House of Chiefs should be next

NOW that we are about to establish state police in the Constitution, the next step should be the establishment of House of Chiefs in the Constitution too. It is a wish. I am afraid the wish may be dead on arrival. Considering the present set of politicians that we have, I do not see the possibility. They would not want competition for power and influence with the future House of Chiefs. They would rather give the traditional rulers gifts or collect titles from them or use them for state functions.  Moreover, the traditional rulers themselves seem to be satisfied with what they are indulging in now. Low-profile responsibilities without constitutional schedules. They are not pushing enough to have constitutional roles and they are behaving as if they are helpless.  If not for fear and the urgency of necessity, the state police will not be. Yet, the idea of House of Chiefs is not new in our political history. If we want it, we can reactivate the process.

After the London Constitutional Conference of 1957, the conference noted with approval the intention of the government of the Northern Region to secure wider representation in the Northern House of Chiefs. It agreed that the members of the Northern House of Chiefs should be all first-class chiefs, and 95 chiefs other than first-class chiefs, as at present an adviser on Muslim Law, and those members of the Executive Council of the Northern Region who were members of the Northern House of Assembly. The conference also agreed that the West membership of the House of Chiefs should be increased to 124, that power to recognise and grade chiefs for the purpose of the Constitution should be vested in the Governor-in-Council and that the House of Chiefs should have delaying powers similar to those possessed in the United Kingdom by the House of Lords. The Conference noted that the Government of the Western Region had decided that the Governor-in-Council, after consultation with the President of the Western House of Chiefs, should set up a Council of Chiefs to advise the government on matters relating to the discipline of chiefs and any other matter that might be referred to them by the responsible Minister.

The question of constitutional provision governing the selection of chiefs and designation of certain head chiefs as permanent members of the House of Chiefs was under consideration by the Western Regional government. The Conference took note of the agreement of the Western Regional Government that the principles governing the selection of members of the Western House of Chiefs should in due course be included in the Constitution. The Conference took note that the government and the opposition in the eastern region had reached on a formula for the classification of chiefs which would enable a House of Chiefs to be established. The Conference agreed to recommend that the Southern Cameroons House of Chiefs should for the present continue to be advisory body and its members should continue to be appointed by the Commissioner of the Cameroons acting in his discretion, but that these arrangements should be reviewed between the Secretary of State and the Southern Cameroons Government towards the end of 1959.

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Those who attended the conference among others, were Sir James Robertson, Governor General, Sir John Rankie, Governor, Western Region, Sir Robert Stapledon, Eastern Region, Sir Gawain Bell, Governor Northern Region, Mr. J.O. Field, Commissioner of the Cameroons, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Premier, Western Region, Chief S.L. Akintola, Mr. L.J. Dosunmu, Mr. E.O. Eyo, Mr. S.O. Ighodaro, Mr. S.G. Ikoku, Chief A.O. Lawson and Chief F.R.A. Williams(Action Group), Dr. E.M.L. Endley, Premier Southern Cameroons, Mr. P. A. Aiyuk and Mr Mr. J.T. Ndze (Kamerun National Congress), Mr.J.N. Foncha (Kamerun Democratic Party and Mr. P.M. Kale (Kamerun People’s Party). Others were Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Premier, Eastern Region, Mr. A.M.F. Agbaje, Mr. M.O. Ajebo, Mr. T.O.S. Benson, Dr. S.E. Imoke, Mr R.A. Njoku, Chief F.S. Oktie-Eboh, Dr. M.I. Okpara, Mr. D.C. Osadebay and Mr B. Olowofoyeku (National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons), Malam Amin Kano, Malam Abdul Mumuni (Northern Elements’ Progressive Union), Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto, Premier of the Northern Region, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Prime Minster of the Federation, Alhaji Aliyu, Makama of Bida, Alhaji Isa Kaita, Madawaki of Katsina, Alhaji Muhhammadu Ribadu and Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Wada(Northern People’s Congress).

The rest were Mr. H.J.R. Biriye(Rivers), Mr. J.S. Tarka (United Middle Belt Congress), Dr. E.U. Udoma (United National Independence Party), Sir Muhammadu Sanusi, Emir of Kano, Alhaji Usman Nagogo and Emir of Katsina (Chiefs Norther Region), Sir Adesoji Aderemi, Oni of Ife, Oba Aladesanmi, Ewi of Ado-Ekiti (Western Region) and Chief S.E. Onukogu(Eastern Region). As a result of the London agreement, certain portions of the Constitution relating to the establishment of House of Chiefs were included in the 1963 Constitution. Section 41 of the 1963 Constitution states that “There shall be a Parliament of the Federation, which shall consist of the President, a Senate and a House of Representatives. 42.—(1) Without Prejudice to the provisions of section 46 of this Constitution, the Senate shall consist of; Twelve Senators, representing each Region, who shall be selected at a joint sitting of the legislative houses of that Region from among persons nominated by the Governor;  four Senators representing the Federal territory; four Senators selected by the President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minster. 

The senators representing the Federal territory shall be the Oba of Lagos, who shall be an ex-officio member of the Senate; a Chief selected in such manner as may be prescribed by the Parliament by the White-Cap Chiefs and War Chiefs of Lagos from among their own number; and (c) two other persons selected for that purpose in such manner as may be prescribed by Parliament. A joint sitting of the legislative houses of a Region may regulate its own procedure for the purposes of this section. 43. Without prejudice to the provisions of sections 47 and 88 of this Constitution, the House of Representatives shall consist of three hundred and twelve members. 44. Subject to the provision of section 45 of this Constitution, a person shall be qualified for selection as a Senator if he is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age of forty years; a person shall be qualified for election as a member of the House of Representatives if he is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age of twenty-one years and in the case of a person who stands for election in the Northern Nigeria, is a male person.

•Teniola a former director at the presidency, lives in  Lagos.