GOWON’S DECREE 14 NOT IRONSI’S DECREE 34 FRACTURED THE NIGERIAN FEDERATION INTO 12 STATES
Tony Nnadi
NINAS Movement News
22 June 2023

Originally published elsewhere under the title: General Ironsi’s Decree 34 Of 1966 Did Not Tamper With The Four-Region Structure Of Nigeria. It Was Gowon’s Decree 14 Of May 27, 1967 That Altered The Structure Of Nigeria By Breaking Up The Four Regions Of The Time Into 12 States – on 04 October 2020

Whatever the Dishonest Revisionists of the crumbling house of Nigeria would want to project, the truth is well-known and well documented.

The False Narrative pinning responsibility (and therefore blame) for the Unitary Structure Nigeria is currently saddled with on General Aguiyi Ironsi’s Decree No.34 of 1966 (and by extension the Igbo) is simply a part of the Grand Orchestration against the Igbo by the Dark Forces operating the toxic and unworkable Unitary Nigeria.

The many lies concocted to create these kinds of False Narratives were to justify the atrocities of the time.

Just to restate the facts for the benefit of those who may be genuinely ignorant or misinformed, with the January 15, 1966 decapitation of the civilian Federal Government and two Regional Governments by the botched coup staged by young, middle-rank Military Officers, (mostly Majors) the task of arresting the Nigerian situation fell on the Military High Command which happened to have Major-General Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi as its Head. The burden of leading that stabilization task therefore fell on Gen Ironsi.

The first challenge was that of setting up some emergency Governance Arrangements to be manned by the Military.

Accordingly, Decree 34 of 1966 (so-called Unification Decree) by Maj-Gen Aguiyi Ironsi merely set up a Federal Military Government to be presided over by a Supreme Military Council, while Military Governors were appointed for the Four Regions, namely Lt-Col Adekunle Fajuyi, (Western Region); Lt.Col Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu (Eastern Region); Lt-Col David Ejoor (Midwestern Region) and Lt-Col Hassan Usman Katsina (Northern Region).

The Supreme Military Council was made up of the Head of State, these Four Military Governors and the Heads of the Armed Services of the time.

The Four Regions remained intact with their ASSETS, with their Constitutions, (save for the parts that relate to the defunct Civilian Administrations) and the whole purpose of Decree No.34 was to establish order and restablize a badly shaken country.

The first time the Four-Region Structure of the Federation of Nigeria was Fractured was on the 27th of May in 1967 when Lt-Col Yakubu Gowon who had emerged as Head of State from the counter coup of July 29, 1966, broke the Four Regions of Nigeria into Twelve States via Decree No.14 of 1967, almost a year after the killing of Gen Ironsi in July 1966.

[Photo of Gowon’s Decree 14, dated well after Gen Ironsi had been assassinated.]
There is a photo of Gowon’s Decree 14 here but if I cannot add it with this article, I will send it separately.

Those who committed the atrocities of the time, most of whom are still alive and doing evil, were the ones who crafted the Falsehoods being circulated now to obfuscate the facts and so justify their actions. They are the same ones who abolished History as a subject on the School Curriculum during their reign as Military Government in 70s and 80s to blindfold the younger generation which was fed with the lies concocted to justify the unjustifiable killings that were carried out at the time.

The Federation of Nigeria died from the deadly consequences of these heinous lies that had Fraudulently attained the status of “Truth” over time, but progressively, as the Authentic Truth re-emerged, the Rogue Nigeria erected on Falsehood since mid-1966 began to march to its grave. We are now at the point of its Interment.

A majority in the Union of Death now wants out and there is really nothing the arrogant, murderous minority can do to stop that majority especially since the Title Deed Over the Estate (1999 Constitution) has been defeated as a Forgery.
Tony Nnadi.
Lower Niger Congress (LNC)
October 4, 2020



https://ninasmovementnews.substack.com/p/gowons-decree-14-not-ironsis-decree

This issue has beentreated over and over again.. But some peope love spreading lies and expect people to believe in their lies and deceit.. Repeating lies all the time will never make it true one day ..

Gowon destroyed regionalism with state creation


Gowon abolished regional government and created 12 states.. Your lies and propaganda can never be true despite repeating it million times..

