While marking 23 years of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election last week, many Nigerians reflected on the mood of the nation and voted for restructuring the country along the path of true federalism, SAM NWOKORO and Henry Oduah report
Last week’s 23rd June 12 anniversary public lecture series of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos chapter, with the theme ‘23 Years after June 12 Presidential Poll: Whither Nigerian Politics’, proved to be one of its most deliberative and engaging. Perhaps, the times these days made it so. Virtually everybody in the hall had an opinion on how to get Nigeria working again. Events in the nation in the past one year had made the Nigerian lukewarm about Nigeria and the future, notwithstanding all sermons and tough postures of state managers.
And having verbally run down the 2014 National Conference Report and not having demonstrated any seriousness towards embracing its contents so far, the present government has unwittingly let Nigerians loose to tickle themselves with solutions.
During a lecture held at the Combo Hall inside Lagos Television (LTV) complex, Agidingbi Lagos, a litany of suggestions came pouring out. The line-up of the speakers included: Femi Falana (SAN), guest speaker who delivered the titled lecture; former Editor-in-chief of Newswatch magazine, Ray Ekpu; Managing Director of New Telegraph newspapers, Mrs. Funke Egbemode; Co-coordinator, International Press Institute (IPI), Ogba Lagos, Lanre Arogundade; Chairman, Radio UNILAG, Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye; and a mass communication lecturer, Lagos State University (LASU), Tunde Akani.
They were all agreed that the Nigerian ship is veering off course, with poor governance at all tiers of government worsening the problem.
Most supported the need for restructuring the country politically to yield the practice of true federalism, adding however that the issue of restructuring the polity is not all that is required to move the nation forward.
According to them, there is need to accelerate development and quality life for the country’s 170 million people, especially in the area of governance quality at all levels which, it has been observed, is making the delivery of democracy dividends, the very ideal of June 12 for which Moshood Abiola died, gradually becoming elusive.
Falana, Ekpu, Egbemode and Arogundade lambasted not only the present crop of leaders, especially state governors for not offering the right leadership that should improve the level of social comfort in the country.
Ekpu, in his remarks, thanked the Lagos State Government and the state council of NUJ for keeping the spirit of June 12 alive through annual remembrance. He took the audience through Nigeria’s politics and the attendant poor governance which arose from the undemocratic methods through which successive leaders had emerged.
He said: “The present system we practise brings up all manner of people who aspire to leadership positions irrespective of their capacity to deliver quality governance. Political godfathers appoint choice aspirants and impose on parties to contest elections. In the United States, for instance, as is the case for selecting leaders, the media dig into the past of any aspirant, which does not happen here. Instead, we queue behind anyone that has smuggled himself in as party flag-bearer.”
Ekpu lamented the inability of the present leaders to embrace the 2014 National Conference Report.
“So far since Nigeria has been holding series of conference, there is none I know that contains far-reaching solutions to our various problems as that one. Nigeria has abundant solid minerals which are not available in most parts of the world. All these ‘Avenger Boys’ or whatever they call themselves are doing in the Niger Delta, much as it is harmful to the country, nonetheless represents their clamour that Nigeria, as is being run, is not addressing their grievances. So all these should be cause for soul-searching. In some states, some governors can’t even pay salaries. While the rest of the world are sending their children to the moon, we can’t even send our children to the classroom. It ought not to be so,” he added.
Falana condemned the annulment of June 12 and persecutions which all those who agitated for June 12 re-validation went through, urging the federal government and Nigerians not to see June 12 anniversary as sectional issue to celebrate a regional champion, but as truly an altruistic attempt to force the military out of civilian space, which the present regime is enjoying now.
“June 12 actually was a struggle against the continuation of the military in the nation’s body politics,” he said.
He also took a swipe on the pretentious attitude of successive Nigerian leaders.
Said he: “The man who described our hospitals as mere consulting clinics was in London for mere ear problem. What happened to our hospitals? Throughout Nelson Mandela’s 27 years in prison, he was treated in South African hospitals? Fidel Castro banished malaria in his country in 1967, and when Ebola was ravaging the world, he was the first to dispatch hundreds of Cuban specialist doctors and Ebola never reared its head in Cuba. That is an example of leadership,” he said.
Falana noted that series of amendments had been effected in the constitution over the years to help the constituent states, but bad leadership and corruption had not allowed them to know the right things and do them.
