Introduction
The Ijaw of the Niger Delta are active participant in the ongoing Constitutional Review by the Nigerian Parliament aimed at forging a new Nigeria where justice and equity will define the rights and responsibilities of citizens. It is commendable that Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should do this stock taking. By reviewing our Constitution to adequately address new demands and developments, and expunge retrogressive laws, Nigeria would have averted that killer of all known civilizations called Paradox of Development where every solution, at some point, becomes the new problem to progress.
Therefore, I also urge the over 260 ethnic constituents of Nigeria to review their traditional institutions and values with the view to emerging stronger and better. The new Nigeria to emerge from this Constitutional Review cannot be yoked with change-resistant societies. Indeed, I call on fellow citizens to improve in the ways and manners we perceive this country. Attitude is everything.
A new reality is here requiring new attitude. Professor Donald Nwoga observed that every reality changes not only within itself but from one form of reality to another. We must change not only from being good to better citizens; but also transform from redundant to productive ones. In Latin we say, “Omnia mutantur nos et mutamur in illis” (All things change and we change with them).
Ijaw support sixth state for South East
The Resolution by the Plenary to create a sixth state for our great Igbo compatriots in the South East has the strongest support of the Ijaw nation. Furthermore, the Ijaw nation also supports another resolution for the creation of additional one state in each of the six geo-political zones. This will substantially create a seventh state for Ndigbo.
It is my observation that, contrary to the initial angst expressed by Ndigbo and their concerned neigbours, this government led by President Tinubu is determined to right the perceived decades-old marginalization of Igbos. I warmly congratulate Ndigbo while assuring them of our unfaltering support and goodwill. As good neighbours, the cooperation between Ijaws and Igbos in the past two decades deserves preserving.
INC Global’s demands
To our dismay, the more this review gains traction the less the Ijaw demands get mentioned. It is like 24 million Ijaws constituting Nigerian fourth largest ethnic group are sleeping on their rights; but that is not the case.
For the avoidance of doubt, I support the demands of the Ijaw National Congress, INC, Global, under Professor Benjamin Okaba. The INC Global made adequate representations on behalf of the Ijaw nation in this Constitutional Review. Our demands encompass political, resource and environmental solutions to the seemingly insoluble challenges buffeting the Ijaw nation. I reproduce hereunder a summary of the INC Global demands:
(a)Toru Ebe State: The INC Global made a demand for the creation of Toru Ebe State out of the present Ondo, Edo and Delta States: “The oil revenue from the Ijaw areas in the three states accounts for the largest revenue accruing to the National Economy. Despite the receipt of the 13% Derivations Revenue by the 3 states (Delta, Edo and Ondo) the Ijaw areas which are mineral producing have been denied of any meaningful development….The proposed state with a population of 2.7million people has natural landscapes with beautiful beaches and lengthy coastline which can be annexed into a blue economy and tourism that will make the State economically viable.”
(b) Oil Rivers State. The INC Global also demanded for the creation of Oil Rivers State for Ijaws: “We also propose Oil Rivers State that comprises Ijaws in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States. This area remains the most naturally blessed but environmentally degraded in the entire world, with massive oil (explorations) and gas flaring threatening the very survival of the people….”
(c)Thirty-three additional LGAs for Bayelsa State: This demand is predicated on our unique and impossible environment and revenue generating capacity: “Bayelsa State’s contribution to Nigeria’s GDP is significant, thanks to its rich human and natural resources. As one of the largest oil and gas producing states in Nigeria, Bayelsa accounts for a substantial portion of the country’s oil production, estimated to be around 35-45% as of 2022.
“However, it is worth noting that despite her significant contribution to Nigeria’s GDP, land and river mass and huge potentials for steady growth and development, the state currently has only eight (8) Local Government Areas….” Thirty-three LGAs have been proposed for creation to make Bayelsa a constitutional state since the 1999 Constitution stipulates that every state must have a minimum of ten LGAs.
Importantly, the three major tribes in Nigeria all have their own states. The Yoruba have six states, the Hausa/Fulani have northern states and the Igbo have five, and now seven with the resolutions to create a sixth state for them and an extra state in each Geo-political zone, which Ijaws strongly support. But the Ijaw do not have a single state because the only Ijaw state, namely, Bayelsa, does not even meet the constitutional requirement of a state with only eight LGAs. The proposed thirty-three new LGAs for Bayelsa must be created for Ijaws to accept that they have a state. Nigeria should not be sure excluding Bayelsa in LGA creation.
Other demands made by the INC Global in the envisaged new constitution include: (d) Protection and remediation of the Ijaw environment. (e) Federal resource contribution through resource control and payment of tax. (f) True federal Constitution (with no unitary colouration). (g) Reintegration of Ijaws vide the wholesale prosecution of the Ijaw struggle for self-determination, which has lasted centuries. (h) Improve the quality and quantity of representation.
