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The groundswell of agitation for true federalism and restructuring should now warrant more than a passing interest of the Buhari administration.
There are certain voices of exceptional influence that would ordinarily not dabble into political affairs, except when it is no longer safe to be indifferent or quiet. And when they speak up, they deserve to be heard. In the last couple of weeks, more than ever before, eminent Nigerians are speaking up in favour of urgent restructuring of Nigeria to save it from collapse. At two fora in this connection, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, harped on the imperative of restructuring Nigeria. The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) also joined the fray on restructuring.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; sitting governors, former governors and ministers, apex regional socio-political organisations like Afenifere, South and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), and Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) have all rallied voices behind restructuring to avert imminent break-up. These are not frivolous or noisome political comments. It is unfortunate that the presidency had the impudence to blast all these voices of reason, saying it would not be intimidated on the issue of restructuring. This kind of re- sponse is desultory in a democracy.
The 1999 Constitution, as amended, states the primary functions of government. Specifically, the fundamental objectives and directive principles of State policy, section 14(b), states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”
But there is no gainsaying that the current system has failed in this remit. No thanks to the warped federal structure that arrogated all powers to the centre, and reduced constitutionally recognised 36 States and 774 Local Government Areas to beggars. Our unique federal system is like a father that has 36 children and 774 grand-children who were brought up to be irresponsible. So, every month, they all go cap-in-hand to Abuja to receive allocations that are never accounted for. Meanwhile, all the local government areas (LGAs) are resource-rich. Each has at least a mineral resource in its domain to extract, and create wealth for self-sufficiency. But the current system is at odds with self-reliance and self-development for sustainable prosperity. So, today, according to a recent survey, only nine states – Lagos, Anambra, Kwara, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo and Edo – are ‘fairly prosperous’. Fifteen States are ‘fairly miser- able’ and 12 are ‘highly miserable’ – unable to pay salaries, fix critical infrastructure such as roads, education, health and cre- ate jobs. Therefore, it is no longer a mys- tery that our country became the poverty headquarters of the world, displacing India of 1.38 billion population.
Reasons for high rate of poverty, misery, illiteracy and ignorance, violent tension and insecurity are not farfetched. Insecu- rity has made living in Nigeria hellish. Be it in the ravaged North East or South West, North Central or South-South region, it is almost impossible to live without the paroxysm of fear of insurgent attack, banditry, marauding killer herdsmen, kidnappers, cultists and armed robbers. And no day has gone by without a record of gruesome murder somewhere close by. So dire is the situation that even President Buhari, with all of his escorts, cannot travel from Abuja to Daura by road. The centralised security system, like the federal structure, has failed in securing Nigerians. It is therefore self-evident that the indi- genes are better off securing themselves than the policing system that takes orders from Abuja. This is the highpoint of organic federalism as it is practiced in global context. Hence, unbundling the police structure – its control, funding and accountability – is at the forefront of the restructuring clamour. What is more, the same police in the country are in the eye of the storm at the moment. Our restive young ones are clamouring for a compre- hensive reform within the construct of federalism.
Restructuring the failed Nigerian system is especially urgent now given the atmo- sphere of distrust and disharmony will- fully created by the parochial disposition of the Buhari administration. Contrary to the constitutional recognition of our di- versity through the federal character pro- vision, Buhari’s appointments have consistently been skewed, as if non-north- erners and non-Muslims are not a part of Nigeria. We noted this danger zone on Tuesday this week in an editorial titled, “Buhari’s curious sermon on national unity“.
Enough of having to look to the centre for salvation and blaming the president for everything that goes wrong in our communities. Nigeria’s unity is non-negotiable (a fallacy and a lie ab initio), but we have to determine the terms and conditions of our unity. Restructuring and clamour for true federalism is not to balkanise Nigeria but to make it functional and gratifying to all. To do otherwise is to make ‘peace, love and uni- ty’ impossible, and breakup inevitable.
Buhari should not be deceived by naysayers to restructuring nor should he underrate possible disintegration of our corporate existence. Give or take, Buhari stands in a vantage po- sition to make history. Either as the president whose civic virtues and deed of eminence saved and upturned fortunes of Nigeria through restructuring, or one whose sclerotic rigor mortis sat over its ticking time-bomb of endemic poverty, insecurity and sectionalism till the country disintegrated. If the latter, then Buhari and his handlers alone shall be blameworthy!
