THE ADF GREENBOOK

THE FUTURE OF NDIGBO IN THE NIGERIAN FEDERATION

MEMORANDUM OF

THE ALAIGBO DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION (ADF)

[Part 4]

6.0 PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS AT RESTRUCTURING AND WHY THEY FAILED.

6.1 Restructuring through Constitutional Amendments.

Previous attempts at Restructuring Nigeria, mostly through Constitutional amendments have failed for three major reasons: –

  1. They failed to address the fundamental character of the Federation as a union of pre-colonial autonomous nationalities and what is needed to make such a political and economic union viable and stable.
  2. They did not derive from the will of the people being united in such a Federation.

iii. The political leaders who controlled the North, the Region in which the British allocated the largest land mass and capped it up by manipulating the census to give it a political majority and thus control of the emergent political union, the Region whose leaders subsequently used the Nigerian military under their control to further restructure the Federation to put it more firmly under what previously we used to refer to as Northern hegemony, (but the people of the Middle Belt and all the minorities living in the North now confirm that it has indeed been Fulani Moslem hegemony) This hegemonic power has consistently blocked any attempt to restructure and create a genuine federation with a democratic political order.

  1. In this way, those who control the Northern Region have maintained a political stranglehold on the entire federation and enslaved the various ethnic nationalities under them. They allow only restructuring that was promoted by their military leaders but oppose and nullify those that have attempted to promote meaningful reordering of the status quo.


6.12 Hegemonic Restructuring Versus Democratic Restructuring

In the current debate, we are therefore confronted by what is called Hegemonic Restructuring versus Democratic Restructuring. The double-speak is obvious when we listen to their leaders talk about restructuring. They either oppose it or they affirm it. When they affirm Restructuring, they mean to offer Hegemonic Restructuring, the type that offers Ndigbo such insincere carrots as Vice Presidency, an additional State, devolution of power, etc., etc.

When they oppose Restructuring, they mean the type of Restructuring that will guarantee their minions political and economic equality and freedom, self-determination, regional autonomy, and control over the security of their ancestral homes, their religion, and their culture. etc.

Only such restructuring that took place under Gowon, Murtala/Obasanjo, Babangida, and Abdusalem Abubakar were sustained. Even the restructuring that resulted from the 1994-5 Constitutional Conference in the time of Abacha was blocked and torpedoed by the Northern leaders. Similarly, the outcome of the National Conferences organized by Obasanjo and Jonathan were thrown into the trash can.

What went wrong with the restructuring under Obasanjo and Jonathan? We should equally ask ‘What was wrong with the outcome of the Abacha-sponsored National Conference of 1994-5?’

First and foremost, those Conferences produced results that radically altered the status quo and could have led to an opening of the democratic space to allow the dominated nationalities to breathe a little fresh air of democratic governance and freedom.

In the case of the 1994-5 National Conference under Abacha, the various nationalities were able to elect delegates that derived their mandate directly from the nationalities.

The result of this process was obvious, namely, the Abacha National Conference produced results that largely had obvious democratic implications. The Hegemonic agenda was badly assaulted. But the forces of Hegemony were not done; they used General Abdulsalem Abubakar to finally overthrow the 1994-5 Draft Constitution that had an air of enhancing positive democratic development for the Federation.

Thus, in place of the 1995 Draft Constitution handed over to Abacha as the popular wish of the majority of the people, they imposed the contraption called the 1999 Constitution.

What happened was that those conferences under Abacha, Obasanjo, and Jonathan reached a decision that would radically alter the entire structural equation.

6.3 Fulani Hegemony Firmly Rooted:

Nigeria has indeed almost become the illusory Estate of the Fulani Progenitors. But mark you, over the years, the Arewa hegemony has become so firmly rooted, so comprehensive, and total that they control the entire political and social space of Nigeria. The last lap of the process of total conquest of the territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is an ongoing desperate effort at overrunning the entire geographical space of the Nigerian Federation, using the murderous armed Fulani herdsmen supported by the Nigerian security forces.

6.4 Why the demand by the Fulani to have the National Assembly Handle the issue of Restructuring?

Since they are aware that the only platform on which they present a campaign of total conquest can be politically challenged in a Political conference where patriotic and nationalistic forces may prevail, they do not want anything about restructuring the Federation to be tabled again at a National Conference of the People, knowing fully well that the coalition of the forces of freedom in these areas will overwhelm them as before. Rather they want the National Assembly which they presently control to handle the issue of restructuring to produce the result they want.

Already serious mobilization of political forces is going on to influence the course of the steps they want to adopt. The main target in this campaign are the State Executives, Legislators, politicians, and businessmen whom they can blackmail manipulate, and use as
agents to misrepresent the wishes of their people.

Why do the forces of hegemony insist that the issue of restructuring should be left to the National Assembly and not to the Political?

Conference of the people? One, they can easily blackmail and manipulate the legislators to achieve their goal of keeping the system as it is.

Two, what happens in a Political Conference is that the forces of freedom are now dominant in the Regions of the South-East, South-South, South-West, Middle-Belt, Southern Kaduna, etc. An alliance between them will influence the outcome of such Conferences that happened in the time of Abacha, Obasanjo, and Jonathan. These geo-political zones control over 70 % of the population of Nigeria. People in these zones are desperately eager to free themselves from Fulani domination. They are all yearning for equality and freedom.

The forces of hegemony would not mind if the issue of restructuring and the future of Nigeria is left in the hands of the Judiciary, the Military, the Police, the Security Agencies, Economic and Social Agencies and Institutions, the Federal Media, and some handful of private media, elected Governors, and Legislators, etc. The Arewa Fulani controls the majority of these organs and institutions of state power. But they have lost over 75 % of the popular masses who are yearning for freedom and liberation from the hegemonic control and massacre by the Fulani and the institutions of the state under their control.

6.5 Fallacy of Nigerian Federalism Restated.

In a recent submission, one of the emerging leaders of ADF sent us the following note which eloquently summarizes what may be popularly referred to as how fraudulent federalism is being promoted in Nigeria. According to him, in what we may call the artificial Nigerian Federation “Federating nations which hitherto were thriving very well on their own, came together under duress, to become part of what is currently known as Nigeria” However,

6.6 The monstrous forces of Hegemony are on a rampage.

  • The chickens have come home to roost.
  • Things Fall Apart and the Artificial Center can no longer hold.
  • Utam Abala Ohia – The Monster is on a rampage – the forces of Ethnic and
  • Religious cleansing has been let loose.
  • All the Victims of this hegemony are now astir.
  • Songs of freedom are now raging all over the Federation.

7.0 STANDPOINT OF ALAIGBO DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION (ADF)

As a patriotic organization of patriotic citizens from all parts of Alaigbo – the Igbo-speaking Areas of Nigeria – Eastern Igbo, Western Igbo, Southern Igbo, and other areas that speak various Igbo dialects and practice different variations of Igbo culture, and after careful study of the Igbo Predicament in Nigeria, the series of pogroms and genocide of Ndigbo, before, during and after Biafra, including the Asaba massacre of innocent citizens and humiliation of our unarmed youth and the discretion of our women demonstrating peacefully against the slaughter of their children, it is our conviction that Ndigbo, at this point in their history can only accept either of two possible political relations with the rest of Nigeria. These are –

i. Alaigbo to exist as an Autonomous Region in a new political union with their neighbors in Nigeria.

OR

ii. To opt out of Nigeria as an Autonomous Republic.

This position has been arrived at as a result of the circumstances stated above. ADF would like to reassure herself that these two alternatives represent alternative desires of our people through two steps, namely Opinion Poll and Referendum.

 The question of which direction the Ndigbo want to go at this juncture in their history is the number one question that we, as a patriotic organization, with men of global and national experience, have painfully been seeking answers to. We are aware that various groups including major stakeholders in Alaigbo (Governors, Legislators, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), IPOB, etc.) have been advocating views that they consider as what the Igbos want. Because these views are somewhat divergent, we must take urgent steps to have evidence placed before our people, other Nigerians, and the global community as to what our people want.

Therefore, ADF proposes an empirical method that could enable us to speak more confidently and authoritatively about what the Igbos – our people – want.

In this regard, ADF proposes the following two steps –

A. An Opinion Poll conducted with utmost respect for scientific evidence and truth.

This will enable us to ascertain, with high probability (rather than conjecture) the wishes of Ndigbo globally, both at home and in the Igbo diaspora.

This exercise would provide us as well as those who share our views with the basis to speak authoritatively and confidently on behalf of our people. Thus, it would enable us to answer the question President Buhari posed in his Aljazeera interview when he asked, “What do the Igbos want? With a high level of authority.”

B. A Plebiscite or Referendum.

The Plebiscite or Referendum should be conducted either through the machinery set up by Igbo Stakeholders and pan-Igbo organizations or by the Federal Government of Nigeria in conjunction with the International Community and Igbo leadership institutions. It is not, indeed, possible for anyone or any people to believe that they can exterminate the entire Igbo race because they are demanding their fundamental rights of freedom, security, control of their lives, and meaningful existence. Ndigbo wants to live at peace with our neighbors and cooperate with them in assuring ourselves and our neighbors’ security, and social and economic progress.

 

To be continued…