After all, Papa Awolowo was right
THE Federal Government dominates the centre of political power in Nigeria. Those who occupy the centre are the leviathans. Those at the state level are the Lilliputians, so to speak. This view is even reinforced by the activities of the state governors. There are some governors who live more in Abuja than in their state capitals.
In the classical understanding of federalism, as espoused by many thinkers, including our own Obafemi Awolowo’s Thoughts on the Nigerian Constitution, the states are supposed to be coordinate powers while the Federal Government is expected to be the coordinating powers. That was what we practised during the First Republic. That was what we were until the creation of states during the regime of General Murtala Muhammed in 1976.
Yet, the current Constitution, given to us by the benevolent dictatorship of General Abdulsalami Abubakar, may not have envisaged the breakdown in the practice of federalism, but it laid the foundation for it. Under the Constitution, the Federal Government controls those subjects listed on the Exclusive List.
The Federal Government shares responsibility with the state government for those subjects listed under the Concurrent List. All other subjects not listed either in the Exclusive or the Concurrent Lists are for the state to tackle. Therefore, the state still has a lot of space to manoeuvre. Yet in every part of Nigeria today, the Federal Government is perceived as the all- in- all that has a duty the duty to have answers to all questions.
The current leadership of the country, led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had spent a long time in opposition during the era of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), when it blamed the country’s woes on a bad Constitution. Now, most of those hitherto vociferous fellows have embraced the ideology of silence.
Yet there is no need to be silent at this period. What is expected is hard thinking to rescue the Constitution from the inaction of the governors and the lethargy of the population.
The Constitution needs to be re- written and reformed, but this can only be done when courage and sagacity are employed by those in control of Nigeria. It is the states that can lead the struggle. During the First Republic, only few people remember that the Federal Government headed by Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa- Balewa, was responsible for any function.
The old Western Region continued to exist in one form or the other until 1976 when it was split into Oyo, Ogun and Ondo states. Before the 1976 exercise by General Murtala Ramat Muhammed, the old West had been split into the MidWest in 1963 and then Lagos State in 1966. Both exercises were done for reasons beyond the love of the people of Western Region. Mid- West, the only region that was created constitutionally till date, was carved out of the old West to weaken the opposition Action Group Party led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo. In 1967, Lagos State was created as part of the new 12 states structure by General Yakubu Gowon as part of his grand strategy to scuttle the successionist state of Biafra.
Today, the territory once ruled by Awolowo and his successor, Chief Ladoke Akintola, as one entity with one government, is now split into eight: Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Osun and Oyo. Instead, one governor, we now have eight. Instead of one House of Assembly, we now have eight Houses of Assembly. Instead of one Commissioner for Agriculture, we now have eight commissioners for Agriculture.
The job that was done by one person has now become the responsibility of eight persons and there is no evidence that the eight persons are performing better than when it was done by one person. Indeed, there is the grand suspicion that they are performing worse.
Many Nigerians are again calling for the restructuring of the federation.
Chief Wole Olanipekun ( SAN), says that the current Constitution has created a monster in the Federal Government. He says it has even de- federalise the Judiciary. There are lots of viable disabilities in the present Constitution. However, I regard it as a starting point. We have a constitution. It is disabled. Let us start from there and recreate it.
In 1986, I was researching for my book, House of War, and met with Chief Adekunle Ajasin, the first elected Governor of old Ondo State, in his country home in Owo. He had just then been released from detention by the new General Ibrahim Babangida dictatorship. I was accompanied on the trip by my bosom friend, Bayode Ajala, who was then a teacher at Amoye Grammar School, Ikerre- Ekiti, and has now retired as a director of the National Population Commission.
I asked Papa Ajasin about the creation of Ondo State, which was originally just a province of the old Western Region. As a province, it was ruled by a Provincial Commissioner who was in the level of a deputy permanent secretary in the public service.
There were 19 divisions ( local government councils) in the old Western Region including four in the old Ondo Province: Owo, Ondo, Okitipupa and Ekiti.
In 1975, General Murtala Muhammed, appointed Honourable Justice Ayo Irikefe, to head a panel for the creation of new states out of the 12 created by Gowon. In the old West, there were a lot of movements among those who wanted new states.
In the old Ondo Provinces, the New State Movement was spearheaded by two men, Chief G. B Akinyede and High Chief Gabriel Akin- Deko, both of whom were estranged followers of Chief Awolowo.
Papa Ajasin said they did not get the nod from their leader to join the state movement. They finally forced Awo to call for a meeting of the Awoist Movement and those who wanted new states came in full force.
Awolowo reminded them that the original campaign was to put the Yoruba people in the Federation of Nigeria under one government. That was why the AG demanded at the London Constitutional Conference of 1958 that the Ilorin and Kabba provinces of the old Northern Region should be merged with the West. Now the leaders wanted the splitting of the West into more states.
“There is no scientific basis why one ethnic group should have more than one state,” said Awolowo. He called for a vote and he was roundly defeated.
“As a democrat, I accept your decision,” said Awolowo. “However, in 20 or 50 years’ time, you will know that you are wrong and I am right!”
I asked Papa Ajasin his opinion now that we have Ondo State.
“I think our leader was right.”
Those who are campaigning for the restructuring of the Federation now should think of a new future where action and activities would be domiciled in the states. Our future cannot be secured if we expect the man at the centre to be a magician who could solve all problems. That was not the intention of the Founding Fathers of Nigeria.
We need a new Constitution that would reflect the reality that the polity can no longer afford 37 governments in a country that once had only four governments. Papa Awolowo was right after all. We are learning the truth 48 years after.
c“Those who are ampaigning for the restructuring of the Federation now should think of a new future where action and activities would be domiciled in the states. Our future cannot be secured if we expect the man at the centre to be a magician who could solve all problems. That was not the intention of the Founding Fathers of Nigeria. We need a new Constitution that would reflect the reality that the polity can no longer afford 37 governments in a country that once had only four governments. Papa Awolowo was right after all. We are learning the truth 48 years after.