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After a slow start characterized by series of policy somersaults, the current government has created laudable medium term plans for socioeconomic growth and recovery. However, it is yet to demonstrate the audacity and courage required to address the foundations of the Nigerian problem, a critical factor that will determine the success or failure of the government and its plans at the end of the day. That factor is the restructuring of our nation.

The Fundamental Flaw in our Federal System

The hues and cries for restructuring in our nation appear not to have been well received by this present government. The inquisitive may ask: “Why must we restructure?” We must restructure to correct the flaws in our federal system.

A federated state is defined as “a territorial and constitutional community forming part of a federal union.”

In a true federal system, previously sovereign states agree to confer their individual sovereignties on a central government. In other words, the states create the federal government, as was the case with the original thirteen American colonies. This was also the case when the Nigerian federal system was originally conceived by our founding fathers.

Prior to the coming of the colonialists, sovereignty was domiciled in empires, kingdoms, city-states and republican villages. It was, however, taken over by the colonialists at which point it resided in the British Crown.

At Independence, as negotiations for the framework of a new sovereign entity took place, sovereignty had taken another geopolitical form – regional. It was these regional units that had agreed to federate at the London Conference which led to the Lyttletton Constitution of 1954.

Our founding fathers agreed that Nigeria would be “a truly federal state with limited and specific powers allocated to the federal government and residual powers inherent in the regional governments.”

This agreement was the social contract upon which the Nigerian state was formed, but this social contract was broken on May 24, 1966 through the Unification Decree by Gen. J.T.U. Aguiyi-Ironsi’s administration. That was the day Nigeria died. Five decades later, in spite of the reversal of the Unification Decree by Gen. Yakubu Gowon’s administration resulting in the division of Nigeria into twelve states, this deviation from the landmarks set by the fathers is a crucial reason for our disjointed nationhood and the perennial socioeconomic decay. It is why efforts at economic diversification by government after government, including the present government, have failed to yield the expected results. It is what has led to the infrastructural decay. It is why we run bloated governments that hitherto spend over 70% of annual budgets on recurrent expenditure.

The Imperatives of Restructuring

To understand why we must restructure, let us take a quick look, for example, at the administration of education in Nigeria. At Independence, the entire Northern Region, which comprised the current nineteen northern states, had one Ministry of Education headed by one Minister. The entire Western Region, which comprised the current six states in the South West and roughly two states in the South South, had one Ministry of Education headed by one Minister. The entire Eastern Region which comprised roughly five states in the current South East and four states in the current South South had one Ministry of Education with one Minister.

Therefore, there were only three Ministries of Education headed by three Ministers in the entire country and they were responsible for the rapid educational advancement that took place in that era as the regions competed through such policies as free education to achieve socioeconomic development.

Today, we have thirty-six Ministries and thirty-six Commissioners for Education which, together with the Federal Ministry of Education, consume a huge chunk of the limited education budget through recurrent expenditure. This is a very huge drainpipe in our economy. It ranks pari-passu with the cancer of corruption in hampering our growth and development
as a nation. Imagine how much we could save with six efficient and effective ministries in education and other relevant socioeconomic sectors in six geopolitical zones.

Restructuring Made Easy

For those who still question the need for restructuring, I have for you a simple analogy that may cause you to have a rethink. For sixteen years, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was the governing party in Nigeria. For about twelve years, as individual parties, the so-called opposition parties tried unsuccessfully to wrest power from the PDP. In 2003, the Action Congress (AC), dominant in the South West, the All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP), dominant in parts of the North, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), dominant in the South East, presented individual candidates for federal elections, particularly the presidential elections, and were overwhelmed by the PDP. The same scenario played out in 2007 despite the change in name by the Action Congress to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). In 2011, three parties, ACN, ANPP and a new party, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), once again individually took on the PDP and were beaten as before by the power of incumbency.

However, in 2015, following the merger of these major opposition parties to form the All Progressives Congress (APC), the PDP was finally defeated and today, we have an APC-led government in power. Fellow Nigerians, this is a prime example of leveraging on relative strengths. As with those small preceding political parties, our 36 states, most of which generate insignificant internal revenue, are not viable enough to overcome our economic challenges and facilitate accelerated economic growth.

These thirty-six states, overwhelmingly sustained by 24 allocations from Abuja, cannot guarantee functional infrastructure such as world class roads, railways, airports, housing and urban development. These thirty-six states, largely unable to pay workers’ salaries, cannot guarantee standard educational and healthcare systems, or facilitate rural development.

These thirty-six states should, in fact, become districts headed by Mayors within the framework of six geopolitical zones, because they will be stronger and more productive within a zonal structure. As zonal structures, they can pool resources to build transportation infrastructure; as zonal structures, they will empower local governments to bring effective governance directly to the people. As zonal structures, they will efficiently coordinate socioeconomic policies for the benefit of every Nigerian – every Nigerian like Mama Blessing, whose petty trading business will be expanded and transformed by vibrant regional agricultural and transportation policies; every Nigerian like Mazi Kelechi, whose electronics business can have a globally competitive made-in-Nigeria supply from regionally backed industrial clusters; every Nigerian now just selling suya who can build a whole range of businesses around hides and skins sourced from regionally coordinated ranching systems; every Nigerian like Baba Bukky, who will no longer rely on generating sets for power supply due to regional coordination of multimodal resources for efficient power generation, transmission and distribution.

The Search for a Well-Structured State On the question of how restructuring will be done, let me state that we have had engagements with this government, as well as with the preceding administration under President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in which strategies and documents were put forward towards restructuring. One of these proposals called for a Presidential Commission for National Reconciliation, Reintegration and Restructuring guided by, among other frameworks, the 2014 National Conference.

