On State Creation in 1967
Mobolaji E. Aluko
My dear brother Nowa:
Thanks. I stand corrected - there were indeed 6 states in either zone.
Were you to see my first draft, I had 6 states per zone, but somehow in my
mental recollection of their names, I SIMPLY forgot about Lagos, and then
merely subtracted the 5 Southern ones that I could remember from 12, and
sent my note out wrongly as such.
Perhaps it was a FREUDIAN slip that I forgot Lagos, because the Yoruba
have always been AMBIVALENT from time Imo River about whether it is
ADVANTAGEOUS to have Lagos administratively separated from Western Region
or not. Recalling history that in 1951, Lagos was merged with the Western
Region against the wishes of the 1950 Ibadan Constitutional Conference
(leading indirectly to the infamous carpet-crossing incident of which we
hear so much about; then the core "ara oke" Westerners were somewhat
concerned about the uppity Afro-Brazilians who populated Lagos) - the 1967
re-emergence of Lagos State as an administrative entity could therefore be
considered 26 years delayed. However, one must remember that between 1952
and 1963, the Western Region under Awolowo had created a thriving
INDUSTRIAL ZONE in Ikeja/Ikorodu corridor (which remains until this day),
with Western Region COCOA MONEY and heavy income taxation. The separate
Lagos that was desired by the Western Region then was FAR SMALLER than the
present Lagos State. So losing Lagos State in 1967 was AGAINST Western
Region wishes, but it was a compromise that had to be reached - or maybe
an uncompensated imposition that still offends some people!
The above was just a little history, if only for some of my Yoruba
compatriots. It is also a note that TIMING is important in history,
politics and decision-making: what is considered beneficial today may not
be beneficial tomorrow, and what may be considered adverse today may turn
out to be the best decision tomorrow. That is also how the 1967 creation
of 12 states to undercut the nascent Biafra should be viewed. On the one
hand, it was a brilliant move to assuage many concerns and to nip the
secessionists in the bud. On the other hand, it began the slippery slope
to the present fractured economic state of our country. Truth, as they
say, is bitter.
Finally, I am not so much concerned with asymmetry, because it depends on
where the demarcation line is drawn - and how the states are governed!
For example, even today, Kogi and Kwara are in the main culturally
Southern (because of the large Yoruba population in them) but politically
Northern (because of historical reasons)! Furthermore, it is because the
center is still so powerful, determined to dole out money to states, that
is why we calculate whether it is giving more money to the South or North
or East or West. Do we hear those kinds of calculations in the United
States? Are there no South or North, East or West in the US?
So, again, Nowa, a plus or minus one or two states-imbalance is not
intrinsically problematic. Obviously, when our country began, the North
did not mind ONE BIG REGION for themselves and TWO (THEN THREE) SMALLER
REGIONS in the South. THere was a 3-state imbalance in 1966! Then when
they figured out that it might not be to their disadvantage, they agreed
to EQUALIZE the number of states North and South. That should have given
us some pause, but my general beef with Southern leaders, despite all our
education, is sometimes our lack of political calculation.
So, Nowa, what is problematic is our unfederal management of that
imbalance, coupled with the prima facie fact that they are simply too many
states for our resources. Somehow, they need to be re-organized.
Have a blessed week.
Bolaji Aluko
On Sun, 1 Oct 2000, Nowa Omoigui wrote:
> My dear Brother Bolaji:
>
> Minor correction:
>
> Gowon created six (6) states in the North and six (6)
> in the South.
>
> NORTH
>
> North-East
> Benue-Plateau
> North-Central
> North-West
> Kwara
> Kano
>
> SOUTH
>
> Lagos
> Western
> Midwestern (later Bendel)
> Rivers
> South-Eastern (later Cross River)
> East Central
>
> It was the Mohammed/Obasanjo regime that introduced
> asymetry into the North-South States balance when they
> created 19 states. (10 North and 9 South) This
> asymmetry was maintained by IBB and Abacha - and is
> the reason why there are more states in the North than
> in the South today.
>
> Aside this you do have a point that creation of states
> in 1967 was for more reasons than merely 'dividing'
> Biafra. Northern minority pressures, Eastern minority
> pressures and schisms between "Lagos" and the "West"
> were all factors in the background - problems dating
> back to the late fifties and early sixties.
>
> But the TIMING - circa May 27 - was in direct response
> to the imminent declaration of Biafra - based on the
> communique issued by the "Consultative Assembly" that
> met in Enugu the day before....Ojukwu declared Biafra
> a couple of days later
>
> There is no doubt that it struck at the heart of
> Eastern solidarity.
