A high-profile former Lawmaker has confided in Elombah.com why it is of utmost urgency that Nigeria must be restructured now!
The politician, who chose to remain anonymous, cited the incident of what happened today at the National Assembly as reference point.
Today on the floor of the House of Representatives, Hon Chukwuka Onyema, deputy minority leader of the House of Representatives presented a bill seeking for the establishment of the South-East Development Commission [SEDC].
The bill, according to him, is to ameliorate the suffering and anguish meted out on the people of the South east region as a result of the Civil War fought for three years between 1967 and 1970.
After the war, he recounted, the people of South East extraction were given just twenty pounds to start life afresh regardless of how much one owned before then.
The then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon had pledged the popular three Rs: Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction which never saw the light of the day.
During the presentation, Hon Leo Ogor, from Delta state supported the bill and urged the members to vote in its favour.
Pandemonium broke out on the floor. Three Members from the North spoke against it, citing one reason or the other.
It was then put to a voice vote and Hon. Onyema and his supporters were defeated and stepped down.
The guest, while speaking to Elombah.com, reeled out the reason behind the massive defeat. “Before you open your eyes in surprise,” he said, “know this:
Kano State has 24 Representatives
Kaduna State, 16 Representatives
Jigawa State, 11 Representatives
Katsina State, 15 Representatives
Kebbi State, 8 Representatives
Sokoto State, 11 Representatives
Zamfara State, 7 Representatives
The total figure, he said, is 92.
Out of the total of 360 House of Reps members, the entire South has 169, while the North has 191.
Here is the breakdown:
South East
Imo 10 Reps
Abia 8 Reps
Ebonyi 6 Reps
Anambra 11 Reps
Enugu 8 Reps Total= 43.
South South
Akwa Ibom 10 Reps
Bayelsa 5 Reps
Cross River 8 Reps
Delta 10 Reps
Edo 9 Reps
Rivers 13 Reps Total= 55 Reps.
SOUTHEAST and SOUTHSOUTH GRAND TOTAL – 98 only.
South West
Ekiti 6 Reps
Lagos 24 Reps
Ogun 9 Reps
Ondo 9 Reps
Oyo 14 Reps
Osun 9 Reps Total = 71 Reps.
North West
Kano 24 Reps
Kaduna 16 Reps
Jigawa 11 Reps
Katsina 15 reps
Kebbi 8 Reps
Sokoto 11 Reps
Zamfara 7 Reps Total = 92 Reps.
North East
Adamawa 8 Reps
Bauchi 12 Reps
Borno 10 reps
Gombe 6 Reps
Taraba 6 Reps
Yobe 6 Reps Total = 48 Reps.
North Central
Benue 11 Reps
Kogi 9 Reps
Kwara 6 Reps
Nassarawa 5 Reps
Plateau 8 Reps
Niger 10 Reps Total = 49 Reps.
FCT 2 Reps.
GRAND TOTAL OF THE NORTH =191
The question is, how dare you upstage this people in a vote?
Even if Southeast, South-south and Southwest joined together cannot upstage the North.
Members from this region alone, he argued, outnumbered all you have in the South South, South East, and even part of South West.
“Tell me,” he argued, “how can we make headway with such heavily lop-sided allocation of lawmakers from the South East region.
When you raise a motion on the floor of the National Assembly that does not suit or favour them, they shout you down because they are already in the majority.
“Restructuring Nigeria is the only way out to balance the inequity and injustice that pervades all facets of the Nigerian environment, ranging from civil service, to military and paramilitary, education, etc,
“We can’t just continue like this,” he concluded.
In the meantime, though, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Alhaji Abubakar Malami, on May 30, 2017, kicked loudly against restructuring.
He said that “No amount of agitation will lead to the restructuring of Nigeria”
Reacting, former Minister of Culture and Tourism and former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode lambasted him for the statement.
Chief Fani-Kayode retorted: “Hell will freeze over before we accept the notion that we must continue to be part of an artificial contraption that will not be restructured.
“If there is no restructuring, let there be no Nigeria!” he declared.
Would you like to be receiving ALL Elombah.com news bulletins ‘On The Go’ on WhatsApp? If yes, please provide us your WhatsApp number via publisher@elombah.com or inbox +2349050382526 and you are ready to go!
© Copyright 2017 www.elombah.com; send eyewitness accounts/reports/articles to publisher@elombah.com; follow us on twitter @Elombah; like our Facebook page: Elombah.com; join us on WhatsApp HERE