The Role of State Constitutions in Protecting ... - International IDEA
The Role of State Constitutions in Protecting ... - International IDEA
The Role of State Constitutions in Protecting ... - International IDEA
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almajirai, 31 security <strong>in</strong>adequacy, <strong>in</strong>tensification <strong>of</strong> micro-nationalism, absence <strong>of</strong><br />
justice and equity and weakness <strong>of</strong> Civil Society groups. 32 Increas<strong>in</strong>gly, most<br />
ethnic clashes <strong>in</strong> Nigeria <strong>of</strong>ten have religious dimensions. 33<br />
Survey<strong>in</strong>g ethnic and religious crises <strong>in</strong> Nigeria there are clearly some trends. First<br />
impressions are that the crises are triggered ma<strong>in</strong>ly by religious reasons. But the<br />
reasons for the crisis go beyond religion to <strong>in</strong>clude political and economic factors.<br />
<strong>The</strong> political class lacks national acceptance and cannot spearhead a national<br />
mobiliz<strong>in</strong>g ideology, it resorts <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly to the politicization <strong>of</strong> ethnicity, and<br />
makes a fetish <strong>of</strong> religious differences, and the awaken<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> prist<strong>in</strong>e and atavistic<br />
norms and practices. 34 <strong>The</strong> Muslims appeared to be on the <strong>of</strong>fensive. But some<br />
have po<strong>in</strong>ted out that “Muslims are <strong>of</strong>ten provoked <strong>in</strong>to violent action by <strong>of</strong>fensive<br />
preach<strong>in</strong>g by some Christian Evangelists.” 35 Thirdly, the frequency and <strong>in</strong>tensity<br />
<strong>of</strong> conflicts <strong>in</strong>creased dur<strong>in</strong>g the Babangida regime. This may not be unconnnected<br />
with the controversy that engulfed the nation when Nigeria applied for<br />
membership <strong>of</strong> Organisation <strong>of</strong> Islamic Conference (OIC). F<strong>in</strong>ally, there has been<br />
an <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> violence and many crises s<strong>in</strong>ce return to civil rule <strong>in</strong> Nigeria.<br />
Studies have shown that when countries emerge from long years <strong>of</strong> authoritarian<br />
rule through pacted transition arrangements, there is the tendency for <strong>in</strong>creased<br />
violence particularly if greater emphasis is not placed on the build<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>stitutions<br />
and mechanisms to operate them.<br />
…measures to curb<br />
ethnic and religious<br />
conflicts <strong>in</strong>clude:<br />
• Adoption <strong>of</strong> Federalism.<br />
• Enhancement <strong>of</strong><br />
Human Rights.<br />
• Adoption <strong>of</strong> a<br />
Multi-Party System.<br />
• Modification <strong>of</strong><br />
Electoral System.<br />
• Prohibition <strong>of</strong> Ethnic and<br />
Religious Parties.<br />
• Prohibition <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>State</strong> Religion.<br />
Some measures have been taken to curb ethnic and religious conflicts. 36 <strong>The</strong>se<br />
<strong>in</strong>clude:<br />
◆ Adoption <strong>of</strong> Federalism <strong>in</strong> Nigeria: It was reasoned that with the<br />
diversity <strong>of</strong> Nigeria, federalism would be the best system suited for the<br />
country. As noted earlier, the move towards federalism, which started with<br />
the Richards Constitution <strong>of</strong> 1946, was consolidated by the Lyttleton<br />
Constitution <strong>of</strong> 1954 when there was co-existence <strong>of</strong> the Federal<br />
Government alongside the Regional Governments <strong>of</strong> North, East and<br />
West. In 1963, the Midwest region was created br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g the number <strong>of</strong><br />
regions <strong>in</strong> the country to four. Each region had its own police, Courts and<br />
Prisons. <strong>The</strong> <strong>in</strong>trusion <strong>of</strong> the military <strong>in</strong>to governance changed all these and<br />
turned the country <strong>in</strong>to a defacto unitary and centralized <strong>State</strong> after the<br />
manner <strong>of</strong> military high commands.<br />
◆ Entrenchment <strong>of</strong> fundamental Human Rights provisions <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Constitution: Dur<strong>in</strong>g the 1954 Constitutional Conference that led to the<br />
31) Children that are given to experienced Islamic clerics for the purposes <strong>of</strong> Koranic lessons. In most cases, they are<br />
left to fend for themselves through begg<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
32) Shawalu, “<strong>The</strong> Socio-Economic and Political Context <strong>of</strong> Ethnic and Religious Crises <strong>in</strong> Nigeria” <strong>in</strong> Okoye, F. (Ed)<br />
(2000), Impact <strong>of</strong> Religious and Ethnic Conflicts on Women and children <strong>in</strong> Northern Nigeria, Kaduna, Human Rights<br />
Monitor<br />
33) Okafor, F. U.(1997) (Ed), New Strategies for Curb<strong>in</strong>g Ethnic and Religious conflicts <strong>in</strong> Nigeria, Enugu, fourth<br />
Dimension Publishers; Alemika, E.E.O. “Sociological Analysis <strong>of</strong> Ethnic and Religious Conflicts <strong>in</strong> the Middle Belt <strong>of</strong><br />
Nigeria” <strong>in</strong> Ethnic & Religious Rights, A Quarterly Publication <strong>of</strong> Human Rights Monitor Special Edition, April, 2000;<br />
Okoye, F. (Ed)(2000), Impact <strong>of</strong> Religious and Ethnic Conflicts on Women and children <strong>in</strong> Northern Nigeria, Kaduna,<br />
Human Rights Monitor<br />
34) Williams, P.T (1997), “New Measures to Ensure an Effective Separation <strong>of</strong> <strong>State</strong> and Religion <strong>in</strong> Nigeria” <strong>in</strong> Okafor, F.<br />
U.(1997) (Ed), New Strategies for Curb<strong>in</strong>g Ethnic and Religious conflicts <strong>in</strong> Nigeria, Enugu, fourth Dimension Publishers<br />
35) Udoidem, S. I. (1997), “Religion <strong>in</strong> the Political Life <strong>of</strong> Nigeria: A Survey <strong>of</strong> Religious Related Crisis s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>in</strong>dependence”<br />
<strong>in</strong> Okafor, F. U.(1997) (Ed), New Strategies for Curb<strong>in</strong>g Ethnic and Religious conflicts <strong>in</strong> Nigeria, Enugu, fourth<br />
Dimension Publishers, p. 179<br />
36) Okafor, F. U.(1997) (Ed), New Strategies for Curb<strong>in</strong>g Ethnic and Religious conflicts <strong>in</strong> Nigeria, Enugu, fourth<br />
Dimension Publishers<br />
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