PRESS RELEASE

When I first heard the statement that the Niger Delta resources is not owned by Niger Delta but by Nigeria credited to Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria, I thought he was quoted out of context. But when I read in the THISDAY NEWSPAPER, crediting the statement to Obasanjo, citing the constitution as the source for making the statement with such magisterial authority, I rushed to read the main story to know which constitution he was relying upon. I was curious to know whether it was the independence constitution or any other document.

I was shocked and highly disappointed that the General was quoting profusely from the military imposed constitution on the country. A constitution that has been described as fraudulent and rejected since its introduction.

The attempt by Elder Statesman, Edwin Clark to put the record straight was rebuffed by a statement by Arewa Consultative Forum supporting the statement by Obasanjo. Before the issue degenerates therefore into disputation between two respectable Elder statesmen. I owe a duty to our founding fathers to throw some light on the historical constitutional evolution of the country to help us move Nigeria forward.

With my recent interaction with Obasanjo, I can appreciate his passion for a united Nigeria. But a united Nigeria does not exist from his own perspective and understanding only. Nigeria has existed before he became the President of the country with our founding fathers with equally great passion if not greater passion for a united Nigeria. Our Colonial masters brought the various ethnic nationalities together through various constitutional reforms under a unitary form of government from 1914 to 1950 under Macpherson Constitution when Nigeria was divided into Three Regions namely Northern Region, Western Region and Eastern Region. The Macpherson Constitution which was supposed to last 5years under a unitary system collapsed in 1953 following a motion by the late Anthony Enahoro for self-government for Nigeria in 1956. The then Colonial secretary Oliver Lyttleton later known as Lord Chandos summoned the political leaders, our founding fathers, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello and Obafemi Awolowo to Lancaster House in London. It was at this conference that the defects in Macpherson Unitary Constitution were dissected and they settled for a Federal Constitution which became operative in 1954 with the establishment of the three autonomous regions headed by a Premier. The provision of this Federal Constitution with some amendments was incorporated in the 1960 and 1963 Independence Constitution. The residual powers in the constitution were reserved for the Federating autonomous regions. Revenue allocation was agreed to be on derivation which you now refer to as resource control with the payment of 50% (section 140, 1963 Constitution) to the region where the revenue was derived. It was a two-tier Federal system with the State government being co-ordinate and not subordinate to the Federal Government.

This was the peaceful co-existence position of the Unity of the ethnic groups until 1966 when the military took over the government and abrogated the constitution agreed to by our founding fathers and set up the present 1999 constitution. The obnoxious provisions of this constitution have been the cause of instability in the country.

When Obasanjo asserts that the Niger Delta Resources is not owned by Niger Delta but Nigeria, is the General suggesting that God created the resources in Niger Delta when Nigeria came into existence in 1914, or it was there before the amalgamation?

It is the amalgamation and the decision of our founding fathers to live together under the conditions agreed to in Independence Constitution that make other parts of Nigeria to lay claim to the resources of Niger Delta. The question of the protection of Niger Delta resources against external forces by the Federal government is not a big deal but a responsibility assigned to the Federal Government under the Federal System.

I will therefore passionately appeal to Obasanjo to join hands with the other patriots to bring pressure to bear on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the change of the present fraudulent constitution by restructuring the present unitary constitution to the Federal system agreed to by our founding fathers before the 2023 elections to enable the nation to move forward peacefully in unity and progress.

Long live a truly Federal Republic of Nigeria.  

Signed:

Ayo Adebanjo, Lagos

12/01/2022