[b]Before Gowon became head of state in August 1966, Nigeria was a federation of

1) 4 semi-autonomous Regions
2) Each Region had resource control
3)Each Region kept 50% of whatever accrued within it, paid the Federal Government 25% and the rest 25% went into a General account that all the Regions including the Federal Government could use for developmental purpose.
4)Because the 4 Regions were semi-autonomous, it made the centre week and prevented any Region from dominating another

Today, we have

1)36 states that have little or no resource control
2) A powerful Federal government that now pays the states
3)Fiscal federalism is dead

How did we get here? It was Gowons promulgation of Decree 14 on the 27th of May 1967 that caused it all. It was this same decree that forced Ojukwu to declare the Eastern Region a seperate country called Biafra 3 days later and this led to the war. It should also be added that decree 14 was a violation of the Aburi agreement that both Gowon and Ojukwu signed in Ghana.


Decree 14, abolished the 4 Regions, replaced them with 12 states, took away resource control, reversed fiscal responsibility and made the federal government all powerful

It was seen for what it was by Ojukwu and the Eastern Region, a calculated attempt by Gowon and his Northern cohorts to dominate everyone.

Suddenly, the North that was one Region, had 6 states while the South that was 3 Regions had to share 6 states between them. This effectively made the North the dominant partner[/b]


Subsequent military administration's led by Northerners subdivided the 12 states Gowon created, and gave the North more states and local governments than the south

Today, the North that was one Region has overwhelming advantage over the South that was 3 Regions

1) The North has 19 states while the south has 17

2)Of the 109 Senators in Nigeria, the North has 59 while the south has 50

3) Of the 360 house of rep members, the North has 191 while the South has 169

4) Of the 774 Local Governments in Nigeria, the North has 419 while the South has 355

This undue advantage given to the North, starting with Gowons decree 14 which changed the structure of Nigeria, is what led to war and created the mess Nigeria is in today

Know your history..

Hahahahaha mods go tire

This thread was deleted yesterday because the confused mods thought Tinubu supporters will cry.

NINAS has made a standing warning that Bola Ahmed is not the real president of Nigeria

This people no just get sense

Ironsi cancelled our constitution of regionalism

Ben Nwabueze drafted this new Federalism Constitution



.

True... Let me review some other facts I'll get back to the topic

Every informed Nigerian knows this . Only the ignorant , and agents of falsehood and deceit are the ones still living in denial

Ezeama400:
This issue has beentreated over and over again.. But some peope love spreading lies and expect people to believe in their lies and deceit.. Repeating lies all the time will never make it true one day ..

Gowon destroyed regionalism with state creation


Gowon abolished regional government and created 12 states.. Your lies and propaganda can never be true despite repeating it million times..

[b]Before Gowon became head of state in August 1966, Nigeria was a federation of

1) 4 semi-autonomous Regions
2) Each Region had resource control
3)Each Region kept 50% of whatever accrued within it, paid the Federal Government 25% and the rest 25% went into a General account that all the Regions including the Federal Government could use for developmental purpose.
4)Because the 4 Regions were semi-autonomous, it made the centre week and prevented any Region from dominating another

Today, we have

1)36 states that have little or no resource control
2) A powerful Federal government that now pays the states
3)Fiscal federalism is dead

How did we get here? It was Gowons promulgation of Decree 14 on the 27th of May 1967 that caused it all. It was this same decree that forced Ojukwu to declare the Eastern Region a seperate country called Biafra 3 days later and this led to the war. It should also be added that decree 14 was a violation of the Aburi agreement that both Gowon and Ojukwu signed in Ghana.


Decree 14, abolished the 4 Regions, replaced them with 12 states, took away resource control, reversed fiscal responsibility and made the federal government all powerful

It was seen for what it was by Ojukwu and the Eastern Region, a calculated attempt by Gowon and his Northern cohorts to dominate everyone.

Suddenly, the North that was one Region, had 6 states while the South that was 3 Regions had to share 6 states between them. This effectively made the North the dominant partner[/b]


Subsequent military administration's led by Northerners subdivided the 12 states Gowon created, and gave the North more states and local governments than the south

Today, the North that was one Region has overwhelming advantage over the South that was 3 Regions

1) The North has 19 states while the south has 17

2)Of the 109 Senators in Nigeria, the North has 59 while the south has 50

3) Of the 360 house of rep members, the North has 191 while the South has 169

4) Of the 774 Local Governments in Nigeria, the North has 419 while the South has 355

This undue advantage given to the North, starting with Gowons decree 14 which changed the structure of Nigeria, is what led to war and created the mess Nigeria is in today

Know your history..

I am done with you.. Bye

Yes but real regionalism died with decree 34...unitary system of government... which was introduced by Ironsi.
This is what Ironsi called the regions because in the decree,he refered to the regions as former regions and used the term "group of provinces".

