Federalism is supposed to be a model of political accommodation and power sharing, as well as a cure for micro-nationalism. But the way it is practised in Nigeria has not ensured a stable political system. Rather, it has fanned the embers of conflagration. This has led to the agitation for the restructuring of the country in a way to ensure equita- ble distribution of resources to the component parts.
While some are crying for the restructuring of the present structure to the practice of true federalism, others are crying for a confederation where the com- ponent states will be autonomous independent.
The North has been known in the past to oppose restructuring but the call for restructuring of Nigeria received further boost with the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) saying citizens have a right to ask for a review of the country’s present structure. The body also said it was wrong of the federal government to put down advocates of restructuring.
Featuring in a National Television programme, NEF spokesman, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed said: “The two basic functions of the state are to secure citi- zens and provide for their welfare. Now, the Nigerian state is failing in both camps. So, restructuring for us means addressing those failures and iden- tifying ideas, suggestions, and changes that can actually fit into the process of improving them.
“Policing is a fundamental issue. Here in the North where I come from, you could spend three days with bandits ravaging communities and you will not see a single policeman. Something is wrong with the way the country is structured to provide security for citizens. So, we need to revisit some of these issues.”
Lending his voice to those in support of restructuring, Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and chairman of Nige- ria Governors Forum (NGF),said time has come for Nigerians to confront the reality of restructuring the country.
“I think we are getting to a point where we must confront our reality as a federation. We cannot continue to run the economy the way we are doing.
“We have to figure out a structure that is more re- sponsive to the yearnings of the population and this current structure obviously privileges those who are more associated with a unitary federal struc- ture rather than a genuine federal structure that is accountable more to the people and responsive to the challenges that the people have,” he said.
He alluded to the fact that there is “entrenched interest to keep Nigeria the way she is but there are also en- trenched interests of those determined that this coun- try must change and must change for the better.”
He expressed hope that Nigerians would be able to push the argument further to a point where the resources and the powers that reside in Abuja can be devolved effectively includ- ing the revenue to support the responsibilities.
The trending topic of the moment is Pastor Enoch Adeboye’s comment on the issue. The General Overseer, of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, last week warned the Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Muhammadu Buhari, to give Nigeria a lasting solution to secession agitations and its economic challenges by restructuring the country as soon as possible to forestall possible break up.
Adeboye stated this while speaking at the 60th Independence Day Celebration Symposium organised by his church and the Nehemiah Lead- ership Institute on Saturday October 3.
According to the respected cleric, the President Muhammadu Buhari admin- istration must carry out the restructuring of the country “as soon as possible” to avoid a breakup of the various social-ethnic components. He sug- gested the adoption of a merger of the British style of government and the American system of government.
“Why can’t we have a system of government that will create what I will call the United States of Nigeria? Let me explain. We all know that we must restructure. It is either we restructure or we break, you don’t have to be a prophet to know that one. That is certain – restructure or we break up.
“Now, we don’t want to break up, God forbid. In restructuring, why don’t we have a Nigerian kind of democracy? At the federal level, why don’t we have a President and a Prime Minister?
“If we have a President and a Prime Minister and we share responsibilities between these two so that one is not an appendage to the other. For example, if the President controls the Army and the Prime Minister controls the Police. If the President controls resources likes oil and mining and the Prime Minister controls finance and inland revenue, taxes, customs etc. You just divide responsibilities between the two.
“At the state level, you have the governor and the premier, and the same way, you distribute responsibilities to these people in such a manner that one cannot really go without the other. Maybe we might begin to tackle the problems.
“If we are going to adopt the model, then we need to urgently restore the House of Chiefs. I have a feeling that one of our major problems is that we have pushed the traditional rulers to the background and I believe that is a grave error.
“Without any doubt, we must restructure and do it as soon as possible. A United States of Nigeria is likely to survive than our present structure,” Adeboye said.
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state as if not to be left out, advised the Federal Government not to dismiss calls for the restructuring of the country. The Governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, CPS, Terver Akase cautioned against dismissing and labelling patriotic views expressed by the people as ‘unpatriotic outbursts.’
His advice came on the heels of the Presidency’s recent reaction to the statement made by Pastor Enoch Adeboye. “It is therefore incumbent on the Federal Government to listen to the views of the people and evolve acceptable ways of addressing the problems confronting the country instead of engaging in a combative style, anyone who dares to suggest alternative approach- es to tackling the challenges,” the governor said.
