Senator Abe: Time to unbundle
Nigeria
A lorry cannot fly, for the
simple reason that it is not
designed to fly. In the same
vein the Nigeria federation
cannot succeed as a
productive nation because it is
not designed to produce
When an organisation becomes
unwieldy, inefficient, corrupt,
wasteful and incapable of
delivering on its mandate or
bringing value to its stakeholders,
one of the accepted solutions is to
unbundle it. That would mean the
creation of smaller, more efficient
organizations with greater
efficiencies of scale. It would also
imply specializations in the
different organizations so that one
mammoth entity is not saddled
with the responsibility of doing
everything.
In Nigeria, we are already applying
the unbundling principle to some
of our public corporations: the
Power Holding Company of Nigeria
(PHCN) is being unbundled, the
Nigeria National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) is facing the
same fate in the Petroleum Industry
Bill (PIB). However, the entity that
is most in need of unbundling is the
Nigerian Federation. It is more
unwieldy than NNPC, more
inefficient than PHCN and more
corrupt than both put together.
The Nigerian federation is not
working and cannot work in its
present form because we have a
sharing federation. A lorry cannot
fly, for the simple reason that it is
not designed to fly. In the same
vein the Nigeria federation cannot
succeed as a productive nation
because it is not designed to
produce. Nigeria needs to be
unbundled to create a productive
federation where all parts can
produce and contribute not equally
but in equal strength.
The argument has been made that
the present structure of Nigeria was
necessary to curb the strength of
the regions, and ensure the stability
of the country. The result has been
an overkill. We now have states
that are clearly incapable of
meeting even the elementary
requirements of organised modern
government, and not to mention
preparing its citizens to compete in
the global economy. Every
federation succeeds on the
strength of its federating units, to
create a federation where the
federating states have no capacity,
authority or freedom to deliver is a
tragedy.
We must never make the mistake
of thinking that Nigeria is more
important than its citizens; the
future of Nigeria as a united
country is meaningless and
unachievable except it guarantees
the safety, security and prosperity
of its people.
The problem is that the federation
in its present structure is designed
as a sharing unit. Every action and
evaluation in the federation is
guided by the philosophy of
sharing. As a sharing structure
Nigeria has actually performed
well. Nigeria has 36 states and a
federal capital territory, 774 local
government areas, hundreds of
useless federal and state ministries,
agencies, committees, parastatals,
commissions etc. spread across the
land. All these bodies are in a fierce
competition to draw resources from
one source. The nature of this
competition is responsible for the
rot that is Nigeria, it promotes
deceit, that is why we lie about
every thing from our census to
school enrollment figures. It
promotes disunity; that is why our
country cannot be united.
In other to justify their share or
demand for a greater share,
politicians and other leaders are
compelled to exploit differences
between peoples to demand for an
increase in the allocation of
resources or positions. All offices
are calculated in the sharing
arrangement, and must be used to
the advantage of whatever interest
was able to capture them.
“Juicy’ offices are regarded as
another legitimate way of sharing
the national cake. Nobody can be
successfully punished for
corruption in this sharing structure
because the idea of eradicating
corruption is a parody in a sharing
federation. People are appointed
primarily to “take”, “collect”, or
“settle” themselves, and “carry
along’ their people, or interest
group. Corruption in office begins
from the day of appointment, when
the villagers abandon their farms to
celebrate their good fortune.
The most important tool in the fight
against corruption is the
disapproval and opprobrium of the
society and your peers. We will
never get that in our sharing
federation because every means
that you employ in getting
something out of the system will
meet the approval of your
community and your peers who are
similarly engaged, in an equally
desperate quest for any advantage
in getting a share of the national
cake.
The sad reality of our situation is
that the population has clearly
overtaken the entirety of available
resources, and everything is now
stretched to breaking point.
This is the end of the road.
Everything that can be shared has
been zoned and shared. With
nothing left to share, and the vast
majority of our population still
mired in hunger, poverty, illiteracy
or half- baked education,
unemployment, and anger, our
natural reaction is to believe that
the reason for this is because there
are corrupt leaders in charge who
are not sharing things equitably
enough, or that if we have our own
state or local government, we will
be able to get our share. The sad
truth is that the poverty index in
Nigeria in 1974, when we had 12
states was less than 40 percent,
today with 36 states poverty is up
by more than 70 percent. More
unproductive states may deliver a
few more dual carriage ways, loads
of government houses,
commissioners quarters, federal
secretariats and other ill
maintained structures of
government presence but it has
clearly not delivered on the
promise of a better life and greater
opportunities for the broad
majority of our citizens.
Solution? Let us unbundle Nigeria,
let us restructure the country to
create more efficient units in the
states with true freedom and the
resources to mobilise their people
and plan for the future. We will
then have a federal government
that will be smaller, more efficient
and more effective in its more
limited functions as a regulator and
enforcer. Taking more resources to
the states creates an immediate
advantage. Contrary to the fears
being expressed in non-oil
producing states, unbundling will
not affect current revenue profiles,
on the contrary, all states will get
more from our oil revenues
because along with the transfer of
several federal functions to states
will also come a massive reduction
in the federal share.
But more important than money, is
that the state will actually be given
freedom to plan. If you then choose
to lie about your population, it will
be your choice, if you prefer to
have a hundred local governments
it will be your choice, if you elect to
pay what the federal government
pays its civil servants it will be your
choice. States can actually
determine their own priorities,
compete, learn and cooperate with
one another.
States should run their own
criminal justice system, build and
operate their own prisons, airports
etc. States should determine their
own system of local government
administration, accredit and brand
their own education, health, and
legal systems, and also license their
own practitioners. The federal
government will remain the
guarantor of our common freedoms
ensuring that no state is allowed to
discriminate against any Nigerian
within the republic. Maintaining our
common defence, providing a more
effective federal police that is
respected as an unbiased umpire in
disputes between states and within
states as it affects the fundamental
rights of citizens under the federal
constitution.
In such a federation, states will get
oil revenue, but they will realise
that they either utilize every kobo
prudently and productively or they
will be left behind. In this race no
one will stand still once the starting
short is fired. This competition and
freedom will convert our sharing
federation into a productive
federation that will bring out all
the hidden strengths and
advantages in every part and every
individual. It will unleash the full
energy of our sleeping giant.
The greatest argument against
giving power to the states is that it
will make the governors too
powerful. The governors already
have power, what this change will
do will be to give them real
responsibility, and transfer to them
the actual burden of governance. It
will humble the governors. The size
of your allocation will cease to
count and the number of your civil
servants will cease to matter. What
will count is the quality of life
under your watch. To crown it, let
us give every chief executive one
single term of five years. Do your
best or do your worst and step
aside so that Nigeria can keep
moving. I rest my case.
This article was first published in
ThisDay.
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About the author: Senator Abe
represents the Rivers South East
Senatorial District in the National
Assembly.

Every good write up I totally agree with senator Abe