Do we need 32 states unviable federation? – Part 2

In a True Federation such as UK of Great Britain, Canada and now European Union, respectively, for example, the following mode of Governance is in place, and applicable to Nigeria, as at 1952-1965, namely
The Federal (Central) Government is Coordinating Government and not a Controlling Government but has exclusive Responsibility for the Common National Services such as Armed Forces, Nigerian Police, Citizenship, Customs, , Central Bank of Nigeria, / National Currency, Immigration , Foreign Affairs including Foreign Trade, National Education Standards but not Educational Institutions which are the Responsibilities of Federating Regional Governments, and National Scientific, Technological Industrial Goods standards including Agricultural / Mineral Commodity Export Standards , Trunk A Roads / Interconnecting High Airways of Nigerian Federation, any other responsibility not specified for the Federal (Central) Government is a matter for the Federating Regional Government, For more Details please the Report of Nigerian Conference at Ibadan, Western Nigeria 1951 attended by the Leaders of Nigeria’s Federating Regions led by Sir Ahmadu Bello for Northern Nigeria, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe for South East Nigeria and Chief Obafemi Awolowo of Western Nigeria which include Mid West Nigeria now Edo and Delta States and Chaired by the then British Colonial Secretary, Sir Oliver Littleton, this Conference gave rise to Macpherson Constitution

Each Federating Unit or Regional Government is to take full and exclusive control of its Land, Agriculture, Education at all levels of its Citizens and other factors of development within its domain without any interference whatsoever from the Federal (Central) Government,
The Federal (Central) Government was required then to develop the existing University College, Ibadan established in 1948 to a full University on behalf of the Three (3) Federating Regions. That is why the Eastern Regional Government established its own Regional University the UNN, in 1960 before October 1, 1960 the year of Nigeria Independence, the Western Regional Government under Chief Obafemi Awolowo established Apapa Industrial Estates, Illupeju Industrial Estates and Ikeja Industrial Estates in Lagos then part of Western Nigeria

Federal Structure of Government recognized that Nigeria as a Nation State has a population of heterogenous and Communities and cannot / and should not operate a Unitary Government Administration otherwise there will be a monumental Crises,
Each Regional Government is independent of each other and the Federal (central) Government in Lagos,
Each Regional Government has its own Constitution and could legislate on both the Concurrent and Residual Matters, and it is reported that
Each Regional Government has Diplomatic Relations with London of UK of Great Britain, and ALL the Three (3) Federating Regional Governments were in healthy competition with each other, with Western Regional Government setting the pace in developments in free Education for all her Citizens, establishing Western Television, the first in Africa and Eastern Nigeria under Dr Azikiwe establishing the UNN, and the Industrial Estates in Port Harcourt, Enugu, Calabar etc. all in healthy competition with Chief Awolowo led Western Nigeria, and

The Capital of the Federal (Central) Government is Lagos, that of Northern Nigeria is Kaduna and that of Eastern Nigeria is Enugu, respectively. With the above Federal Structure Arrangement Nigeria as a Nation State was making fantastic economic progress in peace and in relative unity until the Military Insurrections of January and July Interventions in Politics tore Nigeria apart. From then on, Nigeria seized to be a Federation and re-established as a forcefully Amalgamated Nigeria constituent ethnic Nationalities or Nations as per Lord Fredrick Lugard in 1914, but then in 1966 re-enacted by the Nigerian Military in 1966 followed by the continued artificial splitting of Nigeria’s constituent ethnic Nationalities into Artificial States which by 1999 has led to 36 Artificial States.

That is how what should have been a True Federation of Hausa- Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo, Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv, Edo, Nupe, Ijaw and consenting Groups of small Population Federating Units, such as Urhobo, Efik, Idoma, Igala, etc. under the Terms of Union as at 1960-1965 was bastardized. A Federation of Nigeria should have been like UK of Great Britain, Canada and European Union where nobody cares which ethnic Nationality is Prime Minister or President of the Federation. Any other Federal Arrangement is begging the Question or an Exercise in futility until Nigeria finally land on the Fate of USSR, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, respectively. Dear Editor of the Guardian Newspaper, I hope I have answered your Question, namely “Do we need unviable 32 States?” My Answer is in the Negative. What we need is a Return to the 1951 Federal Structure Arrangement or the subsequent Macpherson Constitution so that Nigeria can have peace and make Progress as one Nation State.
Concluded
Oragwu, is a technology development consultant.