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  • Midwest Region: 60 years after

    Midwest Region: 60 years after

    The 60th anniversary of the Midwest Referendum and the creation of Edo State in Benin City, the state capital was almost marred by the power tussle between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Phillip Shaibu. South-South Bureau Chief BISI OLANIYI reports

    Prominent Nigerians from the South-South region had gathered to reflect on several issues bedeviling the country’s federal structure at a colloquium organized by the Edo State government. It was organised to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the creation of the old Midwest Region.  Both Edo and Delta states were created from the region.

    It was a funfair at the “60 Years After the Referendum, Which Way Midwest?. Speakers acknowledged the contributions and the struggle of the region’s founding fathers, including the first premier of the region, Sir Denis Osadebay, Oba Eweka II, Oba Akenzua II and the great nationalist, Chief Anthony Enahoro.

    While the Midwest had its referendum in 1963, Edo State was created from the defunct Bendel State on August 27, 1991.

    The residents of Edo and their friends colourfully marked the 32nd anniversary of creating the state on August 27, 2023 with an interdenominational thanksgiving service at the New Festival Hall, Government House, Benin.

    The twin-event also marked the 60th anniversary of the Midwest referendum, with Edo Governor, Godwin Obaseki urging Nigerians not to lose hope, despite the prevailing circumstances.

    Obaseki, at the colloquium, declared that sixty years after Midwest referendum, Nigeria was still bedeviled with numerous socio-economic challenges, which would require reset of the institutions and structures that propped the region and nation up in the past.

    He also urged leaders to continue to work together to build states and a nation that would stand as beacon of progress, and a model of good governance, which he said had been a testament to the indomitable spirit of Edo people.

    Obaseki saluted Oba Eweka II, Oba Akenzua II, Chief Dennis Osadebey, and Chief Anthony Enahoro, among others, who secured the creation of the region.

    He noted that the heroes braved the odds and battled to create a distinctive political identity for a people, who had always loved and cherished their freedom, culture and creative energies.

    Edo governor stressed that the Midwest region in 1963, which was carved out of the then Western region, three years after Nigeria’s independence and colonial rule, was a product of the bold character and love for freedom of their forebears.

    He pointed out that the Midwest region, which became Bendel state in 1976, was the first state in Nigeria to be created by a referendum, signaling the people’s staunch belief in democratic ideals.

    Obaseki stated that it was the foresight, sacrifice, and struggle of the courageous and notable leaders that secured the creation of the then Midwestern region.

    He said: “An important question to ask is: are the conditions that led to the Midwest Referendum in 1963 not staring us in the face in Nigeria today? Would we not be able to plan better for the future of our people and attain accelerated development with a less cumbersome system of government that promotes competition among sub-nationals and discourages the constant resort to Abuja for direction and resources?

    “Nigeria is in dire straits today, as a result of the poor handling of our economic fortunes. And with the removal of the fuel subsidies, among other political and economic challenges, perhaps the Mid-West option may just be what we need to fall back to, in order to stand a chance at survival, and set a new course for economic rejuvenation.”

    Obaseki also stated that the story of the Midwest referendum was one of unity, resilience, and the power of collective action, describing it as a story that continued to inspire the indigenes till now, while reminding the people of their capacities to overcome challenges, transform adversity into opportunities, and forge a better path for themselves.

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    He urged the residents to continue to work together to build a state that would stand as a beacon of progress, a model of good governance, and a testament to the indomitable spirit of the people.

     The former governor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, now representing Edo North District, who earlier openly embraced his former godson (Obaseki) at the venue of the colloquium, hailed the great initiative to mark the 60th anniversary and 32 years of  Edo state.

    Oshiomhole, an ex-National Chairman of APC, also acknowledged that a lot had been achieved since the 1963 referendum,  stressing that if the people of Edo and Delta states were to still be part of the Western region, persons like himself, Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor and Obaseki would not have had the opportunity to become governors.

    He pointed out that the colloquium was apt, while noting that it would help the youths to know where they were coming from.

     Oshiomhole admonished Obaseki, as the most senior governor in the Southsouth geo-political zone, to reactivate the Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta  (BRACED) commission, a regional body, aimed at championing the welfare of people of the core Niger Delta.

