REGIONALISM OR NOTHING

As a Philosopher, I was thought during my undergraduate days in Political philosophy that, ‘regionalism is a political ideology that focuses on the interests of a particular region or group of regions, whether traditional or formal.

Regionalists aim at increasing their region's influence and political power, either through movements for limited form of autonomy (decentralization, states' rights, devolution) or through stronger measures for a greater degree of autonomy (sovereignty, separatism, independence). Regionalists often favor loose federations or confederations over a unitary state with a strong central government. Proponents of regionalism usually say that strengthening a region's governing bodies and political powers within a larger country would promote fiscal responsibility, develop a more rational allocation of the region's resources for the benefit of the local populations, increase the efficient implementation of local plans, raise competitiveness and efficiency levels among the regions and ultimately the whole country, and save taxpayers money. For some of its opponents regionalism is associated with denying or preventing universalism.

As usual, in my office, I was just scanning through the News Flash that The cooperate comm. send to every staff on daily basis, suddenly I just came across a head line that reminded me of an article I wrote some years back entitled “One Nigeria”. In this article I made those that were opportune to read it understand that the way Nigeria was amalgamated by the then Governor- General,  Lord Lugard has been what is causing the problem Nigeria has been having as a country.

The amalgamation was on the Economic interest of the British Government which was achieved. I keep wondering within myself how people of different language, culture, religion and interest could be put under one umbrella. There will surely always be conflict of interest, if two people born of the same parents can pick interest in different things what are we thinking about over 250 ethnic groups?

“Regionalism or Nothing, Says Yoruba” was the head line I was talking about, it reads “Midway into the on-going National Conference, the Yoruba yesterday made a stronger demand for regional autonomy, which it said, was the minimum condition for remaining in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The ethnic group, which basically comprises six states in the South-west geopolitical zone, expressed strong will “to exercise its right of self-determination on and up to the right to secede if its demand for regional autonomy is not granted.”

The demands were made at a joint news conference by the leadership of the Yoruba Assembly, Afenifere Renewal Group, O’dua Foundation, O’dua Nationalist Coalition, Afenifere Youth Forum, Atayese, Agbekoya Reformed Society and Coalition for O’dua Self-determination Group among others addressed at Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota.

The news conference with the theme: “Regional Autonomy... or Nothing”, was addressed by the National Secretary, Chief Ayo Afolabi and Chairman of Atayese Yoruba Group, Chief Tokunbo Ajasin on behalf of the ethnic group.” 

The regionalism which the Yoruba is demanding for now was used in the first republic and it brought about so much development to the region to mention few, the first Radio Station in Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University in Ife, the Cocoa house in Ibadan and many others.

It was Sir Macpherson constitution of 1951 that gave birth to regionalism in Nigeria. Under the constitution the country was divided into three regions. At this time, education was placed in the concurrent list – the central and regional administrations having rights on educational matters. The implication of this is that the regions could legislate on education for their respective regions.

On this note, regional political parties saw the provision of 1951 constitution as an opportunity to outwit one another in terms of educational development in their regions.  First to translate this rivalry into positive use was the West which under the political leadership of Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo proposed to the regional House of Assembly the party’s priority in the budget, focusing on education and health. In July 1952, Chief S. O. Awokoya, the then Western Regional Education Minister announced the decision of the Action Group to start Universal Primary Education by 1955. The plan eventually materialized with the launching of UPE Scheme in the West on the 17th day of January 1955. Before the launching of this scheme, preparations were made by the regional government in the West for successful implementation of the scheme. To this extent, more primary, secondary and teacher training colleges were established. New teachers were recruited by the government. The scheme which was initially conceived as free, compulsory and universal had the word compulsory removed from it, as the number of pupils registered was beyond the government expectation.

 The introduction of UPE scheme in the western region brought about the introduction of Modern Secondary Schools while the Secondary Grammar Schools were also expanded. The UPE, emerging problems in the Western Region led to the setting up of Banjo commission of 1960, Ajayi commission in 1963 and Taiwo committee in 1968. These problems among others included large number of untrained teachers, class overcrowding, overstretching of facilities, uncontrolled teachers pursuance of additional qualification, poor syllabus etc.

In the year 1953, the Education Minister for the Eastern Region, Mr. R.T. Uzoma, like his Counterpart in the Western Region, presented a proposal for the introduction of free primary education to come into effect in 1957. Unfortunately, the NCNC crisis in 1953 led to a cabinet re-shuffle and some members of the party resigned their membership. The old arrangement in respect of the UPE scheme by the former administration was rejected by Late Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe led government. After the scheme had been launched, it was discovered that unlike in the Western region, there was grossly inadequate preparation for the recruitment of teachers, as well as training, accommodation and teaching materials. Coupled with the Catholics resistance to the introduction of the UPE scheme and threatened to float a Catholic Religious Party if the government did not shelve and jettison the idea of introducing the scheme. In short, UPE in the East could not be said to be successful.

In the Northern Region having launched the UPE scheme earlier in the Western and Eastern regions, it was practically impossible to do the same in the Northern region, for the reason of financial constraints. Instead of launching the UPE scheme, the Northern Regional government paid a serious attention to the development of education in the rural areas and the promotion of adult literacy. Osokoya (1989) and Akinbote et al (2001) states that the regional government in the North eventually decided to have primary education on a provincial basis in 1958, just as emanated in the other two regions, the introduction of UPE scheme in the Northern Region witnessed a numerous problems, of which necessitated the setting up the Oldman’s Commission 1961 to specifically look into the financial, as well as the administrative problems which greeted the introduction of the scheme in that region.

With the little points made above most especially the educational development couple with the fact that the Igbo has always want to secede from the amalgamation, and the believe by a particular ethnic group that the country call Nigeria belong to the fore father Uthman Dan Fodio, and the is the more reason they should always be in control which has been the case since Independence, I will support the demand for Regionalism or Nothing and nothing in this context mean going our way.