Falana posited that much as practice of true federalism is desirable and should be pursued, what will make Nigerians profit more from restructuring is their ability to force the leaders to keep their promise, stop pilfering public funds and obey the rule of law.
Akinfeleye called for part-time legislation to cut cost of governance, abolition of security votes in the constitution or set a limit for it because most state executives randomly abuse it, among other reforms. He also made case for independent judiciary and sanction of governors who fail to pay workers. For him, Nigeria is going into economic recession and this calls for every necessary measure to curb profligacy inherent in government, even after restructuring.
The danger within
By all indications, this year’s June 12 anniversary gave observers room to air their views on the state of the nation, given the gale of insecurity and agitations across the land.
The scenario is further compounded by the ominous air in the country that should the country’s armed forces be deployed to the restive Niger Delta region to quell agitations for resource control, which has taken uncertain dimensions in recent times, something close to anarchy or another civil war may erupt. This uncertainty raises more concern, given that the unrelenting campaigns and sabotage of Nigeria’s crude oil exports by the Niger Delta militants had seen crude production and export plummeting to a 20-year low, from a relatively stable 2.3 million barrels per day (bpd) in the last five years to a worrisome 1.3 million bpd today. Those that share the sentiment of the activists suggest restructuring as the way out.
Nigerians cry out
While the dialogue in Lagos was taking place, some elder statesmen and notable activists in Enugu re-echoed similar views on the imperatives of restructuring Nigeria as panacea for moving the nation away from sundry socio-economic stagnation it is presently undergoing.
At a forum held at Nike Lake Resort, convoked by Igbo Youth Movement (IYM) headed by Elliot Uko, resource control activist, Mrs. Ann-Kio Briggs, said: “True and fiscal federalism must be truthful and justifiable. I believe in resource control, and as much as I don’t believe Nigeria must break, I fear that if the nation continues on this current path, disintegration would be inevitable.”
Speaking on the issue of true federalism practice, former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme, argued: “The content of the 2014 National Conference Report prescribed ways of solving most of the country’s problems, and, as such, the President should demonstrate commitment to building an enduring legacy by embracing the report as a working document.
“Every disappointment could be a blessing. My incarceration at Kirikiri Prisons in 1984 by the military afforded me an opportunity to reflect deeply on Nigeria’s problems. I came out with the idea of six geo-political zones which I pushed for in a national conference much later and it became a convention and has taken care of minorities in the South and North. What Nigeria negotiated for and agreed with the colonial masters before Independence was a regional government where each had a constitution which was annexed by the Republican Constitution in 1963. The Republican Constitution then provided 50 per cent revenue sharing formula for the regions, 30 per cent to a distributable pool, 20 per cent to the centre. There is need for us to return to the basics of what we inherited from our founding fathers.”
Leader of Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), Ayo Adebanjo, added: “Nigeria must be restructured to correct the humongous damage done to the nation’s constitution by the military and to put a stop to the various acts of uprising today, including those of Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).”
Former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana, argued in similar vein. “Our founding fathers were right by agreeing to a federal structure, which is the best governance structure that can guarantee peace, equity and justice,” said he.
Former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, submitted: “I support the restructuring of the country on the basis of fiscal federalism. But while that is being addressed, there is need to address the high cost of governance in the country because any governor who says he could not pay salaries should give way for others with better ideas.”
His predecessor, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, noted that “the 2014 National Conference Report recommended additional 18 states to make for 48-state structure in order to address the inequalities created by the military.”
Uko, the IYM leader, added: “If Nigeria is restructured, it would take care of the various agitations for break-away by the various separatist groups.”
Ominous tide
Concerned analysts have argued that several factors account for the upsurge in the call for restructuring of the country. Recently, especially since the commencement of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, restiveness in the Niger Delta area has increased due largely to initial missteps of the government.
In similar regard, IPOB and MASSOB have, on account of the government’s policies and actions that are not considered favourable to the South East, revved their agitations for an independent Biafra. Government has, incidentally, not helped matters by continuing to hold IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, captive despite subsisting court orders directing his release.
In the face of this hard stance against Niger Delta activists and IPOB/MASSOB agitators, the government has curiously manifested puzzling inability to tame the menace of Fulani herdsmen who have since late last year assumed some unprecedented notoriety.