    He assured Obaseki that working together with other governors of the South-South, irrespective of party differences, they would continue to voice out the plight of the people, until the Federal Government would begin to see the reason it should listen and take positive actions.

    The panel-discussion session had Profs. Godwin Darah, Eddy Erhagbe and Eghosa Osaghae. The event was also attended by Delta Deputy Governor, Monday Onyeme and ex-deputy governor of Edo state, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe.

    Speaking on his stride in Edo, Obaseki noted at the service that the glory of the new Edo stood on the threshold of transformation, in the areas of infrastructure, development, innovation and inclusiveness to build a state, where humanity would thrive.

    Edo governor admonished residents of the state to break the barrier that hindered the spiritual revival, progress and inclusivity in Edo, thereby creating a flourishing society with the fear of God, diversity and shared purpose.

    Representative of Delta State Governor, Charles Aniagwu, who is the Commissioner for Works, while celebrating with Obaseki and Edo people, expressed optimism that the governor would finish well and strong.

    A former President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Rev. Felix Omobude, in his sermon, titled: “Edo the Beautiful,” and reading from Ecclesiastes 3:11, urged the stakeholders to build on the values of Edo state: integrity, honesty, and respect for one another.

    Omobude also urged Edo people to always give honour to God, who made everything beautiful for the state.

    A scene was, however, created during the service, as the Edo Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, was barred by security personnel from moving close to Obaseki and his wife, Betsy, with the intention of specially greeting the seated couple, after he (Shaibu) earlier greeted many top officials of Edo government and other eminent personalities in the expansive hall.

    Shaibu displayed maturity by not confronting the security personnel, but many people were shocked with the humiliation and ridicule, which may not be unconnected with his anti-impeachment suit at the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja.

    Shaibu, while later speaking with reporters, pledged loyalty to Obaseki, whom he described as his elder brother and boss.

    He said: “My loyalty to the Edo governor remains absolute. I see that everybody is doing solidarity. I am also in solidarity with the governor. I am also declaring my unalloyed solidarity and loyalty to the governor.

    “As for the issues that were around town when I was away (in the United States of America on vacation), I really would not want to talk. Issues that concern my governor are not things I like to speak about. He is my elder brother and boss. I do not think I should talk about anything.

    “If I have issues with him (Obaseki), it is better settled at home, and not in the media. I am well brought up. I can tell you that from my Christian background, if you make a vow with God that you want to do something, you must fulfill it. And the vow I have taken with God is that I will continue to support Godwin Obaseki as the governor of Edo State, from the beginning to the end.

    “But that does not stop anything that has to do with ambition. Ambition is personal, and it does not affect loyalty. My loyalty to the governor remains absolute.”

    Shaibu, who hails from Edo North, intends to succeed Obaseki, an indigene of Benin in Edo South, on November 12 next year. But the state’s governor is opting for a successor from Esanland in Edo Central senatorial district, to ensure fairness, equity and justice, as also being proposed by the leaders of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP).

    The face-off between Obaseki and Shaibu deepened at the well-attended colloquium, as the deputy governor stormed out of the venue, midway into the programme, after an attack on his media crew by the security personnel attached to Obaseki.

    The media crew of Shaibu was at work, when the newly-appointed Chief Press Secretary to Obaseki, Mr. Andrew Okungbowa; and the Public Relations Officer, Office of Edo Governor, Ms. Osarumwense Margaret Ojo, identified members of Edo deputy governor’s media crew one after another, before the security men attached to Obaseki forced them out of the venue.

    All efforts made by Shaibu to make sure that members of his media team remained at the venue were futile, as he was told by Obaseki’s security men that it was “an instruction from above.”

    At that point, Shaibu loudly announced that he could not be in an event, which started at 10 a.m., but his media crew would be barred, while he subsequently left the venue.

  • Midwest at 60

    Midwest at 60

    • In spite of its freedom, the region has fallen short of its promise

    It is a paradox that the 60th anniversary of the creation of the Midwest Region became only a regional, or shall we say, a parochial affair. It was a federalist birthday in virtual silence. Yet, this is a nation that continues to trumpet the qualities of true federalism.

    It was reduced to the mere gathering of bellyaching persons and leaders, including governors, from Edo and Delta states and it did not end with any major resolution of memo to chasten the nation as a way to underpin the essence of the 1963 event.

