London Agog as Public Presentation Of The Book 'Making And Makers Of Nigeria@60 Holds In August ~ By Dare Adelekan

The public presentation of the book is holding in August 2021 in London under the distinguished chairmanship of General Abdulsalam Abubakar the former Head of state. The aim of presenting the book in London is to let the Nigerians in diaspora to be part of the activities lined up to commemorate the Diamond anniversary of Nigeria independence since Nigerian government has announced that the celebration will last for one year. The book is about the political history of Nigeria from the amalgamation of 1914, according to the late Chief Richard Akinjide, a parliamentarian, former minister of Justice and Attorney General of the federation in the second republic. Who wrote the prologue to the book said the amalgamation of 1914 was a fraud, it was in the interest of British not interest of Nigerians. Some of our political founding fathers were against the marriage but they believed it would work by practicing true federalism which was entrenched in the 1963 republic constitution. The formation and evolution of political parties before independence, the various constitutional conferences, the modern Nigeria, the first republic and the termination of the republic by the senseless military coup of 1966, the event that led to the civil war where more that 3million souls were lost, the Aburi accord and how the then permanent secretary Prince Akenzua who later became the Oba of Benin persuaded Gowon not to honour the Aburi accord, that the agreement may lead to a confederated country. Part of the accord was that the regional government should be restored and that each region should be operating its constitution which was in place before the military coup and which was abolished via decree 34 of 1966 signed by Aguiyi Ironsi. Ojukwu never wanted to go to war but non fulfillment of the Aburi Accord, but instead Gowon created the regions into twelve states with more powers to the center, the return to civil rule in 1979 and the destruction of the second republic by Buhari in 1984, the long military rule before the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, the Abacha era, the return to civil rule in 1999. The book is compiled to let our youths know about the basic political history of Nigeria because they have been denied by the government. We wrote briefly about our founding political fathers and the 1963 which makes Nigeria a federated states but the regional autonomy was removed by General Aguiyi Ironsi via decree 34 of 1966 making Nigeria UNITARY GOVERNMENT and the abolition of regional government is still causing some agitation today and when we are talking about restructuring, we are saying let us go back to federalism as it entrenched in the 1963 republic constitution.