In their murderous engagements, farmlands and more than 2,000 lives have been lost to the new set of terrorists. This equally has created tension and unprecedented arms build-up in some communities the herdsmen had disturbed their peace.
This is in addition to the Boko Haram insurgents, who, though have been considerably contained, still prowl the cities, attacking soft targets.
2016 budget in trouble
With more than 60 per cent loss in crude production and export as result of escalated militancy in the oil-bearing states, Nigeria’s 2016 budget would only be running on the planes of luck and providence, rather than on any ascertainable baseline.
According to Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), an arm of state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the government has lost about N60 billion in three months of attacks on oil installation in the Niger Delta. That is apart from about one million barrels, all things factored in, that have been shut in by both international and local oil companies since February.
Long road to peace
Even as Nigerian authorities and the militants set to start peace talks to end the siege to oil assets, conditions, which the major group, Niger Delta Avengers, put forward are herculean.
In a statement released by the Avengers signed by a certain Mr. Abinigbo, its spokesman, the group had maintained that for successful dialogue to hold, “the government should come with absolute sincerity and that repairs on already damaged pipelines be put on hold pending conclusion of talks while international oil companies operating in the area participate as observer/participants”.
Notwithstanding the breakthrough in establishing contact between the militants and the government, the Peace Committee consisting of Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu; National Security Adviser, Babagana Munguno; Bismark Rewane, Florence Ita-Giwa and Ledum Mitee, there is apprehension that the group might just want to test ground. This is especially as their supporters on social media urge the militants not to agree on anything short of total resource control and ascertain when the President would commence the task of restructuring the country to enable them achieve total control of Nigeria’s oil assets.
Restructuring cards
There is no doubt, even among Buhari’s henchmen, that the quest for restructuring has become a clarion call of sorts. Even the President’s advisory body on corruption chairman, Prof. Itse Sagay, has said he’s not averse to restructuring, though he still advises the president on anti-corruption strategies.
“What I can categorically say is that I support the call for restructuring. That particular recommendation for restructuring, I am in total support of it. I have been a true federalist for a very long time. I believe that a lot of problems we are facing today are due to the fact that we have a government that is more unitary than federal. I won’t go as far as saying that President Buhari should implement it. The reports are over 600 and I am yet to read them.”
Since the return to democracy in 1999, there have been various templates on restructuring prepared by sundry groups, the most prominent being that from the group called The Patriots, made up of Nigeria’s seasoned intellectual elders that include Prof. Ben Nwabueze, Ndubuisi Kanu and Adebanjo, among others. The late legal giant, Rotimi Williams; and former diplomat, Matthew Mbu, were also members of The Patriots.
It was their insistence on restructuring that led former President Olusegun Obasanjo to hold the National Political Reforms Conference (NPRC) which unfortunately turned out a mere talkshop and an avenue for promoting his ill-fated Third Term project.
However, the efforts by The Patriots had yielded the recognition of the six zonal structure which has been a sort of template for implementing Nigeria’s ‘federal character’ principles, though it has not solved all the inherent problems in the polity. The problems, many argue, still persist.
For instance, some zones have more states than others and some states have more LGAs than others. Since all these numbers determine the revenue accruals to the three tiers of government, it has become obvious that the six zonal structure has failed to placate some aggrieved sections of the country.
According to Ukoh, Nigeria “does not even need up to six regions. Simply return to the 1954 Constitution of Macpherson. It was a constitution that suited Nigeria’s social and political textures. Otherwise we would not have all these militancy we are having now. The military has done this country incalculable damage, and it is time we reversed it by smoothly restructuring before it is too late.”
Response from Aso Rock
Buhari’s Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, said in a goodwill message: “There are two days I know the [NUJ Lagos] Council does not joke with – June 12 and October 19.
“We know October 19 is the Dele Giwa memorial, and the Council will always do something to commemorate that day, and June 12.”
On the choice of Falana as guest speaker, he said: “We know him, especially those of us serving in government now. You may not agree with him all the time but you may also find it difficult to fault some of his logic.”
Regional constitution Nigerians admire so much
The 1954 constitution can be said to be a text designed to relieve any tension derived from the polarising effect of a quasi-federal political structure by giving regions more powers. It maintained the 50/50 distribution between the North and the South in the federal legislature, but members, unlike the 1951 Constitution, were to be elected directly from various constituencies in Nigeria.
