Posted by Chester Morton / Saturday, 10 December 2016 / No comments
The features of the Richards Constitution
National Legislative Council
One of the features of the Richards constitution is the fact
that it made provision for a Legislative Council. In all, there were 44 members
in the Council. Sixteen of the forty-four were officials and the rest
twenty-eight were unofficial.
Creation of Regions
The Richard constitution of 1946 made provision for the
creation of three regions in Nigeria. In fact, it was the first time
regionalism was introduced in Nigeria. The constitution created one region in
the north called the Northern Region, one in the west called the Western Region
and the third in the east, called the eastern region.
Regional Legislative Council
The constitution also made provision for a Regional Legislative
Council in each of the three regions of the Northern, Western and Eastern
regions. The main function of these Regional Legislative Councils is to pass
laws for the regions.
Double membership
Another unique feature of the constitution is that it allowed
the members of the various Regional Legislative Council to, at the same time be
members of the National Legislative Council.
Bi-cameral Legislature in Northern Region
For the first time, a bi-cameral Legislature was introduced
in Nigeria. This was only in the Northern Region. A provision was made for a
Regional Assembly, which was the first chamber and another provision made for a
Regional House of Chiefs which was the second chamber.
Retention of the elective principle
One of the strong points of the Sir Hugh Clifford
constitution was introduction of the elective principle for the first time in
British Colonial West Africa. The Richard constitution maintained the elective
principle. Thus, some of the members Central Legislative Council were directly
elected.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. Identify and explain six features of the 1946 Richard
constitution of Nigeria.
