Nigerian south seeks autonomy

People in the Niger Delta feel hard done by

The governors of Nigeria's 17 southern states have called for a more equitable distribution of the nation's resources and the right to set up their own police forces.

The joint statement followed a one-day meeting of the governors in the south-eastern city of Enugu. It was their second joint meeting - the first was held in Lagos last October.

The governors demanded that "an equitable revenue allocation formula be put in place by the federal government".

They also sought a constitutional amendment to empower "states to establish state police".

Click here for map of southern states.

The Enugu meeting is seen as indicative of deep dissatisfaction in the south with the current distribution of power. A third meeting is due to be held in Benin City in March.

Sharia law

The governors also voiced concern about the spread of Sharia, or Islamic law, in northern Nigeria and its implications for Christian southerners living in the north. They appealed to the northern states involved to "ensure it is applicable to Muslims only".

Many Christians from the north have fled violence over Sharia

Broadly speaking all the southern governors want more regional autonomy and greater control over their own resources.

This demand is most keenly felt in the oil-producing Niger Delta where people have long believed that Nigeria's federal government keeps too much for itself.

The southern governors say they are committed to Nigerian unity but that they want a looser federation of states than exists today.

Nigeria's President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has consistently argued against devolving power, saying it will make it more difficult to hold the country together.

Running sore

Ever since independence in 1960 the federal make-up of the country has been a source of political problems.

President Obasanjo is resisting pressure to devolve power

In 1954 a constitution was drawn up which created three regions northern, western and eastern. The regions corresponded to the major ethnic groups in Nigeria: the Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo.

As the different ethnic groups vied for political power tensions grew. One source of conflict was the balance of power between central government and the regions. In 1967 a plan was proposed to divide the country into 12 states in order to reduce the regional rivalries.

The largely Igbo Eastern Region saw this as an attempt to water down their influence. The region seceded from Nigeria, declaring itself an independent country - Biafra. This move led to a bloody war, and ended in Biafran defeat in 1970.

In the aftermath of the Biafran war, the priority was to restore peace to Nigeria. One part of the plan was to reduce the power of the various regions by splitting them up. In 1976 there were 19 Nigerian states.

The number of states has increased since then - now there are 36. Ethnic rivalry and tensions, however, continue.

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