Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term - Senior Secondary 2

Term: 3^rd Term

Week: 3

Class: Senior Secondary School 2

Age: 16 years

Duration: 40 minutes of 2 periods each

Date:       

Subject:      Government

Topic:-       McPherson’s constitution of 1951

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to

1. State the features of the constitution
2. State the merits and demerits of the constitution

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES: Identification, explanation, questions and answers, demonstration, videos from source

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: Videos, loud speaker, textbook, pictures

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES

PERIOD 1-2

NOTE

MCPHERSON’S CONSTITUTION OF 1951

Considering the disadvantages of the Richards Constitution, it was not surprising that it lasted less than 3 years, before the new governor, Macpherson owing to the demands of nationalists began plans for a more acceptable constitution for the country.

Macpherson became governor in 1948, in March 1949; he created a select committee of the legislative council to examine problems that may likely face the introduction of a new constitution.

The committee agreed that there should be a wide range of consultation with the people right from the village level, town, district, to provincial level before drafting the constitution.

Regional conferences met in Enugu, Ibadan and Kaduna and made recommendations to the constitution drafting committee.

THE IBADAN ALL-NIGERIAN CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE OF 1950

On the 9th of January, 1950, delegates from the northern, eastern and western regions of Nigeria met as a body in Ibadan to discuss issues on the new constitution Sir Macpherson was drafting (Macpherson constitution of 1951).

The conference was held as a part of Sir Macpherson’s effort to have a homemade and acceptable constitution unlike the earlier ones (Clifford constitution of 1922 and Richards constitution of 1946) which Nigerians claimed were imposed on them.

Sir Gerald Howe, the then Attorney-General, was the chairman of the conference.

Several issues were discussed at the Ibadan 1950 conference concerning the political administration of Nigeria, the system of government to be adopted and revenue allocation as well. Other important issues were also discussed at the conference. The political leaders of the three regions (northern, eastern and western) wanted the country to adopt a federal system of government which will grant autonomy to the three regions and then allow each of them to develop at its own pace.

Here is the outcome of the Ibadan constitutional conference of 1950:-

1. A federal system of government should be adopted in the 3 regions
2. The three regions should become administrative regions with a governor and a House of Assembly
3. Lagos should become an autonomous municipality
4. There should be the existence of the Federal Government Territory that will monitor the affairs of the three regions
5. Revenue from tax should be allocated to the 3 regions based on per capita
6. Nigerians should start participating in their own governance.

It was after the Ibadan 1950 constitutional conference came to an end that the Action Group (AG) and Northern People’s Congress (NPC) were formed.

However, the Macpherson constitution of 1951 was more unitary than federal. Powers was devolved to the regions but was still subordinate and closely tied to the central government.

FEATURES

1. It provided for an executive council and legislative assembly in each region
2. It made provision for all three regions to have representative in the central government
3. It set up a public service commission to advice government on the appointment of public officers and many other issues relating to the public service in general
4. It stopped direct election into the central legislature but has to go through regional assembly.
5. Unicameral central legislature , National Assembly (House of Representatives)
6. Provision of Lieutenant Governor to assist the Governor General
7. Lagos remained part of the western region
8. House of chiefs was provided for the west
9. Council of ministers; the executive had a governor as president, 12 ministers and 6 un-official members, 4 from the 3 regions.

MERIT

1. It extended the bi-cameral legislature to the western region
2. Nigerians for the first time appointed minister at both national and regional levels
3. It expanded the scope of politics by creating officers by the operation
4. It increased the responsibility of regional legislature
5. For the first time, Nigerians were consulted before a constitution was drafted
6. The constitution was debated throughout the country before signed into law
7. The office of the speaker was created to preside over the legislature
8. Both national and regional legislative were given more powers
9. The motion for self government was moved in 1953 London constitutional conference
10. Formation of political parties, NCNC, NPC and AG
11. It increase responsibility of the regional legislature and expanded the scope of politics

DEMERITS

1. Full functional policies were not appointed to the ministers( no portfolio)
2. The constitution did not fully satisfy the quest for federalism which brought about it
3. Elections into National and regional legislature remained indirect
4. It promoted regional sentiments by politicians
5. There was no responsible government at the centre e.g minister
6. There was crisis in the Eastern House of Assembly for excluding Zik
7. The motion for self government in 1953 by Anthony Enahoro by 1956 caused bad blood between the north and the southern politicians
8. Kano Riot of 1953 also demonstrated the weakness of the Macpherson constitution
9. There were regional based political parties, none of them represented a nationwide support
10. Dual membership in the legislature. Lieutenant governors were members of both
11. Ethnic nationalism and regional divisions.

EVALUATION:    1. State the features of the Mcpherson’s constitution of 1951

2. State three merits and demerits of Mcpherson’s constitution of 1951

CLASSWORK: As in evaluation

CONCLUSION: The teacher commends the students positively