>
> NAO
>
>
>
> --- "Mobolaji E. Aluko" <mal...@scs.howard.edu> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Maazi Gregg Ukaegbu:
> >
> > Only those who do not:
> >
> > (1) have a sense of history;
> > (2) want to be forgiven their own sins by God;
> >
> > write the way you do.
> >
> > First, a sense of history. Before Gowon announced
> > the creation of twelve
> > states in Nigeria on May 27, 1967, there were:
> >
> > 1 region in the North and 3 regions in the
> > South.
> >
> > After that announcement, there were:
> >
> > 7 states in the North and 5 states in the
> > South
> >
> > Let me ask the question: if states were created
> > merely to "weaken
> > Biafra", why were they created in the North? To
> > weaken the North? What
> > kind of logic is this?
> >
> > Let the truth be told: all the 5 states created in
> > the South were the
> > states (regions) that SHOULD have been created at
> > Independence seven years
> > earlier if EQUITY and FAIRNESS to the people in
> > question had been
> > enthroned! I mean, Rivers States was the Rivers
> > Region agitated for and
> > South-Eastern State was the COR (without the R)
> > region. It was only the
> > SELFISHNESS of the majority groups Yoruba Igbo and
> > Hausa/Fulani - and
> > certainly the unwillingness of the North to
> > contemplate ANY break-up
> > whatsoever - that delayed it. So whatever the
> > actual reason for creating
> > these states - including rightly to undercut the
> > seceding Biafra that was
> > dragging the unwilling minority regions along with
> > it; forget the Okoko
> > Ndem propaganda, which still befuddles many Ndiigbo
> > minds till today - it
> > was "welcome relief" to those who had been fighting
> > for minority rights.
> >
> > If there was concern to be expressed at all - and
> > here, the North
> > triumphed over the South, once again - it was that
> > TOO MANY STATES were
> > created in the North for their economic potential
> > and personnel resources.
> > There was really never any traditional agitation for
> > more than 3, possibly
> > 4 states in the North, but splitting them up into
> > about twice that number
> > was a recipe to begin to drain the resources of the
> > rest of the country.
> >
> > That is the real disaster we face today, as we
> > refuse to practice true
> > federalism. It is that lack of practice under the
> > military that has made
> > us blossom into 36 ridiculous states - 19 in the
> > North, and 17 in the
> > South, with the single Igbo states ballooning into 5
> > small-sized (and
> > sometimes antagonistic) states and the Yoruba states
> > ballooning into 6
> > states. Gowon's 12 states, being probably 3 or 4
> > more than was really
> > necessary, is certainly more desirable than the
> > present 36 states, which
> > will kill Nigeria as we know it if we don't regroup
> > them administratively
> > somehow.
> >
> > So let us stop belly-aching over the creation of
> > states of 1967, 33 years
> > ago - it was the right thing to do, even if Biafra
> > did not like it.
> >
> > Secondly, about forgiving. You see, Gowon is doing
> > what HIS SOUL
> > convinces him to do - express his regrets about his
> > own part in the whole
> > process of the war. I do not know whether he is
> > sincere or not - I do not
> > believe that he should be apologizing over the
> > creation of states in 1967,
> > but that is up to him - but his MAKER makes that
> > determination. There
> > will be INDIVIDUAL Ndiigbo who will find it in their
> > heart to forgive him
> > - and if they are Christian, it will be to their
> > credit, because the
> > Lord's Prayer says, "...forgive us our sins, as we
> > forgive them who sin
> > against us." Our prayer to God for forgiveness is
> > answered CONDITIONAL on
> > our forgiving others.
> >
> > Gowon is doing his part. If an Mkpoko Igbo does not
> > convene to forgive
> > him, or Gregg Ukaegbu does not forgive him, at least
> > Gowon would have done
> > his part. That is the best he can do. And the best
> > INDIVIDUAL Ndiigbo
> > who might have been hurt by him can do is to forgive
> > him - of course that
> > is if they wish our God to forgive them of their own
> > sins.
> >
> > We will all hold on to our collective pains until a
> > Sovereign National
> > Conference is convinced. These "drip-drip"
> > confessions might help, but it
> > will not be the panacea.
> >
> > Have a good Sunday, and a good week!
> >
> > And remember to forgive others of their sins, who
> > ask. And leave the rest
> > to God.
