From: OKEKEJOS via OkonkwoNetworks <okonkwonetworks@googlegroups.com>
Date: Fri, Jun 24, 2016 at 5:52 AM
Subject: Case for referendum in Southern Nigeria: a repost
It is time to stop beating about the bush, time to tell ourselves the truth, time to stop killing innocent young people with weapons we do not manufacture, that we have to buy with hard earned resources which could be put to better use. A good many of us know or should know that the problem in Nigeria started at delivery.
The British in furtherance of their own interest estimated the population of Nigeria, without a count at 55million and gave the North the larger number of 32million. They followed this up by RIGGING the election in favour of the North. (Note all elections in Nigeria are characterized by rigging since the British introduced it). In 1962 the census conducted by priminister Tafawa Balewa revealed that Nigeria was not as populous as had been estimated and significantly that the North did not command the larger number, and what was also revealing, was that the Igbo constituted the largest ethnic group. The priminister rejected his own figures and ordered another census count in 1963. The result was accepted by him because the North suddenly became more populous than all other ethnic groups in the country combined. This baptism has trailed Nigeria till tomorrow.
What this act of the British did was to hand over governance to a MINORITY that was less developed in infrastructure and human capacity. The sequelae to all these are what Nigeria is grappling with these last half century. Corruption, impunity, insecurity, retarded development, strife and hatred among her citizens. It is this minority situation that has lead to the military dominated by a section of the country, that made it possible for a state like Kano to have more local governments than all five states in the south east and more than double the number of local governments in a state like Lagos. It like wise it produced the 1999 constitution that made a state governor the chief security officer of the state yet has NO authority over the security personnel ( recall the experience of Ngige). It made it possible for the majority of the owners of oil blocks to come from the North and for the head of the judiciary in the last forty odd years to come from that area. It is this constitution that made the treasury of the country and that of the states the piggy bank of the president and that of the state governors. It is the reason Fulani herdsmen openly and brazenly carry deadly weapons, an act that is illegal, without any challenge by law enforcement authorities. This is just picking on a very few examples out of a dish full. In other words, the constitution has effectively enslaved the people in their ancestral lands.
Giving the above incontrovertible facts, what then is or should be the permanent and longtime solution to this problem. Some have suggested restructuring the polity based on some of the recommendations of Jonathan's constitutional conference. Other ideas have been put forward by people but in my view anything that fails to address the root cause of the problem will at best be a band aid or will fail.
The way things are and giving the mindset of the ruling class they will not brook any plan that will curtail their contrived dominance by subjecting the country to proper unrigged census conducted by a SERIOUSLY neutral entity. That being the case and with call for ceassion growing and becoming more strident, it seems clear that the most peaceful way out without resort to chest beating and brute force is to allow the people to decide their fate through an honest and clean referendum. Common sense and natural justice informs that this should be the way to go. Most debates, arguments and even court rulings in the highest courts in all countries are resolved by a vote by the parties to the debate and in the case of courts by a vote of the judges. There will be winners and there will be losers but in nearly all cases both sides accept the outcome. A vote by the various ethnic groups in the lower Niger as advocated by the Lower Niger Congress and many others is the only civilized, logical and peaceful way to go. Therefore the government and all concerned should encourage open and honest discussion of this matter. Let both sides be allowed to make their case and let the people decide.
Apart from common sense concept, UN general assembly resolution 1514 of 1960 and the 2007 declaration of the rights of indigenous peoples both act as authority on this matter. It is based on these that East Timor and recently South Sudan, through a referendum, gained their independence. Canada and the UK which are much older more advanced countries than Nigeria allowed their peoples to express their wishes through the same process. We did not hear machismo coming from these governments nor were there any loss of life in either instant. Too much blood has been shed and too many young innocent lives have been lost already. I say enough is enough.
The call for separation and self determination has been going on in the south for many years. It is well known that the Yoruba already have their constitution, flag and national anthem in place. Agitation for Biafra has also been going on since 1967. Some of our National, leaders who should know, have tried to ascribe the agitation to the handiwork of uneducated, unemployed and disgruntled few when the facts on the ground speak differently. They either are ill informed or are being mischievous.
The only way lasting peace and therefore meaningful progress can come to Nigeria is if the problem is tackled holistically and honestly in the line outlined above or else peace will reign when all that will be left to rule or govern will be trees and animals.
J.O.S.Okeke
OkonkwoNetworks..........Building NIGERIA of our DREAM
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