Uneasy calm as calls for restructuring gather momentum

Recent political events in the country – ranging from insecurity and the bungling of efforts to contain it as well as the recent call by Nigerian Southern governors – appears to have raised the tempo of the campaign for political restructuring.

Restructuring is sought within the contexts of devolution of powers, fiscal federalism, creation of additional states, establishment of state police, and local government autonomy.

On the issue of devolution of powers, it has been argued that the present political landscape has concentrated powers at the centre, making the states and local government very weak. As a result of this, many have advocated that the political structure be devolved from the centre to the federating units as against the current system, which tends towards unitary system of government.

Also, resource control has been a burning issue. The proponents of this idea would readily cite the success story of the South West, which judiciously utilised its resources from the export of cocoa to develop its region. Regrettably, with the over dependence on oil, these hitherto buoyant states are now more or less begging states.

There is agitation over the need to create additional states and the logic is that states with large landmass may be unable to cover the needs of their residents.

With the spate of killings in Nigeria and the inability of security outfits to combat it, it has been suggested that the federal structure of the Nigerian police would be unworkable going forward, but the Peace Corps Bill sent to the President for presidential assent was declined.

Many have also argued that states should be made to have their state-level police. The merit in this argument is that it would facilitate intelligence gathering. This could also encourage the state government to provide more support to the police.

However, there are also arguments that while state police might be helpful, if other issues affecting functionality of the police are not addressed, the situation might remain unchanged, in the sense that if the police remain unequipped, their capacities to combat crime remain unimproved and if the wanton corruption in the police force is not squarely addressed, it is unlikely that the restructuring of the police would achieve any meaningful result.

Another argument is that the police could become the tool for manipulations, just as state governors have also hijacked the activities of the State Electoral Commissions across the 36 States of the Federation.

Concerning the local government system, the experience of many of the local government areas in the last three years has continued to justify the need to restructure the local government system. While many of the states in Nigeria only waited till about one year to the end of their respective administration before conducting elections into the various councils, these ‘appointed’ chairmen are still tied to the aprons of their governors who may suspend or remove the chairmen at any given time.

Trying To Periscope Restructuring

Political analysts believe that prior to 2015, the people who were calling for restructuring never gave a clear definition of what they meant by restructuring, neither were they specific about the scope. And up till 2015, most of the calls for restructuring had been from individuals and groups from the southern part of Nigeria, especially the South-South geo-political zone. Others from the North probably think that the agitation is because the South controls the major mineral resources that constitute the bulk of Nigeria’s wealth.

Recently, governors from the southern region of the country called on President Muhammadu Buhari to restructure the country as a way of addressing issues threatening national unity.

While many Nigerians gave their backing and lauded all the resolutions reached by the southern governors, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan faulted the governors for calling for the restructuring of the country, saying it was wrong for elected officials to lead such agitation.

The Senate President also said that the worsening security situation in the country was as a result of lack of functional local government system.

This is as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, argued that the agitation for restructuring may be genuine but elected leaders and state governors should not be the ones to champion the movement for restructuring without first replicating the idea at the state level.

The Speaker further said that the present situation does not warrant name-calling, rather the coming together of all stakeholders to find solutions to it, admitting that everyone was complicit.

According to the Senate President, the security challenges in the country could be attributed to the absence of a functional local government system.

He said while the nation’s leaders seek solutions to the security crisis confronting the nation, the local government system should not be neglected.

He explained further that the lack of autonomy potentially inhibits solutions as well as efforts by the Federal and state governments towards addressing the nation’s security challenge.

He said: “We are all leaders and we are in this together, the solutions must come from us regardless of what levels of leadership we are – whether at the Federal Level, State Level, or even at the Local Government level.

“I also want to take this opportunity to say that we have diminished the local government system. I think we can attribute the security issues to the absence of a Functional Local Government System.

“I think the time has come for us to take up the challenge and ensure that the Local Government system functions. This is as we look for ways to curb the security challenge. We must never neglect the local government system. We must go back to our local government system to ensure they are autonomous and functional.”

On the call by the Southern Governors’ Forum for the restructuring of the country, Lawan said: “I believe that, as leaders, especially those of us who are elected into office, should not be at the forefront of calling for this kind of thing.

“Because, even if you are a governor, you are supposed to be working hard in your state to ensure that this restructuring you are calling for at the federal level, you have done it in your state as well.

“What you may accuse the Federal Government of, whatever it is, you may also be accused of the same thing in your state. So, we are supposed to ensure that we have a complete and total way of ensuring that our systems at the federal, state and even local government levels work for the people.

“We must allow people to participate in governance so that whoever feels he has something to offer to make Nigeria better does so freely without any let or hindrance.”

Urging elected leaders to shun regionalism, Lawan added: “The President is reaching out to all the stakeholders. And I believe that as leaders, particularly those of us who were elected at all levels of government, we should avoid partisanship. We should avoid regionalism. We are all leaders and we are in this together.

“The solutions to our challenges must come from us regardless of what level of government we are. Whether at the federal, state, or the local government level. I believe that Nigeria is going to come out of these challenges stronger.”

Lawan further advised Nigerians to support efforts at ensuring the desired autonomy for local governments in the country.

The Speaker said those championing the call for succession might be misguided and do not mean well for the country.

On the call for restructuring, he said there might be genuine agitations but explicitly states that elected leaders and state governors should particularly not champion the movement for restructuring without first replicating the idea at the state level.

He called for a national spirit of oneness, saying that “If truth be told, we all have equal shares in the blame for what’s happening today. Whatever challenges we have, we must all come together to make sure that we resolve these issues we’re facing. We must imbibe that spirit of oneness, togetherness, unity and love that would take us through this.”

