Rasheed Akinkuolie
Nigeria became independent on 1st October 1960, as autonomous and federated regions of Northern, Western and Eastern Nigeria, 46 years after the amalgamation of British Protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria by Lord Frederick Lugard in 1914.
The Regional Premiers were: Sir Ahmadu Bello; Premier of Northern Nigeria (leader of Northern People’s Congress political party (NPC), Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Premier of Western Nigeria (Leader of Action Group political party (AG) and Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Premier of Eastern Nigeria, (Leader of National Convention of Nigerian Citizens political party.(NCNC)
The Premiers were elected during the 1954 general election, while Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, became the Prime Minister, after his party the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) won the 1959 federal parliamentary election.
The Premiers governed their respective domains, as federated autonomous regions with different Constitutions, Regional Civil Services, Regional Judiciary, Regional Police, Regional Development Plans, Regional Agricultural Policies, Regional Marketing Boards, Regional Control of Natural and Mineral Resources.
The Prime Minister, as head of the federal government controlled common national institutions and services such as; the Central Bank, Foreign Affairs, Immigration Service, Customs Service, Ports Authority, Railways, the Armed Forces, the Federal Police Force, Printing and distribution of National Currency. The Prime Minister was Primus inter pares among the Premiers with very limited control over regional affairs. As a matter of fact, the federal government was funded by regional governments to run its bureaucracy.
Nigeria enjoyed relative peace with this arrangement and for the period that it lasted from 1960-1966.
The 1964-65 election was the first post independence election in Nigeria without British supervision. And It was conducted in the midst of chaos and riots, which started in Western Nigeria in 1962, after the arrest and jailing of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the former Premier of Western Nigeria.
Prior to this, the Premiers of Western and Eastern Nigeria had left their regions in 1959 to contest the federal parliamentary election, which Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the NPC candidate won to become the first and only Prime Minister of Nigeria.The Premiers of Eastern and Western Nigeria, now in opposition became vulnerable, after losing power at the federal and regional levels.
Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe went into alliance with the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) and was appointed Governor General in 1960 and President, when Nigeria became a republic in 1963.
Chief Obafemi Awolowo, now the only opposition leader was arrested and jailed for 10 years on trumped up charges of treason in 1963.
Earlier in 1962, Midwestern region was created out of Western Nigeria to reduce the size and population of the region and weaken it.
Action Group (AG) the WN regional party was infiltrated and split into factions. The splinter faction; Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) aligned with the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) to displace Action Group in the politics of WN. The fight of supremacy between the supporters of AG and NNDP turned the region into a bloody battle field.
On 15th January 1966, the Nigerian army overthrew the federal and regional governments in the midst of the troubles in Western Nigeria.
The initial euphoria that followed the military coup d’etat gave way to anger, when it was discovered that the coup plotters had selectively murdered the Prime Minister, the Premiers of Northern and Western Nigeria and senior military officers from both regions, but spared the Premiers of Eastern, Midwestern Nigeria and the President of the Republic, who was out of the country.
General Aguiyi Ironsi from Eastern Nigeria and head of the military Junta, became the first Nigerian military Head of State. In May 1966, the Junta promulgated Unification Decree 34, which abolished regional institutions and the federal system of government. This was a remarkable change in the political system, which would have short and long term consequences for the peace and stability of Nigeria.
On 28 July 1966, General Ironsi was assassinated, barely two months after the promulgation of the unification decree. This was followed by bloody sectarian conflicts between Easterners and Northerners, which claimed tens of thousands of lives in both regions.
In the midst of this confusion, General Yakubu Gowon, a Christian from the North took over the reins of the Nigerian government, as the second military Head of State. Nigeria went through uncertain times, such that Northerners wanted the North to secede from the rest of the country, but relented, after weighing the options.
The Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria, on the other hand, declared the region an independent state of Biafra. This led to the Nigerian Civil War (1967-70),which ended with the reunification of the country in 1970.
After the war, General Gowon ruled the country for another 5 years and was overthrown in 1975 by General Murtala Mohamed, who was assassinated in 1976 in an attempted bloody coup d’etat. General Olusegun Obasanjo, who took over, as the 4th Military Head of State conducted the 1979 election, 15 years after the turbulent 1964 election.
The 1979 election was won by Alhaji Shehu Shagari, candidate of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), who became the President of the
Second Republic of Nigeria.
The 1979 constitution written by the military administration was shoddily done. It did not restore the autonomy of the federated states, such that the rights, limits and control of the federal government over regional affairs, in accordance with the 1963 constitution was not well defined. This was a recipe for trouble and prolonged conflicts between the states and the federal government.
The state assets and institutions taken over by the federal government were not properly managed and they crumbled one after the other. This resulted in collapsed infrastructures, unemployment, increased poverty and inefficient services.
Otherwise, the federated states would have managed their resources and institutions better and more successfully.
It was in the the midst of this confusion and failures, that General Muhammadu Buhari and General Tunde Idiagbon on 30th December 1983 toppled the government of the Second Republic, after four years of its turbulent existence.
