Former Director General, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, (NIALS), Prof. Epiphany Azinge, (SAN), has said the abolishing of Indigeneship and State of Origin from the Constitution will foster unity in the Country.
Azinge attributed increased level of hate speeches, divisive tendencies, agitations, among others, to the continued existence of State of Origin in the statute books, stating that Nigeria needed to focus more on the issue of detribalization.
“We need to address the issue of detribalization. We do not need separation, we need to blend and harmonise as much as we can
“We need to obviously put down the issue of State of Origin and Indigeneship, and emphasise the nucleus, that is Nigeria”
Prof. Azinge, said those aspiring to hold leadership positions must be detribalized, adding that a leader must not be narrow minded as far as leadership position is concerned.
“If you don’t have that quality, you cannot lay claim to leadership position. That is the only thing that can forge the unity we desperately need in this country. So, we don’t want anything that will separate us. Nigeria is a great country”.
He mentioned that there was a time, when the fear was of religious bigotry, but noted that now; it is where you are from, who you are etc.
“It is only when you think that you don’t belong to a part that you obviously discriminate against them.
“I do not need anybody to ask me where am I from because I am a Nigerian. I am not from Delta, not from Asaba. I am from Nigeria. Delta or Asaba is secondary or tertiary if you want to use the expression in that order.
Azinge called for the abolition of State of Origin from the 1999 Constitution, adding that it would bring peace to the Country and prevent situations like the recently withdrawn Quit Notice that was handed to the Igbos, by a Coalition of Northern Youths.
“What we have succeeded in doing for now is to suppress the issue of quit notice and agitation, by the time it comes up again, if nothing is done, then we are in trouble”.
Prof. Azinge disclosed his plans to inaugurate ‘Azinge Foundation’, stating that the Country was still holding on to ancient sentiments of tribalism and ethnicity.
He revealed that part of the activities for the inauguration, would be presentation of awards to former Presidents and Public Figures seen as detribalized.
Meanwhile, in October 2012, former Senate President, David Mark, also opined the immediate elimination of State of Origin and enthronement of State of Residence would go a long way to cement relationship in the Country.
In 2014, the Chairman of the Federal Government’s Technical Committee on Privatisation, Atedo Peterside, expressed the same wish saying
“I wish that we should stop asking people in forms they fill for anything, what their State of Origin is. We should be asking them what their Place of Residence is so that if I am in Sokoto, I will say Sokoto State is my Place of Residence.
In tertiary institutions, admission is sometimes given based on State of Origin policy also known as “Catchment Area”. The Federal Government adopted the Quota System for admission into all its Universities.
Top Ministerial and Government jobs, Political Appointments and Political Positions among others are often fixed based on the State of Origin policy.
The Nigerian Military uses the same system in recruiting new-intakes because of the fear of one ethnic group taking over power forcefully through a coup.
