President Muhammadu Buhari |
Different
persons from diverse backgrounds have repeated the call for the nation to
return to the true federal structure that governed Nigeria in the early years
of nationhood. The following points, which were once made by the newspaper are
worthy of reiteration.
Right
from 1999 when the current democratic government was inaugurated, it was clear
that the terms of the federation would have to be properly and vigorously
re-negotiated. All the indices of an unjust federal system were there.
Disenchantment followed, expressed through violence and even statements by
different opinion leaders. The reason for this is not far-fetched.
Nearly
60 years after independence, the federating states which ought to be the
constituent units of the federation still go cap in hand to Abuja monthly for
economic handouts. They all largely depend on a mono-product economy, crude oil
sales, with which nature has endowed the nation. This product is located mainly
in the Niger Delta and the other states have left their natural endowments
untapped. The result is that once oil sales suffer a hiccup in the
international market, all the states fail to meet their obligations to the
people.
The
situation is made worse by the sad fact that crude oil is extracted from the
soil and sold to other entities who add value to it and re-sell same to Nigeria
at great cost. Thus, an oil-bearing nation like Nigeria still imports refined
products for its daily operations. The oil refineries in the country have
failed to meet the needs of the people and government. If anything they are
operated with the highest level of unethical and scandalous business practices.
In
consequence, the other states in the federation have not developed the natural
resources which they have. They have also not explored other money-spinning
opportunities which economies of scale could give them. They have become lazy,
indolent and pathologically dependent on the Federal Government to meet simple
and basic obligations. Across the country, states are indebted to local government
employees. Some are in arrears of one year and above.
Time
was when the constituent parts of the federation, the three and later four
regions, (Northern, Eastern, Western and Mid-Western) built solid economies on
agricultural produce and other services that sustained their wellbeing and that
of the Federal Government. The politicians of those halcyon days, especially Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo,
Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Dr. Michael Okpara, all worked for the stability of their regions.
They pursued programmes and projects that were people-oriented. Their political
parties had their manifestoes that were unique to their avowed goals and
dreams. Under a restructured political framework Nigeria could return to the
stability of those days.
The
attention of those who oppose the idea of restructuring the federation needs to
be drawn to the fact that there is nothing to fear. Restructuring ought to be
embraced as a legitimate and constructive way to diffuse the perpetual
political and economic tensions that have become perennial in the land. Indeed,
if anybody wants a stronger and dynamic Nigeria, the way to go is fiscal
federalism. By this, as recommended by the 2014 National Confab, all states
would ultimately become hubs of development. Through a gradual but sure process
all vestiges of the unitary system (an inheritance from the Command and Control
structure of the military) would be done away with.
Let
the process begin. The report of the 2014 National Confab should be resurrected
from the archives where the Buhari administration seems to have consigned it.
The Federal Government should concentrate on Defence, Currency, and Foreign
Affairs. The creation, operation and management of local governments should be
left to the states. The Federal Government has no business constructing roads
in the states. Apart from broad legislation, education and health matters
should be left to the states as well. If Nigeria does this, the bloated Federal
Civil Service which gulps billions in form of wages and services would be a
thing of the past. The national budget should be re-visited and re-designed
with more monies going to the states and local governments.
Policing
is essentially a states’ affair. The Inspector General of Police cannot pretend
that the current system of crime prevention and detection is working. State
Police is inevitable. Ultimately, the false allure of Abuja will give way to
vibrant states developing at their own pace.
Finally,
the 1999 Federal Constitution is federal only in name. In practice, it is
unitary. A national conference which was adjudged successful and which had
broad and effective national representation freely reviewed the constitution
and came out with far-reaching recommendations on the path to true federalism.
It is
incumbent on this Federal Government that won elections on the promise of
change to effectively bring that change about by implementing the
recommendations in the report of that 2014 National Conference. (Guardian)
Hmmm!!!
Folks, have you ever imagined how the financial status of your firm will be
when more than 20,000 CEOs and other key decision makers of blue-chip
corporations pay for your products and services or even give you very juicy
deals. The link below will tell you more: http://www.tectono-business.com/2015/07/tectono-business-review-in-conjunction_21.html
Have
you heard this? Many Nigerian exporters have been defrauded of huge amount of
money in the process of exporting commodities to foreign countries. Do you know
why? They were not trained on export operations, management, documentations and
the best methods of payment in export trade. This is terrible!!! Nigerians
cannot continue to lose money to foreigners in the course of export business.
Exporters, why don’t you get a practical manual that teaches the stages of
export trade from processing and packaging of commodities to receipt of payment
by the foreign buyers. It teaches export operations, export management, export
documentations and methods of payment in export trade? It is a contemporary
step-by-step guide to export trade. It tells all the contemporary dynamics in
export trade. To get it, click on the link below:
No comments:
Post a Comment