    It is also a marker of a historical conscience that has eaten the fabric of our education as a people. Few know, even among vaunted intellectuals, that 1963 ever happened, and those who know have rarely cogitated its significance.

    Yet, we cannot discuss federalism with its praises and pains in our history and even contemporary experiences without being haunted by the referendum that set up the Midwest Region.

    What we know as Delta and Edo states today were subsumed in the Western Region as a colonial contraption of the Richards and Macpherson constitutions. Even during those times, the sage, Obafemi Awolowo, had published a book two years after the Richards Constitution, in which he anticipated and called for ethnic nationalities to assert their own in a Nigerian federation. In fact, the Western House of Assembly advanced a motion under colonial rule for a Benin-Delta Region, a nod to the ethnic synergy of the peoples in that part of the country.

     “Each group, however small, is entitled to the same treatment as any other group, however large,” Awolowo wrote in his ‘Paths to Nigerian Freedom’. “Each group must be autonomous in regard to its internal affairs. Each must have its own Regional House of Assembly.”

    It is also an irony that when the region was proposed by the then Tafawa Balewa, our first prime minister, it turned out to be a good thing for a cynical end. It is also an irony that Awolowo and his Action Group (AG) party did not welcome the referendum.

    It has been argued, with good reason, that Awolowo had no objection if the other ethnic nationalities enjoyed the same opportunity. For instance, the Cross River-Ogoja- Rivers and the Middle Belt regions were also clamouring for their regions.

    Historians say the Midwest referendum was a plot to clip Awolowo’s influence. This emboldened the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) under Nnamdi Azikiwe to exploit the moment to undermine Awolowo and the AG.

    The NCNC was the dominant party of the Midwest and the narrative of agitation tended to portray Awolowo as negating his own philosophy in his book. It is more nuanced than his depiction as a hypocrite. Rather, in Awolowo’s bid to pursue geopolitical justice, the citizens of Midwest saw the sage as working a hegemonic agenda. Even such bigwigs as Chief Anthony Enahoro and Alfred Rewane, close Awolowo associates, became isolated and almost treated as pariah in their homes.

    In the hysteria of the partisan rancour, truth sometimes gets lost. But few have addressed why COR and the Middle Belt were not granted the same. The Middle Belt wanted liberty from the northern albatross. Awolowo became a fall guy of his intent. It would take Awolowo decades after a jail term and a return in 1979 to the soapbox before the dust would settle and the man who gave its citizens free education would receive a heft of electoral endorsement when he sought their backing to be president.

    Historians can trace, with good reason, the crisis in the First Republic to the malice that inspired Balewa’s call for the referendum only in one instead of at least three regions. It provided a context to later hound the AG chieftain, such that the west and Awolowo would suffer internecine quarrels triggered, in part, from outside. It combined with other tensions in the land to foment a civil war.

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    Yet, we must say that the creation of the Midwest is the first true democratic moment since we had independence. The people overwhelmingly decided to shave off the west, and they had other reasons than pride. They also decried marginalisation in projects and representation. This has been a perennial complaint of our federalist engagements.

    In 1967, the Midwest Region became a state when Gowon, as part of his strategy to pummel Biafra, created 12 states. We can say the 1963 referendum hatched that egg. Except that we have had new states since then based on elusive elite consensus and manipulation of interests by a few rather than the mass endorsement of the Midwest type.

    The Midwest Region indicates that ethnic assertion can work without excising itself from the Nigerian nation. We can continue to advance the features of our shared histories and culture as well as interdependencies to forge a harmonious society. No doubt, political scientists have often caviled at the possibility of a democracy in heterogenous communities. But it is left to the elite to bury the differences and highlight what brings us together.

    In the just concluded polls, we witnessed acrimonies that still burn our consciences as a people.

    The will of a people is not as important as translating it to the progress and comfort of the society. In spite of asserting their internal independence, the Midwest people, who later became Bendel State before their binary geography today, remain very undeveloped in spite of its might of resources. The militancy of the past years was a protest against elite failure. Its people have not turned liberty to prosperity, and its peacock leaders continue to plunder resources while its people, with oil revenue and abundance of agricultural endowments in rubber and palm produce, wallow in misery and despair. Its two major cities, Benin and Warri, were proud and prosperous. We can add Sapele. But they are shadows of their former shines.