The Devil Behind the Scene: A Critical Review of the Richards Constitution of 1946

This paper “The Devil behind the Scene: A Critical Review of the Richards Constitution of 1946” argues that the Richards Constitution is the bane of contemporary Nigerian problems. In the quest for knowing the problems of Nigeria, some scholars and opinion leaders such as Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and Obafemi Awolowo and others stated that the problem with Nigeria is leadership, while others stated that ethnicity, religious differences, disunity and favouritism are the embodiment of Nigeria’s problems. Hence, no adequate information concerning the root cause of the aforementioned problems is provided. This paper argues that the Richards Constitution of 1946, is the root cause of the problems listed above. The work is descriptive and analytical. Data is collected from both primary and secondary sources. The primary sources consulted are correspondences such as official letters and statements. On the other hand, the secondary sources used are books, articles in journals, chapters in books, newspapers and magazines. The paper adopts Colonial and Divide-and-Rule Theories as analytical tools to reveal the hidden ambition of the British colonial government in the introduction of the said constitution of 1946. From the work, it is discovered that the Richards Constitution of 1946, is a chronic instigator of contemporary Nigerian problems.