RESTRUCTURING THE NIGERIA STATE

Over the years, there have been call and several calls on the need for the restructuring of the Nigeria State with the latest one coming from the mouth of erstwhile Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. In his words:

“Some may say that we are saddled with more urgent challenges, including rebuilding our battered economy, creating jobs, fighting corruption and securing our people from terrorism and other forms of serious crimes. I believe, however, that addressing the flaws in our federation will help us address some of those very economic and security challenges facing this country. Making that mistake might set us on the path of losing the country we love or, as Chido Onumah puts it, result in our ‘country sleepwalking to disaster."

He further stated: “An excessively powerful centre does not equate national unity. If anything, it has made our unity more fragile, our government more unstable and our country more unsafe . We must renegotiate our union in order to make it stronger. Greater autonomy, power and resources for states and local authorities will give the federating units greater freedom and flexibility to address local issues, priorities and peculiarities. “ It will help to unleash our people’s creative energies and spur more development. It will reduce the premium placed on capturing power at the centre. It will help with improving security. It will promote healthy rivalries among the federating units and local authorities. It will help make us richer and stronger as a nation.”

This latest call has been met with mixed feelings. While some see it as a reaction to the expediency of the moment, some others see as another political statement meant to position the erstwhile Vice President for the 2019 election. 

Whatever camp one belongs to, one thing is certain that Nigeria State needs complete overhauling both structurally and economically and how we go about will go a long way to determine our continuous existence now and in the future. 

Essentially, considering the continuous agitations from left and right side of the country, one thing is glaring clear that paying of attention to the call for the restructuring and re-organization of the Nigeria State is a timely one that must be adhered to before this House falls on us all.

It however needs to be stated that mere restructuring of the Nigeria State in terms of greater autonomy to the regions that made up the country will not stop the agitations and protests without commitment on the part of the elites to make development a priority; though it is capable of helping to hold leaders at regional level more accountable.

It is in this regard, I want to align with a school of thought which says what Nigeria needs is development, a country where they can call their own with limitless opportunities and that call for regionalism and sectionalism are mere political rants and ploy by political jobbers and usurpers to manipulate and exploit innocent youths and populace. 

This becomes more understandable when we put into consideration the ravaging penury that pervades the nooks and crannies of the Nigeria State. All over Nigeria, there is array of unemployed youths. Hungers and penury is everywhere, so what the average Nigerian needs is  development that is reflected in their material well being. 

Essentially, we want lights in our homes, water in our pipes, better health facility, affordable  qualitative education, good roads to ply our cars, and security of our lives and properties based on the principle of equity and justice.

God bless my fatherland! God bless Nigeria!!