Like a bugbear, the clamour for restructuring of the federation to achieve “true federalism” once again emerged from uncertain quarters to grace national discourse when President Muhammadu Buhari unexpectedly called for the restructuring of Nigeria along the lines of true federalism.
On May 10, 2019, the President while giving his address at an event organised by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said: “We remain committed to improving the welfare of the Nigerian people. Your Excellencies, it will be belaboring the point to say that true federalism is necessary at this juncture of our political and democratic evolution”.
The President had before now dismissed those clamoring for the restructuring of the country along true federalism, describing them as opportunists even when his party has the item in its manifesto. But the sudden embrace of the idea by perhaps, its most potent antagonist, got many analysts respond differently. While some are commending the new stance, others are questioning the sincerity of President Buhari’s intentions and his understanding of concept of true federalism.
Nigeria has practised what many now regard as the golden era of true federalism in the First Republic from independence in 1960. That was when the nation operated a parliamentary federal democracy on the structure of four regions that were said to be viable because they largely controlled their resources with a high degree of autonomy. This era was however, terminated by the military incursion into politics in 1966 where the soldiers introduced their central command style that changed the whole arrangement, which the nation is still grappling with today.
Speaking to BDSUNDAY, a public intellectual and a chieftain of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Katch Ononuju, said that the realities facing the nation makes the idea of true federalism inevitable as most Nigerians are not arguing with the wisdom of true federalism. He however, questioned President Buhari’s intentions, stressing that he the President may not have said his real mind on the matter.
“In Nigeria, I tell people not to listen to Buhari, because I do not read sincerity in what he says. Let us follow the man through his actions not what he says. Whatever Buhari says is just stories when we start seeing the action then we believe him. But nobody can stop the reality that Nigeria is matching to,” he said.
He added that it might also be a strategy that Kaduna state Governor Nasir el-Rufai might want to use to be campaigning for 2023 presidency, a strategy he said the northern elite want to use to liaise with the eastern part of the country where the block votes which he said are real have emerged in recent times as the region voted for restructuring in the last election.
On the alleged ambivalent attitude of some leaders in the present dispensation, particularly those he said were once at the vanguard of true federalism but later inexplicably changed their stance as soon as they got power, Ononuju accused them of being agents of deceit and lies, adding that their behaviour underscores what is wrong when the people respected by the society are suddenly now being used as tools to misinform the society.
“They think that by lying and being available for deceit, that they will make political gain for their ethnic groups but not all their people are with them. I am particularly referring to the people of South West. A lot of Yoruba voted for restructuring,” Ononuju said.
Also speaking to BDSUNDAY on Friday, a public affairs analyst and columnist Majeed Dahiru, noted that the President and his team have come to their wits end over their alleged inability to deliver on their promises to the Nigerian people.
He welcomed the idea of restructuring of the federation along the lines of true federalism in order to jump-start developmental trajectory of Nigeria but was quick to question what the President understands as true federalism because there appears to be no elite consensus on what actually constitutes true federalism.
“This is where I think that the President should not be left alone if indeed he is sincere and I believe we should give him the benefits of the doubts this time. If he is sincere on the issues surrounding true federalism, I think we need to set an agenda for the President in this direction if he can borrow a leaf from what is in the public arena to actually back it up with governmental action.
“For me, true federalism entails the viability of the federating units. I am not one of those who believe in tinkering with the current structure but we need to explore and stretch this current structure to its possible limits and see the gaps before thinking about actual restructuring. You will agree with me that oil and gas constitute about 20percent of the GDP both onshore and offshore and we know that the focus on restructuring vis-a-vis issues such as resource control has more to do with oil mineral resources for a country that officially has only nine oil producing states leaving about 27 others as non-producing states.
“Secondly our GDP by sectorial distribution reflects only about 18 percent. What that means is that there are opportunities in the service sector, which is the largest where you have construction and agriculture for other states of the federation to take advantage of,” he said.
Dahiru added that within the current constitutional framework, states have almost unhindered access to other sectors of the economy without resorting to permission or any form of federal control even as he advocated for a federalism that will crystallise in a form of government economic policy that will partner with states to enhance each of the state’s economic comparative advantage by way of allowing them to specialise in that comparative advantage in line with the sectorial distribution to deepen the diversity of the economy and enhance productivity.
“So it is not just pronouncement, but a policy that will capture true federalism should be enacted and diligently pursued to achieve that the aim of true federalism which is good governance that leads to welfare and security of the majority of the citizens. So, in this I want to see a structure that will make the constituent units reduce their over reliance on the monthly federal allocation from crude oil revenue.
“While this is going on, we could also have a review of the revenue allocation formula and even the derivation principle. We can also grant 100percent derivation to oil producing states; however other states would have become independent or can actually do without revenues from federal allocation accruing from crude oil sales,” he said.
“If you look at the US for instance, they have different component parts specialising in different sectors of the economy. Texas for example, is into oil and gas, Detroit is known for automobile and the Silicon Valley is in California, which is noted for Information and Communication Technology and Hollywood is in the same California as their entertainment hub. They also have states that specialised in iron and steel. Every state has its own economic comparative advantage. So, I want to see that begin to happen in Nigeria through collaborative efforts between the states and the federal government. So, the President can do that through national integrated economic strategy,” he said.
Humphrey Orjiako, an author, in his seminal book ‘Nigeria: The Forsaken Road to National Development’ said: “Nigeria therefore, deserves a new fount of all authority- a workable constitution based on lessons of its history and sensitivity to her multi-national composition. “The constitution has to provide a neat division of authority between independent and co-ordinate federal and state governments, with each entitled to autonomy in their own separate spheres. The constitution has to embody the principles of true federalism such that neither the central government nor the states could encroach on the jurisdiction of the other.”
A lecturer in the Faculty of Social Sciences in one of the nation’s tertiary institutions, who spoke with our reporter on condition of anonymity, said he commended President Buhari’s new stance on true federalism, saying however, that there is need for those in positions of authority to speak the truth always and be seen to be speaking the truth.
“When I read about the President’s latest stance on true federalism, I said to myself, why the prevarication all along? In the next four years from May 29, I expect to see a more transparent government that citizens can take their word to bed on a regular basis,” the lecturer said.
Innocent Odoh, Abuja
