By Omoniyi Salaudeen and Onyedika Agbedo
The agitation for the restructuring of the country is on a high momentum at the moment. It has indeed dominated issues of national discourse in recent weeks. The current tide, no doubt, stemmed from the need to tame the spate of hate speeches and separatist agitations currently threatening the survival of Nigeria as a nation. Thus, leaders of thought across the country have been engaged in a serious debate on the possible way to rescue the country from the precipice. On one hand, there are those who see restructuring as an antidote; while on the other hand, some insist that the status quo must be retained at all cost. One of the arguments in support of restructuring is that the present system is no longer in tune with new realities, and as such, there is an urgent need for power devolution to the two other tiers of government. But forces in favour of retaining the status quo maintain that the problem of the country is lack of good governance and has nothing to do with its structure. There are other arguments for and against the proposition. In this report, Sunday Sun presents the condensed views of some relevant stakeholders on the issue:
The Protagonists
Former president Ibrahim Babangida:
“If we have repeatedly done certain things and not getting the desired results, we need to change tactics and approach, and renew our commitment. It is our collective responsibilities to engender a reform that would be realistic and in sync with modern best practices. 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.”
Former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar:
“Since the various amalgamations that created the entity that we now call Nigeria, different segments of Nigeria’s population have, at different times and sometimes at the same time, expressed feelings of marginalisation, of being short-changed, dominated, oppressed, threatened, or even targeted for elimination.
Restructuring of the country would lay a solid foundation for prosperity and self-reliant development across the country by introducing healthy competition among the constituent parts of the federation based on the principle of comparative advantage.”
Former Secretary-General of Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku:
“I think that the Nigeria we have of 36 federating units now is not working. The country continues to under perform because of the 36 states we have now. No less than 27 of them can no longer pay the salaries of their workers. The planning of economic development is less efficient on the basis of these non-viable states. If we had six federating units, you would have a more viable basis for planning economic development and those who fear that it would mean disintegration of the country are wrong, because the country was doing a lot better at the time of its independence. I think we need to persuade those with positions against restructuring because this country is living in denial of the basic facts of its under performance.”
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu:
“I disagree with those who say that Nigeria does not necessarily need restructuring, but good governance that will eliminate corruption. The truth is that it is difficult to tame corruption where the federating units virtually run on free federal allocations that some people see as national cake, not their own sweat. Conversely, the people will be more vigilant and ready to hold their leaders accountable when the federating units begin to live largely on internally generated revenues and their sweat. However, restructuring should be on incremental basis to ease the country into a more prosperous future.”
Former Imo State governor, Ikedi Ohakim:
For the avoidance of doubt, I want to state without any fear of contradictions, that the major cause of our problem in Nigeria is the current political structure. Consequently, I join other well-meaning Nigerians to express the view that we must re-examine now the political structure, which concentrates power and responsibility at the centre. This is not the political structure that our founding fathers negotiated at independence. Over concentration of power at the centre generates friction among the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria; it unleashes extreme competition for power and the advantages it confers; it breeds more suspicion and distrust among the peoples of Nigeria. It accentuates the things that divide us rather than what unite us.”
Chief Edwin Clark:
“Nigeria is very sick today. The Nigeria, which our founding fathers like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Sir Ahmadu Bello bequeathed to us, is no longer what we have. At independence, we had a constitution that said there would be three regions; no one is superior to the other. President Buhari said that we must kill corruption or corruption will kill us; but I say restructure Nigeria or non-restructuring of Nigeria will kill Nigeria.”
President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo:
“Our political system is jaundiced, unfair, exploitative and unsustainable. Since attainment of independence, the civilians have not been able to agree on a political structure. Our present constitution and the previous 1979 constitution were impositions of the military – an unrepresentative and dictatorial corps whose decrees were seriously influenced by the lop-sidedness of their composition. What Nigerians are asking for is restructuring of the country to be a true federation. It cannot continue to be a federation in name, the political lexicography for federation is an independent federal unit. The moment you have independent federal units, being states or regions and they have control over the resources they produce, they will contribute an agreed proportion to the federation. The question of who is president and where he comes from will die down. It is going to be a matter of who is competent.”
Chief Ayo Adebanjo:
“We must restructure the country in a way that everybody is satisfied. What they are now doing is patching of the constitution of the military, which favours a section of the country. Any other thing apart from a restructuring of the country is begging the issue. With the present arrangement, we can’t have peace. If there is no peace, how can we make progress? There can be no political stability without restructuring. You leave the real issue; you are dealing with the symptoms. Anything short of restructuring the country is begging the issue. If the Federal Government is sincere that is what they should do.”
National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin:
“Those who oppose restructuring want to continue to reap where they did not sow. Educate your population, employ and task them to make more money, cultivate the landmass you have to get more money rather than running to Abuja. If we restructure, Nigeria has the potential to be a N60tn economy.”
Former Governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa:
“We are calling for the restructuring of the system. You are aware that there are two types of the calls for restructuring — the desirable and the undesirable. Most people agitating for restructuring are selfish and unpatriotic. The truth is that Nigeria is in dire need of restructuring that would make us stronger as a nation. But the undesirable call is based on ethnic and religious considerations. That is a selfish and inconsequential position on our unity as a nation. If such call is considered based on selfish motive, it would result in division that could ignite another civil war. The desirable restructuring is the one that would bring about the unity and development of our nation. For instance, we need to return to regional arrangement to forestall lingering national disunity.”
Spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, Prof. Ango Abdullahi:
“The issue of restructuring is one of the fundamental issues that shaped Nigerian history from 1914 up to 1960. If restructuring will save Nigeria, I think it is a matter that affects every Nigerian including those in the North and we are ready to engage in it to correct the anomalies in Nigeria starting from 1914.
The Antagonists
Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami:
“In Nigeria today, there are demands for restructuring, for deconstructing the excessive concentration of powers at the centre, for a dispersion of power to the lower levels of government along with special provisions for the empowerment of women and other socially disadvantaged groups for the country to move away from the cooperative federalism of several decades to a more competitive form of economic federalism, for a fiscal federalism that presents the challenges of addressing regional inequalities and of balancing the concerns of equity and efficiency in intergovernmental fiscal relations, among many others. Federalism is imbedded in our constitution as contained in sections 2, 3 and 5. It is not out of place to state that as far as our constitutional democracy is concerned, the idea of restructuring is not a function of advocacy or agitation. It is about constitutional accommodation and or alternative constitutional amendment.
As things stand, restructuring requires amending the constitution to accommodate referendum or, in the alternative, a constitutional amendment to the 1999 constitution, which in this case must be supported by majority of legislators in 24 states of the federation as enshrined in Section 9 of the constitution. Whether that process is going to be an easy sail is a conjecture that should be left for deliberation.
But one thing that is certain is the inevitable implication that abolishing states through restructuring process will certainly translate to the eventual multiplier effect of abolishing the state house of assembly and perhaps downsizing the National Assembly and probably the civil service and other related federal institutions.
This indeed is a tall order that cannot be achieved through advocacy, emotional outburst or provocative rhetoric and demonstrations. The beauty of democracy is in the process and legislative process is in our case the only answer.”
Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomasie:
“I don’t think there is any need for restructuring. All we need is for the leadership to show fairness and sense of responsibility to all. We have been together since 1914 up till now. We got independence. We have been struggling together. We went through the military rule and we are still one; one indivisible entity, as one country. All we need is to find out where we went wrong and find the solution. The main issue is to be fair and equitable to all.”
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje:
“Nigerians need to restructure their mindsets to return the country to the path of progress. The U.S. is more geo-politically fragmented and has more nationalities than Nigeria, yet it is by and large the strongest nation in the world. The U.S. attained its present status because of the ability of its leaders to harness the positive thoughts and actions of its heterogeneous population, and not by restructuring the country along geo-political divides. Nigeria should devote attention to tapping from the potentials of its youths for national integration and development.”
Governor Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna State:
“For many people, when you talk about restructuring, it is political opportunism. Most of what you see in the media, most of the people that talk about restructuring or give long lectures about restructuring are unable to give you any concrete ideas about what it really means. As I said, a lot of the talk on restructuring is political opportunism and irresponsibility in my opinion. People that have presidential aspiration think it is a platform on which they can exploit this.”
Alhaji Junaid Mohammed:
“Do we restructure to expand or restructure to collapse? It has to be based on concrete historical political reality. Viability of state is one factor, and not the only factor. If you are talking of viability, it is only two or three states that are viable.
Do we collapse the 36 states and Abuja? No, it won’t work. We continue to dialogue, but no blackmail. You continue your agitation, but don’t put the gun on the head of the government to do what you say or Nigeria breaks up. Until somebody can tell me what this restructuring is all about, I won’t be convinced about the call. These agitators of restructuring like Clark, Nwodo and others have not actually told us what will be restructured and how it will be done. That was how we were told that without Sovereign National Conference, Nigeria will break up.”
Catholic Bishop of Abeokuta Diocese, Kayode Odetoyinbo:
The only solution to the nation’s problem is attitudinal change by all and sundry irrespective of religious, ethnic and political affiliations. If there is attitudinal change by all Nigerians, the present structure is capable of solving the nation’s challenges. If we restructure, my question is, who will govern those areas we restructured? Is it not the same people governing us now that will put themselves to govern and direct and control the affairs of the restructured nation? So, why not let us face what is needed to be faced now; treat ourselves well, free ourselves from all that is battling against Nigeria, then restructuring will come. Change of mentality, change of mind, change of approach to many things, then when the restructure comes, it will bear good fruit.”
Senator Ali Ndume:
“Whatever it is, my own position on the clamour for restructuring is that since we are in the era of democracy, the people should be allowed to decide and not individuals.
Nobody should claim monopoly of interest of the people from his or her area by sitting down with few others and calling other zones, saying that Nigeria should restructure. No, I don’t support that. I support collective decision by Nigerians. We came together collectively not by force, not by insult, but by negotiation.”
Managing Director, New Nigerian Newspaper, Muhammed Haruna:
“We have restructured this country before but it seems we have a shot memory about it. So, to me, restructuring Nigeria is not the problem. Nigeria’s problem is more of selfish and greedy leadership. This is our problem and not restructuring.
Alhaji Tanko Yakassai:
“I don’t want to attack anybody, but we are told that there would be a change in Nigeria and the government was supported on the agenda of change. But we did not change for the better. Instead, it is for the worse. So, once bitten, twice shy. So, we want to know what they are talking about in the restructuring of Nigeria because Nigerians will be affected by any restructuring. I don’t want to say I am in support or not, but I don’t want anybody to fool me. Let them bring out the blueprint on restructuring; a detailed analysis of how the restructuring will transform Nigeria from the way it is into a better nation.”
Lagos based lawyer and activist, Mr Wale Ogunade:
Nigeria is not as big as America, neither is it as big as Australia. The issue of restructuring is going in a wrong way; what people should be promoting is good governance, and that’s what people like us want, not restructuring. If there is good governance, all these agitations for restructuring will go, because you will know that there is social security net for you.