The lopsided federal system Cabalistic Federalism" by Lovely Ekperi


Going by the definition Federalism connotes governmental system/arrangement that shares power, resources, responsibilities among component regions. In a more practical term, Federalism means sharing of powers to the state and other units of government; where the national(centre) derive constitutional power to allocate resources to component regions without direct control.

Historically the origin of Federalism can be best explained from the theory of state right, which gives individual state to possess power over federal government. By this I mean that state has power to create federal government in line with the Constitution of the land.

In Nigeria, the central government has wielded enormous power despite the constitutional provisions that allows state to do so. The state government lives at the mercy of the Federal Government. The centre has become so powerful, making the entire system worthless.

Federalism in Nigeria means something different when compared to other federalist states like Canada, Australia, USA, India and Brazil etc.
These countries allow states to control their resources, and pay royalties to the national; the centre is tasked with policing responsibility to see that they properly utilized their resources.

History informed us that the Articles of Confederation, vested almost all power in individual state legislatures and practically nothing in the national government.

As at the time in question, it resulted to political chaos and crippling debt.

However, to correct the wrongs done by King George lll, the founders renegotiated through the
Philadelphia in 1787 and drafted a new arrangement clearly spelt out the power relationship, separation between state and national known as Federalism.

Federalism which came as a corrective operational mechanism has become so powerful in most Third World Countries, occasioned with bad leadership.

The policing function and responsibility of Federalism has been replaced with cruel sanction, oppression and marginalization of states in Nigeria. This ugly trend has depicted the actual meaning of Federalism. This states are powerless in determining what they get from the Federal. It is the national that determines what state should receive. Making them unproductive.

This has revealed why states are no longer concerned with the development of the society, communities and metropolis; they are conspiring with the central to undo the people. By this I mean, the control of the third tier of government by state governors. The government at the grassroot is incapacitated.

In summary, federalism has become an instrument of oppression by a few ruling class. We have allowed political party rather than the constitution and general interest of the people to take the center position. For instance, opposition states are denied several benefits, appointment etc. It is as a result of this uneven distribution of national benefits that the call for "Restructuring has become necessary"
The revenue allocation formula is also lopsided. Federal Government has become the general overseer. There is wide spread injustice, unfairness in Nigeria's federalism. Nigeria's Federalism is under control by few cabals. The states have become so powerless and unproductive.