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Pragmatic Steps Towards Restructuring Nigeria October 1 2017 - FINAL PDF
Pragmatic Steps Towards Restructuring Nigeria October 1 2017 - FINAL PDF
Introduction
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given potential of the Nigerian people to surmount the present
challenges and build a great nation.
Let me begin this address with gratitude to God for the recovery and
return of our dear President Muhammadu Buhari. As I have done
privately, I once again congratulate Mr. President on this pleasant
climax to a trying period in his personal life and that of the nation.
Together with all well-meaning Nigerians, I pray for a continuous
supply of health, vitality and wisdom as he resumes his duties. Let me
also use this opportunity to commend the vice president, Prof. Yemi
Osinbajo, who, as Acting President, courageously held the fort and
steered the ship of state with grace and skill on behalf of his principal.
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Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, for making the most of
the constitution despite its flaws. This evident growth is a shimmer of
hope at a very sensitive period in which the destiny of the nation is at
stake.
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constitutional avenues for making peaceful change possible and violent
change inconceivable.
We can only keep hope alive by reminding ourselves that the National
Assembly has, in the past, risen to the occasion and intervened at crucial
moments such as this. From the decisive death blow dealt the third term
agenda of the then president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, by the 5th
National Assembly, to the doctrine of necessity invoked by the 6th
National Assembly, the 8th National Assembly has sufficient precedents
on how to act in the best interest of Nigeria. We believe that the
distinguished and honourable lawmakers will rise to the occasion and
work closely with the president to pilot Nigeria into stable and
prosperous nationhood.
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Against this backdrop, we shall now examine the latest buzzword in
Nigeria’s political lexicon with a view to distinguishing the noise from
the voice, separating the wheat from the chaff, and presenting practical
steps towards building a strong and stable nation.
Some years ago, the word “restructuring” was the exclusive lingo of pro-
democracy groups like the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO),
the Pro-National Conference Organisation (PRONACO), and The
Patriots. The leading individual voices in this call emerged mainly from
the southern part of the country, including the likes of Chief Rotimi
Williams, Chief Gani Fawehinmi and Chief Anthony Enahoro, all of
blessed memory. Others included the likes of Prof. Ben Nwabueze, Prof.
Wole Soyinka and Chief Emeka Anyaoku. However, in more recent
times, leaders from the northern part of the country have increasingly
lent their voices to this call. From former vice president, Alhaji Atiku
Abubakar, who has aired this opinion since around 20121, to a former
governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, and, most surprisingly,
former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babanginda, the call for
restructuring appears to be reaching a tipping point.
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government has, for a long time, been silent on the matter and has, very
often, drawn the attention of Nigerians back to the tripodal policy
agenda of President Buhari, namely, anti-corruption, security, and job
creation through diversification. However, after much evasion, the APC,
two months ago, eventually constituted a ten-member committee headed
by Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the current Governor of Kaduna State, to
address the increased agitations for restructuring.
Moreover, the hue and cry over President Buhari’s address to the nation
on August 21, 2017 suggests Mr. President is perceived by some
stakeholders as opposed to restructuring2. But, from my interactions with
the president in the past seven years as an advocate of a properly
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structured polity, I am convinced that this is not the case. Not only does
the president want agitations managed through appropriate constitutional
channels, he also wants a clarification of demands in concise terms, as
well as propositions on practical pathways towards achieving those
demands. That is the essence of this address and I believe that Mr.
President’s expectations are valid.
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of the North and the best of the South as an alternative to the then
incumbent administration, we also engaged the major candidates ahead
of the 2011 elections in search of commitment to the restructuring of the
nation, among other desirables.
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zones as federating units. In addition, we sponsored a Nigerian Charter
for National Reconciliation and Integration as the basis of our union as a
nation, as against Decree 24 of 1999 by which the current constitution
was promulgated.
Following heated debates, in the spirit of trustful give and take, the
conference adopted a modified presidential system that would harness
the separation of powers inherent in the presidential system, while
guaranteeing the needed cooperation between both arms of government
as intended in the parliamentary system of government. We
recommended the selection of the Vice President from the legislature
and advocated the institutionalization of the principle of zoning in the
Electoral Act. Furthermore, the Nigerian Charter for National
Reconciliation and Integration was unanimously adopted. This address
will use the propositions at the National Conference as a springboard but
will necessarily include bolder and more far-reaching recommendations
given the current state of the nation.
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restructuring, proposing “true federalism under Zonal Commissions as
well as fiscal federalism…”4
Rather than pay heed to the warnings, many of our politicians kept on
with their “business as usual” attitude that brought the nation very close
to the brink of disaster. Fortunately, by divine intervention through the
efforts of distinguished Nigerians, the international community, and
through a demonstration of statesmanship unprecedented in Nigeria’s
history, we scaled through the 2015 elections by a hair’s breadth.
Mindful of our narrow escape and the festering socio-political and
economic challenges, soon after the inauguration of this administration
in 2015, we submitted to Mr. President an extensive document that
called for a Presidential Commission for National Reconciliation,
Reintegration and Restructuring comprised of eminent Nigerians, and
guided by the Nigerian Charter for National Reconciliation and
Integration which was adopted by the 2014 National Conference.
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National Assembly by Mr. President and decided upon by the Nigerian
people through a referendum.
All our efforts have been inspired by our belief that, as a nation, we are
better off together and should find acceptable ways to stay together. We
are driven by an urgent responsibility to find, within the constitution,
pathways to a more perfect union. Having laid this background we shall
proceed to further simplify the seemingly complicated but, indeed,
simple concept of restructuring.
1. The Conservatives
2. The Economic Structure Reformists
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3. The Non-Structural Constitutional Reformists
4. The Political System Reformists
5. The Devolutionists
6. The State Creation Advocates
7. The Resource Control Activists
8. The Regional Federalists
9. The Regional Confederalists
10. The Secessionists
We shall now examine these positions and then proceed to present our
prescription on the way forward for Nigeria.
The Conservatives are generally satisfied with the systems and structures
of governance, current challenges notwithstanding. They generally hold
the view that attitudinal adjustments, not necessarily systemic or
structural changes, are required. This position is held by the likes of
former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo6, and Kano State Governor,
Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje7, who believe Nigerians need a “restructuring of
the mind.”
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The economic structure reformists frown at the focus on politics and
emphasize the need to restructure the systems and structures of
economic governance, in order to diversify from an oil-based economy,
reduce the size and bureaucracy of government, and loosen
government’s grip on the economy through the privatization of key
sectors while the government simply plays a facilitatory role. Proponents
include policy and economic experts like my friend and sister, Dr. Oby
Ezekwesili, who has said: “We need economic governance as the basis
for any political grouping the country may need 8”, or, in the words of
James Carville, chief strategist for the Bill Clinton campaign in 1992:
“It’s the economy, stupid.”
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Category #4: The Political System Reformists
These are multi-state federalists making a case for ceding more powers
to the federating units even if such units are the current 36 states. Many
of the current advocates of restructuring, including former vice
president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, belong to this school of thought. The
devolutionists envisage a constitution with a leaner exclusive legislative
list, a more robust concurrent list, and a workable residual list. Also on
the agenda of the devolutionists is the review of the revenue sharing
formula in favour of the states and local governments.
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for equitable allocation of resources to the respective regions from the
centre, including the leaders of the South-East calling for one more state
so each region would have six states apiece except the North-West,
which has seven. The Middle Belt states seeking regional autonomy
from the North-Central also fall into this category. They recognize that,
given the current revenue allocation system, the more states a region has,
the more allocation goes to that region or geopolitical zone. Other
advocates of state creation are motivated by the need to give
geographical expression to ethnic identities.
The Regional Federalists argue not only that the current system falls
short of true federalism, as the devolutionists point out, but also that the
vast majority of the current 36 states are not viable. Recent reports
indicate that Lagos State, where the commercial activities of Nigeria are
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concentrated, generates more internal revenue than 32 states combined9.
This school of thought therefore makes a case for the integration of
states along geopolitical zonal lines to create economies of scale. A
number of options have been thrown up as to possible number of zones
but the six geopolitical zonal formula featuring the North-West, North-
Central, North-East, South-West, South-South and South-East, has been
the most advocated. Proponents envisage a strong central government
catering for matters like defence, foreign affairs and monetary
management, with six strong zonal federating units having concurrent
legislative powers in such matters as policing, mineral resource
management, electricity generation, and transportation. Groups such as
Afenifere are inclined in this direction, taking a cue from the 1963
Constitution.
These are those calling for Biafra Republic, Oduduwa Republic, Arewa
Republic, Ijaw Republic, Ogoni Republic and so on. This is because
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sectional identities have survived independence and are still reflected in
our social interactions and intensified by perceptions of marginalization.
Decades after the civil war, we are yet to forge true nationhood and
Nigerians still tend to think of themselves as Yorubas, Igbos, Hausas,
Fulanis, Kanuris, Tivs, Idomas, Nupes, Ijaws, Edos, Urhobos, and so on,
within the Nigerian state.
Some of the ongoing calls for restructuring are motivated by the aim of
finding geographical expressions for these sociocultural identities.
Although we can compel statehood by show of force, we cannot force
true nationhood into existence. Relationship cannot be legislated; it can
only be cultivated. Nationhood can be built only through good and
equitable governance.
However, these negotiations must be handled with decorum and all the
sensitivity required so that the Rehoboams in the polity do not play into
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the hands of the Jeroboams and push the nation from bad to worse as it
happened to Israel of old (I Kings 12:1-24 & 14:1-11, 14).
As for those calling for secession, they should bear in mind the fact that,
before the creation of the Nigerian state, there was no Yoruba nation,
there was no Igbo nation, there was no Hausa nation, neither was there
an Ijaw nation. We must not be misled by nostalgia for a spurious
harmonious past or the myth of homogenous ethnic groups that is far
removed from reality. The area around the Niger was marked with
unrest, continuous intergroup conflict, subjugation, enslavement and
oppression of the weaker by the stronger until Nigeria provided the
possibility for peaceful coexistence. For this, we must appreciate the
Nigerian state, we must celebrate our Nigerian-ness and we must
gravitate towards strengthening our nationhood rather than cursing our
blessing.
Be that as it may, there is no doubt that the current structure cannot hold
the greatness that awaits the nation but could hinder it. The demand,
however, should not be for secession. The question should be: How best
do we organize ourselves for equitable, peaceful and productive
coexistence? This takes me to our position on the pathway to a stable
and prosperous Nigeria.
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Pathway to a New Nigeria
For those who care to know where I stand in all this, I am an advocate of
progressive and pragmatic restructuring; progressive because ours is a
long-term approach, and pragmatic because the interests of every
segment of the country are taken into consideration. It is to this end that
we reiterate, and even expand the scope of, our call for the creation of a
Presidential Commission for National Reconciliation, Reintegration and
Restructuring by the president through an executive order, in full
consultation with the Council of State and the National Assembly.
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shall undertake a geoeconomic and geosocial path to geopolitical
restructuring by creating geoeconomic frameworks, mending geosocial
faultlines, and attaining a geopolitical climax.
The six geopolitical zones not only roughly reflect six sociocultural
zones but also mirror six geoeconomic zones that can be deliberately
cultivated over a period of about ten years within which political
structures can be designed. The ten-year window is meant to cater for
the concerns of parts of the country where the notion of restructuring is
opposed due to perceived economic disadvantages. Within the ten-year
period, the six zones would have been aided to develop areas of
comparative advantage. Therefore, in the interest of sustainable
economic development over the next ten years, we propose the
following seven-point agenda:
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a zonal arrangement. To facilitate this, we propose the creation of
6 zonal commissions to be headed by zonal commissioners
appointed from each zone, to work with the 36 state governors to
facilitate integration. The zonal commissioners will be charged
with a mandate to map out the economic potential of each zone,
design or update, as the case may be, a zonal economic master
plan, and coordinate federal and state efforts towards transitioning
into zonal economies within ten years, thereby harnessing the
comparative resources of each zone to achieve globally
competitive economies of scale and scope;
b. Instituting a social bond to fund the transition to zonal economies,
thereby attracting local and international investments to the
possibilities of vibrant zonal economic clusters;
c. Within the financing framework, instituting a 5-part Transitional
Zonal Economic Fund focused on key sectors with unique
expressions in each of the six geopolitical zones, including
extractive minerals, agriculture, industrialization, creative and
cultural development, and human capacity development;
d. A progressive increase in percentage of funds from mineral
extraction accruing to the state from which it originates such that,
by the tenth year, either by derivation or by partial resource
control, subject to constitutional provisions, 50% of revenue will
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be returned to or retained in the zone of origin as it was at
independence and in the First Republic;
e. Consequently, a progressive shrinking of the distributable pool
account over ten years based on recommendations by the Revenue
Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission in line with the
restructuring thrust;
f. Aside the Transitional Zonal Economic Fund, the creation of a
special Internally Generated Revenue Grant aimed at rewarding the
efforts of the states in each zone at generating internal revenue as
against compensating non-viable states for economic laziness. This
grant will be in the form of counterpart funding;
g. The national infrastructural development thrust will thus be
managed by the federal government in conjunction with the Zonal
Commissions and the state governments towards ensuring
seamless linkage.
