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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