Presently, the political tempo in Nigeria is very high. Most
people have been inundated with the clamour for restructuring. Nigeria is presently a federal ‘structure’
without the components of a federal arrangement. It is outrightly paradoxical
to state that Nigeria is a federal state. It is a misnomer to assume that
claim. At the best, Nigeria operates a Unitary state garbed with a federal
constitution. A true federal structure has federating units with each unit
having direct relationship with the ruled with some fiscal rights and
privileges. A federating unit is loosely related to the government at the
centre such as obtainable in Canada and the USA. It is not entirely dependent
or subservient to the government at the centre just as it is the case of
Nigeria. In a federal arrangement, there is complete devolution of power where
the central government tackles only some fundamental items on the exclusive
list such as Defence, Currency and international relations. The federating
units are expected to pay grants, royalties and taxes to the central government
for the smooth running of the central government.
In the era of regional government of Nigeria in the early
years of Nigeria’s independence, there was less agitation from the respective
regions, except for the unfortunate civil war experienced in 1967. Besides,
there was positive competitive development in the regions. Some political
elites are desperately resisting this arrangement because of their pathological
selfishness and their political calculations to continue to milk the country of
its real and potential fortunes. Knowing full well that with the practice of
true federalism in Nigeria, the government at the centre will lose its potency
in raping the regions or states of their fortunes. To continue in the
butchering of the underprivileged, the politicians will revive all their tendons
and nerves to resist this laudable proposal of restructuring. More so, some of
the senators are eyeing the presidency where the executive President has almost
the ultimate power to exclusively control the wealth of the nation. In the
present arrangement of the constitution of Nigeria, the Executive President is
super-powerful. The refusal to adopt a true and normal federalism is a ploy to
perpetually ‘butcher’ the suffering and deprived people of the oil-rich
Niger-Delta; the highly industrous South-Easterners; the exposed and vibrant
South-Westerners and the agriculturally-endowed Northerners. These regions, if allowed
to constitutionally fester on their own while still maintaining a federal
arrangement, will plunge this nation into unprecedented growth and development.
But the political vampires will never allow this to be. They will lose their
double salaries, pensions from several fronts, building of two houses – one in
Lagos and the other in Abuja, with several domestic servants even after leaving
office. This is the evil lice that glued obstinately to the political scrotum
of the country.
I support the call for restructuring of this country. If the
constitution is reviewed to give vent to true federalism, Nigeria will grow so
fast to occupy an enviable place among the comity of nations. There will be
healthy competition for development among the federating units. This will be
the greatest achievement of this ruling All Progressives Congress Political
party because they will represent the desire of advocates of true federalism,
the protagonists and advocates of the Change mantra which APC stands for. I
call on all well-meaning Nigerians to stick to this clamour for restructuring,
and also urge the true democrats in the ruling party and other stakeholders
both in Nigeria and in the Diaspora to insist on restructuring the country for
the purpose of even development and pragmatic way of dealing with corruption,
while collectively building a virile, prosperous and a united country.
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