Restructuring: What is missing in the debate?

Like the word restructuring itself, the debate about it means different things to the different individuals, ethnic groups or regions that constitute Nigeria. To some, the debate is quite informative, worthwhile and intriguing, while to others it’s dull, empty of contents, noisome or even outrightly annoying. Unarguably however, one of the take away from the debate so far is the openly expressed claim of the existence of a real or perceived marginalization in the existing political structure of Nigeria and the desire to finding a lasting solution to it.

Proponents of the restructuring might have worked so hard in their own estimation to expect easy passage of the relevant bills before the National Assembly. The bills were meant to amend our 1999 Constitution to pave the way for the actualization of their dream. Hauling blames against the Northerners or anyone for the failure of those bills won’t help matters. This is because the stand of the legislators on the bills was expectedly informed by, amongst others, diverse interests, conscience, options, implications and other relevant information available to the members.

After all, if the restructuring is the only available panacea for ensuring the rapid development of all the sections of Nigeria, then why would the North or any regions stand against it? The truth is that something fundamental is missing in the debate; it is bereft of the required facts, figures and clarity, which is the main reason behind the opposition slammed against it in some quarters. To correct the situation and even move on to win more support for its actualization, the proponents of the restructuring should endeavour to prove their claims lucidly and devoid of threats, insults and hate speeches.

Demographics and landmass data could help to prove or disprove the claim of lopsidedness in the number of states created in each region of Nigeria. The same is applicable to LGA’s in each state of the country and appointments at the national level. Each state/local government could be gauged using set benchmarks to identify areas where the lopsidedness exists, if there is any at all, so that adjustments can be effected in the overall interest of justice, equity and fairness.

Consultation

Massive public enlightenment should be carried out nationwide to engage and educate the entire citizenry with a view to winning more acceptance and support for the proposal to scale through the hurdles. For instance, all Nigerians rightly deserve to know the contents of every bill well ahead of the time it will be laid before the National Assembly for passage.

The debate should not be pursued with rocket speed. Doing the contrary would only escalate the mutual distrust about it among the citizenry and hence make it more difficult to break the deadlock. Taking decisions on serious political matters that will inevitably affect the people both in the near and distant future require intensive study and consultation on the part of all and sundry, particularly our Legislators.

The North, which is by far the largest and most populated region of Nigeria, has a history of taking major political decision only when it is prepared and ready for it; when it has done sufficient consultations and arrangements for the tasks and challenges it would confront on account of taking the decision. It has demonstrated this stand during the agitation for Nigeria’s independence. Unless we refresh our memory of the pitfalls of rushing decision-making in our political history, and take all the necessary precautions that those lessons avail us as a nation, the issue of restructuring, and indeed many other serious political issues, will not be realized.

Double Standards

Setting double standards must be avoided in the debate. For instance, advocates of return to 1963 Constitution and Regionalism must not create more regions than the same constitution had provided for when it was in force. Furthermore, the yardstick for determining the ideal number of states and local governments that each region is entitled to have must be the same and applicable in all circumstances. Doing otherwise could create holes in the argument.

How do we reconcile the fact that some of our existing states are unviable with the agitation for creation of more states? State creation apart, where lies the main focus of the proposed restructuring between retrospection and futurism? Will Nigeria risk losing the benefits, lessons and prospects of political innovations, experimentation and modernization being the hallmarks of the latter? How will the restructuring benefit our quest for sincere national unity, cohesion and integration?

Self reliance

The Federal Government and the entire peoples of Nigeria have worked hard over the years to develop some key sectors of our economy, notably the oil sector and our past and present Federal Capitals (Lagos and Abuja). Replication of such collective efforts and feat in the other sections of our country will inevitably engender their self reliance, which in turn will surely weaken their resistance to the proposed restructuring of Nigeria.

Development Agenda

Concrete efforts must be made to convince everyone that the proposed restructuring is not a political warfare strategy meant to emasculate the economy of some sections of Nigeria. Genuine fears should be allayed. For instance, by ensuring that the desirable economic and infra structural preparation are put in place ahead of the full implementation of the restructuring. Specific policies, projects and programmes that must necessarily be done with urgency in all sections of the country should be identified to be executed with vigour by our respective governments. They should be incorporated into our National Development Agenda and Plans. This will put our governments, the custodians of our common patrimony, on their toes to ensure that they discharge their respective mandates with greater sense of urgency, commitment, prudence, transparency and accountability. These issues should be at the heart of the dialogue and bargaining process for the actualization of the dream

The elite

Some people have opined that the issue of the restructuring is driven largely by greed, referring to the selfish interests of some members of the political elite whom they accuse of recklessly rushing the process just to foster the quick attainment of their personal political and economic gains from it. Therefore, those who are pushing for the restructuring must make genuine efforts to disprove this claim and close the visible chances for the manipulation and misdirection of the process and their efforts.

Central government

The aim of the restructuring should not be to render the central government financially weak and vulnerable just to make it “unattractive to politicians”. Both the central government and the federating units deserve to have robust, steady and reliable sources of revenue to be able to effectively discharge their statutory mandates to the electorates.

Conclusion

The discourse about the restructuring has commenced but not without disharmony largely due to stark information deficit about its meaning, scope, perspectives, implications and implementation strategy. All these grey areas and the questions arising from there deserve and should be accorded prompt answers. The answers must be clearly defined, articulated, documented and disseminated to the citizens to foster their understanding of the subject and all the intricate issues involved. This way the discourse, negotiation and bargaining will be more meaningful and easier to achieve, possibly without any rancour.

Sufficient time should be allowed for the issues to be exhaustively deliberated upon in our public discourse. It is inappropriate to rush both the discourse, constitutional amendment and the actual implementation of the proposed restructuring in just one swoop. The restructuring will no doubt affect the entire citizenry either positively or otherwise. Therefore, everyone must be given ample opportunity and time to study it to be able to make well informed decision to either accept or reject it.

Jiya wrote this Lokoja, Kogi State piece from