Nigeria’s regional groupings, lawyers and civil societies have differed on whether or not to include the six geo-political zones in the constitution. The Ohaneze Ndigbo, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Afenifere, senior lawyers and civil societies expressed their views in separate interviews with Daily Trust.
Second Republic Vice President Alex Ekwueme propounded the principle of the six-geo-political system during the 1994 Constitutional Conference convoked by late Head of State Sani Abacha.
Ekwueme advocated the adoption of the zones as the federating units among which the presidency would rotate for a five-year-single term.
Such principle should also be applied in the states for the election of governors and local government chairmen.
The six geo-political zones are Northwest, Northeast, North central, Southwest, Southeast and South-south. While the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation Afenifere is demanding for the inclusion of the zones as federating units, the ACF is saying the zones constitute a fourth tier of government. The pan-Igbo group, the Ohaneze is asking for restructuring of the nation.
On the other hand, prominent lawyers and civil society organisations believe the geo-political zones serve the purpose of uniting the country and therefore advocate the formalisation of the concept.
Though Ekwueme’s proposition was not included in the 1999 constitution, dozens of federal agencies and commissions have adopted it in their various laws.
Federal agencies like Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have six permanent commissioners, representing each of the six zones.
The concept is also applied in other agencies such as the National Assembly Service Commission, Federal Character Commission, Federal Civil Service Commission, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Nigerian Communication Commission, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, who draw their commissioners each from the six zones.
But the 1999 constitution recognizes only the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory as the country’s federating units. The constitution also lists 774 local government councils as the third tier of government.
But the spokesperson of the Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said there was need for Nigerian constitution to recognise the six geo-political regions in the country. He said with the geo-political regions recognised, the many in-fighting in the country will reduce. “Nigeria is like a bowl of salad with many ingredients. All over the world, what people are pursuing now is cultural commonality. And as it is in the country today, we can see that governors in the north always meet regularly on regional integration. The same goes for Southeast, South-south and Southwest.
“The constitution must recognise the six geopolitical zones so as to engender regional development. We cannot be living outside that reality. When the geo-political regions are recognised, we can then come together to negotiate how to live in this federation,” Odumakin said.
They are fourth tier of government – ACF
The National Publicity Secretary of ACF, Muhammad Ibrahim Biu told Daily Trust that any constitutional recognition of the six geo-political zones would amount to four tiers of government with dire consequences on the cost of government and the unity of the country. This, he said, is because the six federating units with their own states, police and local governments will have centrifugal effects on the centre, thereby weakening the nation.
“It is the considered view of ACF that there is nothing wrong with the current federal structure with states as federating units. What is required most is a purposeful leadership at all levels that is committed to our unity in words and deeds, moral in purpose and wise in uses,” he said.
Fiscal autonomy for zones – Ohaneze
In the opinion of president General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, the position of Ndigbo has always been to restructure Nigeria from a unitary federation to a proper federation with fiscal autonomy for the component units. He said recognising the zones and making them autonomous and viable is the position of the Ndigbo.
He said, “There is an increased ethnic consciousness across the length and breadth of this country and fired separatist interests and at no time since the end of the civil war has the basis of our unity been eccentric as it is today.”
Nwodo said the current arrangement had reduced the people of the South-East to second class citizens in this country. “They feel there is an unspoken understanding between the other parts of the country to punish them for the civil war, to exclude them from the commanding heights of the economy and from sensitive positions in the federation and even the way our politicians have been treated is nothing to write home about.”
Dr. Junaid Muhammad, a Kano-based politician, said “To be honest with you, this is not what we call re-engineering the society in politics. The constitution has clearly spelt out the responsibilities of the three tiers of government; executive, legislative and judiciaries. It has also spelt out the responsibilities of federal, state and local government.
“Then, why should we collapse the zones into our constitution? What services are the zones rendering to Nigerians that warrant this? These questions must be answered to convince Nigerians that yes, we need the zones in our constitution. This is my position.”
Zones reduces political tension
According to Senior Advocate of Nigeria Yusuf Ali, “It is the fear of domination that led to this because there are some positions that cannot go round the 36 states. I don’t have any problem with that; whatever reduces the strife in the country is welcome. These things exist because we are yet to build a nation in which where somebody comes from does not matter.”
However, another lawyer Niyi Akintola, SAN said “constitutionally the states are the units recognised for sharing of offices and projects, not the zones. I am not aware that the zones are strictly the basis for sharing whether for the federal government ministers or political parties.”
Austin Alegeh, SAN, said there is a federal character principle in the country. “And if there are limited positions all what you need to do is it not to put one in the North, the other in South? It does not make it illegal because it is a matter of common sense.”
Tawo Eja Tawo, SAN, said, the zonal arrangement must not be in the constitution for it to be recognised. “For now the constitution recognises 36 states but that does not mean that administratively, there cannot be some arrangements to run the country,” he said.
For Mike Ozekhome, SAN, said the arrangement is conventional and the nearest to nationalities groupings in Nigeria. He called for the strengthening of the local governments across the country as an alternative to the geo-political appointment arrangements in the country.
Zones be formalised
The lead director of the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) Barrister Eze Onyekpere said though the arrangement might not be in the constitution, it should be formalized because of its benefits.“Although, the geo political zones are not recognized in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, they have become very well entrenched in the socio-economic and political structure and permutations in Nigeria. The executive director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) Auwal Musa Rafsanjani said it is basically not new for appointments to be done based on political interest, ethnic affiliation and sometimes merit.
“With over 200 ethnic groups, it would be difficult to appoint from each ethnic group and so it becomes expedient to appoint solely based on merit that reflects gender balance and the provisions laid down by the Federal Character Commission. If this is done and maintained, these sectors will experience positive growth, and conflict that would have arisen on appointments based on tribal and political affinity would be prevented,” he said.
In his contribution, executive director of Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, said, “while it is laudable from the point of view of inclusiveness in governance and the political process, the geo-political zoning arrangement has not addressed the deep fissures, which characterize the Nigerian political landscape. “It is equally pertinent to add, that geo-political zoning, the way it has been practiced so far, has taken on an elitist toga, failing the grapple with the issues affecting the ordinary people at the grassroots.”
