Decree ... was the Unitarism Policy of the Major General Aguiyi Ironsi

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Decree No. 34 of 1966 was the Unitarism Policy of Major General Aguiyi Ironsi. After taking over the government in a military coup in 1966, Major General Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi introduced several policies aimed at consolidating his grip on power and addressing the country's political and administrative challenges. One of the most significant of these policies was the Unitarism Policy, which was introduced through Decree No. 34 of 1966. The Unitarism Policy was designed to replace the existing federal system of government with a centralized unitary system. This involved abolishing the regions and replacing them with a system of 12 states, each headed by a military governor appointed by Ironsi. The policy was also intended to reduce the influence of regional and ethnic interests in national affairs and strengthen the central government's control over the country. However, the Unitarism Policy was highly controversial and unpopular, especially in the North, where many felt it would give undue advantage to the South. The policy was one of the factors that led to Ironsi's overthrow and assassination in a counter-coup in July 1966. Overall, Decree No. 34 of 1966 was a major policy initiative of Major General Aguiyi Ironsi's administration that aimed to centralize power in the hands of the federal government through the establishment of a unitary system of government in Nigeria.