By Emeka Alex Duru
His story may end up representing the allegory of the Tortoise, which, through tact and uncommon wisdom, maneuvered the deep river that had drowned elephants.
While he took up the campaign for restructuring, shortly after coming to office in 2012, critics had interpreted the exercise as a ploy by Bayelsa State governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, to whip populist sentiments from largely marginalised Ijaw and South – South kinsmen.
Some had even interpreted the move as an attempt to divert the attention of the people from the agenda of the administration, which his opponents had alleged, was to loot the state’s treasury.
But the governor was not deterred. Rather, with what he described as a silent revolution in Bayelsa that has eventually turned the state into a huge construction site, aside pushing up its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from the N50 to N60 Million range he met it at inception, it easily became apparent to even his initial critics that his journey to governance was with a purpose.
With the giant strides at home, therefore, the governor, who describes himself as a politician with conviction, made an emphatic statement that his clamour for restructuring the country, was not a fluke or a mere attention-seeking exercise.
Even with the Senate vote against devolution of power which ought to have transferred more powers from the Federal Government to States, last year, dampening the morale of some people that had been on the same page with the governor over restructuring, he has soldiered on.
In the last two months, for instance, he has made bold steps that have seen him reaching out to strategic individuals and sections in the country to market the gains of a restructured entity.
In an outing at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, last week, where he delivered a lecture titled: “Restructuring and the Search for Productive Nigeria”, Dickson had argued that true federalism anchored on restructuring, would make governance more convenient for a complete national identity and a sense of belonging by the citizenry through which they could access the dividends of democracy.
He asserted that the current constitution of the country has made the change being clamoured for by the citizens as well as the desired development, unattainable.
The governor, had before his Ile-Ife engagement, had consultations with Governors and leaders of Northern extraction, in a bid to get their buy-in on the agenda.
In a meeting with his Kaduna State counterpart, Nasir el-Rufai, Dickson had explained that restructuring will guarantee a free, fair, stable and egalitarian Nigeria which every ethnic nationality would be proud to call his country.
Restructuring, he stressed, is not an end in itself but a means to an end, adding, that a restructured Nigeria will calm frayed nerves and address the national question.
In making the explanation, he tries to put the issue in proper perspectives, especially for regional leaders who are mistaking the call for restructuring of the country for a call for division.
His argument, rather, is that those calling for restructuring are actually those that want the country united, balanced, more stable and equitable.
“May be because of the over use or repeated use of this word, associated with some of the developments in some parts of the country, I think there is some apprehension as to what this word restructuring really and truly means.
“Another word for restructuring is re-organization. Let us reorganize and readjust our structure within the context of one united Nigeria”, Dickson remarked at a forum.
The governor in making the insightful analysis, could be said to be reasoning alongside other notable Nigerians who had seen in the exercise, a clincher that would free up the potentials of the component parts of the nation.
Former Military President, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), had for instance, argued along this line, when he lent his voice to the restructuring campaign, last year.
Babangida had in the intervention, argued that the Nigerian federation, as currently structured, is in need of reforms that will emphasise the individual strength and advantages of the component units so that governments can really work to improve the lives of the citizens.
“For example, restructuring has become a national appeal as we speak, whose time has come. I will strongly advocate devolution of powers to the extent that more responsibilities be given to the states while the Federal Government is vested with the responsibility to oversee our foreign policy, defence, and economy”, he said.
He stressed that though restructuring and devolution of powers may not provide all the answers to Nigeria’s developmental challenges, the exercise will help to reposition the mindset of Nigerians as they generate new ideas and initiatives that would make the union worthwhile.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, had made similar observation, earlier. Atiku had particularly called for devolution of more powers and resources from the federal government as well as de-emphasizing federal allocations as the source of sustenance of states.
“There is indeed too much concentration of power and resources at the centre. And it is stifling our march to true greatness as a nation and threatening our unity because of all the abuses, inefficiencies, corruption and reactive tensions that it has been generating.
“There is need, therefore, to review the structure of the Nigerian federation, preferably along the basis of the current six geopolitical zones as regions and the states as provinces. The existing states structure may not suffice, as the states are too weak materially and politically to provide what is needed for good governance”, the former Vice President, reportedly said.
Atiku’s suggestion, to some extent, falls in line with the present six geo-political structures that late Vice President, Alex Ekwueme, enunciated in the 1994-1995 Constitution Conference. Ekwueme, had on basis of economic, political, social and consanguine considerations, recommended structuring the country into the South East, South West, South-South, North West, North East and North Central zones.
Not even his critics could fault the fantastic idea, especially on the ease of administration and political convenience it is expected to offer.
Analysts also insist that the suggestion, when and if fully implemented, would guarantee true federalism and fiscal federalism.
This tallies considerably with the advocacy by Dickson. The governor has even gone a step further, to make recommendation to the federal government to set up a committee comprising the leading political parties in the country to formulate the template to streamline issues and views around the notion of restructuring Nigeria.
Incidentally, while driving the call for restructuring, Dickson has not lost sight of his primary obligation of delivering focused governance to the Bayelsa electorate.
A major attribute that residents and citizens concede to him, is his prudent management of the state’s resources.
Through his televised monthly briefings on the revenue and expenditure profile of the state, he is said to have earned the admiration of many on issues of transparency and accountability.
Reports also credit the governor with giving the state’s infrastructure and social service sectors, huge uplift, in keeping with his pledge on inauguration.
Among the exciting areas in this consideration, is the compulsory health insurance scheme in the state, created by law and a fund into which deductions from civil servants and others who subscribe to it are paid. The state government, our reporter learnt, also supports it by putting up to five per cent of the state’s monthly internally generated revenue (IGR).
The education sector which has seen 13 model compulsory boarding schools spread across the state plus the 25 constituency secondary schools and creation of Educational Development Trust Fund, aside other interventions, rank among the enduring engagements of the administration.
These are aside other programmes of the government in areas of roads, housing and human development endeavours.
These are fine examples that Dickson flaunts in driving his restructuring crusade to other parts of the country. Perhaps, he may succeed, where others had failed.
