Nature had already structured Nigeria, only awaiting the political will, genuine and honest patriotism, wisdom, and destruction of corruption to make the country work. Never ask for change merely for the sake of change, if you have no ideas that can create a modern civilized society, on sound objective and logical principles. The natural order had all along been there, albeit substantially destroyed by colonialism and afterwards its neocolonial domestic and external successors; but another trouble with Nigeria is the endless efforts to upset and totally destroy the natural order for ignoble, selfish and malign purposes. In fact, there has been no nation-building whatsoever in Nigeria since 1966; all we’ve been having is nation-wrecking, with regimes contesting with each other which would inflict more damage than the other. Building a country is not building a disaster, which Nigerian rulers are doing; in civilized world it is the creation of the conditions for the most optimal enhancement of the potentials of the individual and society and development of the political society.
In Organic Restructuring ,we enhance what is naturally available to achieve what is humanly possible, at the same time extending all possibilities. Accordingly:
IN THE SOUTH:
We should have the following Regions, based on contiguous geo-cultural/organic principles:
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1. EASTERN REGION –
all Igbo-speaking peoples.
2. WESTERN REGION – all Yoruba-speaking peoples.
3. AkwaCross or SOUTHEAST REGION – combined Annang-Efik-Ibibio-Ogojas-speaking peoples.
4. SOUTHWEST REGION – combined Bini-Ijaw-Ishan-Isoko-Itsekiri-Urhobo-speaking peoples.
5. SOUTHCENTRAL REGION – combined Ogoni and Andoni-speaking peoples.
This is consistent with the principles of contiguity, reasonable size and viability, relative linguistic and other cultural homogeneity or association, maritime potentiality; creates the opportunity to preserve and further develop the various indigenous civilizations and worthy ways of life and, with the implied relative self-determination within Nigeria, minimizes the bitter and destabilizing struggles for central power and complaints of marginalization by various groups. Above all, it considerably solves the class question of the distribution of power between classes and factions of the elites, and the national question of relations between ethnic nationalities or groupings of same, especially issues of “majorities” oppressing or exploiting “minorities,” eliminates mutual suspicions and promotes national unity. Nigerians are not asking for an eight-year respite from suffering, whereby the corrupt and evil system is run more efficiently; they are asking for a definite end to evil, the cycles of man-made sufferings, and that means fundamental change.
IN THE NORTH:
Nature had also put the right situation in place, only requiring that honest statesmanship converts the geo-cultural organic order into positive political engineering. With dredging in mind, by meeting or overlapping the Rivers Niger or Benue that flow into the coast, all or most of the riparian North equally becomes maritime, same way as the South becomes both maritime and riparian, as follows:
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6. NORTHERN REGION – basically Hausa and Fulani, overlapping the River Niger around Jebba, Kainji, New Bussa.
7. NORTHEAST REGION – basically Kanuri and related groups, overlapping the River Benue at Yola or thereabouts.
8. NORTHWEST REGION – basically Baruba-Ebira-Gbagyi/Gwari-Nupe, athwart the River Niger.
9. NORTHCENTRAL REGION – basically all the groups under the old Jama’a Federation, Southern Kaduna, Plateau Highlands, and/or Kwararafa, from around the Katab, across the Birom, Angas, Jukun, down to the Chamba, etc., and on to the Niger.
10. MIDDLE BELT REGION – basically Bassa, Idoma, Igala, Tiv, etc., athwart the Niger and Benue Rivers.
Each Region shall have their own Constitution and decide on a capital city, together with provisions for possible mergers with any contiguous ones, based on either historical, civilizational, economies of scale, or other mutually agreed considerations.
CHANGE WITHOUT JUSTICE IS FUTILE
Nigerians must learn to cohabit on a just basis and there’s no better definition of justice than, simply, equality. To be a just and equal society for citizens, the bondage holding anyone in chains must be broken, and this constitutes the primary object of any change in today’s Nigeria:
– all vestiges of violent ancientisn and primitivism, above all the caliphate/emirate system, its hypothetical sharia and all the beheadings, amputations, blasphemies, stonings and burnings imposed on the poor Hausa, _almajiri_, “unbelievers,” and so on, should be disbanded and the centuries long suppressed Hausa and other indigenes allowed to choose their local officials.
– the military-security services must be reorganized to be a proper expression of the demographic character of the country in composition, deployment, all echelons of command and other indices.
The above could be summarized as true federalism, where the units own their resources, develop them, and pay agreed percentages to the federation account.
– no other vague and worthless proposition should enter as “national ethos” other than a modern democratic secular state of equal laws and equal applications nationwide based on civilized Common Law principles as among all serious peoples worldwide. For unity, ease of doing business, security, progress, everything fair, good and just, Nigeria must be governed under a single legal system, a single citizenship, a single code of conduct.
Stop asking for change if there is nothing in positive substance you are asking for. Nigerians have suffered enough and something fundamental, not patchwork has to happen; it has been so elsewhere, and the black man holed up in this space cannot continue to be slaves in perpetuity. Thanks greatly, compatriots.
– Obasi Igwe.
