The opposition to the tax reform bill by some northern governors has reawakened the desire for restructuring Nigeria’s political system, especially as it concerns generation and distribution of commonwealth and amenities. The grouse of the governors was that the bill contained provisions that value-added tax (VAT) was to be shared on the basis of what was generated from each state.
That agitation has exposed the extent to which the trouble with Nigeria concerns the lack of equity in the system.
Clearly, when people reap from where they did not sow, equity takes flight through the window. This is the marginalization people talk about.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) have remained in power for close to 10 years now, leaving so many broken promises along their path of governance. Most painful of the failed promises is their unfulfilled pledge to restructure the country along the lines of true federalism. Upon this lies the tranquillity we yearn.
Former presidential hopeful Anyim Pius Anyim once lamented the absence of a consensus governance system acceptable to all parties in the union called Nigeria. The former Senate President posited that the greatest challenge of our nationhood was the lack of consensus on the structure of our nation, the governance system, and national ideals and aspirations. How can there be a consensus when a section of the country thinks that to rule is their birth right and what they say prevails?
One reason that many progressive-minded citizens gave their unflinching support to the APC in the 2015 presidential election was their belief that it was pro-restructuring. APC’s manifesto was prominent on its web page before that election, which brought them to power. Under the heading, “The Constitution”, the party promised to “initiate action to amend our constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties and responsibilities to state and local governments in order to entrench true federalism and the federal spirit.” For this reason, progressive-minded were taken in, and they gave their unflinching support to the APC, believing that it shared their values about a truly federal structure as the best way to advance the nation.
Once in power, the APC hierarchy went mute about the proposal, signifying that they read the mood of that moment and cashed in on the desire of the nation to deceive the people. What they did, thereafter, was to instigate opposition to restructuring with an argument that the terms “restructuring” and “true federalism” were nebulous and its advocates were yet to make known what they stood for.
When pressure was high, the party set up a committee headed by Gov. Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State to look into it. Again, it was all part of the network of deceit as the report did not see the light of the day.
As for those who hold the view that true federalism was unclear, they are only wishing to remain in their mischief. They cannot pretend not to know the meaning of devolution of power to federating units. Besides, if they want to know, all it requires is a dialogue with advocates of restructuring.
Smart as they are, their point of view again had been that nothing can pass as “true federalism” since different climes are at liberty to craft the kind of federalism that suits them. Fine. But, does Nigeria’s federalism suit all the federating units? At this juncture, it is pertinent to point out that there is a federalism that fits the appellation “true”. True federalism is one where every federating unit desires so passionately to belong. Indeed, once it is a true one, there can never be any agitation to leave and if there arises any, it is with all pleasure that the agitators are allowed to go, perhaps after a referendum in that region. A forced union is a false union, just as there cannot be a forced friendship. It is an aberration to say a country is engaged in a civil war with a part of it “to keep the country one”. In truth, this happens only when the motive is expansionist.
A true federalism is negotiated. Natural justice demands that in a federal structure, federating units manage their resources and pay an agreed percentage to the centre. A true federalism is a symbiotic relationship of federating units and is devoid of elements of parasitism as we have it in the present Nigeria. Anti-restructuring apostles advance an argument that the federating units have been fragmented into states, many of which are unviable. Again, we must admit that state creation was another mischief of the military and does not have any democratic endorsement. The hindsight of history educates us that it was Yakubu Gowon’s master stroke against Biafra during the Civil War. Nothing, however, indicates that these states cannot fuse once again into viable regions or zones, as the case may be. Former vice president Alex Ekwueme gave the nation a brilliant formula to this problem when, in 1993 at the Abacha constitutional conference, he muted the idea of six zones, each of them consisting of people of close affinity. They are North East of mainly Kanuri descendants, North West consisting of Hausa Fulani, the South West of Yoruba, the South East Igbo, the South South, and the Middle Belt. It is incontestable that these zones are economically viable as well as politically compatible. Indeed, the non-viability of many states in the present structure makes it imperative that they must fuse with others to become viable. Indeed, in perfect federalism, states are never created. They naturally exist as blocs consisting of people of common affinity.
Perhaps the answer to our fruitless search for a panacea to corruption could lie in this much desired restructuring. An overriding psyche that hovers around politicians and those in public service is that Nigeria, as presently structured, is a jungle of sorts where only the fittest survives. And so, everyone is focused on grabbing whatever and running away with it.
The point is that time has come when Nigerians should begin to hold parties accountable about the promises they make before coming into power. Deceitful politicians should not get our votes anymore. Tinubu should redeem the name of the party by taking this restructuring seriously. We must, for the sake of natural justice, reorder this nation.
Dr. Odu can be reached through dirimrich2018@gmail.com or SMS 07016722929.