One of the greatest souls that ever bestrode the earth, a champion and founding father of the Jewish State of Israel, a former freedom fighter, a former soldier, an internationally-acclaimed statesman, a Nobel Laureate, a former Minister, a former Member of the Israeli Parliament for 50 years, a three-time Prime Minister of Israel, a President of the Jewish state, a diplomat, a peacemaker, an institution in the politics of Israel and the Middle East and the most experienced leader and politician that the State of Israel was ever blessed with, President Shimon Peres, has passed on at the ripe old age of 93.

Nigeria is 56 years old today. Consequently it is time to speak some home-truths and look at where we are in the scheme of things.

States and settlements existed in Nigeria long before the illegal slavery and invasion of the West into the West Africa.

May 29 1966: Massive rioting started in the major towns of Northern Nigeria against the Igbo minority in the North and nearly 30,000 people were killed.

At independence, Nigeria operated a parliamentary system. There was the senate and House of Representatives at the federal level. At the regional level, there was the house of assembly and the house of chiefs. The tragedy of that constitution was that the Queen of England was the head of state and there was a governor-general who represented the Queen and a prime minister as head of government.