The following are the results of thoughtful
reflections that I hope will demustificate the
so-called Messianic claims of the present
administration.
First let me say I am in total variance with scholars,
political minds and politicians whom have continually
maintained that the Sovereign National Conference is
only possible in a case of chaos,
Last august, a section of the nation came to a
standstill on occasion of the Marking or is it
celebration of the Biafran Day. Much as the entire
nation chose to keep quiet does not mean it did not
succeed to an extent. In all my ranting, I always
examine our past and ascertain the sources of our
problems. I also take into account the sensitivity of
our ethnic, social, cultural, political and economic
misbalance.
The plague of fear from marginalisation, domination,
injustice and inequality are at the center of the
struggle of this conglomerate called Nigeria.
I strongly believe that our present crisis point is a
function of our undefined or wrongly practiced
federalism. Much as I am not a separatist,
secessionist, pro Biafran, Odua or Arewa person. I
know that we deserve a better structure whether
confederation or federalism, the bottom line is the
need for a decentralizing. Let Abuja be like any other
place, not the military zone it is being turned
into.
Our difference in language, culture, and tradition is
no longer news, our diversity holds no fascination,
and our geographical leprosy is further reinforced by
religious intolerance.
The Biafran dream is simply to federate, and a
suffocated majority shares it. Today, everywhere,
north to south to east, everyone wants a round, square
or triangular table to discuss. The Yorubas of the
Southwest would have been finishing two term of four
year each presidency, and they do have a fear of
what next? The Southeast feels rightly they deserve
the slot, the middle belt is intimidated by the fear
of economic survival and then the North say, there is
no vacancy, and then the talk of a PDP orchestrated
zoning arrangement.
Staying together by force in a dysfunctional
federation has failed the test of democracy, multi
party and zero option methodologies of governance.
The one question I have put to commentators on
Nigerias polity is what is the fear of confederation,
or still true federalism.
Just some few weeks ago the Niger State Governor, said
that Nigeria was not yet ready or ripe for true
Federalism. Yet we are over ripe for corruption,
injustice and all forms of negation of the principles
of democracy and the tenets of human rights.
A system is acknowledged as defective when it has
failed to tackle the very problems for which it was
made. I do not understand the morale behind an Adamawa
State Governor requesting that proceeds from oil
windfall be shared speedily, when his State does not
produce a single or the fact that a Nasarawa State
Governor asked to chair the committee that will decide
how the money would be spent. Bunch of thieves whose
only dividend of democracy for their various states is
gross underdevelopment.
Everyday it becomes obvious that the present
administration of Uncle Sege is military in origin;
anti populist and dictatorial in practice, it has
failed in establishing a just and stable society. Like
all previous federal governments, it continues to
proclaim the philosophy of one nation. Yet it has
failed to pursue policies that give meaning to this
claim.
Shooting of coup plotters has not necessarily deterred
other prospective coup plotters. Neglecting the truth
however does not change the truths content.
The fundamental strength of true federalism is to
foster unity. Nigeria cannot be divided like the old
Ethiopia or the USSR.
I am not trumpeting an all-perfect solution. But we
have the ability to evolve a system that will achieve
the best conditions for most people.
Amongst one of Nigerias greatest problem is that of
perception, a regrettable reluctance that we have a
serious problem. A hypocritical belief that, ours is
not the worst case. The injurious lie that it will get
better. The foolish dance that, has failed to help us
dictate that the beats of our political existence is
complex, and is responsible for our retrogressive
steps.
We have alternated and thus confused ourselves in our
political structuring exercise. In 40 years we have
drafted constitutions at one per each five years yet
we have none, even the United Nations Constitution did
not take this time or much.
Our federal structure as it is, is basically
ethnographic and administrative. Changes to it have
always been by military fiat or democratic mago mago
(falsehood).
State and local government creations have only been
exercises in futility and experimental failures in
readjusting the federal structure. Political
exigencies of zoning are today a serious threat;
federal character and geographical spread mere
rhetoric.
For example the federal character principle is
ordinarily an instrument of fairness and equity. But
it has been practiced as isolation from derivation,
fuelling discord and chaos as we simply rob Adamu to
pay Balogun and vice versa.
The Obj administration as a federal entity has failed
to address the issue of equality of existence, fair
economic distribution as well as orderly political
succession.
The bitter pill we have been to swallowing is
definitely not federalism as the practice of exclusive
and concurrent sharing of powers between federal and
state governments as obtained elsewhere.
The protracted illness of revenue collection and
sharing is one our federalism has found no cure for.
As I wake up from my sleep. I maintain that the
problem facing us is one of structural defect, not of
system. At the heart of our complicated pregnancy is a
highly centralized federal structure and the
imperatives of local political and socio economic
automy. In past we have continually jaw jawed over our
federal system and left the structure.
I advocate for a true federalism, one which equality
and fairness, as well as satisfaction for the needs
and aspirations of component states. I know we cannot
just over rule the essence for a sufficiently
strengthened and stable central government like the
USA and others. However such government should be
fully representative, clearly defined with clear lines
of demarcations.
A strong resolve, to checkmate, the imperatives of
local autonomy and the present tight over
centralization.
Our structure on federalism must tackle our tribal,
ethno-centrism, political parapoism and economic and
social jingoism. A structure that is tribal blind, and
not prone to political kwashiorkor.
Big head, round protruding stomach and tiny legs is
the description that fits our present circumstances.
Please lets rally around, put our hands together, in
allowing the SNC or any name we give it to come up.
Although, the SNC is bound to give rise to its own
peculiarities, issues of duration, representation,
election, areas of jurisdiction and many more. It is
what a blind man can see that we simply have an
assembly of thieves, distinguished ex-cons, looters,
and charge de affairs in sharing the national cake
which they know nothing of its baking.
