About the forth national conference. Do we remember the importance of history? Do we remember the benefits of studying the past? We are told the study of the past is important to avoid the repeatition of past mistakes. We equally learnt that sages use the past to navigate to the future. Infact people who have aboundant knowledge of the past are the people called sages like our elders. There were a certain group of people in renaissance Europe, they were called humanists. They searched in every library in world for the works ancient scrolls of the greeks and Egyptians, of all the great people of antiquity. From these scrolls and works they extracted the very best principles to build their society on. Its not surprising that every modern invention is base on ancient wisdom and knowledge. The submarine and ships are built on the principle of archimides. Our governments are built on the wisdom of Aristotle and co. Everything that was invented is inspired by ancient wisdom. Today we want to look at the September 12 1966 Ad Hoc Constitutional Review Conference, what the then 3 regions of Nigeria proposed, exercepts from their publications and the consequencies that had befallen us for non-implimentation of the proposals by the Gowon Military govt. recent events have shown even more clearly that the belief of the Easterners that only a strong central authority could keep the people of the country together was presumptuous, and perhaps an over-simplification of the situation. Now, the whole basis on which the Easterners conception of one nation, one common citizenship and one destiny was built, appears never to have existed Eastern Regional Govt publication. Eastern Nigeria proposed a loose association of states with a wide degree of internal autonomy. Colonel Ojukwu, Leader of East urged; it is better that we move slightly apart and survive. It is much worse that we move close and perish in the collision The north also opted for a loose federation, but even looser than the East had proposed. The northern proposal was so loose that it amounted to a confederation of states; and to leave no doubt about their wishes, the northern delegation appended a detailed memorandum about the East African Common Services Organisation, which it suggested as a model. In their proposals the northern delegation had this to say about Nigerian unity: Recent events have shown that for Nigerian leaders to try and build a future for the country on rigid political ideology wiil be unrealistic and disastrous. We have pretended for too long that there are no differences between the peoples of this country. The hard fact which we must honestly accept as of paramount importance in the Nigerian experiment especially for the future is that we are different peoples brought together by recent accidents of history. To pretend otherwise would be folly The similarity of conclusion in the passage and the one quoted earlier from the Eastern Publication are Obvious. For the first time ever it appeared that East and North were agreed on the self-evidence of their own incompatibility. The north went even further, asking that in any new Nigerian Constitution a secession clause should be written, adding any member state of the union should reserve the right to secede completely and unilaterally from the union , and to make arrangements for cooperations with the other members of the union in such a manner as they may severally or individually deem fit And just like the Obasanjo Constitutional reform; the will of the people were never included in the new constitution. That is why the regional autonomy agitations has risen from 10 to 99%. Killing of Nigerians by Nigerians has equally moved from seldom to incessant. That is why ethnic and religious clashes has reached it climax so that the north has instituted a terrorist organisation; boko haram for efficient terrorising, killing and suppression of other Nigerians. That is why marginalisation of regions has intensified; only a particular region has more representatives in govt, enjoy more govt budget and infrastructural development. Etc These a just few of the conquencies of having a constitution void of the consent,assent and will of the people. Now we are faced with another Conferrence, i urge our govt to learn from past mistakes and harken to the demand of the people. 99% of Nigerians has demanded for the disintegration of Nigeria, why is it hard for the govt to concede to this? We are told that govt is the people and the people wants the union of Nigeria dissolved, why are we still here? Obviously every region of Nigeria has prepared for the disintegration of Nigeria. They have inaugurated their govt and have designed their flags as you can see in my photo for the past century. They have taken up their sovereign names as Biafra, Arewa, Oduwa Republic etc. Their demands to break from Nigeria peacefully is Valid under UN resolution on right of indigenous people for self determination as documented in A/RES/61/295 adopted in September 2007 and Article 20.1 of the African(Banjul) charter on Human and Peoples Right adopted on June 1981(which entered in force on 21 October 1986). It states that all people shall have right to existence and have unquestionable and inalienable right to self-determination to freely determine their political status; working in associationg with other sister-organisation which believe in the same cause. Free the people! Quotes of Nigeria past leaders. . . The amalgamation of the Northern and the Southern Provinces was “The mistake of 1914.” - Sir Ahmadu Bello (My Life, Autobiography) “There is no basis for Nigerian unity. It is only a British intention for our country.” - Sir. Tafawa Balewa (Time Magazine, October 10, 1960) “Since 1914 the British Government has been trying to make Nigeria into one country, but the Nigerian people themselves are historically different in their backgrounds, in their religious beliefs and customs and do not show themselves any sign of willingness to unite.” - Sir Tafawa Balewa to the Legislative Council in 1948 Nigeria is not a nation. It is a mere geographical expression. There is no Nigerian in the same sense as there are English, Welsh, and French. The wordNigeriais merely a distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria and those who do not.- Chief Obafemi Awolowo ( “Path to Nigerian Freedom”, 1947) the mistake of 1914 has come to light, and i should like it to go no further - Sir Ahmadu Bello “I have one advice to give to our politicians. If they have decided to destroy our national unity, then they should summon a round-table conference to decide how our national assets should be divided before they seal their doom by satisfying their lust for office. I make this suggestion because it is better for us and many admirers abroad that we should disintegrate in peace and not in pieces. Should the politicians fail to heed this warning, then I will venture the prediction that the experience of the Democratic Republic of Congo will be a child’s play if ever it comes to our turn to play such a tragic role.” - Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (December 1964; “A Dawn Address” As reported in Kirk Greene’s book pg. 21) Fact on Nigeria. . The independence movement of Nigeria was delayed because the northern region(muslims) abhorred the southerners(non-muslims) and never wanted to share the same roof with them except on the basis that North should have 50% of the seats of the legislature and the principle of separate regional development enshrined in the new constitution. (northern peoples petition on the 1944-45 constitutional reform by Governor Sir Arthur Richards) At the general conference held at Ibadan in January 1950 summoned by Macpherson, the Emirs of Zaria and Katsina announced that unless the northern region is allotted fifty percent of the seats in the central legislature, it will ask for separation from the rest of Nigeria on the arrangements existing before 1914 They got their wishes as before and northern domination of the centre became an inbuilt feature of the Nigerian Politics. The first nigerian election to independence was rigged by the British to favour the north. North is so dear to the British because they have discribed them as fools and stupid who are easily manipulated. Northerners are pawns of the British and through them Nigeria has been left with no difference between colonial and independent Era. Read the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples here. Significantly, in Article 3 the UNDRIP recognizes Indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination, which includes the right “to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.” Article 4 affirms Indigenous peoples’ right “to autonomy or self-government in matters relating to their internal and local affairs,” and Article 5 protects their right “to maintain and strengthen their distinct political, legal, economic, social and cultural institutions.” Article 26 states that “Indigenous peoples have the right to the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned, occupied or otherwise used or acquired,” en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_on_the_Rights_of_Indigenous_Peoples google/search?q=UN+resolution+on+right+of+indigenous+people&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&prmd=ivns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=i1XuUtW_GMuZyQOijICoAg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 16:37:36 +0000