ON HOW NIGERIAN REGIONAL SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WAS ABOLISHED - AND THE NEED FOR OLD WOUNDS TO BE HEALED FOR US TO FORGE AHEAD AS A COUNTRY
November 20, 2020 | News
I was intrigued again when a recent post online, which showed Aguiyi Ironsi’s Broadcast to the nation on May 24th, 1966, banning Political Parties and introducing Degree No.34, and ultimately abolishing the country’s Regional system of Government.
ON HOW NIGERIAN REGIONAL SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WAS ABOLISHED - AND THE NEED FOR OLD WOUNDS TO BE HEALED FOR US TO FORGE AHEAD AS A COUNTRY
I was intrigued again when a recent post online, which showed Aguiyi Ironsi’s Broadcast to the nation on May 24th, 1966, banning Political Parties and introducing Degree No.34, and ultimately abolishing the country’s Regional system of Government. The only thing that re-echoed in my mind is the thought of how our Southern Nigerian people from the East, unknowingly created problems for all of us in the pursuit of their efforts towards having a one Nigeria. But who is complaining now? As of today, the problems created by Ironsi then, will still not be easily solved today. That is what happens when leaders do not holistically plan in the execution of their agendas, which often ends up not being in the interests of the Nigerian people in general.
This also reiterates the fact that it was Ironsi, who in pursuit of a one united Nigeria, destroyed the Regional system of Government of Nigeria, and not the Northerners. While he probably did it to get more power to the Centre as the then Military Head of State, but it is imperative to note and reiterate the fact that Ironsi’s intentions for taking over the government then after the January 15th, 1966 coup, was primarily to eradicate the high level of corruption emanating from the regional governments. And to introduce a Unitary System of Government intended by him to unify the country. But that day, gave birth to a national restlessness which PERMANENTLY RESHAPED the history of the young independent (Nigeria) nation then. Maj. Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogu, who was the Chief Instructor at the Nigerian Defense Academy in Kaduna, convinced Four other Soldiers: Timothy Onwuatuegwu, Emmanuel Efeajuna, Adewale Ademoyega, and Chris Anuforo, to join his said revolution coup that left 11 top Nigerian politicians and Two soldiers dead, while many others were kidnapped. They justified the military action on the need to rid the nation of corruption because according to them, the men who were running the nation then, were so corrupt that if care was not taken, they could run the nation aground. The Soldiers gave instances of several Nigerian Ministers then who were living so flamboyantly and looting public funds at the expense of national development. Though, Ironsi, who was the then first indigenous Commander-general of the Nigerian Army, was actually not part of the coup plotters. He only seized the opportunity to take over power from the civilian, in a bid to restore law and order. But that only lasted about Six months, as he was also overthrown in what many described as a retaliatory coup by soldiers of Northern extraction.
Sadly, it’s been over 60 years after, yet corruption in the country has gone far beyond what any reasonable person could imagine. Which again justifies the fact that we are yet to learn any lessons as a nation, from these past events in our history. While the said Degree No.34 made the Center strong and abolished powers granted to the regions, interestingly, Kaduna Nzeogu, one of the January 15th, 1966 coup plotters, in an interview he granted in 1967, affirmed that Ironsi shot himself in the foot with that Degree. Another mistake Ironsi made was the non-trial of the stated coup 1966 plotters carnage. While this caused an unrest in parts of Northern Nigeria, who were against delimiting regional powers, this led to a tour of the country by the then Head of State Ironsi, who reassured the Northern elites of a United Nigeria. As such, Ironsi is described by many as a non-tribalist leader. I was also told of this, of Ironsi, by Maj. David Akpode Ejoor while he was still alive. And that he (Ejoor) was the only Senior military Officer that was at Ironsi’s funeral.
Here is a glimpse of the said nation broadcast by Ironsi: “Fellow Nigerians. During the past two weeks I presided over meetings of the Supreme Military Council and the Central Executive Council, at which many important state matters were considered…. It is now three months since the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was handed over to the Armed Forces. Now that peace has been restored in the troubled areas, it is time that the Military Government indicates clearly what it proposes to be accomplished before relinquishing power. The removal of one of the obstacles on the way is provided for in the Constitution (suspension and Modification) Decree (No. 5), 1966 which was promulgated by me today and comes into effect at once.
“The provisions of the Decree, and intended to remove the last vestiges of the intense regionalism of the recent past, and to produce that cohesion in the governmental structure which is so necessary in achieving, and maintaining the paramount objective of the National Military government, and indeed of every true Nigerian, namely, national unity. THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS DECREE ARE AS FOLLOWS: The former Regions are abolished, and Nigeria grouped into a number of territorial areas called Provinces…. Nigeria ceases to be what has been described as a Federation. It now becomes simply the Republic of Nigeria.”
As noted by Confucius (c550 – 478 BC) “STUDY THE PAST IF YOU WOULD DIVINE THE FUTURE”. I think it is about time we let go of the past mistakes made by our past leaders. Learn from those mistakes, and start striving for ways to move the nation forward. There is no amount of blame game, that will change the mistakes done in the past. Rather, we would continue going in circles and nowhere as a people. As also noted by Smart Ofugara, a social affairs commentator: “The issue now is no longer blame. But how to make progress so that our country can be better for it. We still have the opportunity. But the infighting and greed, with POWERS in few hands, is not making things to work. The vision has to be harnessed.”
