ABSTRACT
It was generally believed that the institutional arrangements inherited from the colonial state would be reconstructed through proper constitution making to provide new dispensations based on the values and aspirations of the indigenous peoples. A new post-independence dispensation was expected to enfranchise Africans and provide them with opportunities to participate more fully and effectively in governance; guarantee economic freedoms and promote the development of indigenous entrepreneurship; and generally provide an enabling environment for the creation of the wealth that Africans needed to deal more effectively with massive poverty and deprivation. A state now controlled by indigenous elites was expected to (1) enhance the national wealth by engaging in those activities that the people could not organize efficiently as private citizens; (2) promote equitable allocation of resources; and (3) generally improve the
quality of life of the people, especially those who had suffered the most from colonial exploitation.
