Of Delegates, Gerontocracy, and Sovereign National Conference.

Introduction:

Much as I would like to commend the Presidency for assembling a somehow unique and very diverse audience for the assignment, I would like to express my reservations over the congestion of the pack with people over seventy years of age. A greater majority of the delegates have been around, stealing and dominating our political system and perverting it with ethnic and discredited political beliefs since independence. In other words, if they are or were that good, why are we in the present state of hopelessness politically and economically speaking? In a similar vein, if all is well, why are some sections of our beloved country or political interest groups demanding a confederacy option or total disintegration? Mr. President, all is not well, because the majority of those you are now calling upon to remake Nigeria have managed our economy and political system over the years. Sir, I would suggest you take a second look at the list representing the Federal Government, and find ways to incorporate four or five guys from the younger generations into it. And with due respect, gentlemen like Mr. Chido Onumah, Mr. Remi Oyeyemi, and of course, my honorable self (yes, me, Mr. Alex Aidaghese), deserve to make the list based on our unrelenting and in-depth coverage of the concept of Federalism and Sovereign National Conference in the past three years. Nevertheless, as a patriot and a true believer in the Nigeria state, I would like to join hands with other patriotic Nigerians in praying and hoping that the delegates and the Presidency do the right thing and produce a document that would serve the most good for every segment of the "geographical expression" referred to as Nigeria. This assignment is their last opportunity to redeem battered legacy. They either do it right, and have their names celebrated as the men and women who reinvented Nigeria as a viable nation-state for the future generations, or play the usual greedy dance of 'chop and let chop', and risk losing everything.

Structural Problem versus Leadership Crises:

I was never a fan of or an advocate for a sovereign national conference; believing as always, that leadership, to a great extent, defines the attitude of the governed towards grafts, bribery, and corruption. And that if we have selfless or credible leaders from north to south and from east to west, all the calls for true federalism, confederacy, or total disintegration as robust as they are present, would ebb significantly. However, it came to a point where my thought process in the subject gains some new insights. I have come to realize that we cannot possibly separate our leadership crises, especially at the national level, from the deformities in our federal system, often referred to as "the structural problems." Those deformities or structural problems create a fertile ground for producing the quality of leadership we often have at the national, as well as in the state and local levels. 

Think first of a situation where a President unilaterally determines who must become his successor (undermining the electoral process), or where a President, in collaboration with faceless individuals, took the decision to annul a flawless Presidential Election, or where a Governor, without consultation with the government at the national level, unilaterally imposes Sharia Law on his subjects. Or consider where a constitutional principle (federal character) meant to secure the interests and protection of the minority tribes in the political system has been so abused and perverted to the extent of creating a first class, second class, and third class mindset within the citizenship. 

In addition, a situation where a region or a tribe does not consider itself Nigerian enough unless it produces the President or the next President is antithetical of everything a federal system is meant to project. Yes, the structural decay is real. There is too much power and control in the command of a sitting President of Nigeria. So there is every need to dilute that humongous power at the national level (the Unitary model) and spread more of it to state and local government councils in the true spirit of a federal system. If that's all the delegates can do at the conference; it is a worthwhile endeavor.

My Expectations:

My position on Sovereign National Conference, true federalism, resource control, and semi-autonomy for the component states within the Nigerian Federation have evolved over the years. That evolution is in consonance with the views of Professor Wole Soyinka, Governor El'Rufai, and Governor Fashola, before he backslides. In series of speeches and publications, they have openly canvassed for a certain degree of autonomy for the component states within the "geographical expression" called Nigeria. Given the scale of our cultural, political, and religious differences, semi-autonomy is the right approach to ensuring stability and sustainable progress nationwide.

In addition, our inability to unravel, and with solutions, the complexities inherent in the governance of Nigeria as a single sovereign nation-state as we have seen and experienced over the years makes the conference a timely and necessary adventure. Those complexities, as obvious as they are, make our distorted federalism (the unitary format under present dispensation) unattractive.