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components of our nation into united nationhood. The details of this
component are beyond the scope of this address but are contained in the
framework for a Presidential Commission for National Reconciliation,
Reintegration and Restructuring.
Sustainability
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The proposed ten-year transitional window is expected to kick in from
2018 to 2028. I understand that this translates to the administrations of at
least two, or at most four, presidents spanning three election cycles.
Therefore, if the policy is flagged off by the current administration, there
is the clear danger of policy discontinuity unless the process is
institutionalized. However, the 1976 Abuja Master Plan offers an
example of collaboration and continuity spanning fifteen years and five
administrations.
In the early 1970s, the Nigerian government began to mull the idea of
relocating the federal capital from Lagos. It felt that the capital had
become congested in terms of population and available land. It sought a
new capital that would be sited in the centre of the country, thus
providing a surer guarantee of security and ensuring a more balanced
representation of the country’s ethnic and religious diversity.
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The fact that such policy consistency occurred during Nigeria’s unstable
political history, characterized by successive military takeovers and a
truncated democracy, shows that the right dose of political will can
sustain a policy when the need is universally appreciated. Therefore,
the following points should be noted in the quest for sustainability.
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and the Treasury Single Account (TSA) which were enacted by the
preceding administration but are being implemented by the current
government.
Conclusion
I believe that as we adopt these proposals and take these steps towards
building a new nation, we will see breathtaking economic miracles. With
the world transiting from crude oil, the northern zonal economies will
become hubs of sustainable energy harnessing solar power and biomass
while deploying solid minerals like lithium in the emerging electric
automobile industry. Meanwhile, the southern zones will harness the
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huge gas reserves while optimizing the vast coastal waters for wind
turbines.
By the grace of the Living God, who calls those things that be not as
though they are, and according to the proportion of my faith in Him who
cannot lie, I call forth today, the 1st of October, 2017, the New North and
the New South to come together to the table of brotherhood and
negotiate the destiny of a New Nigeria with mutual respect and trustful
give and take void of mutual suspicion.
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time has come.” (Victor Hugo). For, in the words of President Theodore
Roosevelt, “The government is us; we are the government, you and I.”
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless our country, Nigeria.
1 Umoru, Henry. “There’s need to review structure of Nigerian federation – Atiku.” Vanguard. September 18, 2012.
Accessed September 20, 2017. https://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/09/theres-need-to-review-structure-of-nigerian-
federation-atiku/
2 Ogunmade, Omololu. “Buhari Passes the Buck on Restructuring to National Assembly, Council of State.”
http://saharareporters.com/2011/03/19/buhari-cpc-and-political-liberalism
4 Bakare, Tunde. “The Gathering Storm & Avoidable Shipwreck: How To Avoid Catastrophic Euroclydon.” Tunde
restructuring – Obasanjo.” Punch. August 27, 2017. Accessed September 19, 2017. http://punchng.com/why-im-
against-restructuring-obasanjo/
7 Oyelere, Kola. “Nigerians need mind, not geographical restructuring – Ganduje.” Nigerian Tribune. August 22,
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/06/igr-36-states-generate-n682bn/
10Okonji, Emma. “Adeosun: Nigerian Economy Not Structured to Meet Demographic Needs.” ThisDay. September
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