Friday Sermon: Restructuring: Who Will Bell the Cat?

By Babatunde Jose

 “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” — George Orwell

Restructuring has become a ‘hurrah word’, mouthed by the elite when they want to capture the attention of the masses, in a bid to demonstrate that they are fighting their cause.

However, when the proceeds of state crime are shared on equitable basis among them, the decibel of the clamor for restructuring becomes inaudible. Our people would say ‘dogba dogba la’an’pin eru ole’; ‘the proceeds of robbery are shared equally’; it is when they are not that we hear the noise and accusations of marginalization, and the call for restructuring becomes strident.

This, however, does not diminish the need for total overhaul and restructuring of the system: A relic of military adventurism. The military created a unitary political structure that is a radical departure from the federal system inherited at independence.

The Unification Decree of 1966 marked a watershed in the constitutional development of Nigeria. It is unpalatable and contains all the ingredients for the arrest of federalism. Before it, the keynote of national development was the realization of regional self-development and the fulfillment of a common nationality. But with forced unification, this tendency towards political and economic development was on the whole arrested.

What we have today is akin to a provincial administrative system with the states as provinces administered by governors who are at the beck and call of the president.

During the NADECO years, it was the clamor for ‘true federalism’. In the Obasanjo years, it was ‘resource control’, which was backed up by unprecedented restiveness in the Niger Delta, and the emergence of the dress culture by that name and the ubiquitous  Panama hat. Then came the outcry for restructuring or change that preceded the coming of the APC government.

Unfortunately, all these demands and tendencies were never fully met, especially the clamor for restructuring which was jettisoned by its most vociferous advocates when they came into power. No doubt a bunch of Munafiqun or bloody hypocrites. They are double-faced and double-tongued. They are mentioned 37 times in the Quran in 29 verses and the hottest place in Hell is reserved for them.

Restructuring has come to mean different things to different proponents. The common thread that runs through all of them is the dissatisfaction with the current political arrangements which has turned the concept of federalism on its head.

There are roughly 25 federal countries in the world today, which together represent 40 per cent of the world’s population. They include some of the largest and most complex democracies – India, the US, Brazil, Germany and Mexico. Their system of government, while it can be complex, has made many federations amongst the most prosperous countries in the world with high standards of government services: With the exception of Nigeria.

Federalism is a mixed or compound mode of government that combines a general government (“federal” government) with regional governments or other subunit governments in a single political system, dividing the powers between the two. Federalism in the modern era was first adopted in the unions of states during the Old Swiss Confederacy.

Federal institutions are more likely to be adopted in societies with culturally or ethnically fragmented populations. Proponents for federal systems have historically argued that the power-sharing inherent in federal systems reduces both domestic security threats and foreign threats. Federalism allows states to be large and diverse, mitigating the risk of a tyrannical government through centralization of powers.

Immanuel Kant noted that “the problem of setting up a state can be solved even by a nation of devils” so long as they possess an appropriate constitution which pits opposing factions against each other with a system of checks and balances.

In the past, political observers have demanded that restructuring should precede any election. But the presidential combatants would have nothing of that.

Since 1914, we have had an unceasing clamor for restructuring in one form or the other. Several commissions were set up to investigate the demands of ‘minority’ communities, notable among them was the Willinks Commission of 1957 but they all failed to assuage the hurt and pains of these communities.

Between 1939 and 1960, the minority groups in Nigeria, made up mainly of ethnic groups in the South and the Middle Belt region of the North organized themselves into pressure groups to better their lot within a political structure that turned them into slaves, as posited by Dr Bala Takaya.

The yearning of these minority groups would later bring about several acts of state creation by the military, though, they were exercises in expediency and parsimony.

There is a need for the ‘legislative lists’ to be reordered and skewed in favor of the federating units. Each unit must be able to generate its own revenue instead of going to Abuja each month to receive stipends or ‘chop money’. It is not only demeaning but shameful. It creates indolence and lack of economic creativity in the states. People then reap where they did now sow!

