Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term - Senior Secondary 2

Term: 3^rd Term

Week: 4

Class: Senior Secondary School 2

Age: 16 years

Duration: 40 minutes of 2 periods each

Date:       

Subject:      Government

Topic:-       Oliver Lyttleton’s constitution of 1954

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

OLIVER LYTTLETON’S CONSTITUTION OF 1954

This constitution is remembered as one of the constitution that was not named after a Governor General of Nigeria. Oliver Lyttleton was the Secretary of state for the colonies; he encouraged the drafting of a new constitution. The role he played earned him the reward of naming the constitution after his name.

Lyttleton spearheaded the drafting of a new constitution for Nigeria in 1953, Constitutional conferences were held in London in 1953, and Lagos conference of 1954 to harmonize the views of Nigerian political elites, and colonial administrators and the proposal of fiscal commission headed by Sir Louis Chick.

THE LONDON CONFERENCE OF 1953

The London conference of 1953 was the idea of Oliver Lyttleton who in an address to the British house of common in 1953 suggested a new constitution to tackle among many issues, the relationship between the regional and central government, independence of the country and deficiencies inherent in the Macpherson constitution. 19 delegates comprising of 6 from each existing 3 regions and one from the Cameroons attended the conference.

RECOMMENDATION OF 1953 CONFERENCE

The conference between July and August 1953 came up with the following decision

1. Nigeria became a federation
2. The public service to be regionalized
3. Internal self government to be given to the regions that want it
4. Lagos to cease being part of western territory and become federal capital territory
5. Governor of Nigeria to become governor general while lieutenant governors become Governor General
6. Legislative powers should be shared between federal, regional and federating units
7. That a conference should be held in Lagos in 1954 and ratify a separate regional administration in the Cameroons if the people of the territory support the proposal through a referendum
8. That her majesty’s government would grant self government to those regions who so desire it in 1956

LAGOS CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE OF 1954

The conference was held to resolve outstanding issues from 1953 London constitutional conference and it came up with following recommendation

1. Resources to be allocated to the regions based on derivation
2. Partial autonomy to be granted to the southern Cameroon
3. Civil service and judiciary to be regionalized
4. Southern Cameroon to remain part of the federation but with a legislature of its own.

FEATURES OF LYTTLETON CONSTITUTION

1. It gave a lot of authority to the regional legislature
2. It set out a list of exclusive and concurrent responsibilities. The central government had powers to legislate on the exclusive list and both the central and regional government had the power to legislate on the concurrent list. The central government took precedence. All issues not listed on these two lists were regarded as the residual with only the regional government having the power to legislate on them.

The lyttleton constitution was therefore regarded as the first genuine federal constitution in Nigeria. Since 1914,

1. It replaced the office of the Lieutenant Government in the region with that of the Governor. the Governor of Nigeria become the Governor General
2. The federal house of representative was to be constituted through direct election
3. It accorded for the first time executive control of government department to the federal and regional ministers
4. It decentralized both civil service and the judicial system both were put in regional hands
5. Supreme court was established for the country
6. A federal Capital Territory (Lagos ) was created
7. Nigerians elected regional premiers
8. The principle of derivation was adopted as a basis for revenue allocation
9. Office of the speaker and deputy speaker was created

MERITS OF LYTTLETON CONSTITUTION

1. Full federation was established
2. Port folio’s were given to ministers
3. The constitution formed basis for eventual constitutional negotiation.
4. It created the office of speaker and deputy speaker of the house of representative
5. More powers were granted to the regions
6. The two tiers of government were given specific functions
7. Educated Nigerians were given opportunity to participate in the country’s affairs.
8. Nigerians were elected as regional premiers.

DEMERITS OF LYTTLETON CONSTITUTION

1. It exposed the fears of minorities who began to demands their own region
2. It still left the governor general too powerful. They retained control of the executive council and other vital sectors of government. he employed power to veto

3. Lyttleton constitution promoted regional sentiments among Nigerians like the Richard constitution
4. No provision of the office of the prime minister
5. Ministers were appointed instead of elected
6. No uniform electoral system (Adult Male Suffrage in the North),( Universal Suffrage in the East and West).
7. No plans for independence were made
8. No second chamber in the federal an Eastern level.

EVALUATION:    1. State the features of the Oliver Lyttleton’s constitution of 1954

2. State three merits and demerits of Oliver Lyttleton’s constitution of 1954

CLASSWORK: As in evaluation

CONCLUSION: The teacher commends the students positively