Jan 18, 2025

I love this picture even as an Igbo Muslim.

That's just it

Softmirror:
.

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by datola: 2:46pm On Jan 18, 2025

Yes, Mr Attah you are right but shame you on you for not pushing this when you were governor

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by Abufo: 2:49pm On Jan 18, 2025

slimfit1:
A round of aplus for this man for having the boldness to talk true for once.

What did you Nigerians do with the apostle of truth Nnamdi Kanu?........As Pastor Suleiman said, Nigerians deserve every drop of hardship we face! We do not like The Truth!

2 Likes

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by themanderon: 2:49pm On Jan 18, 2025

The powers that be and the colonial master doesn't want this to happen, but at some point they will surely have to give as the country cannot continue to be held together through the barrel of a gun.

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by chukwutee: 2:50pm On Jan 18, 2025

Abufo:
What did you Nigerians do with the apostle of truth Nnamdi Kanu?........As Pastor Suleiman said, Nigerians deserve every drop of hardship we face! We do not like The Truth!

The same terrorist that form an army in a country and call them ipob,s and instruct them to be killing and destroying private citizens life’s??

3 Likes 1 Share

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by onuman: 2:50pm On Jan 18, 2025

Nigeria can't remain a country for modern development of only the SW and NW regions.

Re: "Nigerians Must Agree On Terms To Stay United" – Ex-gov Victor Attah by frankson1(m): 2:55pm On Jan 18, 2025

datola:
Yes, Mr Attah you are right but shame you on you for not pushing this when you were governor

Shame on you for not knowing what he pushed and got as a Governor. I guess you were still running in the rain and playing with mud.

When you don't know a thing, ask questions undecided

6 Likes 2 Shares

1 2 3 4 Reply

'Country Of Particular Concern': Kwankwaso Urges Nigerians To Stay United • Victor Attah Slams Malami With ₦1.5 Bilion Defamation Suit • Governors Agree On 14-Day National COVID-19 Lockdown • 2 • 3 • 4

Nigeria Is Not Prominent In 2014 Corruption Perception Index • Eko Electricity Distribution (ekedc) Appeals To Customers To Desist From Assault • Yahaya Bello Wins Sun Newspapper's Governor Of The Year