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The Agitation And Clamoring For Restructuring Of Nigeria As Federation
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However, Anyaoku
insists on restructuring, saying there is need for true federalism, with
the existing six geo-political zones as the federating units. He
criticised the present structure of federalism “where virtually all the
component states are not self-sustaining and are dependent on hand-outs
from the Federal Government, because they are unable to pay the salaries
of their civil servants and the agreed minimum wageâ€.
It is the view
of analysts that different ethnic groups should agree on how to go
about restructuring the country. They argued that different positions
taken by the protagonists of restructuring have brought confusion into
the polity. They also cautioned against hard stance position and violent
posturing of those calling for restructuring, because it is capable of
sending wrong signals to the opposing side.
Legal luminary Malam
Yusuf Ali (SAN), said the call for restructuring has brought more
confusion into polity. He said Nigerians must agree on what they want to
restructure, rather than different zones or ethnic groups defining
restructuring the way it suits them.
In the view of Ali ,
restructuring meants different things to different ethnic groups or
zones. For instance, the Yoruba definition of restructuring is
regionalism and fiscal federalism and that the perception of Igbos on
restructuring is confederation, while the Southsouth is gunning for
economic self-determination through restructuring. He added: “Until
there is agreement among the ethnic groups in the country on how to
restructure Nigeria, we will not make progress; we will be over heating
the polity. Let’s agree on basic issues and stop creating confusion.â€
A
political scientist, Dr Friday Ibok, argued that without restructuring,
there will be no peace. He said the 2014 National Conference has set
the template for restructuring and that its resolutions, if implemented,
will douse the various agitations that is threatening the peace and
unity of the country.
Ibok noted that the conference recommended
devolution of powers to the states; establishment of state police,
rotational presidency between the north and the south and among the six
geo-political zones; the creation of 19 additional states with the
Southeast getting four more states
He regretted that the conference
failed to address the issue of derivation and resource control, which is
one of the issues fuelling the agitation for restructuring. He said the
contentious issue had been settled by the 1960 Independence and 1963
Republican constitutions, because the two constitutions specifically
provided that the federating units should control their economic
activities and finances, by keeping 50 per cent of all revenues and
contributing the remaining 50 per cent to the Federation Account.
A
Kaduna-based lawyer, Mahmoud Haroun, believes those behind the campaign
for restructuring are those who lost out in the last general elections.
He said they are seeking political relevance ahead of 2019. He said
restructuring is the buzz word of a section of the elite that feels that
it has been shut out of government, particularly at the federal level.
Haroun
said, to the frustrated politicians, restructuring means regional
autonomy or resource control. He added: “The driving force is that if
they cannot be accommodated at the federal level, they should be
in-charge at the regional level. They say the centre or Federal
Government is too powerful and that the way out is to return the
ownership of the resources to states or geo-political zones, which may
then pay taxes to run the government at the centre.
“Former Vice
President Atiku Abubakar has latched on to the so-called restructuring
debate; he has positioned himself as the lead discussant. Apparently,
the ongoing debate on restructuring needs a strong advocate in the north
and Atiku fits the bill. Atiku needs the restructuring debate, to keep
himself busy on the way to another shot at the Nigerian Presidency. Too
much politics has crept into the restructuring debate such that it has
now become a tool in the hands of those who have lost in the current
order and want to distract President Muhammadu Buhariâ€
Erubami is of
the view that what binds the poor people in the north, east and west
together is hunger and abject poverty. He said what can liberate the
poor is for them to identify their common enemies and replace them with
compassionate, courageous, committed and responsible leadership. He
added: “Right now there is nothing different, the same old, unserious
self-centred lots are clamouring for restructuring that cannot be said
to represent true mandate of the masses.â€
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