President Bola Tinubu is set to receive a draft bill on Friday that advocates for the reestablishment of a regional system of government in Nigeria.
This proposed legislation, titled ‘A Bill for an Act to substitute the annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with New Governance Model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria’. was authored by Akin Fapohunda, a prominent member of the Yoruba socio-cultural association, Afenifere.
The legislation seeks to introduce new laws to be referred to as “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria New Governance Model for Nigeria Act 2024.”
Last week, The PUNCH reported that the House of Representatives had disassociated itself from the bill.
The House spokesman and the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Akin Rotimi, clarified that the bill was not listed for deliberation in the current efforts to review the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Despite this, Fapohunda informed newsmen on Thursday that the bill would be sent to the President on Friday.
“I’m submitting my letter (draft bill) today but I will wait for seven days before releasing it to the public,” he stated.
Fapohunda, representing the Coalition of Indigenous Ethnic Nationalities, revealed that the organization proposes dividing the country into eight geo-political regions with approximate interim boundaries.
The proposed regions include the southern region, consisting of Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, and Cross Rivers States, with optional inclusions of various ethnic groups such as the Annang, Effik, Ekoi, Ibibio, Oro Ohaji/Egbema in Southern Imo, and several others.
The South Eastern region would encompass Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States.
The Western region would comprise Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, and Ekiti States, incorporating Yoruba-speaking people in Kogi and the Igbomina people in Kwara State, with additional options for the Itsekiri people of Delta State and Akoko-Edo people of Edo State.
Other regions proposed include the Mid-Western Region, made up of Edo and Delta States, possibly incorporating the Anioma people, and the Eastern Middle Belt Region, comprising Northern Cross River, Southern Kaduna, Southern Borno, Adamawa, Benue, Kogi, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Taraba States.
The Western Middle Belt Region would consist of Southern Kebbi and parts of Kwara and Niger States, while the North Eastern Region would include parts of Borno, Gombe, Bauchi, Jigawa, and Yobe States.
The North Western Region would encompass Kaduna, parts of Kebbi, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara States.
Fapohunda emphasized that the coalition envisions a two-tier government system, federal and regional, allowing regions to manage their affairs independently, including creating sub-entities based on agreed stipulations in their respective constitutions.
In its governance proposals, CIEN suggested retaining the current boundaries of the 36 states but downgrading the political administration’s paraphernalia.
They proposed a new regional government framework with executive and legislative functions, headed by a Premier.
The current states would become provinces governed by Provincial Councils, which would integrate executive and legislative functions with a Chairman and Support Specialist Administrative Officers. Regions would have the liberty to create provinces subject to viability and self-sustainability.
The Local Government Areas would transform into divisions with divisional managers and specialist administrative officers, operating as socio-economic development institutions.
The new provinces would also have the liberty to create divisions based on viability and self-sustainability.
The coalition proposed that regions have the freedom to create, merge, or reconfigure their sub-political units without interference from any other authority.
They suggested reducing the cost of public and civil service administration to less than 20 to 30 percent of generated revenue and dismantling arrangements that favor politicians, focusing on true development.
The proposed governance structure includes a unicameral federal legislature with members elected at the discretion of the regions and a decentralized federal power favoring not more than 10 regions.
The coalition also suggested that the federal government comprise no more than nine ministries and ministers, noting that the large United States has only 15 Cabinet Ministers.
Furthermore, the group advocates for a return to a parliamentary system of government with a built-in statutory rotation of headship among the regions.