No matter who wins the election, the clamour for restructuring will never go away, hence we are only postponing the evil day, which will come unless we do the needful.

In his contribution to the debate on restructuring, veteran columnist, and ace ‘guerilla journalist’ of rested Tempo fame, Prof. Adebayo Williams said: “. . .. restructuring may not come through regular party politics and will certainly not be a tea party. With political paralysis preventing the radical structural surgery needed to halt Nigeria’s slide into terminal catastrophe and with the 1999 military constitution acting as a gag on urgent reforms and productive politics, the prognosis is very dire indeed. The prospect of peaceful disintegration is not even on the card.”

Revenue allocation should be based on derivation with VAT collected and determined by the states or regions, Monkey should no longer work for the baboon to chop! Each federating unit should be expected to realize its full potential. And this is a possibility. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” No food for lazy man.

Among other recommendations, the National Assembly should have only one chamber and the President be elected for a single term of 6 years. Members shall sit on an ad-hoc basis and allowances shall be fixed like they do in all progressive countries. Representing the people should no longer be a sinecure or an avenue for self-aggrandizement.

There must be State Police, because it’s the right thing to do in such a federal structure.

But that is if our elite have the nerve to sit in conclave and deliberate on our future instead of singing ’Ajekun iya’ or Emi lokan’ or playing being ‘Obidient’ to some spurious ideology.

 Unfortunately, the Nigerian political class is a collection of hypocrites, liars, and dubious creatures. The parties they represent are also ideologically empty and devoid of political values, culture, or idiosyncrasies.

I am in total agreement with Chidi Amuta’s profile of the Nigerian political class when he wrote that: “Beyond the drama of electioneering and the ritual of voting, our democracy delivers almost no positive change in the lives of citizens… Political actors behave like characters from gangster chronicles.”

“Politicians act mostly out of self-interest and narrow short-term calculations rather than far-sighted national goals. Hardly any of the major players in the drama of intrigues . . .. display any serious commitment to national ideals or even a pan-Nigerian vision.”

“Nor do we encounter a single individual politician whose stake in the power struggles is fired by any ideological convictions on how best to develop Nigeria.  . . . They have no political ancestry, being mostly political orphans with no solid convictions or even ethical moorings or moral qualms whatsoever.”

“In quite several cases, the major political actors possess no credible educational qualifications. Most are in politics because there is nothing else to do: businesses have failed, professional practices have collapsed, and unemployment has often driven many to the limits of creative survival. They therefore act mostly in pursuit of their immediate personal or small group interests.”

These are not the men who would affect change in the structure of our political system. In the 23 years since they have been talking of ‘resource control’, ‘fiscal federalism’, ‘true federalism’ and ‘restructuring, nothing has been forthcoming from our ‘collective’ called the National Assembly.

What we have are demonstrations of ’craze’; deranged senators promising to ‘impregnate’ married fellow senators on the open floor of the ‘hallowed’ chamber, members dealing ‘dirty slaps’ on colleagues and all forms of unimaginable rascality. Under this tainted and odious climate, we might wait till eternity for any meaningful change; definitely, not from these gangsters and human barracudas.

No doubt, our leaders have broken their ‘covenant’ with us. They should remember that: But those who break the Covenant of Allah, after having plighted their word thereto, and cut asunder those things which Allah has commanded to be joined, and work mischief in the land; on them is the Curse; for them is the terrible Home!  (Quran 13:25) 

Let us pray: Allah, Possessor of Majesty, Magnificence, and Might, let comfort take the place of sorrow, make happiness come after sadness, and let safety take the place of fear. Soothe burning hearts with the coolness of faith.

Give peaceful slumber to the restless and serenity to disturbed souls.  Guide the confused ones to your light and those that are astray to your guidance.  Remove evil whispers from our hearts and replace them with light, destroy falsehood with truth, and crush the evil plots of the Devil with your army of Angels.