LYTTLETON CONSTITUTION OF 1954

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Features

  1. Nigeria became truly a Federal state with the constitutional division of powers between the central and regional governments
  2. The speaker of the house of assembly was appointed by the governor from members or non-members of the house
  3. The governor became known as governor-general while lieutenant – governors were designated governors
  4. The judiciary was regionalized
  5. The public service was also regionalized, with different federal and regional public service commission
  6. Premiership: A provision was made for the office of the leader of government Business (premier) at the regional level.

MERITS OF LYTTLETON CONSTITUTION

  1. The constitution formally established federalism
  2. It introduced direct elections into the federal and regional legislatures in Nigeria
  3. There were premiers in the three regions that were Nigerians
  4. It established the offices of speaker and deputy speaker, occupied by Nigerians, in the Legislature
  5. The constitution made ministers heads of departments, having full responsibilities for their ministers.

DEMERITS OF LYTTLETON CONSTITUTION

  1. The constitution still vested some autocratic powers on the governor-general and regional governors
  2. The constitution made the British governor-general continue to be the Executive council by failing to provide for the position of a prime minister who should be a Nigerian.
  3. It did not institute a common electoral system for the whole country.
  4. It instituted a revenue formula which worked on derivation instead of need and national interest
  5. The regional structure encouraged regionalism, ethnicity and national disunity.

THE 1958 CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE

This conference which became the last constitutional conference held before the attainment of Nigerian national independence in 1960, also took place in London from September 29 to October 27, 1958.

The conference considered some main one of which was the issue of creation of more regions or states to allay the fears of majority ethnic domination of the minority groups.  The issue of granting independence to Nigeria was also discussed.

EVALUATION

  1. See your workbook
  2. See past WASSCE question papers

    See also

    CLIFFORD CONSTITUTION OF 1922

    NATIONALISM

    ADVANTAGES OF COLONIAL RULE

    THE SYSTEM OF INDIRECT RULE IN WESTERN NIGERIA

    COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION (HISTORICAL BACKGROUND)

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