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Sin of negative consensus
In “Cohesion and Fragmentation in African Politics: The Minorities and the Nigerian Crises,” Professor Lawrence Ekpebu forensically identified what killed the First Republic. In the 1940s and 1950s cultural associations interested in having their own states emerged. The Ibibio State Union, Ibo State Union, Middle Belt State, Ijaw State Union, Egbe Omo Oduduwa, Calabar/Ogoja/Rivers, COR, State Union, etc, were formed. It was only natural that the Ijaw icon called Harold Dappa-Biriye should make representations to the British for the creation of Rivers State.
The British established the 1957 Henry Willink Minority Commission to look into minority fears, especially their demand for their own separate states. Ahmadu Bello, Dr. Nnamdi (Zik) Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the “Big Three,” were unanimous ensuring that states were not created for their minorities by the departing British. They promised doing that after independence. Bello was the leader of the Northern Region with Hausa/Fulani majority. Zik was the leader of the Eastern Region with Igbo majority; while Awolowo was the leader of the Western Region with Yoruba majority. The three majorities constituted 50 per cent of Nigerian 56 million population. The other 50 per cent was made up of over 247 diverse minorities spread around the majorities.
After independence Bello, Zik and Awolowo again united in denying their minorities states. Bello’s Northern Peoples Congress, NPC, supported state creation for Eastern and Western minorities but not for his own Northern minorities. Zik’s National Convention of Nigerian Citizens, NCNC, supported state creation for Western and Northern minorities but never for his own Eastern minorities. Awolowo’s Action Group, AG, supported state creation for Eastern and Northern minorities but opposed same for his Western minorities.
This devil-inspired arrangement by the trio was called “negative consensus” by Professor Ekpebu. It was an untenable situation where the “hostile nearby majority” crushed a minority while another “benevolent faraway majority” protected the victim. But the two majority protagonists are “united in their common desire” to keep the minority victim permanently subjugated and dependent. They knew state creation would pacify their minorities and stabilise Nigeria but stiffly refused to do the needful.
Negative consensus created unhealthy tension in minority areas culminating in the Tiv Riots and Isaac Adaka Boro 12 Day Revolution that carved out the Niger Delta Republic for Ijaws. Nigeria was saved only because the minority-born General Yakubu Gowon had the wisdom to create Rivers State, South Eastern, Midwestern and Benue-Plateau States for restive Ijaws and other minorities. In the civil war that ensured Boro fought on Gowon’s side.
Minorities as cohesive agent
Professor Ekpebu also privileged Nigerian minorities as the glue holding the country together. For instance, the NCNC political party would have been limited to the Eastern Region but for the intervention of Northern and Western minorities that gave it footholds. That way, the party won elections in the Jos Plateau and the Igbo-areas of the Midwest in Western Region. The Yoruba-dominated AG won elections in non-Igbo areas of the Eastern Region populated by the Efiks, Ibibios and Ijaws; and in Tivland of the Northern Region. As for the Hausa/Fulani-dominated NPC, the Eastern minority-owned Niger Delta Congress, NDC, formed alliance with it.
The minority factor kept Nigeria united not minding the majority sin of Negative Consensus. But the moment this minority glue was destroyed following the proscription of party politics by the military, mutual distrusts among the majorities simply consumed Nigeria between 15th January 1966-15th January 1970. If indeed 24 million Ijaws can still be tagged minority, then it is in the best interests of Nigeria to stabilize Ijaw territories through the creation of Toru Ebe and Oil Rivers States; and additional thirty-three new LGAs created for Bayelsa State.
Conclusion
Patterns of History seem to suggest what we are seeing in this Constitution Review is Negative Consensus all over again. Ijaws refuse to believe the Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani are united in making sure that Toru Ebe and Oil Rivers States for Ijaws were not created. No groups or persons should weaken or destroy One Nigeria by sidelining Ijaws in any state creation exercise. The tensions such injustice will generate in Ijawland could lead to anything.
Ijawland creates the national oil wealth. Any state creation must factor in revenue generation and the Ijaw unique environment. It is also equity that the 33 new LGAs proposed by the INC Global should be created for Bayelsa State. We have developmental challenges. It costs 700 percent more to build a given pro-populi project in the Bayelsa marshland compared to the cost of same project in Sokoto or Benue State. In its engagement with Ijaws in this Constitutional Review, my honest advice to the Plenary is for it to understudy the past as prelude to what is to come.
Dr. Tuodolo was Pioneer President of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide; Email: okusbaba@yahoo.co.uk: Phone: 080 3474 6918, Writes from Port Harcourt.
