Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumThe Richards Constitution of 1946 and Regionalism

Match each structural provision of the Richards Constitution of 1946 on the left with its corresponding administrative or political consequence on the right.

  • Establishment of Regional Houses of AssemblyCreated institutional regionalism without granting genuine legislative autonomy
  • Unofficial majority in the Central Legislative CouncilProvided apparent African numerical dominance without real executive authority
  • Governor's reserve and veto powersMaintained ultimate colonial oversight to override legislative decisions
  • Integration of Native Authorities into regional representationFavored traditional rulers in governance, alienating educated nationalists

Answer

Establishment of Regional Houses of Assembly matches with creating institutional regionalism without granting genuine legislative autonomy; Unofficial majority in the Central Legislative Council matches with providing apparent African numerical dominance without real executive authority; Governor's reserve and veto powers matches with maintaining ultimate colonial oversight to override legislative decisions; Integration of Native Authorities into regional representation matches with favoring traditional rulers in governance, alienating educated nationalists.
The correct pairings accurately connect each structural element of the 1946 Richards Constitution to its historical effect: regional assemblies fostered regionalism while remaining advisory, the unofficial majority gave numerical presence without executive authority, the Governor's reserve powers safeguarded colonial veto authority, and reliance on Native Authorities favored traditional rulers over educated nationalists.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the impact of establishing Regional Houses of Assembly under the 1946 constitution.
Recognize that while regional assemblies were created for the North, West, and East, their powers were purely consultative and advisory.
This links the creation of regional assemblies directly to advisory regionalism within a unitary framework.
2
Examine the constitutional significance of the unofficial majority in the Central Legislative Council.
Identify that numerical dominance of non-official members did not transfer actual executive power to Nigerians.
This demonstrates how constitutional representation was kept distinct from executive control.
3
Evaluate the function of the Governor's reserve and veto powers.
Determine that these powers enabled the colonial chief executive to override legislation passed by the council.
This preserved ultimate authority with the British colonial administration.
4
Assess the political effect of linking regional representation to Native Authorities.
Observe that selecting council members via Native Authorities empowered traditional chiefs over educated political leaders.
This created significant nationalist friction between educated elites and traditional rulers.

Key Concept

Structural features, regionalism, and limitations of the Richards Constitution of 1946
Rate this question

Topics

The Richards Constitution of 1946 and Regionalism

More questions from this topic