WWW.PREMIUMTIMESNG.COM WWW.PREMIUMTIMESNG.COM Contents Regional Autonomy means… page 3 Section A: Our stance as Yoruba people What Yoruba people want…our irreducible minimum page 5 Preface & Purpose page 6 Yoruba…our context as a people page 8 The 2014 National Conference to date… page 10 Section B Some ‗North-y‘ claims and assertions…addressing the fallacies and ‗hyperbolic self-assessments‘ Page 12 Section C: Policy Papers Good Governance page 44 Devolution of Power page 48 Forms of Government page 53 Structure of Government page 58 Resource Control & Taxation page 64 Fiscal federalism, revenue sharing and resource control page 72 Policing page 75 Fundamental Human Rights page 79 WWW.PREMIUMTIMESNG.COM Conclusion page 83 References page 84 REGIONAL AUTONOMY…OR NOTHING MAY 2014 WWW.PREMIUMTIMESNG.COM Regional Autonomy means… a. Control of natural resources within the Region b. Developing and establishing appropriate governance structure for the Region, and c. Devolved authority, responsibilities and span of control to manage and ensure the sustenance of the Region Nigeria, as a nation, should therefore translate to… a. A restructured country with Regional arrangements via the consolidation of the current unviable thirty six [36] states. The consolidation would be based on the congregation of nations and affiliate groups with common and historic affinities and who enjoy territorial contiguity borders. Any ethnic group or groups within a state wishing to align with any other state or to belong to a new Region shall be allowed to do so if confirmed in a plebiscite by the affected people. For instance, Yoruba people in Edo, Kogi and Kwara states. b. The Regions exercising all powers not expressly ceded to the central government. As such, the federal constitution will contain only one legislative list - the Exclusive Legislative List – that shall detail the powers and responsibilities to be exercised by the central government. c. Each Region having its constitution, which will reflect its peculiarities, circumstances and preferences that shall not be inconsistent with the constitution of the Nigerian Federation. d. All tiers and structures of government below the Regional level prescribed in the Regional constitution, and should not be the concern of the Federal Government. The present state governments will be retained within the new Regional framework and local government councils would be accommodated with law enacted, in each Region, prescribing their structure, composition, roles and purposes, finance and administration. The only zone that is very strong because of their rationality is the South West. Even if others do not embark on federating unit based on zones the South West is going to have their Region intact economically; then, they will develop, progress, grow and every part of Nigeria would be envious of the Region. It is the decision they are taking now. Some people don‘t understand it. At least they taught some of us, but it is the truth that I am saying now that the South West will grow exponentially when Regional government is adopted. WWW.PREMIUMTIMESNG.COM Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife [Okwadike] – former Governor of old Anambra State and a delegate at the 2014 National Conference in an interview with Newswatch on 12 May 2014 [Retrieved 12 May 2014, mydailynewswatchng.com] SECTION A Our stance as Yoruba people WWW.PREMIUMTIMESNG.COM WHAT YORUBA PEOPLE WANT…OUR IRREDUCIBLE MINIMUM The Yoruba democratic objective is to secure an abundant life and peaceful existence for all our people, and to preserve the liberty and rights of citizens of our Region. These include; - the right to freely elect our representatives in an atmosphere of freedom and civility - the right to religious worship and practices - the right to reject any form of oppression, and - the right to legislate for the common good and well being of our people and our nation. The Yoruba aim is to be partners in the creation of a state where the citizens are recognized by the government and the government serves the interests of the citizens [Folorunsho, 2014]. For us Yoruba people, we demand Regional Autonomy for the South West Region within a united Nigeria. Yoruba people will effectively communicate to all other ethnic nationalities an understanding of the aims and objectives of the Yoruba people in the following contexts of: A YORUBA PEOPLE - Cultural/Language Homogeneity A YORUBA REGION - States/Geographic Zone and A YORUBA NATION - A shared vision [Yoruba Agenda, 2012]. The YORUBA PEOPLE OF NIGERIA hereby make the following demands: a. Regionalism: a restructured Nigeria federation consisting of a Central Government and Regional governments of other ethnic nationalities – this could be based on the current six geo-political zones. The South West Region must include all Yoruba people outside the imposed artificial boundaries, in Edo, Delta, Kogi and Kwara States. b. A negotiated legislative Exclusive, Concurrent and Residual list c. A