The coup d’etat would mark the beginning of 15 years of military dictatorship before another election could be conducted.
The Buhari/ Idiagbon Junta only lasted for 20 months and was overthrown in a palace coup by General Ibrahim Babangida (IBB), who ruled the country for 8 years. IBB conducted the June 12, 1993 election, but later annulled it. The annulment gave rise to the ‘June 12’ movement and NADECO (National Democratic Coalition) resistance groups and prolonged multiple crises in the country.
General Babangida eventually stepped down and handed over the reins of power to an interim government, which the Minister of Defence, General Sani Abacha overthrew in November, 1993.
General Abacha dissolved the political parties, the federal and state assemblies, other democratic institutions and cracked down on all opposition groups and forced others into exile.
The regime of General Abacha lasted for 5 years, until he died suddenly in 1998 by ‘Divine Intervention’ to the relief of an exasperated Nigerian public.
General Abdul Salam, who became Nigeria’s 8th military ruler in 1998, organized the 1999 election. The military establishment supported General Obasanjo, former military Head of State, who won the election and became the Head of State and President of the third republic from 1999-2007.
The military government wrote the 1999 constitution, which in most part was a replicate of the 1979 unitary constitution. The consequences of not restoring autonomy to the federated states at that point in time, would lead to increased ethnic conflicts in the country. And worse still, the federal government reneged on its responsibilities of managing the economy, state institutions and the industries it took over. These were handed over to private sector operators, who manipulated the economy for their personal benefits.They orchestrated the constant devaluation of the national currency to make stupendous profits from currency round tripping and manipulating the foreign exchange mechanism. The National Shipping Line, National airline, Vehicle Assembly Plants, Textile Industries, Oil refineries and several others were acquired and stripped of their valuable assets, before they were liquidated. The workers of these companies were retrenched, leading to massive unemployment and abject poverty.
This small group of rich oligarchs in theory, were expected to develop the industries, generate wealth that will trickle down to the larger population and create employment.
This was a rather naive way of viewing, how the capitalist system works. The oligarchs acquired the government assets, without the intention of investing in them, but to embark on what is called ‘ asset stripping’ as explained earlier
This explains in short, how Nigeria became the poverty capital of the world.
It did not take too long, before the war of the poor was unleashed on the country, taking tens of thousands of lives. Dissident groups such as; Boko Haram, IPOB and other groups wanted their regions to actually secede from Nigeria for self preservation. Kidnappers, armed robbers took over the highways and communities, turning Nigeria to a very unsafe country.
The governments elected during the 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 elections did not change the 1999 unitary constitution, which implied that the fundamental problems of Nigeria were not addressed, such that the economy and security situation of the country continued to deteriorate.
So much have been said about the problems, what are the possible solutions to them ? The following recommendations are hereunder proposed:
1.The government must face the reality, that the unitary system, camouflaged, as a federation is contraindicated in a country of multiple ethnic groups like Nigeria
- The States ( former regions) must be granted autonomy, within a federated Nigeria in accordance with the 1963 constitution.
- State Police must be created immediately to stop insecurity in rural communities and sectarian conflicts
- The allocation of the federal government from national revenue should not be more than 20%.This may seem difficult, but must be done in the interest of peace.
- A new constitution to replace the 1999 constitution should be written in line with the principle of federalism, the basis of which Nigeria was created from multiple ethnic groups, and as affirmed in the 1954,1960 and 1963 constitutions.
In conclusion, Nigeria can be great again, and come out of its present predicaments, if the political leaders will emulate the United Kingdom of Great Britain , which is a federation of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; four distinct nations, so independent of each other, that they have different football teams and go to the World Cup, as individual nations. They have separate constitutions, parliaments and are not subjected to the rule of the United Kingdom except for the Armed Forces, Foreign Affairs, Common Currency and acceptance of King Charles as monarch and constitutional Head of State.The nations are ruled by First Ministers, who relate with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , as Primus inter Pares , but do not take orders from the PM. These nations have the right to secede from the United Kingdom, but would not do so because of the overwhelming benefits of being part of a powerful country. But, when in 1972 Prime Minister Edward Heath imposed direct rule on Northern Ireland, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) waged war on the United Kingdom, until the autonomy of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom was restored.
In like manner, Nigeria was created by Imperial Great Britain, probably by design or convenience to be a powerful country, that will dominate it’s neighbours and the African continent. Nigeria, the giant of Africa had played the role of a leader in Africa to effect the liberation of African countries from apartheid and colonialism.
But, when Nigeria deviated from the norm and opted to bring different nations under one centralized control, the center could not hold again. Nigeria became significantly weakened by internal ethnic conflicts, which can only be resolved by going back to the era of honest federalism or the disintegration of Nigeria may be imminent, like the defunct Soviet Union.
The present administration can make history and save the country by taking the bold decision of restoring state autonomy, along the lines earlier stated, without which the prediction that Nigeria will ultimately break up, may come to pass earlier than expected.
*Ambassador Rasheed Akinkuolie was Nigeria’s Consul in Cameroon and former Director of Trade and Investment in Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja