Southern Youths: Making it to Europe on Shoe Strings.

What you are seeing on the video is the third stage of the voyage to the unknown by Southern Youths of Nigeria. (The video is no longer)

The first stage is surviving the harassment and extortion from the officials of the Nigerian National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEa), stationed at Oworo town, by the intersection of the Lagos-Ibadan-Ondno highway and Benin-Auchi-Okene road to Abuja.

The second stage is surviving the ferocious heatwaves of the Sahara Desert and the Janjawid Arab militia who navigate the Sahara Desert mercilessly, fishing for vulnerable voyagers to extort.

The third stage is the transit camps in Rabat, Algiers, and Tripoli. This is where you now come across a retinue of dubious Nigerian commission agents, working hand-in-hand with native swindlers, feeding helpless Nigerian travellers with bogus stories of the safest routes to Italy or Spain across the Mediterranean Sea. These agents are heartless and deadly. They would arrange for ill-serviced and ill-equipped boats for a treacherous journey they cannot guarantee. Most of the boats cannot survive mild currents and that explains the waves of incessant drownings you see every day across the Mediterranean Sea. 

The fourth stage is making it out to safety after surviving the Mediterranean Sea. And that's the video that you are watching now. 

I do not write this story for the fun of it or for entertainment value, but to show the Fulani Bandits and Kidnappers, reaping where they did not sow the travail and tribulations that Southern Youths contend with every day trying to make it out of Nigeria to Europe. The majority of them are university-educated, but they would rather die on the way trying to get out than remain here and suffer and die. 

Education is free in the North, but you would rather send your kids to the streets to become an Almajiri than send them to school where they can learn to read and write and have government jobs waiting for them. A luxury Southern youths do not enjoy. 

When they grow up, they turn ready reservoir of recruitment bonanza for recruiters who are recruiting Killer-Herders, Kidnappers, and Election Rigging Tools. How can you break the poverty circle, when Boko is forbidden? 

To Dr. Sheikh Gumi and all the Bandit, Herder-killer, and Kidnapper sympathizers, it is not an Eldorado in the South, this is just one example of what Southern youths go through to survive the perilous situation that your people plunge Nigeria into. 

A NATIONAL MISTRUST OF TWO NATIONS IN ONE

(1) On March 17, 2016, according to verified newspapers and television report, 'Armed men in Military uniform invaded the Ugwuneshi community in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State and arrested 76 of their men on the allegation that they were planning a counterattack against Fulani Herdsmen who kidnapped two of their women. In spite of the fact that they came in Military trucks and fully dressed in military fatigue and took their captives to Umuhia Prison, the Military did not claim responsibility. They were released about two weeks later. No accountability on record and no explanation or compensation for their ordeals. No one could give an account of who authorized the military invasion, and whether or not they were a contingent of the Nigerian Armed Forces.  

(2) On April 25, 2016, about 500 armed Fulani Herders invaded Nimbo Village in Enugu State at about 6 a.m in the early morning. They came without notice and at about 7 a.m., they began the onslaught. They slaughtered, killed, maimed, and disappeared into the tin air just the way they came. It was a very successful mission. And I remember seeing the State Governor crying like a baby on TV at the sight of a butchered cadaver of a lady - with matchet cuts all over her head.

How did they get to Nimbo Village? How come when the Governor called Abuja, the IGP, and the State Commissioner of Police for help, help did not come?

(3) On February 14, 2018, one Efe, the head of a vigilante group in a village near Benin City was shot to death execution-style by a member of the Nigerian Armed Forces. That's not the end of the story. The tragic event was exacerbated when the apprehended headsmen who wreaked havoc on their farmlands were released by the Military Personnel who shot Efe to death. Efe was a target because he had the audacity to organize and repel the incursions of herders into their farmlands. His death is an indictment of the Nigerian Armed Forces and sure proof of their overt support of the Fulani Cattle Herders in their conquering mission.

Two Governors are now on records, stating that they alerted the IGP, the Presidency, and the State Commissioner of Police of pending attacks and asked for protection. And on each occasion, no support came from the Police or the Army. The attackers came, killed every human being in sight, and disappeared into the thin air, unapprehended. 

(4) The Stultification of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

You are originally from the Niger Delta, so the story of the PIB will interest you - it is how the Northern Governors, contrary to the terms of the meeting they had in Rivers State, went against their Southern colleagues when they got. Mr. Rotimi Amaechi was the Governor and the Governors Forum Group met and resolved that all the Governors should conference with the Senators and House of Rep members in their respective states to expedite the process of the passage of the PIB into law.  A few days after they got home, the Northern Governors, led by their Chairman at the time, backtracked. He reneged on the agreement, arguing that until they (Northern Governors) meet with experts in the energy industry, they are suspending action on the passage. 

This Day Newspaper of August 06, 2013: “Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, and his Kaduna State counterpart, Alhaji Ramalan Yero, had opposed the provision of 10 percent host community fund in the PIB positing that it may negatively impact their fiscal position by skewing yet more resources to the oil-producing states."

Vanguard April 24, 2013. Govs Yero and Kwankwaso reject PIB

Kwankwaso told members of the Adhoc Committee on Petroleum Industry Bill, North-West zonal public hearing held in Kaduna, that the people of Kano State opposed the bill in its totality.

Here you are theorizing and faulting the inability of Southern Governors to meet with their colleagues to find solutions to their problems. Where is the PIB today? Still undergoing debate, at the National Assembly, because of the 10% of the Net Profit of the yearly income of the oil companies doing biz in the Niger Delta set aside for the host communities for unforeseen environmental hazards and catastrophes. Northern Governors opposed it, even when funding is NOT from the Federation Account, but from IOCs doing biz in the communities.

By the way, your Boss, Chief Asiwaju Tinuubu, in collaboration with APC Governors of the Southwest, worked behind the scene to frustrate the outcome of President Jonathan's held National Conference. That's also a fact and not a theoretical analysis as you did here.

I love you brother, but I beg to disagree with you on this.

LEADERSHIP: The Palestinian-Israeli Unending Conflict. Part two.

I fell in love with international relations after reading the story of the Six Days War and the Camp David Accords that were brokered by President Jimmy Carter between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, 1978. 

The accord culminated in the recognition of the State of Israel by the Egyptians, led by President Sadat, and the return of the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt by President  Menachem Begin of Israel. As a result of the peace accord, Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Sad to say, they later paid for the peace with their own lives. The two leaders were assassinated by their own citizens for choosing the part of peace. 

With their assassination, comes everlasting peace between the two nation-states. Since the signing of the Camp David Accords, no Egyptian citizen or Israeli citizen has lost his or her life over any form of conflict, dispute, or war between the two countries over land or water. Economically and socially, the two nations are better off today than they were before September 17, 1978, for daring to be bold and willing to be conciliatory. It was not about campaign slogans for the next Presidential election. 

The unending conflict between the Palestinian people and the State of Israel has more to do with the leadership than actually what their people want. For instance, the late Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat was married to an Israeli woman. But on one occasion, he would rather return home to a heroic welcome for refusing to sign a peace deal put together by President Clinton, than be a peacemaker like King Hussein of Jordan or Anwar Sadat of Egypt and bring stability to his people. 

The problem with the State of Palestine is that when the State of Isreal had Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Rabin, and  Simon Peres as Foreign Minister, they didn't have a leader, but a fighter, Yasser Arafat. Today, it is tough, very tough. On both sides, we have leaders who want to be relevant under crises and conflicts in other to remain popular and be electable and remain in power. It should be what is in the best interest of the Palestinian State as well as the people of the State of Israel. 

A few years ago under President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden flew to Tel Aviv to meet with President Netanyahu, specifically to negotiate a cessation of activities and building of a new settlement in the disputed territory. And they had a gentleman's agreement. Guess what, as soon as the Vice President departed and while he was on his plane, in the air, flying back to Washington DC, President Netanyahu reneged on the agreement or understanding. And construction works began immediately in utter violation of the negotiated agreement. That was humiliatory, not just to Vice President Biden, but to President Obama's Administration. I am not recounting a newspaper's story or someone's historic account here. It happened live and was witnessed by those who could make sense of President Netanyahu's disrespect and tough-guy disposition. 

Today, many people are dying on both sides, and properties worth billions of Dollars are ruined. We replace the damaged and destroyed properties, but we cannot bring back those who have lost their lives in the process. That's why leaders like Anwar Sadat, King Hussien, King Asad, President Menachem Begin, President Yitzhak Rabin, and Mr. Simon Peres will forever remain celebrated for the sacrifices they made for peace to reign in the region. 

The major issue now is not really who is right or wrong on the disputed territory it is about leadership, who is willing to accept the reality on the ground, especially concerning Jerusalem. Jerusalem can never go extinct. The Palestinians can not expel the Israelis from the Holy Land. Neither can the Israelis totally vanquish Palestinian Muslims from the territory. Though they subscribe to different religions and speak different languages, they have ancestral connections to the city of Jerusalem. We cannot dispute that biblical fact. They just have to find a way to live in peace. 

Concerning the disputed land and new construction, I beg to add that land for peace is not new and certainly not a making of weakness, but of strength and for sustainable peace and economic growth in the two nation-states. That the Palestinians must recognize the right of the Jewish State to exit is not negotiable. Egyp did that decades ago. Same with Jordan and Syria. In return, Israel must cease building new settlements in the disputed territory and allow the State of Palestine to function as a sovereign nation. It is as simple as that. However, if one side provokes attacks, rest assured that the attacked side has the inalienable right to retaliate and defend its people and territory.   

 

TO THE MOTHER WHO RAISED ME

To the Mother who raised me, who taught me love, respect, and dignity; and to all the mothers and potential mothers out there, HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY.

Growing up, I could say anything - abusive or curse words - when in conflict with other kids in school, on the playground, or on the streets. But "your mama" was a no-go area. No matter how tough the disagreement might be, "your mama" or any curse word directed at "your mama" was forbidden - completely out of the question.

I adopted that mantra, not because anyone taught me the morality of such abstinence. I just didn't want to subject my Mama to disrepute or create an opportunity for other kids to curse her or be abusive of her in retaliation for my imprudence.

Going by her public records or reputation in the community, she was more than a woman. Indisputably infallible and proudly admired by the young and old. And it was always about "what is Irhierhe's opinion" whenever there was a dispute in the community among the women. And that places me in an uncomfortable position. You can't afford to be her son and be irresponsible.

In observance of her grace, unblemished reputation, and queenship personality, I imbibed discipline, leadership virtues, and genuine empathy. And for her, all eyes were on me. Not in the negative sense, but to be a role model.

Thank God, it comes with a prize - protected and untouchable, at home and on the road. And as she would always say, don't be afraid to speak your mind, and stand by what you know is right. You are Ehimhantioria-aiyo. Go in peace, God is with you. And in response to that, I would always say, ise, Nene in the Esan dialect.

She made me change schools when I was in elementary school so that I could learn in an environment where the English language is the means of communication. Also, she gave me the registration fee for the Common Entrance Examination when the registration was about six months ahead. If she hadn't taken either decision, I don't where I would be today. She wasn't educated, but she knew when to transfer her infant son from one elementary school to another so that he could take advantage of the English language, which was the means of communication in the new school. How was she able to execute the transfer? Simple.

She was visiting her Big Sister, Ose, at Olenokhua Eguare Ewohimi, when she saw some kids playing on the ground and communicating in the English language. She asked if someone was visiting from a big city like Warri, Benin City, or Lagos, with his kids. They told her no. Then whose kids are these speaking  English? They told her they were neighbours' kids in the next compounds. Where did they learn to speak English, she asked in amazement. Her nephew told her that they communicate in English in school. Hearing that, she made up her mind that her son was going to change schools at the end of the year. 

The school is Saint Mathias Catholic School at Eguare Ewohimi, which is directly opposite Chief Ereomhan's house, her big sister's husband. That was actually the same house that she grew up in before she got married. But at that time in the 30s or 40s, the Catholic school was still a local school and Eguare was not cosmopolitan a city the way it was at the time of the happening of this story.  Now there is Pilgrim Baptist Grammar School, the Oil Palm Company, the Water Board, the Yoruba Quarter, and the Eastern Ishan District Council, just to name a few. 

The majority of the workers in the listed organization have children and all of them attend Saint Mathias Elementary School. So, by default, every child in that school must learn to speak English. In fact, about 90 of the Teachers in the school were non-natives. And that was how the children in the surroundings adopted the English language as their mode of communication, even when they were not in school.  

Her word was her bond and her helpers unfailingly exhibited a sense of privilege or honour to earn her request for a favour. She was that good and amiable and many people wanted to identify with her.

I knew she was intelligent, but I didn't know how politically savvy or knowledgeable she was on Nigerian leadership and political system until my Government classes in Form Three in Grammar School. All the stories of NCNC, Action Group, NPC, Siaka Momodu, Okotieboh, Osadebey, Ahmadu Bello, Akintola, Anthony Enahoro, Azikiwe, and of course, her favourite, Papa Obafemie Awolowo that she told me while I was in elementary school, were all in the recommended Government Textbook, written by one Mr Ojo.

To her, Papa Awo was next to God. I was not surprised when she came home in 1979 to tell us that Mrs. Ughehi (Madam VIP) Atalakpa, the UPN Women leader, offered her the position of Women Leader of Okaigbe-Ewohimi.

Thanks to her, I completed the entire WAEC syllabus in Government in Form Four. When I got to Form Five, I bought A-Level Textbooks for Government. While all my classmates who registered for Government like me were trying to make meaning out of the Rule of Law, I was already deep into Montesquieu's theory of Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances, as well as Devolution of Powers and Delegated Legislations.

So, scoring A1 in Government in the West Africa School Certificate (WASC) examination by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) was not unexpected. All thanks to my Mama who gave me an edge ahead of the class. She was simply a one-of-a-kind Mama. May her soul continue to rest in peace. Amen.

Count Down to Restructuring. Part Three

Decentralization without Disintegration and the Imperativeness of a Referendum. 

According to Professor Wole Soyinka, ”Nigeria has proved too large and inefficient for the centralized identification and management of such human skills and material resources, the centre has become self-aggrandizing, bloated, parasitic, and alienated. Now is the time to put into practice that ancient saying: Small is beautiful. We must return to the earlier days of creative rivalry that pronounces that vanishing past an interrupted project of promise, creativity, and productivity. Then, it may be possible for your generation to say contentedly, even while the harvest is still distant but the soil is cleanly prepared, the seeds implanted and germinating: Mission? Accomplished!” Professor Wole Soyinka: "Mission The Future" - A Speech Delivered at the 2nd South-South Economic Summit in Asaba. 03/25/2014

If in the event you have any course to doubt or question the brutal optimism of our Noble Laureate on Decentralization of Power, you will no doubt be consoled and reassured by the eloquence of the former Governor of Lagos  State, Raji Fashola in his Liberating and Coordinating Diversity”, speech at Johns Hopkins University, SAIS, DC, the United States of America on April 2013. 

In the words of the former Governor, “The realization of these demands [Decentralization of Power and True Federalism] on their own may not necessarily leapfrog us into El Dorado, but without them, the journey will be torturous. If they materialize, they liberate the possibilities that lie inherent in the diverse capacities that the Nigerian states and local governments are blessed with. In that event, the Federal Government will not be without authority or responsibility but, in my view, it will be better able to coordinate the diversities for mutual prosperity." Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!

Let's review the last sentence: "In that event, the Federal Government will not be without authority or responsibility but, in my view, it will be better able to coordinate the diversities for mutual prosperity." In other words, it is not a total disintegration or abdication of powers and responsibilities at the federal level. The federal government will still be around, but not in the magnitude that it is presently.

In defining the power and responsibilities, in the previous paragraph, Professor Wole Soyinka provided a pathway. In the words of the Professor, “Leadership is half the battle but followership must also prove its mettle. Each regional grouping should, by its policies, declare an uncompromising developmental autonomy – I repeat, Autonomy - leaving the centre only with its competence provenance – foreign policy, national security, and inter-state affairs ...” 

THE ELECTORAL PROCESS vs SOVERIGN NATIONAL CONFERENCE.

I was never a fan or an advocate of a national conference; believing as always, that leadership, to a greater extent, determines the attitude of the governed toward grafts, bribery, and corruption. As a nation-state, we are blessed with a plethora of the "best we never had." So, our electoral process has not been well-rewarding; otherwise, we won't be celebrating the best we ever had after each death.

For a start, we cannot separate our leadership crisis from the manipulations of our federal system and the resultant structural problems. They are one and the same. The manipulations or distortions of our federal system gave birth to structural decay. The structural decay, in turn, creates a fertile ground for nurturing the opportunists we have at the national level, as well as in most of the state capitals and local government councils, via the electoral process. Thus, leading to a culture of low expectations. Apology to Professor Okey Ndibe. 

Undoing that culture is a task before Nigerians through a National Conference or the National Assembly because Nigerians no longer have confidence in INEC. 

If we had 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 today, would not have known grace. In other words, if we can conduct elections and vote credible candidates into political office, we are on our way to the promised land. 

And from history, that's a sheer illusion. The endemic culture of bloodbaths and underage voting in the North is irredeemable. We can curb vandalism in Lagos or Owerri, but we cannot do anything about underage voting in the North. 

With talented individuals like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Ibrahim Ayagi, Dr Akinola Aguda, Professor Eme Ewa, Professor Adebayo Adedeji, all of the blessed memory, and Dr Kalu Idika Kalu, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Professor Attahiru Jega,  or Dr Akinwumi Adesina holding forth at Aso Rock, just to name a few, no Nigerian would be calling for True Federalism, Disintegration, or Decentralization of Power. 

As President Obasanjo once said, "I don't know who is going to replace me as a President, but I know who won't. And he did. His Vice President was indicted and unindicted, and when it was all over, he was without a political party. And Baba went ahead to impose a near-dead man on Nigerians as President. Granted, he had problems with his Vice President, but why didn't he sponsor Dr. Ibrahim Ayagi, a religious and ethnic neutral tested Banker, and a member of his Economic team? 

Given the not-so-endearing history of our electoral process, I firmly believe that we will not be able to elect selfless visionary leaders capable of bringing to fruition our dreams of a great and egalitarian society. The dictatorship of a very privileged few, supported by the gangsterism of the bourgeois class they created via the spoils of office, determines who runs or wins a political office. That's why the National Conference is the most ideal in the circumstances. 

Also, the outcome of the last Presidential election is enough to convince informed-thinking Nigerians of the futility of our electoral process in electing credible candidates. When you altered the leadership structure of the apex court a few months before the Presidential election, without regard to established orders and imposed on us someone who wouldn't have been in the apex in the first case, the do-or-die scenario was set in motion. As expected, he won at the apex court. Surprisingly though, they couldn't give reasons why they ruled in his favor. 

So, it has not been edifying through the ballot boxes. The MKO Abiola debacle is rather left untouched. Suffice it to say it remains the best Presidential election result we ever announced. If the outcome of a policy framework or electoral process is perceived, subjectively, if I may add, not to be in the interest of a faceless group of Northern mavericks and powerbrokers, it is not good for Nigeria. That's our history. 

THE CASE FOR THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE AND THE SEMI-AUTONOMOUS STATUS IN THE NORTH. 

Today, right now, Nigeria has no President. There is no President called Mohammadu Buhari in charge of our affairs. What we have in the place of a Presidency is an institution - a Fulani institution, aided by the Hausas and the Kanuris, managing the affairs of this great country remotely. And 2023 is more unrealistic as the day goes by. 

The country is falling apart, but no leader worth his salt has the moral strength or the audacity of his exalted office to stand out and declare in an unmistakable term to Boko Haram and the Fulani terrorists: Peace, Be Still. 

The Minister of Defense tells Nigerians, "Defend yourself." President Buhari echoes his Minister's command, "Shoot anyone you see carrying AK/47." Kidnapping is on the rise and no one is shooting at sight carriers of AK/47. No one is visibly in charge and the shipment of guns and weapons of war to the South is on the rise. 

True Federalism and semi-autonomous status are already in operation in the Northern Region of Nigeria. Did Sharia Law receive the approval of the sitting President, sitting in an Executive Council of State, or the votes of the National Assembly? No. It is the same story with the introduction of Native Police in Kano and Katsina States, for example. 

Whereas the crude oil and gas deposits in the Nigerian Niger Delta and under the exclusive control of Abuja, the gold deposits in Zamfara State as well as other numerous natural resources deposits in the North are under the control of the state governments and the private sector. If it is good for Zamfara State, it should be good for the Niger Delta. 

If elements of semi-autonomy are presently in full swing in most Northern States of the country - an unwritten code of ethics that is consistent with Sir Ahmadu Bello's understanding and interpretation of Nigerian federalism - why is such a demand an aberration or subversive manoeuvring in other parts of the country?  

Loyalty is the bedrock of allegiance. You cannot be Nigerians and continue to pledge support and unapologetically deferential to lawless foreign invaders and killers because of blood ties and business relationships. Your loyalty is not to Green White Green but to your tribe and your wallet.

Our entire armed forces and security networks are massively infiltrated and compromised. The terrorists have the upper hand at the combat fronts because the movement of our forces and deployments of weapons are most often revealed to the terrorists ahead of attacks. Our men and women in uniforms are being slaughtered every day and no one is giving an account.

The Fulani terrorists are doing in Nigeria what they cannot do in Ghana, Guinea, CAR, Mali, or the Niger Republic because they have been made to believe, thanks to Miyetti Allah, that the Nigerian land belongs to them. And that they can invade, kill, and destroy without prosecution.

The argument that the killers or terrorists are foreign Fulanis is half-baked an excuse and it is not sustainable. There are unanswered questions bordering on immunity and a sense of entitlement. How did they enter this country and why do they feel so comfortable in their conquest mission - killings, vandalism, and bestialities?

The Killer-Herders didn't enter Nigeria with sophisticated weapons. Who is facilitating the delivery of weapons inside Nigeria? Who is managing the logistics support? You armed and psyched them up, to wit, they are martyred warriors, fighting a noble war because the Nigerian land is their land. By your conduct and utterances, they are sold the narrative of absolute immunity.

Fulani herders have been with us for years. And they have never been known to carry weapons or derive pleasures in knowingly and purposefully trespassing into the private properties of other Nigerians and destroying them with enthusiastic abandon.

The nationwide stories of kidnapping, brutal sex and extorted kisses on harmless farm-working women are a recent development, though it has been going on in the Middle Belt and North West for decades. The nationwide phenomenon began the very day President Buhari was sworn in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Section 14 (1) of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria as amended, does not give you the right to trespass into the private properties of other Nigerians. Section 14 (1) does not give you the right to forcefully enter and destroy the cultivated farmlands of other Nigerians. Section 14 (1) does not empower you to invade the local communities of others, with the intent to kill, dispossess and assume permanent occupation of the now-vacated land by the original owners. That you have the right to settle anywhere in Nigeria is not an unqualified right; it is subject to existing rules and regulations that protect the rights of other Nigerians, especially the original landowners.

CONCLUSION.

You love power, but you don't have the managerial capacity and selfless resolve to use it for the benefit of all. Even if you do, your feudalist fervour and unrestraint appetite for nepotism; your religious bigotry, even when it serves no useful end; as well as the unchecked observance of the caste system has proscribed you from using the power for the good of the generality of the people. A Governor openly celebrates the Almajiri culture, the blight of informed culture. A former Governor lampooned the departing President Jonathan as being naive for providing Western education for the Almajiris whom they have used to vote him out of power.

The avalanche of poverty and mass illiteracy in the far North, even though the region has received more Federal funding for education than any other region in the country since the end of the civil war, is directly related to your embrace of George Orwell's famed maxim, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than the others." The spillover effect of that culture is what has brought Nigeria down to the standstill we are right now.

Those you have misled and failed to fend for since the end of the civil war are not just turning against you right now, they are terrorizing the entire country and making Nigeria ungovernable. And those you have systemically marginalized and left out of the power-sharing equation have had enough; they want to go. And they want to do so in peace.

You are a drawback in the wheel of progress is an understatement. That you are an unmitigated impediment in ensuring peace and security throughout Nigeria is beyond debate. Your incompetence makes the massive corruption, embezzlement of public funds, and squandering of our riches possible.

Nigerians are more than sophisticated for your managerial acumen and the leadership you are capable of providing is not for the present and emerging generations. That explains the enormity of the disillusionment in the system, the unbridgeable political divide, and the demand for the Decentralization of Power.

On a final note, it is the responsibility of the leadership of the Fulani tribe to expose and isolate the criminal elements and terrorists within the tribe. You know them, we don't. You are hiring and recruiting them from all over the West Africa sub-region. And we are not. To the extent that vocal segments of the Fulani tribe are openly rationalizing the sanctity of blood tie with the outlaws, unwilling to condemn their natural impulses to kill and dominate, and to rein in on the killers to desist from kidnapping, open grazing, and conquest mission; and accepting the paradigm that Nigerian geographical space and the land therein do not belong to the Fulani tribe; and to the extent that accessory before and after the fact remains a criminal offence, that vocal segments, the Miyetti Allah leadership, and those arming and sheltering the terrorists will never evade indictment. They are as culpable as the killers, the bandits, and the kidnappers at the frontline.

Nigeria is worth saving. Those who make it ungovernable MUST NOT GO UNPUNISHED. And I Stand by Decentralization without Disintegration. Let the National Conference be televised. And it must start right now.

Mr. Alex Aidaghese.

A Review of my Three-Part Series on Restructuring and National Conference.

I have my reason for using the works of Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, Mr. Raji Fashola, and Mallam Nassar El'Rufai to make my case for a National Conference and Restructuring. If they could make such a compelling case for True Federalism and Decentralization of power a few years ago, why is APC, their political party, and the party in power, not enthusiastic about convening a National Conference? Simple. No excuse. President Buhari may be holding out as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but APC, the political party that he heads is not in power. President Buhari is simply a metaphor. An institution that is fundamentally opposed to what APC stands for and campaigns for is in control. That there is no mass resignation from the cabinet explains the greedy culture that our public servants cannot overcome. They won't quit and they won't object, even if they have already accumulated wealth that they and their future generations cannot exhaust in years.

Countdown to Restructuring Part Two

The Rudimentary of Restructuring, the Views of Leaders.

“Why can’t we have a system of government that will create what I will call the United States of Nigeria? Let me explain. We all know that we must structure. It is either we restructure, or we break up, you don’t have to be a prophet to know that. That is certain – restructure or we break up." The General Overseer, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye - The Guardian October 04, 2020. 

So, what exactly is Restructuring and what is it about in real time? And why is it perceived by Northern traditional rulers and the majority of Northern political leaders as subversive manoeuvring by Southerners to dismantle Nigeria? There is nothing subversive or treasonable about the demand for Restructuring or True Federalism. We were there before the outbreak of the civil war. 

Restructuring as a political concept was made popular by the former Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985 when he demanded and launched a new era of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring). His groundbreaking theory did not only lay the foundation for the dismantling of the monstrosity called the USSR (The Union of the Soviet Socialist Republic), but it also checked hunger and starvation. And it saved the second most powerful military nation on earth from self-annihilation. In 1991 it turned into 15 nations of an equal part. Today, the people in the old region are no longer trooping to Europe to seek political asylum, and no more Soviet Scientists and professors flocking to the United States of America to drive a taxi or do menial jobs. The benefits of Restructuring cannot be overemphasized.

When the Jonathan Administration organized a National Conference, in March 2014, I was not in Nigeria. But I participated actively, albeit virtually, by writing and publishing talking points, focusing on the Decentralization of power for the benefit of my state's delegates. Despite the disinterestedness of the APC Governors in the West, the conference made a tremendous stride, accomplishing its mandate. According to the BBC on August 26, 2014, the delegates "passed more than 600 resolutions and produced a 10,335-page report, which has been submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan, who promised to implement them."

Well, President Jonathan did not come back for the second term to implement it as he anticipated. His Successor, President Buhari, and his political party promised Nigeria during the 2015 Presidential campaign that they would organize a Sovereign National Conference, with a view to channelling a new direction for Nigeria. 

In furtherance of that promise, President Buhari set up a committee, headed by Governor El'Rufai. The committee submitted its report, but the President was not sold and nothing has changed. President Buhari, however, manifests his view on Restructuring in his January 01, 2018, New Year Day Address. According to the President “When all the aggregates of nationwide opinions are considered, my firm view is that our problems are more to do with process than structure." 

Without question, that was unequivocal, a dubious narrative, and an intellectual fraud on the part of the authors of the speech. Fellow Nigerians, there is more to the principle of restructuring, structurally and substantively, than simply being a "process." As you will see later, the view of his Minister of Works, Mr. Fashola, and those of his Minister of Transportation, Mr. Amaechi, as well as those of the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nassar El'Rufar, will put a lie at the "process than structure" narrative that the President and his speech writers are marketing. 

The three gentlemen made a plausible case for True Federalism, and it beat my conscience why they had backslid or why they had not been able to convince their master and the cabal to implement the case they made stridently when President Jonathan was in government.

According to Mr Fashola (SAN), “The 36 state governors are demanding a truer federal system in terms of fiscal and political federalism. I associate myself with this demand in its entirety." 

“The realization of these demands on their own may not necessarily leapfrog us into El Dorado, but without them, the journey will be torturous. If they materialize, they liberate the possibilities that lie inherent in the diverse capacities that the Nigerian states and local governments are blessed with”,  “In that event, the Federal Government will not be without authority or responsibility but, in my view, it will be better able to coordinate the diversities for mutual prosperity”.

"Although the post-colonial era when Nigeria practised Parliamentary Democracy with three semi-autonomous regions was not without its problems, the economy was stable as each region kept the bulk of its resources and contributed to the central government to enable it to carry out its national responsibilities."

“The system was not without its problems. But we had stable electricity. We had more food – enough to eat and enough to export. Illiteracy levels were higher but there was evidence to show that it was being addressed. Our universities had more learning in them and acquired a respectable reputation”.

"Things began to fall apart for the country when the Military intervened in governance. “We quickly began to lose our lustre. The military came in and unified the regions and things have never been quite the same since.”

“Although we have a “Federal Government” the constitution was written by the Military. So we have state courts where judges are picked by the Federal Government. We have state legislators but no state police to enforce the laws they make. 

There are no state prisons, so we rely on Federal officers to police our states and keep convicted persons away from law-abiding citizens. We have Federal Traffic Safety Officers to issue Driver’s Licenses to drivers in the state and also seek to regulate municipal traffic inside the states.” 

Governor Fashola said the Federal Government, in order to maintain its financial hold on the federating states, keeps 52 per cent of the nation’s resources leaving the 36 federating states with 26 per cent while 774 local governments share only 20 per cent of the resource among them monthly."

“The debate, therefore, is not only about the cost of such a large government but also about its effectiveness." 

“These are the structural challenges of the Government that we must overcome. They sum up the demand for a truer federal union that is being demanded by the 36 state governors in terms of fiscal and political federalism.”

That was Mr. Fashola (SAN) in 2013, he diligently and constructively articulated the ills of our present federal system and why it must be rejected for True Federalism to thrive. So, why is he not making the same argument today? I have no clue. Thank God, we have his works handy and we can conveniently cite them - as we're doing now - to convince the doubting Thomases that the monstrosity at Abuja is not sustainable. 

Let's hear from the Minister of Transportation, the former Governor of River State. He was blunt and thought-provoking beyond expression. Speaking at the retreat organized by the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, SCCR, in Asaba, the Delta State Capital, Governor Amaechi said: “We want the Federal Government to reduce the responsibilities that they have as well as the resources that they have because I am first of all a Rivers citizen before I became a Nigerian.” 

Making one of the strongest arguments for the State Police that day, Amaechi said: “I used Rivers resources to train 300 policemen; these policemen were trained by the Israelis. We had an understanding with the police authorities in Abuja that they would remain in Rivers for some time after their training. But the moment a certain IGP came, just because he did not like a certain Amaechi, he posted the policemen out. But if we have State police, such a thing will never happen.” True Federalism: The plots of our governors - Vanguard, August 22, 2010.

There is nothing wrong with the views that Mr. Rotimi propounded here, but why is he reluctant now to speak up? Again, I have no clue.

Let's hear from Governor El'Rufai: “As a medium-term, structural measure, we must work to restore our federalism to the broad outlines embedded in the 1963 republican constitution, devolving more powers and responsibilities to the states and making the federal government less of a busy body. This would require that states like Bauchi whose annual internally-generated revenue is N7 billion should not run a government costing N58 billion because of monthly hand-outs from Abuja. Each state should learn to live within its means and seek to actively develop its comparative endowments. State governors will then be compelled to use their resources better and not point fingers at the federal government.” Between Terrorism and Corruption by El'Rufai - Sahara Reporters, May 10, 2012.

