By : Fex Born
President Bola Tinubu is set to receive a draft bill today (Friday) that proposes a return to the regional system of government in the country.
The bill, authored by Akin Fapohunda, a member of the Yoruba socio-political organization Afenifere, is titled “A Bill for an Act to substitute the Annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with a New Governance Model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” This proposed legislation aims to overhaul the current governance structure and establish a more efficient and effective system for the nation.
Fapohunda who also represents the Coalition of Indigenous Ethnic Nationalities, explained that the organisation was proposing the division of the country into eight geo-political regions with approximate interim boundaries.
Said “I’m submitting my letter (draft bill) today but I will wait for seven days before releasing it to the public,”
The proposed bill aims to introduce new laws under the title “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria New Governance Model for Nigeria Act 2024.” This legislation seeks to implement a modern governance model for Nigeria, among other objectives.
According to Fapohunda, include the Southern Region to be made up of Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, and Cross Rivers States and “Optional inclusions of the Annang, Effik, Ekoi, Ibibio, Oro Ohaji/Egbema in Southern Imo, the Adonia, Efemia, Ijaw, Ogoni, Bini, Ishan, Isoko, Urhobo and the Ijaw-speaking people in Northern Ondo State with land contiguity.”
He said, “The Southeastern region consists of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states. The Western Region comprises Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, and Ekiti States, incorporating the Yoruba-speaking people in Kogi and the Igbomina people in Kwara State. Additional options would be the Itsekiri people of Delta State and Akoko-Edo people of Edo State to make their respective choices.”
Others 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, Nassarawa and Taraba States.”
The Western Middle Belt Region comprises Southern Kebbi, parts of Kwara and Niger States, while the North Eastern Region will be made up of parts of Borno, Gombe, Bauchi, Jigawa, and Yobe States.
The North Western Region, according to the Afenifere chieftain, comprises Kaduna, parts of Kebbi, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States.
Fapohunda said the coalition envisaged a two-tier government, federal and regions, adding that the latter would be at liberty to manage her affairs, “including the creation of sub-entities, based on the stipulations that are agreed upon and embedded in their respective constitutions.”