In a truly federal system which has been severally advocated over the years civilians are in favour of a return to our former parliamentary system of governance which is result oriented with regions and federating units with the devolution of power from the centre back to the regions or states.

As part of fiscal federalism it has been graphically stated that there should be fiscal sustainability. This means that the cost of governance should be grossly reduced by a reduction of political appointees and aides. It has been recommended that elected members of the legislative arm should serve on part time basis and also a strict compliance with the procurement act for the award of contracts. This means that the cost of governance will be borne mainly through taxation and other revenues from resources, investments, royalties which will be invested in infrastructure and sovereign wealth fund to provide for a rainy day.

The culture of our people in the south-west (yorubas), in the south-east (Igbos), in the south-south (Ijaws, Efiks, Ibibios, Edos) in the middle belt (Idomas, Tivs, Igalas, Nupes) in the North-East (Kanuri’s, Marghi, Bahur) and even in the North-West (Hausa, Fulani, Gbagyi) there is no more exaltation for the concept of dictatorship, authoritarian rule and personalized governance, we are more egalitarian in Nigeria.

It is the lack of these attributes in our system of governance that has given rise to the current malaise of crass corruption, banditry criminality, kidnapping, escalation of militancy due to lack of resource control as was the case before our independence of 1960, enhanced illiteracy and poor education, poor infrastructure and health facilities and inevitable disregard for healthy competition.

It should be noted that a lot of these factors led to the national hostility, clash of ethnic nationalities and ensuing genocide which certainly led to a civil war in which more than a million people perished, the effects of which are still very much reminiscent. It is also these various factors that led to the insurgences in the north-east zone of the country under the auspices of the Boko-Haram terrorists which have destroyed a lot of lives and reduced the economy of that zone.

It should be noted that under a decentralized system of governance, the north eastern zone of the country, with the advent of the diversified economy of agricultural products and solid minerals and even probably crude oil will be more sustainable and economically productive than most E.C.O.W.A.S states of today. Our economy would have been growing at 10% per annum and our GDP would have increased dramatically. Our banking sector would be more vibrant and the exchange rate of the naira and foreign currency would certainly be more favourable than it is now as our economy would no longer be a mono economy and import oriented which include even the importation of basic food items.

It is therefore not just a political campaign idea of unimaginative assertion of 1$ for N1 under a unitary-federal system of government which lacks the capacity to single handedly handle the multi-farious aspects of our development without the advent of the collateral of a healthy internal and zonal competition.

Truly there are several aspects of our national equation which must be centralized such as foreign affairs, defence and external security and co-ordinate aspects of internal security, centralized banking facility and economic philosophies and postulates and some degrees of higher education and medical facilities, customs and excise, aviation, bank and bills of exchange, census, immigration and extradition nuclear energy. The economic policy of the federation should be that of a mixed economy driven by market forces. There should be a consensus on the short and medium term economic plans which a national economic commission involving all the stakeholders will consensually disseminate for the implementation of all the tiers of government.

It is quite clear today that the central government alone cannot drive the development aspect of the economy. The country’s faulty federal structure and the going inequality in the national economy is driving the country further down the drain. Today we have the economy moving towards a recession with inflation at about 16%, unemployment at about 31%, the misery index at about 46%. The slow pace of the central government in the last one year of rule has been largely responsible for the above index. It took more than six months for the central bank of Nigeria to resolve the issue of the exchange rate by introducing a flexible forex policy which is geared towards re-engineering the economy. According to a renowned economist Mr. Rewane Bismack “ a market economy must be distinguished from a command economy by fiat and the dictates of the leadership, at the detriment of the fundamental market and development dynamics”. According to the editor in chief of The Guardian Debo Adeshina “ the real duty president Buhari should do for Nigeria is to begin the process of instituting a proper federation, releasing all of Nigeria’s potentials and putting an end to all discontent within the polity”. Adeshina correctly noted that “ unless the country does away with a system that shackles the country to the hegemony fantasies of a few, unites the people in poverty by caging their creative abilities and breed the collision of a deprived majority, prone to easy manipulation by a thieving minority, Nigeria cannot make progress into unity and prosperity”. The results of such a distorted federal structure is that too much of the resources are concentrated in an idle central government which has caused so much waste in untapped marginalization of most people.

To restructure Nigeria therefore calls for a political will and boldness and it may be said President Buhari has nothing to lose by being bold which is a legacy he can leave for Nigerian.

Many other distinguished Nigerians from across the various ethnic nationalities have been agitating and advocating the immediate need for restructuring by implementing true federalism and fiscal federalism, they include the former Vice President Dr. Alex Ekwueme , former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, elder states’ men Yakassai of Kano, Balarabe Musa of Kaduna, Chief Fasarati and Ayo Adebanjo and many others of Afenifere, Professor Jerry Gana and Senator David Mark and many others of the middle belt, General Akirinade Cmdr. E. Ukiwe, Rear Admr. Ndubuisi Kanu, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and so many others from the retired military class including former military heads of state, former civilian governors from the six geo-political zones of the country and many activists, cultural elites and militants from many zones who have repeatedly called for the restructuring of Nigeria to ensure fair play, justice and equity.

Your seasoned journalists and writers like Ambassador AMB Dele Cole, Reuben Abati, Ray Ekpu, Yinka Odumankin have had their positions properly enunciated. The seasoned journalists, writers, and former minister of information and a founding member of the APC Prince Tony Momoh have enunciated restructuring in order to grow and develop our nation. Hon. Momoh believes that the exercise can be done unrgently this year and that the 1954 constitution remains the strongest document ever to grow this country. He says “ today Nigerian has the strongest central government in the world with enormous powers and responsibilities which of course reduces the component states to parasites and indolence”.

He asserts that instead of a healthy competition for the development and growth among regions, which we experienced when we practiced regionalism, this present democracy breeds hatred, distrust and violent competition of struggle for power at the centre. Prince Tony Momor says affirmatively that the APC has the responsibility to stand up to the challenges of restructuring this country and sincerely believes that many members of the APC subscribe to this feeling and sincerely believes that President Buhari is principled enough to endorse restructuring.

With regard to the PDP which is today the opposition party it would be recalled that former President Goodluck Jonathan endorsed the recommendations of 2014 CONFAB which was affirmative on the issue of restructuring. He even took the CONFAB REPORT to the federal executive council in Abuja where it was whole heartedly endorsed without reservations. He thereafter packaged the document to the 7th national assembly for legislative action and handed it over to the senate president David Mark for necessary action by the legislature.

It is clear therefore that the issue of restructuring of this nation lies with the 8th national assembly. The Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu has informed us that the national assembly has formed a committee for constitutional amendment.
What is not clear as of now is whether the committee is mandated to go the whole hog for a restructuring exercise of the country’s constitution which may eventually lead to a referendum to make it a people’s constitution.

It has to be made clear that mere constitutional amendments of some aspects of the constitution of 1999 would not usher in the desirable restructuring as most of its recommendations would be flawed and will still postpone the evil day that will certainly usher in more chaos and disenchantment, if not the breakup of the country called Nigeria, where a few are born to rule while others are alive to serve!

Chief Guy Ike Ikokwu
Lagos