In principle, there is nothing wrong with federalism or the federal system of government. Ours became an aberration because the concept was abused, distorted, and manipulated by every administration at the national level since the end of the civil war and the crude oil windfall. However, after a repeated perusal of the opinions of Fashola, Amaechi, and El'Rufai on the subject, I'm still short of words to explain my perplexity over President Buhari's demurral in organizing a national conference and decentralising the system accordingly. In the words of Pastor Adeboye, "We all know that we must restructure. It is either we restructure, or we break up, you don’t have to be a prophet to know that." Please, watch out for part three. 

PART THREE

I was never a fan of or an advocate for a sovereign national conference; believing as always, that leadership, to a great extent, determines the attitude of the governed toward 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. In other words, if we vote credible candidates into political office, we are on our way to the promised land. I was wrong. The Primaries and the process of selecting candidates at the party level are dominated by one man - the Governor or the President, as the case may be. It’s all about the incumbent, and who he wants to contest at the general election. In the words of President Obasanjo, ‘I do not know who is going to replace me, but I sure know who won’t’. And it happened.

PART THREE

In hindsight, given the nature of our electoral history, I firmly believe and hold that we will not be able to elect selfless visionary leaders capable of bringing to fruition our dreams of a great and egalitarian society, because of the dictatorship of a very privileged few, supported by the bourgeois class they created via the spoils of office. That brings us to the thesis of this short essay: Decentralization, without Disintegration: Unraveling and overcoming the oligarchic trends in our body politic, without jeopardizing our age-old social and cultural integration.

For a start, you cannot separate the leadership crisis from the manipulation of our federal system and from the resultant structural problems. They are one and the same. The manipulation or distortion of our federal system gave birth to the structural problems, and the structural problems, in turn, create fertile ground for nurturing the opportunists we are having at the national level as well as in most of the states and local government councils - leading to a culture of low expectations.  Apology to Professor Ndibe. Undoing that is a task before the delegates. Because maintaining the status quo is the shortest distance to anarchy, disintegration, or a revolution.

Ours is the only country where an Awo, Aguda, Kontagora, Idiagbon, Eme Awa, Aboyade, Adedeji, Alele Williams, Yusuf Maitama Sule, Faleye, Kalu Idika Kalu, Donald Duke, and Ayagi cannot become President. For instance, for an Idiagbon military coup to be legitimate, a Buhari had to be brought in from retirement to satisfy the interest of the so-called Sokoto-Kano Caliphate. Were it not for that historic blonder, there would not have been an IBB aborted experimentation with democracy an Abacha fiasco an Obasanjo dictatorship, or the dying Musa Ya'Adua. It is that simple! It is the structural deformity that defines the state of our federalism, and by extension, the quality of our leadership.

Undoing the Anomaly:

At this juncture, I would like to point out that at this very moment, there are in existence, some elements of a confederacy system of government in operation in the present-day Northern region of Nigeria. Given that as true, one would then ask: why the resistance to calling for true federalism or resource control? Why the 'no-go areas'? Why the brouhaha about federating units and the federal system? How about the unilateral promulgation and imposition of Sharia Law in most parts of the Northern region? Did Sharia Law receive the approval of the sitting President or the votes of the National Assembly? No. It is the same with the introduction of Native Police.

Truth is that the call for true federalism and semi-autonomous status that most progressives are demanding is already in operation in the Northern part of Nigeria, except of course, in the area of revenue generation where there is still 100% reliance on Federal Government - thanks to the monthly free oil money from the federal government. In other words, if elements of semi-autonomy are presently in full swing in most Northern States of the country, it is legitimate on the part of the delegates at the conference to vote and endorse semi-autonomous status for the various states. And the same should apply to resource control.

Therefore, I challenge every concerned delegate at the conference to be firm in purpose and seize this great opportunity to impress upon every participating delegate, no matter the geographical, religious, or political background, that the present unitary model is not sustainable. Our federal model was distorted by the same people, some of whom are now holding forth at the Arewa Consultative Forum, crying about marginalization. At this point in time, every Nigerian wants a true federal system, where each component unit or region is imbued with attributes of a semi-autonomous entity, defined as a federating unit or region - a constituent of a whole – of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It's all about the decentralization of the national government. 

I would like to end this piece by quoting, once again, the great work of Professor Wole Soyinka in the concluding paragraph of the same essay referenced in the opening section of this piece. ”Nigeria has proved too large and inefficient for the centralized identification and management of such human skills and material resources, the centre has become self-aggrandizing, bloated, parasitic, and alienated. Now is the time to put into practice that ancient saying: Small is beautiful. We must return to the earlier days of creative rivalry that pronounces that vanishing past an interrupted project of promise, creativity, and productivity. Then, it may be possible for your generation to say contentedly, even while the harvest is still distant but the soil is cleanly prepared, the seeds implanted and germinating: Mission? Accomplished!”

03/25/2014