Nigeria: The Way Forward

Highlights of the Proposed Constitution for a new Nigeria

A. Regions

1. 6 semi-autonomous regions comprising of North East, North West, North Central, South South, South East, South West Regions and a federal controlled capital territory.
2. Each Region would adopt its own constitution.

B. Resource Control Distribution

1. Regions are to control their resources.

2. Region would keep 70% of the income and pay to the Federal Government 30% of the income from the region. The Federal Government would pay 10% of such receipt into a Distributable Pool Account.

3. The Federal Government would keep 70% of resources from Levies on Export and Import and 30% would be paid into a Distributable Pool Account.

4. The Federal Government would collect and keep all taxes on income of companies doing business in Nigeria and taxes on all transaction relating to banking and insurance operations and services and operations at the ports of entry into Nigeria and shall credit 20% of taxes collected into the Distributable Pool Account.

5. The monies in the Distributable Pool Account would be distributed equally to the Regions on the last day of every calendar month or such other dates as the House of Representatives may prescribe.

C. System of Government

1. The Federal Government would operate as a parliamentary system with a bicameral legislature, which would comprise of a House of Representatives and a largely ceremonial House of Elders.

2. The member of the House of Representatives would be popularly elected from the regions and the party in the majority would form the government and a prime minister elected by the house from members of such a party.

3. Members of the House of elders shall consist of 5 members from each region and three members from the Federal Capital territory, who shall be traditional chiefs, retired military officers of ranks not less than major general, or its equivalent in any of the armed forces, retired police officers of rank not less than Deputy Inspector General of Police, retired university professors, retired civil servants who have attained the rank of director in the Federal or Regional civil service or its equivalent, retired chief executive officers of any company quoted in the Nigerian stock exchange, who have attained the age of 55 on the date of appointment.

4. Member of the House of Elders would be appointed by Head of Governments of the Regions subject to the confirmation by legislative house of the region. The Prime minister would appoint the members of the house of elders for the Federal Capital region, subject to the confirmation of the House of Representatives.

5. The president of Nigeria would be elected from the house of elders by members of the house of elders and his role shall be largely ceremonial. The president would hold office for 2 years and this position would be rotated around the regions.

D. Police

1. There shall be a Federal Police Service and Regional Police Service for each region.
2. The Federal Police Service shall only be empowered to enforce offenses created by Acts of the Federal House of Representatives and on the invitation of the government of the Region enforce offence created by the laws of the region.

E. Courts

1. The Regions would have their court system and a supreme court.
2. There shall also be a federal court system and a supreme court.
3. The Federal Court system would handle mostly matters relating to aviation, maritime, customs and excise, enforcement of laws made by the house of representatives and concurrent jurisdictions with the regional court system on fundamental rights.

F. Region of Origin

1. Every Nigerian shall be deemed to be an indigene of the region of his birth and shall be accorded every rights of an indigene of that region, provided that upon the attainment of the age of 18, the person may by a sworn declaration adopt the region where his father was born as his region.
2. Anyone born outside the shore of Nigeria shall be deemed to be an indigene of the region of his father or if he is born just to a Nigerian mother, of the region of his mother.
3. Every Nigerian shall be deemed to be an indigene of any region where he has lived paid taxes for three years.

G. Amnesty

1. Anyone who whilst occupying a public office or performing any duties in relation to public finance, before the enactment of the new constitution, who may have corruptly or unlawfully enriched himself, if not more than 12 months from the coming into effect of the constitution makes a sworn declaration before a judge of the Federal High Court in such manner as the Chief Justice of Nigeria may prescribe, detailing the value of such enrichment and the total asset held in his name and that of his immediate family members, shall be deemed pardoned for such unlawful enrichment, provided that not more than 3 calendar months from the date of declaration, all such assets are transferred to the Federal Government of Nigeria, if such unlawful acts were committed against the funds of the federal government or regional government, if such unlawful act was committed against the funds of the regional government.

2. If at any time, it is found that any part of such declaration is willfully and materially false, the deponent shall be liable upon conviction to imprisonment for life.

This is the highlights of a proposed constitution available for free download at www.delefarotimi.com
The draft constitution is not a perfect document and would therefore benefit from your contributions.

Ralph Nwoke Esq.