---

the Military Governor’, in relation to a group of provinces, means the Military Governor of that Group of Provinces;

‘the Northern Group of Provinces’, the Eastern Group of Provinces’, the Western Group of Provinces and the ‘Mid-Western Group of Provinces’ have the respective meanings assigned in section 2 (1) © of this Decree.

---

Military Governor appointed by the Head of the National Military Government;
Act No. 20 of 1963 (that is to say the Constitution of the Federation) may be cited as the Constitution of the Republic.
Without prejudice to section 8 of this Decree, the person who immediately before the appointed day holds the office of Military Governor of a Region shall be deemed to have been appointed by the Head of the National Military Government as Military Governor of the corresponding group of provinces with effect from that day.
The National Military Government may either conditionally or unconditionally delegate to a Military Governor of a group of provinces power to make laws by edict for peace, order and good government with respect to any matter specified in the delegation in relation to that group of provinces.
Subject to this and any other Decree, a Military Governor of a group of provinces may exercise by way of edict or, as the case may be, by regulation, order, or instrument the powers and functions vested in the Executive Council of the Government of a former Region, or of the Governor, Premier, or Minister (except in relation to criminal prosecutions) of a government of a former Region under any existing law with respect to that group of provinces; and accordingly sections 3 (2), (3), (5), (6), and (7) and section 4 (6) of the Constitution (Suspension and Modification) Decree 1966 (in this Decree referred to as the ‘principal Decree’) shall cease to have effect.
Subsection (4) shall be without prejudice to section 8 of this Decree, and the repeal by that subsection of any provision of the principal Decree shall not affect the operation of that provision in relation to any time before the appointed day.
Any Edict made by the Military Governor of a Region which is in force immediately before the appointed day shall, as from that day, have effect as a Decree applying only to the group of provinces which corresponds to that region; and references to a Decree shall be construed accordingly.



the Constitution of the Republic or of a group of Provinces, the members of the Public Service Commission of the Federation and of the Regions who, immediately before the appointed day hold office, shall continue in office until the appointments expire or are sooner revoked, and fresh appointments are made.

4.1 Subject to the provisions of this section, power to appoint persons to hold or act in offices in the National Public Service (including power to make appointments on promotion and to confirm appointments) and to dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in such offices shall, as from the appointed day, vest in the National Public Service Commission.

2. The National Public Service Commission may, with the approval of the Head of the National Military Government, either conditionally or unconditionally delegate any of its powers under subsection (1) above to any person or authority in Nigeria.

3. Subject to subsections (4) and (6) below, all the powers of the National Public Service Commission under subsection (1) above in respect of any office in the National Public Service carrying an initial salary not exceeding £2,292, shall be treated as having been delegated to the appropriate Provincial Public Service Commission.



appointed day in like manner as it has effect in relation to 16th January 1966.

3. Nothing in this Decree shall affect the validity of anything done before the appointed day.

9. In this Decree, and in any other law—

‘enactment’ includes any provision of a Decree;

‘group of provinces’ means the Northern Group of Provinces, the Eastern Group of Provinces, the Western Group of Provinces or the Mid-Western Group of Provinces;

‘the Military Governor’, in relation to a group of provinces, means the Military Governor of that Group of Provinces;

‘the Northern Group of Provinces’, the Eastern Group of Provinces’, the Western Group of Provinces and the ‘Mid-Western Group of Provinces’ have the respective meanings assigned in section 2 (1) © of this Decree.

10. Every Decree made on or after the appointed day shall apply throughout Nigeria except in so far as the contrary intention appears therein.



Source: The Constitution (Suspension and Modification) (No. 5) Decree 1966, Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette no. 51, vol. 53, 24 May 1966, A153.



The Schedules have been omitted here.



Courtesy Nowa Omoigui

AND SO, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM NOW? YES GOWON DID AND IT WAS WONDERFUL. WHOEVER MADE NIGERIA 36 WAS WONDERFUL TOO.
ADOPT FAPRES FOTCS AND CTC FOCS TRFG NOW TO MAKE NIGERIA PROGRESSIVE.
NIGERIA IS OURS. NIGERIA IS GREAT. NIGERIA IS EVERY NIGERIAN RELIGION. WE SHOULD ALL START PRAYING TO THE GRAND ORDER DOMINION IS THE MIGHTY NAME OF NIGERIA.

FROM ORUNTO27 ORISAORUNTOSPEAKS

Why are we debating on this thing that has no effect on our current dispensation?

DON'T MIND THEM. WE WERE ALL HERE WHEN BUHARI RETURNED ALL THE RECOVERED ABACHA LOOT TO HIS MADAM TO BUILD AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN KANO.