Reform! Reform!! Reform!!! (3): Transition from fake federation to true federation

Nigeria calls itself a federal republic; however, except for the first 5 years and 3 months of independence (01 Oct 1960 – 15 Jan 1966), Nigeria has been a fake federation.

The incoming military government of Aguiyi-Ironsi abolished the federal constitution and replaced it with a unitary command structure. It appointed military governors to the formerly autonomous 4 Regions, and ruled from the centre (the national capital). As it prepared to go to war to quell the rebellion of the Eastern Region, the military government of Yakubu Gowon divided up the country into 12 states, each a client of the centre, obeying its orders and dependent on it for funds. In the years to follow, the states grew gradually from 12 to 19, then to 21, to 30, and then 36.

The unitary governance structure and dependency continued through the 30 years of military rule plus the two interregnums of civilian rule (01 Oct 1979 – 31 Dec 1984 and 26 Aug – 17 Nov 1993), and continues today in the reinstated civilian rule since 29 May 1999.

The Nigerian federation since 15 January 1966 is a fake federation because the federating units (regions or states) are not autonomous. They do not control the mineral resources in their territory. They generate little or no revenue on their own because they see no need to do so—they depend on hand-outs from the federal government.

Regional or state autonomy is definitive of a genuine federation.

In a genuine or true federation the regions or states control and exploit the natural resources within their territory, including oil, gas and solid minerals, produce revenue from economic activities (including manufacturing, agriculture and food processing) within their territory, and pay agreed-upon taxes to the federal (central) government.

The states do not depend on hand-outs or allocations from the federal government; on the contrary, the federal government mostly depends on the states for its revenue.

The federal government controls such central services as the armed forces and customs, coordinates and supervises inter-state rail, road and air transport systems, and sets national standards for education as well as for food, drugs and manufactures. The federal and state governments jointly operate the law enforcement and judicial systems.

How can Nigeria transition from a fake federation of dependent states led by successions of lazy, spoon-fed, spoilt-brat governors to a vibrant, genuine federation of industrious, productive, autonomous states led by dynamic, committed, problem-solving men and women?

Here is a fragment of a possible blueprint, to be modified, reworked and incorporated into a New Constitution.

1. First, there must be the political will.

2. A New Constitution based not on cake-sharing or hand-outs from the centre but on resource control and productivity by the constituent federating units. The New Constitution will determine what percentage of revenue from the resources and economic activities in the federating units will be paid as taxes to the federal government.

3. Reduce the federating units from 36 to 6 by collapsing the present 5 or 6 states of each geo-political zone into one New State, thereby reducing the state administrative machinery and expenditure by over 80%.

4. A 5-year transition program guided by a joint federal-and-all-states committee through which control of oil, gas and solid minerals will be transferred to the New States in which these resources are found.

5. Each New State will have a joint federal-state industrial development Board that will oversee the investment of revenue in specific development projects.

6. Each New State will have a joint federal-state Board of education, skills training & employment / job creation.

7. Each New State will have a joint federal-state Board of health.

8. Each New State will have a joint federal-state Board to oversee infrastructure development, including regional or inter-state planning for road and rail networks & public transportation.

9. The expensive, corruption-ridden Western style electoral system should be replaced with a quiet, home-grown system evolved from traditional African community governance. No political parties. No LGAs. Each community or community-cluster to elect their own representatives. Part-time reps at state level. Leader and deputy selected from the elected reps. 4-6 of the reps selected to serve in a single-chamber part-time federal legislature of 24-36 members. Service term: 3 years. Commissioners to be technocrats.

10. The numbers here are negotiable. The point is not to overload the system with redundant workers, a heavy payroll with little to show for it. Efficiency is the word. For instance,  federal or state bureaucracy needs but a small band of dedicated workers. Neither federal nor state cabinet needs more than 10 or 12 good men and women. Industrialization will soak up all the excess workforce.

It is the responsibility of the citizenry to band together, in their communities and professional groups, to push for change. Those who are quietly milking Nigeria, exploiting every loophole afforded them by the bogus 1999 Constitution, can be expected to resist change. Can the citizens count on support from President Buhari and the APC who came to power promising change?

Onwuchekwa Jemie