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Peaceful Solution To The Nigerian Question.
Note:This is a very important Thread. . . Post!
These are my ideas for a peaceful solution to the Nigerian question. The basic make-up of the country is already known by most of the readers of the political section of this country. So, with the ethnic diversity and close-held feelings of oppression that complicate things in the country, it only make sense that switching to a Confederation system of Government would be more beneficial to the country. This is the basic system that can be implemented with minimal adjustment while avoiding actions that could place the country in civil war.
The country would re-institute the provincial system that had worked fairly well during the pre-independence era. Each of the three provinces would have it's parliament and Prime minister. Within each Province would be States (basically the current States with a few adjustments if needed). Each of the three Provinces would be allowed by law to have an army of no more than 100,000 men. The control of the Provincial army would be given to the Minister of Defense that is appointed by a majority vote in the Provincial parliament.
The key to this system is to reduce feelings of marginalization and create a greater degree of fairness in the country. Each State keeps 60 percent of what ever they make. 30 percent of the individual State's revenue is sent to the Provincial Government of their respective regions. The remaining 10 percent is sent to the office of the Presidency to fund inter-provincial projects and handle foreign affairs.
Western Province= Lagos Edo Ogun Oyo Osun Kwara Ekiti Ondo Kogi Delta
National Capital Abuja (Also the home of the Presidencial office and meeting place to settle disputes between regions).
The remaining un-mentioned States would get a referendum to decide what region they wish to be a part of. However, the spliting up of the State would be allowed to happen along local government lines in States where the division varies greatly between LG.
Now that the provinces are set-up, elections can be held to fill the Provincial Parliament. The Parliament of the provinces then elects the ministers (Note: The Prime Minister of the Parliament can fire all/individual ministers and call for the Parliamentary vote of new ministers). The minister of Defence would be in charge of the armed forces and would unable to run for any political post once he has served in this position.
The three parliaments then get together and elects the President of the nation who would serve as the foreign minister and chief elder to settle disputes between regions. The president would hold no real power.
All laws passed by the Provincial Parliament can be rejected by a 2/3rds majority in the assembly on the State Level. All States are also free to make their own laws unless it contradicts the Provincial laws. In which case, they would have to get a 2/3 support to bar the Provincial laws from affecting their State.
Let me know what you guys think of this solution that would keep Nigeria intact while reducing feelings of marginalization and oppression within the parties of the country. Also, let me know of any modification you might have to the idea.
Note: With the increased strenght of the States, if there is a problem in within a particular area, the Provincial authority and the State/States invovled now has the resources to handle it quickly. The current system would mean waiting for weeks for the over-large, and clumsy Federal Government to make all sorts of consentions that fail to solve the underlying problem of the particular area. This kind of mentality breeds corruption.
Posts: 16 | From: New York | Registered: Jun 2006
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Your effort is well-meaning, but it's too little too late. The Biafrans have already lost confidence in building a united nation with incompetent, corrupt yoroba/awusa oligarchy. Short of outsourcing the management of nigeria to a Biafran of Odumegwu Ojukwu caliber on an expatriate contract for a period of no less than 10years, the awusa/yoroba are in no position to stop the current momentum for Biafran independence!!
Hail Biafra!
___________________ achieve Biafra and show the difference Posts: 642 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Nov 2002
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Amadi, you are mistaken if you truly believe that the Yorubas (I am one) are some how part of any oligarchy. The Yorubas have never been united against anything ever since the Alafin of Kwara, under pressure by newly converted inslamic Yorubas, decide to wage a civil war against the Oyo empire.
The real porblem with Nigeria are the Hausas. They are the ones that are overly violent, and for that, they ruined the country with their mindless coups. They are also poorly educated which makes it impossible for them to get anything right, even if they wanted to.
And just incase you were wondering, a lot of Yorubas want to be free from Nigeria. If you truely wanted a Biafra, you would advocate State rights and this provincial system, and then in time, you call a referendum within the eastern region and let the people decide if they want to stay in Nigeria.
Shouting openly about Biafra (which I support as long as you don't annex the mid-west) is not the proper way to go about achieving your goals.