Those calling for the practice of true fiscal federalism believe that the system holds the key to resolving the coun- try’s problems. The term Fiscal Federalism was first used by Richard Musgrave, an eminent economist, considered as a pioneer of public finance. It is a concept of public finance which talks about how the central government allocates and appropriates its funds to state and other local governments, subject to its terms and conditions.
Fiscal Federalism refers to the way financial decisions pertaining to an economy are taken by a decentralized form of government. It explains how resources are allocated between both of them. In a decentralized form of government, the rights and responsibilities of the government are divided into different levels of government. Instead of concentrating all the power in one gov- ernment, distribution helps in the smooth allocation of resources up to the grass-root level. Most Nigerians believe that the federal government has negated the spirit of fairness and equity in the practice of this doctrine.
According to Comrade Emmanuel Ogbeche, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, FCT Council speaking on the need to restructure the country; “I think the leadership must demonstrate its fidelity to the yearnings of Nigerians. It is about political will, Nigeria as it, has a curvy superficial structure that has stifled its growth for sixty years now. It is apparent that the calls for restructuring is getting louder, it is not new, it has been off and on and the persistence in which we have seen it over the past five years that the country needs to tow the part of fiscal federalism and even regional restructuring is very critical and crucial to the growth, development and the survival of this country.
“So it is not about any region seceding from the country, it is about having a country that works for all, that is built not just on equality but on equity so that a minutest minority can be guaranteed a place at the sharing table, at leadership positions.
On the way forward, Ogbeche is of the opinion that the government of the day should take a look at the Report of the Jonathan government’s Constitutional Conference of 2014. “So I want to be persuaded that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari would take a good look at the 2014 CONFAB Report and see where it is plausible to start its implementation.”
His views are in tandem with those espoused by seasoned journalist, Moji Danisa who is of the opinion that Nigeria should borrow a leaf from the United states of America that practices same federalism like the country.
“Everything is concentrated at the centre and every- thing goes there which makes corruption very attractive. Though the name is Federal Republic of Nigeria, we have no federation because of over concentration of power at the centre.
“Like the USA, you have states that are stronger than others because each state is allowed to develop at its own pace and contributes to the centre, unlike what obtains here. The system makes the centre to be very strong, so restructuring Nigeria is apt now.”
“There is no reason why states will be running to the centre to get allocations. It has made some state governments to be pliant and always wait for ‘Father Christmas’ at the centre. I do not also subscribe to state funding so much on the police, as at the last count 240 billion Naira was spent by the states on the police, this is enough for us to have state police. My worry is that the presidency should not see the agitations for restructuring as an attack on the person of President Buhari but take this as a worrying side across the country that Nigeria is falling apart and the urgency for restructuring is now.”
Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev Matthew Kukah, on his part painted a very worrisome picture of what to ex- pect if the country continues on the pact it is moving presently. “Nigeria is gradually drifting towards total implosion, the country’s internal crisis has become a Molotov cocktail that urgently needs to be stopped from setting the nation on fire.”
Bishop Kukah, who said this in a recent interview with journalists, disclosed that he had never seen Nigerians so frustrated as in the last few years. He blamed those saddled with managing the affairs of the nation for the current threats to Nigeria’s unity, stressing that the mounting agitation for Nigeria to break into several countries was an expression of the frustration of the youths. According to him, “Before Biafra, there were Odua’ Peoples’ Congress and the Niger Delta Militants, all before Boko Haram and the Islamists.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) which rode to power on the popular man- tra that it will restructure the country if voted into power but later jettisoned the idea has lent its voice in support of those who want the country restructured. It has hailed what it described as revolution- ary steps taken by President Muhammadu Buhari to reposition the country, declaring that the administration has gradually begun implementing the report of the 2014 National Conference as well as restructuring the Federation.
The APC in the September 2020 edition of “The Progressives”, its monthly journal published in collaboration with the Progressive Governors’Forum, PGF, with the title,“Calm Down! Restructuring has begun”, explained how President Buhari is leading a real revo- lution and restructuring Nigeria. It blamed past administrations for splashing billions of taxpayers’ funds to convene several national conferences, but rather than give teeth to recommendations of those conferences, left the reports unattended to.
However, those in favour of restructuring seem to be in the majority as Nigerians are united in love for the country to live together rather than go their separate ways.
Nigerians seem to have reached a consensus on the need to restructure the country as diverse views sought by This- Nigeria reveals that there is uniformity by people on the need to give the country a new lease of life through restructuring to avoid the dangerous slide into chaos.
From the Northern part of the country down to the south, Nigerians have all come out to lend their voices to the restructuring of the nation aso as to engender unity, equity and fair play among the different nationalities that make up the Nigerian state.