> >
> >
> > Bolaji Aluko
> >
> >
> > On Sun, 1 Oct 2000, ukaegbu wrote:
> >
> > > Quincy,
> > >
> > > That Rivers, Cross Rivers, Imo, Anambra, and the
> > latest dissections of the
> > > former Eastern Region were created to prevent
> > another Biafra, is too
> > > obvious. It served the interest of the designers
> > and worked to the detriment
> > > of the people affected. Today, peoples of these
> > states, erstwhile neigbbours
> > > and friends, can't move around each other any more
> > without suspicion. They
> > > can't even live and work in places outside their
> > state, thanks to Gowon and
> > > his perverted wisdom.
> > >
> > > For Yakubu Gowon, the architect of this policy, to
> > be running around
> > > confessing and crying whenever he sees a
> > microphone and an audience is
> > > shameful. His audience should take him to task and
> > ask him how he intends to
> > > mend the nation he helped destroy. Since he now
> > knows the drawbacks of
> > > division and fragmentation, why doesn't he take a
> > stand on Sharia to prove
> > > his committment for a united nation.
> > >
> > > The guy needs to be flogged in public for putting
> > together 3 world powers to
> > > fight Biafra, and putting our people through one
> > of the worst miseries in
> > > human history. Shooting and shooting back in wars
> > is fair; but blockading
> > > relief supplies, food and medicine from reaching
> > Biafra is unforgiveable. He
> > > can cry and confess all he wants for it only looks
> > good on papers and T/V.
> > > The blood of all the casualties both sides of the
> > Biafran/Nigerian war will
> > > continue to swirl in his for as long as he lives.
> > >
> > > Let him keep his new-found conscience to himself
> > and his family. The less he
> > > is seen in public, the and the more he helps
> > people forget the
> > > experiences of the war. If he wants to, he can get
> > all the big officers who
> > > helped him fight against us together in one large
> > stadium, and they can
> > > Kumbaya their crocodile apologies at the same time
> > and spare us the Chinese
> > > torture giving it individually and at different
> > times.
> > >
> > > Ngwanu.
> > >
> > >
> > *gregg*
> > >
> > >
> >
> #########################################################################
> >
> === message truncated ===
>
>
> __________________________________________________
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> Yahoo! Photos - 35mm Quality Prints, Now Get 15 Free!
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>
Nowa Omoigui
Mobolaji E. Aluko
Nowa:
I thought it would be useful to bring your attention to a small
corroborating statement (about Ikeja) by Chief Edwin Clark recorded in
Vanguard: Transmitted WEDNESDAY, 4th OCTOBER, 2000 :
"There can never be peace without justice. In the first republic, there
was resource control and that was why the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was
able to advance more than Azikiwe in the East and Sardauna of Sokoto in
the North.
He (Awolowo) was able to introduce free primary education in 1955 but
Azikiwe wanted to do the same to score political point but he could not
because he hadn't get resource control ability to do it. Awo developed
Ikeja Industrial Estate through resource control. He brought television,
established the University of Ife and wanted to plant rubber plantations
in the West through it."
Bolaji
Mobolaji E. Aluko
Otasco Otanda:
Before the usual suspects begin to blame Awolowo for assisting in
DECREEING greater Federal resource control, please note that it was
MURTALA MOHAMMED's Regime which really started that (1975-76) on an
official basis. It was then GREATLY expanded by OLUSEGUN OBASANJO during
his 1976-79 rule following Mohammed's assassination. For example, under
Gowon, the military governors came from their own states, and pretty much
had local control over many things, while this was not the case under
Murtala/Obasanjo regime, and in fact the military governors became
divorced from the Supreme Military council and virtually took dictations
from the SMC.
Of course, because Gowon led Nigeria in the civil war, federal might
during such a war is naturally bound to have taken a commanding height in
governance. The other unfortunate fact was that it was during this period
(1970-1975) that Nigeria really became a notable oil-producing country, so
the strong temptation started under Gowon to distribute the gushing oil
money from the center. The lure of oil money has been the greatest
destroyer of federalism in Nigeria. Obasanjo's 1979 Constitution then
finally sealed the unitary nature of our "federation."
Nevertheless, until he died, Awolowo was an implacable advocate of local
resource control. So, please, don't let us re-write any history here and
attempt to tie one more spurious offence around Awo's neck for your own
well-known reasons.
Bolaji Aluko
On Wed, 4 Oct 2000, otasco otanda wrote:
> Uncle Nwuke:
> Good observations. One question, though, is if total
> regional resource control is one of the main fuels of
> regional development, as reported evidenced in the
> Awolowo's Western Region, why did Chief Awolowo not
> raise an objection when Gowon's regime increased the
> power of FG in resource control? Was he the one who
> increased or wrote decrees to that effect?