Posts: 16 | From: New York | Registered: Jun 2006
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Afeni, Your confederation option is very welcome. This I personaly believe to be the only way to save nigeria and move her foward. Alas, the powers that be do not see this as an option, but rather as a threat to their status quo.
___________________ Biafra is inevitable.Illegitimis nil carborundum. Posts: 760 | From: europe | Registered: Jan 2005
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There is a question that seems to be elusive, the brother up there will like to know what, if any, Afeni knows about the Aburi Accord? In brief, your excellent idea has already been addressed in that document which unfortunately Pa Awo, a Yoroba helped scuttle and of which the Igbo are yet to receive any apologies. Else, your idea is alright with me. But let me ask, when you say as long as Biafra does not include the Midwest, are you counting on annexing the Delta state Igbos that are presently lumped with bunch of strangers as Midwesterners? I’m keenly interested in knowing why Bayelsans that should clearly be in the eastern province just as the Ika Igbos were skipped and their fate to be decided by a referendum?
___________________ BIAFRA: The land of my ancestors now, yesterday and always. So it will be! Posts: 2482 | From: Ala Igbo | Registered: Apr 2004
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MeBiafran, thank you very much for you intelligent post. I don't know anything about the Abori Accord. I also am ashamed that Awo decided to side with the Hausas over our fellow southerners.
My comments about Biafra not going too deep into the mid-west is very valid. The reason being, a lot of Yorubas are already suspicious of Igbos and it won't take much to get them to side with Hausas again if they think you are aiming for Yoruba land. I spoke with a deltan native and he assured me that the people of Delta State are more in line with the views of the South West, and hence, they should be included in the south-western region. Besides, the Eastern Province would get Bayelsa.
Posts: 16 | From: New York | Registered: Jun 2006
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quote: I spoke with a deltan native and he assured me that the people of Delta State are more in line with the views of the South West, and hence, they should be included in the south-western region.
Afeni,
Welcome to BNW. I also spoke to a Deltan who wants to rejoin his fellow Igbos. You see, the old Mid-West lost some of her citizens just so they will not be part of Western Nigeria.
___________________ Feel me? Ofu onye ana asi unu abia go. - Ednut Igbo-American . www.airamericaradio.com visit her. Posts: 2447 | From: Mother Earth | Registered: Mar 2001
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A major impediment to peace in the East is this Clark guy. What has crisis within SSPA got to do with a scheduled meeting of Eastern Region select.
quote:Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark has called on the conveners of the South-south, South-east caucus parley scheduled for Friday at the Lagos residence of Chief M.T.Mbu to call it off pending the resolution of the crisis within the South South Peoples Assembly (SSPA).
In a statement issued yesterday, the former Information Minister said "I understand that South-South, South-East caucus have scheduled a meeting for June 9 at the Lagos residence of Chief M.T. Mbu. I am therefore appealing to the conveners to shelve the meeting until the problems of SSPA have been resolved."
Clark said the call for the cancellation of the meeting has become imperative due to the crisis within the SSPA and on-going efforts to resolve it.
The elder statesman said already, a South-South Elders Council has been set up to resolve the crisis and reconcile the feuding parties within the group.
He disclosed that the Elders Council would soon meet in Calabar to seek ways of reconciling the feuding factions.
While noting that the two factions in the SSPA are those led by High Chief Raymond Dokpesi and the one led by Brigadier General D.O. Ikponmwen (rtd), the Ijaw leader said, "it is very unfortunate that at this crucial time when the SSPA should concentrate its energy working towards the fulfillment of the Calabar Declaration that South-South should produce the next Nigerian President, we are having this differences".
He consequently urged the two factions to reconcile their differences and work as a team in order to help the South-south realise its bid of producing a Nigerian President of South-south extraction in 2007.
He also noted that a date and venue for the meeting was yet to be fixed and urged the two factions not to do anything that would further deepen the crisis.
___________________ Feel me? Ofu onye ana asi unu abia go. - Ednut Igbo-American . www.airamericaradio.com visit her. Posts: 2447 | From: Mother Earth | Registered: Mar 2001
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Ednut You hit the nail on the heard, Mr Edwin Clark hatred of Ndi-igbo continue to cloud his judgement. It doesn't matter if his people are been decimated everyday in Nigeria.
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