Today, Federal Government is becoming larger in size, scope, and responsibilities for a true federal union, while the component states are becoming too dependent on it for their survival - a unitary model, inconsistent with the spirit and letter of a federal system.

At the same time, and judging from history, our federal government has not being able to adequately manage, police, and protect our wealth and riches under its command - a roguish and uncountable Central Bank, an uncontrollable NNPC that is more powerful than the Federal Government, influential Bogus Petroleum Marketers scamming our Fuel Subsidy Funds with enthusiastic abandon, Millionaire Civil Servants manipulating our budgetary system with impunity, and a bunch of Pension Funds Raiders stealing us blind, while we watch helplessly.

Yes, our Federal Government - since President Shehu Shagari's era of big government and to this day - lacks the strategic wherewithal to manage and apply the wealth and the riches equitably for sustainable use and benefit of all. We have a decaying Police Department, a near-comatose educational system, and a Military outfit in modern a time that cannot subdue and domesticate a bunch of religious sects ravaging Northern Nigerian villages and countryside, killing and maiming innocent women and School Children in their sleep mercilessly.

Yes, the need for decentralization of power and authorities from the over-bloated central government to the federating units and regional councils is a compelling consideration, because over-dependent on crude oil makes serving Governors indolent. I will explain.

There is no longer massive economic engagement or social mobilization of the idle minds as labor forces for wealth creation within the states and local councils. The monthly allocations from the federation account is enough for most serving Governors to pay salary, fix State Highways and enjoy the comfort of their Abuja mansion.

Militancy, where ever they exist, thrives because of redundancy in the system. An idle mind, as the old saying goes, is the devil's workshop. The social and economic disconnect (covered on this blog two years ago), which exists between the Governors and their unaccounted and unemployed youths creates a fertile ground and recruitment reservoir for those willing to perpetrate havoc in the political system. Where are the modern-day Groundnuts Pyramids?

Anyway, my position is neither a demand for disintegration nor an endorsement of the call for disintegration of Nigeria as we often hear from some individuals in the social media. Disintegration, to say the least, is unrealistic. That is a fact. It is too extreme and too dangerous to execute, given the tenacity of the economic relationship between the different regions and the social integration that existed between the various ethnic groups and tribes for centuries.

On the other hand, if disintegration is not negotiable, then removal of "Federal The character", "Quota System", and "State of Origin" concepts from our constitution is a deal-breaker.  In that case, every Nigerian should be safe anywhere he or she is (state of residence) in Nigeria, as well as being able to claim that state as his state of origin. I do not understand why, for instance, a child born in Lagos or Kaduna by Edo or Kogi parents, who have been living and going to school in Lagos and Kaduna all his life be made to claim Edo or Kogi as his state of origin in his job and JME applications. That's not right.

Therefore, the best approach is true federalism or a confederation option or confederacy, similar to what obtains in Canada. Thus enabling the component states or regions to assume semi-autonomous status and develop at their own pace culturally and politically, and at the same time, relieving the central government of some of its enormous power and responsibilities.

Finally, we should also not lose sight of the mayhem and ethnic cleansing that heralded the civil war. I am totally against any measure that would exacerbate ethnic hatred and bloodshed. Separation of religion and State is sacrosanct. The government, both at State, Local, and Federal levels should stay away from religion and religious-related activities. Sponsorship of pilgrimages to anywhere in and outside of Nigeria should be a private or corporate concern; not the government.

Conclusion: 

First, let's start with decentralization, or at least, decongestion of our humongous federal government - relieving it of some responsibilities, and transferring them to the federating units. How to apportion those responsibilities among the federation states and the central government, as well as how to extricate Local Government Councils from the stranglehold of State Governors should be the major focus at the conference - an authentic three levels of government with defined responsibilities and limitations.

By Alex Aidaghese: Adapted from "Sovereign National Conference and Decentralization, without Disintegration", posted November 21, 2012.