> The point Mr. Clark, who I suspect is from Bayelsa
> State, was trying to make is that Niger Delta States
> should be given a 100% total resource control.
> -K.O.
> --- Ekenlor Idi <tch...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Bolaji:
> >
> > Edwin Clark got his facts wrong. You should not
> > place much premium
> > on many of the things some of the characters
> > strutting the political
> > stage say.
> >
> > Zik WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO INTRODUCE UNIVERSAL
> > PRIMARY EDUCATION in
> > Nigeria. He did not make it free because
> > philosophically he did not
> > believe in free this and free that. He went to
> > school in the USA and
> > was very much influenced by America. Had he wanted
> > to introduce it
> > to "SCORE POLITICAL POINT" as Mr. Clark will like us
> > to believe, he'd
> > have run the government of Eastern Nigeria into an
> > oodle of red ink.
> >
> > On University, again, Mr. Clark is wrong. Zik was
> > the first to
> > establish a university in Nigeria - the University
> > of Nigeria.
> >
> >
> > There has never been complete resource control by
> > any region of the
> > country. Nigeria has had over 11 fiscal commissions
> > to work out an
> > agreeable fiscal arrangement among its constituting
> > units. People
> > like Mr. Clark should learn to get their facts right
> > and stop
> > misleading people.
> >
> > okn
> > +++
Ekenlor Idi
okn
+++
> > > --- "Mobolaji E. Aluko" <mal...@scs.howard.edu> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > === message truncated ===
> > >
> > >
> > > __________________________________________________
> > > Do You Yahoo!?
> > > Yahoo! Photos - 35mm Quality Prints, Now Get 15 Free!
> > > http://photos.yahoo.com/
> > >
> >
> >
>
=====
okn
------
Let honesty and industry be thy constant companions, and spend one
penny less than thy clear gains; then shall thy pocket begin to
thrive; creditors will not insult, nor want oppress, nor hungerness bite,
nor nakedness freeze thee. ----- Benjamin Franklin
Mobolaji E. Aluko
Kasirim:
You are VOCIFEROUSLY DENYING what Edwin Clark DID NOT SAY. In fact, in
one instance - free primary education - you are even AGREEING with what
Edwin Clark said about Zik and Awo.
So I am not quite sure what the problem is.
Talking about Zik and his US experience, it could not have been
particularly good money- and social-wise. Based on the amount of
suffering to pay his fees while in the US between 1925 and 1934 and
general hard times in the US then - during the US presidency of Calvin
Coolidge (January 1923-January 1929; blamed for the crash of October 1929
and the Great Depression afterwards; the last president without a
telephone on his desk), Herbert Hoover (January 1929- January 1933;
arguably one of the least-succesful presidents) and most especially
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945; of the "New Deal For all" fame) - one
would have hoped that Zik would want a few things "freer". But except for
one year of Roosevelt's spectacularly successful twelve years of the New
Deal, which SIGNIFICANTLY expanded federal government as a concrete part
of American daily lives, Zik did not have much "presidential example" to
follow from the US while there.
So let us quit all that "American influence" on Zik's approach to "free
this, free that." He must have learnt the wrong lesson - but that is YOUR
statement, not his.
Just another history lesson, Kasirim.
Bolaji Aluko
Reginald Iyizoba
If I might add, Eastern Nigeria had the fastest growing regional economy in
the developing world. The economy was growing at a rate of 6% a year.
Contrary to popular believe, the West was actually lagging behind the East.
Many developing countries were fascinated by the rate of development in the
East that they modeled their economies after that of Eastern Nigeria.
Malaysia was one such example, the palm kernel which they took from the
then Eastern Nigerian government has really propelled their economy into
new heights.
Cheers,
Reggie.
-----Original Message-----
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Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2000 7:17 AM
To: Mobolaji E. Aluko; Nowa Omoigui
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Subject: Re: On State Creation in 1967
otasco otanda
Good observations. One question, though, is if total
regional resource control is one of the main fuels of
regional development, as reported evidenced in the
Awolowo's Western Region, why did Chief Awolowo not
raise an objection when Gowon's regime increased the
power of FG in resource control? Was he the one who
increased or wrote decrees to that effect?
The point Mr. Clark, who I suspect is from Bayelsa
State, was trying to make is that Niger Delta States
should be given a 100% total resource control.
-K.O.
--- Ekenlor Idi <tch...@yahoo.com> wrote: