By peter c mgbenwelu, 08033441158
PREAMBLE
In the presence of certain aspects of misery, a man should feel ashamed to be happy. It is well known and well proved that” injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. Since General Yakubu Gowon declared at the end of the Nigerian civil war in 1970 that there is no Victor and no Vanquished and proclaimed his “three R’s – Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction” the Igbos in the present South¬eastern geo- political zone of Nigeria have not been given enough reasons to embrace the fact that infact and indeed, the Nigerian/ Biafran war has been consigned truly to history. This explains why a few weeks, before the legendary Chinua Achebe joined his ancestors he courageously, wrote that “THERE WAS A COUNTRY”. Achebe meant and is properly understood to mean the South- Eastern geo-political zone of Nigeria where the country ” Biafra” encompassed. Otherwise how can every other geo-political zone in Nigeria have a minimum of six States except the South – East that has been condemned to five states thus creating the impression that Igbos do not share common equal citizenship with the rest of Nigerians. This is so even after
a) The Senate on June 16th, 1983 recommended the creation of a sixth state in the South-East so as to correct this imbalance.
b) The Constitution Review Committee strongly recommended the creation of the sixth state in the South-East zone of Nigeria for equity and fairness.
c) The Presidential Committee on the Review of” Outstanding Constitutional Issues under the Chairmanship of a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Alfa Belgore submitted its report to President Jonathan on Tuesday July, 10th 2012 and strongly and expressly said that “for the purpose of equity and fairness, one additional state be created in the South-East Zone of Nigeria”.
d) The members of the National Assembly have always publicly claimed that they are men and women of good conscience, with fear of God and commitment to the indivisibility of the Nigerian State.
e) The National Assembly played into the hands of the South-East Zone of Nigeria by appointing two sons of the zone as
constitution Review Committee Chairmen both in the Senate and the House of Representatives yet we could not take advantage of this.
Should we then believe Cassius in Shakespeare’s Julius Ceaser where he said “Men at some time are masters of their fate. The fault is not in our stars but in ourselves that we are underlings.?”
THE CRUX OF THE MATTER
The South-East Zone of Nigeria is not only asking, for creation of state as prescribed under section 8 of the 1999 constitution or the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, but we are also asking for EQUALIZATION OF STATES for the following reasons:-
i. We insist that all the relevant sections of the Nigeria Constitution must be obeyed and respected. Consequently section 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), specifically states as follows:-
Section 14 (3) “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command National loyalty thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few States or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies”.
Section 16 (2) (a) of the same 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) also states as follows:-
“The State (Nigeria) shall direct its policy towards ensuring-the promotion of a planned and balanced economic development”.
There must not be a de-coupling of one section from the other. It follows therefore that for sections 14 (3) and section 16 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Nigeria to have any meaning, there must be, inter alia, equality of states within the six geo-political zones. An idea seems to be taking firm roots throughout the South-East that things cannot continue like this. If our own President Jonathan cannot welcome the Igbos home to Nigeria then he must forget us and forget our votes. As things stand now, Igbos can resist everything except temptation. We are being very, strongly tempted. There must not be any democratization of ingratitude. The Igbos are no neophytes in the art o governance.
President Jonathan can equalize the zones if he wants to, by sending an executive Bill to the National Assembly for an equalization State to be created in the South-East geo-political zone. No gimmicks.
If our National Assembly can concoct, brew, distill, import and serve Nigerians with the “doctrine of necessity” , the issue of equalization of states within the Federation is now more demanding, urgent and compelling to qualify for the “doctrine of necessity” to be invoked so as to give honour, citizenship, and fair share in the Nigerian State.
For our South East Governors and the National Assembly representatives, what we the governed in the South – East are asking is “Are the shoes our founding fathers left for you too big for you?.” Unfortunately what I observed today drive me to tears as in Psalm 137…” By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?.
Or how can I console myself when I read lamentations chapter 5 verse 1-4 “Remember, O LORD, what has befallen us; Look, and see our reproach’. Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, Our houses to aliens. We have become orphans without a father;. Our mothers are like widows. We have to pay for our drinking water, Our wood comes to us at a price”.
Pope John Paul II pontificated thus “People need to come out of their anonymity!!!. They need to be known and called by name. To be found again, if they have become lost.” Our South -East National Representatives, where are you. Our elders and leaders, where are you? Our homes are desolate and forlorn and in the fullness of time, you all will have no excuse if the sixth equalization state eludes the South- East.
Andrew Jack said “every good citizen makes his country’s honour his own and cherishes it, not only as precious, but as sacred”. The sixth state for the South – East Zone must not, to our National Assembly Representatives, our Elders and Leaders be seen as precious only but also as sacred. It is NOW OR NEVER.
Losses of the South – east Zone of Nigeria.
These are unquantifiable, unimaginable and irretrievable but we at least could be consoled if our other brothers and sisters in the other geo¬political zones see us as fellow Nigerians. The losses include but not limited to the following:-
i. Loss of (3) three Senatorial Seats over-time with the intangibles that go with them.
ii. Loss of Representation in the House of Representatives with the attendant intangibles over-time.
iii. Loss of Ministerial Considerations over-time and incidentals thereto
iv. Loss of considerations for appointments to all Federal positions.
v. Loss of allocations to the Federal Revenue.
vi. Loss of consideration for sitting of federal Government Institutions, Industries and Agencies.
vii. Loss of Respect, dignity and honour as Nigerians.
viii. Our loss is complete, total and absolute in every ramification.
DEMAND
We in the South-East demand justice, fair play and equity from our President and fellow Nigerians. We ask for no favour, no pity and no indigencies. We ask for equity, fairness, justice and even development in the South-East by the creation of an equalization States.
CONCLUSION
A wealthy man’s house was burning. A misunderstood neighbuor arrived at the scene and wanted to help but was told that the smoke he saw was from the kitchen and that the house was not burning. When the conflagration engulfed the whole building, the neighbour only took steps to protect his own house and he successfully did so. Those who have ears let them hear.
Barr. Peter Mgbenwelu wrote from Owerri, Imo State.