I do not have the time to delve into the specifics of that Commission in this address, but I must state that I am inclined to a zonally structured governance system due to the reasons I earlier alluded to.

However, in the spirit of trustful give and take, let all the proposals be brought to the table. Inasmuch as it is in the interest of
our nation, whatever governmental structure results from the process, a people deserve the right to determine the structural and functional parameters of governance in their nation. Let the Nigerian people decide. From the United Kingdom’s European Union membership referendum, to the constitutional plebiscite in Italy, we have seen examples of how this is done.

The notion that the Nigerian nation is non-negotiable will remain contested through agitations, until we summon enough courage to put it to the test, and prove, through the outcome, that we are indeed prepared to become a truly united nation. 26 Conclusion During the presentation of the 2017 budget, President Muhammadu Buhari rightly observed that the current economic situation also provides a climate of great opportunity.

Truly, in the words of Allan K. Chalmers, “crises refine life. In them we discover who we are”, and, as declared by Jawharlal Nehru: “Crises and deadlocks have one advantage: they force us to think.” AND THINK WE MUST! As individual citizens, we must be accurately positioned to harness these opportunities. Prayer has its place but God will not come down to solve problems He has already equipped us to solve. He is looking for patriots who will become responsible for their families, for their communities, for their organizations, for their nation, for the continent and for the world. He calls everyone, irrespective of religious, ethnic, gender or other distinctions, and such people of destiny must receive God’s visions for their environment, articulate and communicate those visions plainly and galvanize others to run along with them, knowing that the Giver of vision is the God of All Sufficiency who will make provision for the vision.

For us at The Latter Rain Assembly, we have accepted responsibility for our nation and that is why we do what we do. As watchmen over our nation, we are propelled by our God-given vision of the New Nigeria, a nation on a journey to oneness and greatness; a journey the nation of 2 Israel embarked upon. Israel began as twelve tribes and then transited to two kingdoms, the Kingdom of the North and the Kingdom of the South. Eventually, the two kingdoms became one nation with David as king over them.

In like manner, we seek Nigeria’s transition from 36 states to 6 geopolitical zones that will become harbingers of a united nation led by patriotic and selfless leaders. The current government, under President Muhammadu Buhari, has the opportunity to provide such leadership by being at the forefront of the quest for change. Guided by the indicators of good governance in a well structured state, and propelled by a true unifying national vision, Mr. President and his team must summon the courage to make hard choices, especially the choice to restructure and the choice to embrace the necessary self-sacrifice that precedes economic recovery. May 29 this year will mark two full years of this administration in government. We have no more time to waste. Mr. President must galvanize his team to get the job done; square pegs in round holes must be removed or put in appropriate places; the wicked who surround the righteous must be led away from the presence of the king.

Those who cannot stand the heat must get out of the kitchen. It is time to demonstrate leadership, wise judgment and astute public policy that guarantees stable and prosperous nationhood upon a foundation of peace; it is time to build a well-ordered nation with strong institutions dispensing justice; it is time to arise with patriotic zeal to build a great nation such that, years from now, generations yet unborn will look back at their history, not with disdain, but with gratitude to God that our generation preceded theirs.

May 2017 be the year we look into the future with the eyes of faith and take steps to accomplish all that we know is possible.

Thank you for listening; God bless you, and God bless Nigeria.

Pastor ‘Tunde Bakare Serving Overseer, The Latter Rain Assembly; Convener, Save Nigeria Group (SNG)

Well digested and makes more sense even to a layman...


never knew we have people at the top who still have their head fixed on good governance till now...

WE NEED IT SERIOUSLY

south west man is now on the throne, they now want to restructure.... trust them at ur own peril

Where has he been since......Everyone will start talking now before PMB comes back

WE NEED IT SERIOUSLY


Long overdue.

CROWNWEALTH019:
south west man is now on the throne, they now want to restructure.... trust them at ur own peril

He actually gave this lecture before Buhari travelled. He has always been an advocate of restructuring.

See
http://punchng.com/fulltext-nigeria-restructured-pastor-bakare/
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/01/tunde-bakare-joins-calls-restructuring-nigerias-federal-system-2/

TrueSenator:
Where has he been since......Everyone will start talking now before PMB comes back

Take the message and ignore the messenger.

Not in this age..... the quality of the message also depends on the quality of the messenger..... That's why you employ the best if you need the best

restructure:


Take the message and ignore the messenger.

TrueSenator:
Not in this age..... the quality of the message also depends on the quality of the messenger..... That's why you employ the best if you need the best

True, no doubt but we can't afford to lose the substance of the message because of the frailties of the messenger.

You speak like an Elder which is Wisdom. I understand your focus and appreciate your perspective too, but a spade is a spade

However, I give the benefit of doubt in this context.....thanks for acting wisely.

restructure:

True, no doubt but we can't afford to lose the substance of the message because of the frailties of the messenger.

TrueSenator:
You speak like an Elder which is Wisdom. I understand your focus and appreciate your perspective too, but a spade is a spade

However, I give the benefit of doubt in this context.....thanks for acting wisely.

I appreciate the kind words. Thanks
I really think it is time Nigerians, especially the youths take a stand and demand for what is right. Restructuring is the only way forward as this Unitary system of government was forced on us by the military for their own selfish agenda and it is clearly not working.

You may want to check out this lecture by Professor Godini G. Darah, titled; Who is Afraid of Restructuring?
This a detailed analysis of the struggle for True Federalism right from independence...

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/02/whos-afraid-restructuring-nigeria/

Also check out the Restructure Nigeria website, see my signature