unicameral legislature at the center; details of the Regional legislature shall be clearly set out in the constitution of each Region d. A parliamentary form of government at the centre e. The right to self determination on and up to the right to secede f. A just and equitable taxation system that will treat the federating units with equality and better coordination at the federal level in order to eliminate the current rentier syndrome. g. Fiscal Federalism and Resource Control: a system whereby a substantial part of the proceeds accruable from every Region will be domiciled in the Region and an agreed percentage contributed to the center by the federating units for the responsibility of the Federal government. h. Establishment of Regional Police i. A new people‘s constitution: the resolutions and conclusions of the 2014 National Conference shall lead to an autochthonous Constitution, that is a home-grown and all inclusive draft that shallWWW.PREMIUMTIMESNG.COM be submitted to the Nigerian electorate voting in a Referendum j. Status of Lagos: Lagos will continue to be the economic nerve centre of Nigeria and the West African sub-Region, hence, there shall be an appropriate budgetary provision that is part of the First Line Charge in the Federation Account. For Yoruba people, it is REGIONAL AUTONOMY…OR NOTHING! This submission is represents the culmination of efforts and ideas which have been canvassed in the Yoruba landscape since the agitation for a return to ‗true federalism‘, led by those seeking a solution to the perennial crisis of governance in Nigeria. These positions were reinforced at the 2014 Yoruba Constitutional Conferences of February 12 and 20 respectively, at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat of Oyo State Government, Ibadan. The conference had in attendance Yoruba organizations and prominent sons and daughters of Yoruba extraction. The positions is also been detailed in the publication – Yoruba Agenda. PREFACE & PURPOSE In the beginning, there was no Nigeria. There were ethnic nationalities and Kingdoms. Prior to the British conquest and invasion of the different ethnic nationalities that make up the present day Nigeria, these nations were independent nation states [Sagay, 2011]. Hence, there is a need to revisit what was ‗agreed‘ at the various constitutional conferences that led to the First Republic and Nigeria‘s independence in 1960. Knowledge of this would re-awaken a better understanding of the arrangements agreed to by ethnic nationalities that led to the emergence of Nigeria as a federated nation. ―Unity is a derivative, it is not a goal…it is an aberration to talk of This forced marriage of diverse ethno-national groups has produced tension unity in a federation…we do not and difficult moments for the country, Nigeria. The next step in charting a need unity to be in a federal arrangement…all we need is an course for the future is to safeguard the destiny of the Yoruba people, and agreement between the federating reconstruct the Nigerian federation. This is the first intent of this publication, units…‖ [Views expressed by Prof Ayoade and Prof Ariyo at a that is, a revisit and reinstating of the agenda of the Yoruba people…what policy discussion at the Yoruba Yoruba people want. Academy, 9 April 2014] While Yoruba people do not ask other ethnic nationalities to change their focus, we also expect others to refrain from imposing their own goals and values on Yoruba people [Yoruba Agenda, 2012] – all ethnic nationalities can co-exist in Nigeria so long as there are mutual respect for each other‘s positions, as everyone has a right to decide to live within or outside of Nigeria. A recent publication, titled Key issues before the Northern delegates to the 2014 National Conference, where the North claims to be ―…the back bone and strength of Nigeria‖ necessitated a strategic appraisal and response. This is the second intent of this publication – it is the need to employ an evidenced-based methodology to address and correct an attempt by a section of Nigeria to distort history and repaint the existential context of Nigerians. The Northern reasoning - in the publication - can be summed up as; Nigeria is two countries of Northern and Southern Nigeria, oil exploration in the Niger Delta was financed by Northern groundnut proceeds and the North feeds the rest of the South with daily supplies of cows...therefore the North is equally entitled to Niger Delta oil proceeds as the Niger Deltans themselves [Sagay, 2014]. The North‘s obsession with revenue sharing and the proceeds of oil, exposed a jaundiced vision of the developmental aspiration of a people. The publication also exposed some inherent contradictions in thoughts, for example a claim that ―…Nigeria is de facto two countries of Northern and Southern Nigeria…‖ [Chap 7, Sec 1.1, p. 32]. Hence, there is an acute need to demonstrate that Nigeria is NOT just North and South, the ‗North‘, as defined and described in the publication, ceased to exist the day Gen.