google.com, pub-3998556743903564, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 Anambra State House Of Assembly Passage Of Bill On Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, (ANSIEC)

Anambra State House Of Assembly Passage Of Bill On Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, (ANSIEC)

By Polycarp Onwubiko


The Hon members of Anambra state House of Assembly have done what they were expected to do by debating on the establishment of Anambra state independent electoral Commission ANSIEC. Congratulations for the enervating assignment. However, my contribution is for the States House of Assembly in the country.

Fact remains that the 1999 Contraption referred to as "Federal Constitution" is in all ramifications a UNITARY CONSTITUTION Decreed by the unelected group of people called "Military Regime".

It was unfortunate that Nigerian lack memory or easily forget historical events ostensibly because of the monstrosities and abominable grandstanding of those who manipulated their way into the Executive and Legislative Arms of government. Somebody few days ago reminded Nigerians that there had Never been free and fair elections in Nigeria (let us start from 1999 when the Military jackboots handed over power to the civil authorities.

If Nigeria enlightened people value memory, they would have called for the lifting of the SUSPENSION OF THE REPUBLICAN CONSTITUTION which the Military did. In other words, the Military Junta never destroyed the Realistic Federal Constitution mediated or fashioned by the representatives of ethnic nationalities in series of Constituent Assembly held both in Nigeria and Britain while the country was under the British tutelage.

All over the world, the original Federal Constitution was made by the selected representatives of ethnic nationalities or already existing entities whereby they would table what each of them want in other to ensure equity, fairness, and justice in the running of the country either as a FEDERATION OR CON-FEDERATION. The essence is to incorporate the respective values and worldview of the ethnic nationalities and afford them a measure of independence in running their affairs in addition to exploring and exploiting the natural and mineral resources within their jurisdiction ostensibly to create wealth, prosperity and uplift the living standard of their people based on their value orientation and vision of life and their children.

But what did Nigerians observed in that contraption referred to as the 1999 Constitution? It was a horrendous articulation of Unitary principles ostensibly geared towards pandering to the inanities, preferences and dream Islamization agenda of the supposed "Northern Political Emirate Establishment and Fulani Feudal Oligarchy" who covertly guided the military Junta in crafting that useless meta-legal document foisted on the helpless Nigeria people as the "Federal Constitution".

The world over, Federal Constitution has TWO TIERS OF GOVERNMENT, needless to mention the suspended Republican Constitution of Nigeria which had TWO TIERS OF GOVERNMENT viz: The Federal Government, and the Regional Governments.

The issue of LOCAL ADMINISTRATION (now deceptively tagged Local government council courtesy of the military autocrats self-calculations covertly prodded by the Fulani Feudal Oligarchy to funnel humongous funds from the monthly Statutory allocation sharing formula to the North through the illegally created Local government council as a THIRD TIER OF GOVERNMENT contrary to the principles in any Federal Constitution the world over.

Of course, the military autocrats under the covert agenda of the "Northern Political Emirate Establishment" did not care to seek the opinion of the people from the South while creating a THIRD TIER OF GOVERNMENT which is a purely Constitutional matter under a democratically elected Government.

The military empaneled the so-called "1976 Dasuki Local Government Reform Commission" to advise or produce a Report on how to create Local government council as a THIRD TIER OF GOVERNMENT.

I knew everything about the shenanigans because I started my civil service career in Enugu that year.

The next despicable step was to create surplus local government councils in the North without a corresponding increase in the South. For instance, while Lagos and Kano states originally had 20 local government councils each, Kano state was later granted 20 additional councils, whereas Lagos remained with 20. This imbalance was exacerbated by the military junta's lopsided creation of states, which resulted in surplus states in the North.

Consequently, Jigawa state was carved out of Kano state, and 40 local government councils were created in the newly formed Jigawa state. Challenging the military autocrats was not an option. In furtherance of the agenda to marginalize the South, the military used local government councils to carve out "Federal Constituencies." This strategic move ensured that when civilian government resumed, the National Assembly would have a majority of members from the North due to the surplus local government councils in that region.

The number of local government councils in Kano and Jigawa states exceeds those in the entire Southeast Geopolitical zone. This disparity translates into a significant imbalance in the monthly Statutory Revenue Allocation, with the North receiving more funds compared to the Southeast. This distribution of resources highlights the deep-rooted inequities perpetuated by the military's administrative decisions.

The point I have strenuously been making is that if the State Governments in the southern part of the country have retentive memory, they would have shunned the federal government's 'command' to establish State Independent Electoral Commission to conduct local government councils election otherwise the monthly Statutory Revenue Share to the local government councils would be seized by the Federal Government. It does not need going to the Law Court because the 1999 Constitution IS NOT A FEDERAL CONSTITUTION and it has NOT TWO TIERS OF GOVERNMENT. Federal Constitution the world over has TWO TIERS OF GOVERNMENT even Nigerian's Republican Constitution which was SUSPENDED has TWO TIERS OF GOVERNMENT.

 

By Polycarp Onwubiko JP Media Commentator Awka Anambra State.

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