PDP Backs Southern Governors

Meanwhile, governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have joined in the call for immediate restructuring of the country by declaring support for their southern counterparts.

The PDP governors, who met at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday, equally declared support for a ban on open grazing and demanded the establishment of state police.

In a six-point communiqué issued after its meeting, the PDPGF, decried the worsening security situation in the country as well as the poor state of the economy.

Chairman of the PDPGF and Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwual, signed and read the communiqué.

PDP Governors’ Communiqué

The communique read in part, “The meeting called on Mr. President as the Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria and Commander in Chief of Nigerian Armed Forces to immediately send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly to amend the Nigerian Constitution to devolve more powers to the states with respect to security arrangements culminating in some form of state policing and the general security architecture.

“In the interim, Mr. President should summon an immediate meeting of the Nigerian Police Council, which comprises Mr. President and all state governors and other critical stakeholders to evolve and implement strategies to combat the present threats to our union, especially with respect to policing.

“The meeting agreed that the police force still remains the appropriate institution to secure our democracy and should not be subjected to personal attacks. The welfare, training, equipment, funding of all security agencies should be given priority.”

On the vexed issue of open grazing, the governors expressed support for “the earlier position taken by the Nigeria Governors Forum, Northern Governors Forum and recently, the Southern Governors Forum, to adopt ranching as the most viable solution to the herders/farmers clashes in Nigeria.”

According to the governors, restructuring the Nigerian federation in such a way as to devolve more powers and functions to the States as well as a reform of various civil institutions, would go a long way to promote efficiency and equity for all sections of Nigeria.

While appealing to all Nigerians to work together in order to take the nation out of its current predicament, the governors condemned what it described as the lacklustre performance of the APC-led Federal Government.

Tambuwual said, “The meeting called on the incompetent and rudderless APC Government to take bold and deliberate steps to de-escalate and lower tensions in our country, and concentrate on projects and policies that will enhance and promote national unity and cohesion.”

The governors also reiterated their earlier call on the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the Electoral Act that would ensure a free and fair election, including provisions for electronic accreditation and electronic transmission of votes.”

Progressives Governors’ Word

The Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum, Dr Salihu Lukman, while reacting to the PDP governors’ position, said a national consensus had been built on the need to restructure Nigeria, as such, there was nothing spectacular about the communiqué issued by the PDP Governors’ Forum on the subject.

Lukman, in a statement titled, ‘Re: PDP Governors Ibadan Resolutions,’ which he signed in Abuja, on Tuesday, accused the PDP governors of playing to the gallery.

He stated that there was nothing special about the PDP communique other than the fact that “… It reinforces the current national consensus about the need for devolution of powers in the country, otherwise known as restructuring. This is no longer a partisan matter but an issue of national imperative.”

He explained that APC governors had, in line with recommendations contained in the APC Committee on True Federalism, taken a position on the matter and have since communicated same to the National Assembly.

The PGFDG further said, “Therefore, instead of playing politics on a matter that is beyond media campaign, PDP Governors should follow the footsteps of Progressive Governors by engaging the leadership of the National Assembly to speed up processes of Constitutional amendment.

“The major outstanding political issue at this point is the inability of opposition parties in the country, including the PDP, to categorically declare their position, especially in terms of issues of implementation.

“Having mismanaged opportunities to initiate all the recommendations being proposed by the PDP Governors between 1999 and 2015, how can anybody in PDP claim any moral standing to demand for any executive bill?

“If the issue is as simple as getting the President to transmit an executive bill, what stops all the PDP Presidents from initiating it for 16 years?”

Afenifere Signposts Its Position

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, have called on President Buhari to bury the idea of holding elections before restructuring the country.

At a meeting of the group on Friday, May 14, held at his Ogbo residence in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State, the Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said: “there must be a country before elections are held.”

Adebanjo said: “We urge Buhari to bury the idea of holding an election before returning to federalism by restructuring the country.

“There must be a country before elections are held, it would be patriotic of him to heed this advice. If General Buhari is sincere about keeping the country together, he must restructure the country now, this is the only answer to halt the disintegration of the country. To save Nigeria, restructure the country now.

“We should be proud as inheritors of a noble heritage, the party (Afenifere) was founded on the political philosophy of federalism due to the multi-ethnic, multilingual, multicultural and multi-religious nature of our country.

“Failure to adhere to this principle has been the cause of the instability that has plagued our country since Independence. Our consistent advocacy for the restructuring of the country to federalism is based on the founding philosophy of the party.

“It is for this reason that the founding leader of the party is known as the father of federalism in Nigeria. It is the only political system that can keep the country together in peace. It is mischievous for President Buhari’s government to accuse advocates of restructuring as secessionist and separatists.

“It is the system that our founding fathers, The Saudarna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmad Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe agreed to before the British government granted us independence in 1960, after the collapse of Macpherson constitution in 1953.

“The present Constitution, which is the cause of instability in the country, was imposed on us by the military-dominated by Northern Muslims after the coup of 1966. The clamour for the return of the country to federalism is born out of the obnoxious provision in the constitution which has made economic and political progress impossible and this has been the main cause of instability in the country.

“Our resolve for the restructuring of the country back to federalism is unshakeable. We assert we are no secessionist. It is those who oppose restructuring that are enemies of a United Nigeria. That all opponents of restructuring give impetus to secessionists.

“We do not believe in the National Assembly, which is a product of this fraudulent constitution to amend the constitution, it is immoral and illogical for a product of fraud to amend the fraud,” he stated. (Sunday Independent)