Zik Gbemre.
November 20, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
I was intrigued again when a recent post online, which showed Aguiyi Ironsi’s Broadcast to the nation on May 24th, 1966, banning Political Parties and introducing Degree No.34, and ultimately abolishing the country’s Regional system of Government. The only thing that re-echoed in my mind is the thought of how our Southern Nigerian people from the East, unknowingly created problems for all of us in the pursuit of their efforts towards having a one Nigeria. But who is complaining now? As of today, the problems created by Ironsi then, will still not be easily solved today. That is what happens when leaders do not holistically plan in the execution of their agendas, which often ends up not being in the interests of the Nigerian people in general.
This also reiterates the fact that it was Ironsi, who in pursuit of a one united Nigeria, destroyed the Regional system of Government of Nigeria, and not the Northerners. While he probably did it to get more power to the Centre as the then Military Head of State, but it is imperative to note and reiterate the fact that Ironsi’s intentions for taking over the government then after the January 15th, 1966 coup, was primarily to eradicate the high level of corruption emanating from the regional governments. And to introduce a Unitary System of Government intended by him to unify the country. But that day, gave birth to a national restlessness which PERMANENTLY RESHAPED the history of the young independent (Nigeria) nation then. Maj. Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogu, who was the Chief Instructor at the Nigerian Defense Academy in Kaduna, convinced Four other Soldiers: Timothy Onwuatuegwu, Emmanuel Efeajuna, Adewale Ademoyega, and Chris Anuforo, to join his said revolution coup that left 11 top Nigerian politicians and Two soldiers dead, while many others were kidnapped. They justified the military action on the need to rid the nation of corruption because according to them, the men who were running the nation then, were so corrupt that if care was not taken, they could run the nation aground. The Soldiers gave instances of several Nigerian Ministers then who were living so flamboyantly and looting public funds at the expense of national development. Though, Ironsi, who was the then first indigenous Commander-general of the Nigerian Army, was actually not part of the coup plotters. He only seized the opportunity to take over power from the civilian, in a bid to restore law and order. But that only lasted about Six months, as he was also overthrown in what many described as a retaliatory coup by soldiers of Northern extraction.
Sadly, it’s been over 60 years after, yet corruption in the country has gone far beyond what any reasonable person could imagine. Which again justifies the fact that we are yet to learn any lessons as a nation, from these past events in our history. While the said Degree No.34 made the Center strong and abolished powers granted to the regions, interestingly, Kaduna Nzeogu, one of the January 15th, 1966 coup plotters, in an interview he granted in 1967, affirmed that Ironsi shot himself in the foot with that Degree. Another mistake Ironsi made was the non-trial of the stated coup 1966 plotters carnage. While this caused an unrest in parts of Northern Nigeria, who were against delimiting regional powers, this led to a tour of the country by the then Head of State Ironsi, who reassured the Northern elites of a United Nigeria. As such, Ironsi is described by many as a non-tribalist leader. I was also told of this, of Ironsi, by Maj. David Akpode Ejoor while he was still alive. And that he (Ejoor) was the only Senior military Officer that was at Ironsi’s funeral.
Here is a glimpse of the said nation broadcast by Ironsi: “Fellow Nigerians. During the past two weeks I presided over meetings of the Supreme Military Council and the Central Executive Council, at which many important state matters were considered…. It is now three months since the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was handed over to the Armed Forces. Now that peace has been restored in the troubled areas, it is time that the Military Government indicates clearly what it proposes to be accomplished before relinquishing power. The removal of one of the obstacles on the way is provided for in the Constitution (suspension and Modification) Decree (No. 5), 1966 which was promulgated by me today and comes into effect at once.
“The provisions of the Decree, and intended to remove the last vestiges of the intense regionalism of the recent past, and to produce that cohesion in the governmental structure which is so necessary in achieving, and maintaining the paramount objective of the National Military government, and indeed of every true Nigerian, namely, national unity. THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS DECREE ARE AS FOLLOWS: The former Regions are abolished, and Nigeria grouped into a number of territorial areas called Provinces…. Nigeria ceases to be what has been described as a Federation. It now becomes simply the Republic of Nigeria.”
As noted by Confucius (c550 – 478 BC) “STUDY THE PAST IF YOU WOULD DIVINE THE FUTURE”. I think it is about time we let go of the past mistakes made by our past leaders. Learn from those mistakes, and start striving for ways to move the nation forward. There is no amount of blame game, that will change the mistakes done in the past. Rather, we would continue going in circles and nowhere as a people. As also noted by Smart Ofugara, a social affairs commentator: “The issue now is no longer blame. But how to make progress so that our country can be better for it. We still have the opportunity. But the infighting and greed, with POWERS in few hands, is not making things to work. The vision has to be harnessed.”
Zik Gbemre.
November 20, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes