BEING THE TEXT OF A LECTURE DELIVERED BY CHIEF OLA AMURE ESQ.AHNR, Fcpdm, AT THE ANNUAL PUBLIC LECTURE AND ROLL OF HONOURS OF THE DEMOCRAT NEWS MAGAZINE, AKURE On Sunday, 17th October, 2021
INTRODUCTION
May I express a deep sense of appreciation to the Editorial team and Management of the Democrat News Magazine, for the esteemed invitation extended to me, not only to attend the Annual Public Lecture and Roll of Honours as a Special Guest, but also as a Guest Lecturer to address an eminent gathering of this magnitude comprising the very best one can get and boast of in any assembly or gathering. It is an assemblage of acclaimed journalists, thoroughbred individuals, successful professionals, relentless philanthropists and proud community leaders. I received the invitation with trepidation, as my thought started meandering because of the very sorry and pitiable situation in our country. Therefore, I believe this topic is not only apt, but very evergreen. It is a topic that concerns and touches every Nigerian, irrespective of age, professional or religions Status whichever side of the divide he belongs.
Before delving into the core and nitty-gritty of the topic, let me remind us that the process of evolution/attainment and development of nation/statehood is not achieved overnight. Mistakes are made, lessons are learned; considerations, concession, compromises, sacrifices, losses, and gains are made; symbiotic, parasitic or commensalism relations and co-habitation occur and do change with time and circumstances; conflicts of different dimensions occur and never end, while controversies trail some other issues, even wars are sometimes fought and reconciliations made in the long or short run. All these phenomenon trailed the march of the Nigerian nation’s processes of evolution and development.
BACKGROUND OF THE NIGERIAN STATE AND POLITICS
Nigeria, which resulted from the January 1, 1914 involuntary colonial amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates by Lord Lugard sow the seed of the numerous challenges that beset the nation more than any other country in Africa. We have such challenges as elites/the masses, North/South, assumed socialism/unitarism, Islam/Christianity, and traditional/achieved authority, but all of which are inconsistent, irreconcilable and characterized by threatening under-currents in the contexts of struggle. The annals of Nigeria’s history has the records of the various struggles for inclusion of Nigerians in the colonial government representations; the internal struggle by the various ethno-regional nationalities to ensure their full inclusion and to avoid dominance of one by the others among themselves. Among the synthesis of the struggle includes the self-government motion and consequent crisis; the various constitutional developments and deadlocks; the crisis of forming coalition governments in 1959 and 1964 federal elections; the Tiv riots in the Northern Region of Nigeria; the Census crisis; the Western Regional Crisis and election; the treason trial of prominent politicians, including Chief Obafemi Awolowo; the January and July, 1966 bloody military coup and counter-coup; the Nigerian civil war; the dominance of military in national affairs; the Muritala coup of July 29, 1975; the transition to civilian democratic regimes and constitution makings; states and local governments creations of 1976; the return of the military to barracks 1979; the president Shagari’s economic crisis; the return of the military into politics and governance in December, 1983; the mid 1980‟s economic crisis and the Structural Adjustment Programme; the 1987 and 1991 states creations; the establishment of MAMSER, the Constituent Assembly and 1989 Constitution making; the General Babangida longest and most expensive politics of transition in the history of Nigeria and its failure in 1993; the various ethno-religious conflicts, notably, the 1987 Zangon-Kataf, Kaduna State crisis; the G. G. Orkar coup of 22nd April, 1990; the June 12, 1993 presidential election and aftermath crisis; the involuntary withdrawal of the military in 1993; the establishment of and the attendant crisis of legitimacy of the Interim National Government; the return of the military in November, 1993; the 1994-95 Constitutional Conference; the 1996 states creation; the General Abacha regime’s patchy politics of transition and tenure elongation; the Abdussalami transition and the return of civilian/democratic rule in 1999; the ethno-religious tension and rivalry among Nigerians leading to establishment of the various ethno-militia groups, such as the OPC, MEND, MASSOB; the various resource control battles and politics, including court cases with the Federal and States Government over resource control; the general elections and legitimacy crisis of 2003, 2007 and 2011 elections; oil subsidy scams; the Niger Delta militancy; the Boko Haram insurgency; the orchestrated Fulani/Herdsmen-Farmers conflict associated withkidnapping, killings and banditry;` stupendous corruption cases and charges.
These and other issues have characterized, dominated and affected the Nigerian state and their recurrences continue to determine and undermine the unity, progress and prosperity of the Nigerian state. Additionally, these cumulatively pose more questions than answers on the feasibility and sustainability of the Nigerian states. Hence, the calls for restructuring, national conference, national question, reforms, constitutional amendments and reverting tofiscal federalism, among others, which are all disguised, masked or labelled with different names. It could be confidently argued that no state in the world with such heterogeneities as Nigeria and undergoing these cumulative trials, has survived secession, collapse/failure or disintegration. Thus, the submission that Nigeria’s unity is faced with multi-dimensional threats and the calls for breakaway/secession, or secede are set against the back ground of prevailing insurgency, farmer-herdsmen/Fulani conflict, cattle rustling, armed banditry, attacks on oil installations, religious intolerance, politics of ethnicity, religion and identity, unemployment and poverty among others. For those reasons and others, there have been numerous expressions of disaffection by the various elements of the Nigerian state at different times and in different fora. It is observed that Nigeria has miraculously survived all these and is still together, though of course, with many and other emerging new challenges. I am not confident that however, Nigeria will automatically continue and remain, and miraculously surmount its challenges in the future as it would be a political and irrational miscalculation to over-stretch its luck.
THE REASON FOR RESTRUCTURING.
Nigeria is just like a calabash floating on a lake and although it may not sink, it has no definite direction/destination; and all efforts to fix the Nigerian state at different times never succeeded by her leadership. The reasons are not farfetched, leadership is disposed among ethnic groups and no single leadership of Nigeria had emerged. Nigeria is a conglomeration of ethnic nationalities put together by Colonialism. The colonialist’s intention was not to unite Nigeria for political consideration but for economic interest. The various political developments with ethnic political parties, the tripod (AG – West, NPC – North and NCNC – East). The first republic was a marriage of inconvenience where the three ethnic regions has no confidence in one another. The best constitution for such heterogeneous nations was federal to offer enough rooms for one another and easy group to compete. The military, from 1966-1979 truncated the unity of the nation and enthroned dictatorship, impunity and parasitic relationship, domination of certain ethnic group against the other.
The recent ethnic cleansing by the rudderless killings of some ethnic groups in the North, banditry, kidnapping for ransom all point to the fact or a call for any reasonable man to look for a way out of negotiating the togetherness of the nation in the name of restructuring/realigning the Nigerian body polity. While some of the challenges are not new, for they have been there since pre-independence era, but manifesting in different forms and dimensions, in the recent times. The substantial part of Nigeria and the incidence became pronounced in the South-Western Region of Nigeria, being one of the three major regions that make up the Nigerian entity since the colonial amalgamation of January 1, 1914.
Such calls/agitations have, however been simultaneously defiled and resisted from the other parts of the country, specifically, the Northern Region because the North profit from the inequalities. The leadership have never been sincere by their approaches to limit or stem the tide of agitations in their regions. Each had tried to organize a National Conference which composition were made up of the leader’s nominee and their agents. It was never a people oriented but self-seeking ventures which never cure the nation’s ills, examples were General Abacha‟s Constitutional Conference, 1994, Obasanjo’s National Political Reforms Conference, 2005, Jonathan’s National Confab, National Reconciliation Commission. Nigeria cannot remain a united nation where peace is only relative mantra, domination of certain group, call for the clamour for self-actualization and self-esteem. No wonder, none of the National Conferences met the desires of the people rather the agitations have become louder and daring than before. Every ethnic group of Nigeria is conscious that Nigeria cannot grow or develop with the albatross so described.
This restructuring is, however, enveloped in fear, anxiety, hope, despair and desperation, and the elite interests in continuous access to power and resources, with firm control and consolidation of same. The Northern Region of Nigeria, which had in the past resisted virtually all these calls/agitations for the restructuring is submitting to same, but still with mixed feelings and emotion – feelings among some Northerners that whatever may fall from the heaven, it is time to stop the hide and seek and face bull by the horn and let what ever happen.
RESTRUCTURING AS A PATHWAY TO GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.
Restructuring has become the latest buzz word in the political landscape with political and non-political actors pushing forward their ideas of the word that was not too long ago, an anathema to many state actors. But what exactly is the idea of restructuring? Given the view of some that Nigeria is presently a federation, it is not surprising that different political actors would give different perspectives to the concept of restructuring.
Restructuring is not a break-up of Nigeria but devolution of powers to the extent that more responsibilities be given to the states while the Federal Government is vested with the responsibility to oversee our foreign policy, defense, and economy. Even the idea of having Federal roads in towns and cities has become outdated and urgently needs revisiting. That is to say that, the talk to have the country restructured means that Nigerians are agreed on our unity in diversity; but that we should strengthen our structures to make the union more functional based on our comparative advantages. We need devolution of powers to the federating regions/states for the rapid development of the country where each federating unit identify their quality and leadership for good governance.
Professor Akin Osuntokun, Political Adviser to former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo opined that Restructuring is simply a call for the restoration of federalism-the foundational constitution structure to which all Nigerians subscribed as encapsulated in the constitution of 1963. This constitution was violated in 1966 and the violation set in motion a chain of events that has culminated in the present aberration of a 36 states structure against the four regional structure that emanated from the independence constitution. He stated further that, all the ills presently plaguing the country are directly or indirectly a consequence of the wrong anti federalist diversion Nigeria took in 1966. The violation has concomitantly resulted in the unitary command culture of military dictatorship-in which the constitutionally prescribed decentralization and devolution of powers have been subverted and supplanted with centralization of power.
I would wish that we have a Federation with independent self- sustaining Federating units able to develop infrastructure, critical amenities, undertake other developmental projects, education and health without a Centre body interfering. We already have geo-political zones, from that template, enable the Regions exercise the functions presently being exercised by the FGN in the various States and co-ordinate such functions and also utilize economies of scale. Each Region should be at liberty to create more States in their region as their constitution stipulates.
The first province to experience economic explosion would obviously be the Western Province. The Oduduwa Master plan will be revealed. There would be trans-regional 4g internet fiber connection/rail/subways/highways/power grids etc. Yoruba will become the 2nd official language. They are relatively united. They have oil. They own academia. They have mega corporations. The WP would be the first to have stable 24/7 power supply! Foreign money will flood the province. More Forbes recognized billionaires will arise. Some of them will be internet billionaires. Lagos will be relieved a little from overpopulation as railway lines from other states will make living elsewhere and working in Lagos a breeze.
The Northern Province will have stronger Islamic laws. Sharia will be entrenched and this will make the NP become the least corrupt province. The Middle East (Arab) nations will move in to partner with them, bringing major development. Jaiz bank and Unity Bank will become mega banks. Arabic and Hausa will compete with English for dominance in schools. This province will generate more solar power than any other province. After the west, this province will be the 2nd to have 24/7 electricity. They will start exporting food as a major revenue generator.
The Middle Belt Province will have a development conference. Focus will be given to solid minerals development/exports, tourism development and food production/exports. This will become a food hub in West Africa. They will export more food than any other province. Mega mining and food corporations will arise. This province will have foreign inflows through tourism development greater than any other province. It will host the most beautiful places to live in Nigeria.
The Eastern Province will transform into the Auto Industry Hub of Africa. Indigenous manufacturing of vehicles that will start competing with foreign vehicles will commence in earnest. This will grow to manufacturing of airplanes, helicopters, tractors, cranes, heavy duty construction equipment etc. Forbes recognized billionaires living in Anambra will arise. The Biafra agitation will fizzle out since formation of the EP will be seen as a Biafra success in another form. There would be so much development that villages (as we currently know them) will quickly cease to exist. This province will be the first to semi-urbanize all their rural areas as all the Igbos living abroad will rush back to take advantage of the changes.
The Atlantic Province will take the Uyo blueprint and run with it. An abundance of oil wealth and opening up of major sea ports at Rivers and Uyo will enable this region to revamp their infrastructure quickly. There will be more monorails here than anywhere else. This will be the 3rd province to achieve 24/7 electricity generation in Nigeria (mainly from gas turbine technology).
With provincial indigenous security forces in control, kidnapping, Armed robbery, Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen and the Niger delta militancy attacks will all fizzle out. Nigeria will become the most secure and peaceful African nation; thus attracting more foreigners.
Each Province will have its own airline professionally managed. And with better roads/rail, air and land transport costs will crash.
With the rapid development occurring all over, Nigeria’s GDP will shoot up. Obtaining visas to travel out will become easy as more people will want to come in than go out. A worldwide immigration into Nigeria will commence, as Nigerians living abroad will be struggling with foreigners to enter the country. Nigeria will become the most desirable Nation to live in.
The central government at the FCT will become smaller and less powerful. There will be a mini-exodus from Abuja to the provinces as the action is now elsewhere. The outskirts of Abuja will no longer be heavily overpopulated. Abuja will become awesome again.
One positive thing that would quickly happen is positive idea. So no reasonable person who believes in the continued existence of this country, who believes in the unity and indivisibility of this country in peace and justice and who believes in assured progress for all the federating units of this country will be opposed to this transparent path to progress and rapid development of the land.
Ladies and gentlemen, without confusing you or make any bogus statements but make this piece as easy as possible I will like to say that restructuring stems from the concept of fiscal federalism. Fiscal federalism, however, is a system that operates based on shared responsibility of individual units while having a central core that binds everyone together.
Nigeria, today does not run a federal government and this has been proven with the federal police, power issues and the compulsion to connect to the national grid, education, agriculture, mineral resources which the states cannot mine and other areas as contained in the Exclusive Legislative List. Without much ado, let me, in general term go into the common or daily benefits of restructuring to Nigeria and with that you can grab the scope of this discussion.
- Power: The way power generation works today is that if power or a new power plant is built in Kano or Bayelsa, the law requires that it must be connected to the main grid to distribute to everyone and this adds to the cost of generation and transmission to homes and other end users. Restructuring will make it possible for Kano or Imo or Edo or Bayelsa to produce their power and share with those within their state borders and when there is excess they can share to neighboring states.
- Mineral Resources: Do you know that if your state has any mineral resource from oil to coal to iron to columbite to gold to bauxite and many others we are blessed with you cannot as a state government mine and explore this unless for illegal miners (which comes with lots of risks). With the restructuring, a state like Enugu can tap their coal and explore the uses maximally, Jos, Plateau can explore their tin and columbite and start using to produce airplane parts and create wealth for the state and country. You remember the untapped bitumen in our sunshine Ondo state.
- Education: Sadly, this is also in the exclusive lists with the Federal and State government having a shared responsibility which is why we have the State and Federal tertiary institutions and the secondary schools as well. Restructuring and full powers to state will have them explore the talents and abilities of students and channel their curriculum and policies to design an education that brings out the complete potentials of students. A State like Ekiti can craft ways to ensure that their Professors start researching and developing papers for development. Ekiti State is known to have produced the most Professors in Nigeria.
- Police: With a state or regional police, security is assured as states and indigents who understand their territories can take charge of ensuring that the states are safe. The concern of abuse by state governors and executives can be checked with the right laws and policies and over time it will be perfected to be averse to abuse.
- Autonomy: This will not just be for the sake of autonomy but due to the benefits of the reforms and changes that will come. With the above listed, it will create wealth for these states and people who live Aba, Kano, Otukpo to go and look for greener pastures in Lagos and Abuja. Trust Igbo men, if the South-East can attain economic autonomy no one will leave their villages and Local Governments. Lagos and Abuja and Port Harcourt will not be congested because every man will return to their homes and develop it. Every visits outside your states can be temporary for pleasure or work.
- Federal Character: This was adopted to help balance our federation and it has become the bedrock of corruption, nepotism in Abuja and federally owned offices and agencies. With all these, Abuja will be less attractive because we would have more organized cities and local governments that are self-sufficient. Development will be widespread across aboard and any region or state that doesn’t develop that will be their burden and responsibility.
- Ease of Management: When the President realizes that the work has been reduced and decentralized to the states and LGAs, he can relax and focus on other issues. Play oversight functions, monitor, carry out heavier projects and get taxes from states. Every governor will deploy resources to operate on a small scale and same for the LGAs. The states will mini-countries that when one succeeds or fails we can rate their achievements with what is on ground. Presently, they all give excuses for the system that is not designed from growth.
My sisters and brothers, the benefits of restructuring are for real economic growth and developments, national and regional progress, social equity and sustainable development, rapid educational advancement, committed public service, effective governance, enhanced leadership, purposeful followership (citizens), a true federating Nigeria with regional autonomy each with operational constitution, free and credible election, guaranteed peace and food security, operation of regional police, eradication of corruption.
CONCLUSION
Let us maintained it that anyone who claims to understand Nigeria is either deluded, or a liar. The calls for restructuring, adoption of true/fiscal federalism, etc., have been on for long in Nigeria, such have been mainly coming from those who are in the opposition, lost out in the political merchandise or dis-advantaged/marginalized in political power and resource sharing and control; and the elites who seek their selfish class interests; while the others, including state authorities resist and turn away from the calls/agitations, except where pushed to the wall. The various regimes while in power had hardly supported the restructuring, but only play gimmicks game and pass on to subsequent incoming regimes. Many of the agitations are also partly dominated by few elites who are more concerned with popularity, politics of accommodation and interested in acquisition, control and consolidation of the state political and economic powers and resources. For the common man, it has remained the same, the various regimes have been the same with little differences and impact on the lives of the ordinary and the down trodden, except in some few cases.
This restructuring is, however, enveloped in fear, anxiety, hope, despair and desperation, and the elite interests in continuous access to power and resources, with firm control and consolidation of same. The Northern Region of Nigeria, which had in the past resisted virtually all these calls/agitations for the restructuring is submitting to same, but still with mixed feelings and emotion – feelings among some Northerners that whatever may fall from the heaven, it is time stop the hide and seek and face bull by the horn and let what ever happen.
While there are several and diverse reasons for the call/agitations for restructuring the Nigerian state, there are, similarly, critical questions which also require critical and technical answers on the restructuring agenda. These questions border on not only the scope and limitations, but also the legal status of the restructuring and extensively include: what is it to be restructured? The geography of Nigeria? The politics? The People? The state system? Who organizes/conducts/regulates the restructuring? Who will represent who, what and where? What is the method of representation? What is the constitutionality or unconstitutionality of the restructuring alongside the Nigerian Constitution and its provisions on the Nigerian state in terms of laws making, repeal and amendments? What is the formula for representation of the ethnic nationalities, regions, states, zones? What will be the terms of reference for the restructuring? Whose constitutional power is it to amend/change the Nigerian constitutional laws? This indeed, are unavoidable questions which require definite and constitutionally backed answers for the restructuring to a both legally and politically binding on the Nigerian state and the citizens.
This restructuring is, however, enveloped in fear, anxiety, hope, despair and desperation, and the elite interests in continuous access to power and resources, with firm control and consolidation of same. The Northern Region of Nigeria, which had in the past resisted virtually all these calls/agitations for the restructuring is submitting to same, but still with mixed feelings and emotion – feelings among some Northerners that whatever may fall from the heaven, it is time to stop the hide and seek and face the bull by the horn and let what ever happen.
For 22years or so of the present democratic model/experiment, with the 1999 Constitution as amended, Nigeria are not experiencing democratic government in the real sense of it, rather a Civil Rule loaded with Military impunity and dictatorship. Members of the National Assembly are usually in accord, no party differentiation in the matter of their remuneration and perquisites of offices. The attitude of the National Assembly members promotes insurgency and economic degradation of the nature, thus the loud clamour for Restructuring.
I thank you for listening
CHIEF OLA AMURE, ESQ, AHNR, Fcpdm,
AKURE, OCTOBER 17, 2021
Chief Comrade Barrister Ola Amure
Chief Ola Amure was born on 4th June, 1965 to the family of Chief and Princess John and Sarah Amure of Ogboye house, Isowo Quarters,Ifira Akoko in Akoko South East Local Government Area of Ondo State. He attended Local Authority Primary School, IfiraAkoko and Saint Thomas Aquinas College, Akure for his elementary and secondary educations respectively.
In 1985, he joined the service of Ondo State Water Corporation as a Clerical officer. As a Senior Clerical Officer he was sponsored to pursue a Diploma in Management Studies (Public Administration option) in 1989-1990 at Ondo State (Now Rufus Giwa) Polytechnic, Owo. He later proceeded to Ondo State (now Ekiti State) University, Ado – Ekition study leave without pay to obtain the Bachelor of Arts Degree in History. In 1997 Ola Amure was reabsorbed into Ondo State Water Corporation as Administrative Officer, after he had his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at Bida, Niger State in 1996-1997. Between 2002 and 2006 he was at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko to obtain the Bachelor Degree in Law and was called to bar in 2008 having attended Nigerian Law School, Bwari Abuja.
A Solicitor and Advocate of Supreme Court of Nigeria, Amure also attended International Institute of Journalism (Akure Study Centre) Abuja and obtained the Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism. An Evangelist, he attended the school of Discipleship at Equipping the Saints World Wide Ministries (African Mission) and was awarded with Diploma in Discipleship in 2018.
Ola Amure was with Ondo State Water Corporation between 1985 and 2020 as a Clerk, Administrative Officer, and top Management staff, he was the Head of Legal Service Unit and rose to the Position of Director of Administration before he retired on 16th January, 2020, having served meritoriously for 35 years. He was one time Special Assistant to the then Ondo State Honourable Commissioner of Special Duties. A Unionist, Comrade Ola Amure was the pioneer President and also pioneer State Chairman of Ondo State Water Corporation Branch and Ondo State Chapter of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporation and Government Owed Companies (SSASCGOC).
An active community man, devoted to a progressive human society, he is a member of Lions Clubs International, the 30th President of Akure Owena Lions Clubs in the 2016/2017 lions year and currently a member of the Board of Directors of the club. An active members of Aquinas College Old Students Association (ACAOSA) and he is the Secretary of ACAOSA 1979/84 Set. He is also, the current Chairman of Olofinade Landlords and Resident Association. He was the General Secretary and President of Ifira Federation of Students’ Union (IFOSU) and the founding President of Ifira Unique Pallys’ Club.
A friend of the Police and Road Safety Corps, Chief Ola Amure is the Current Vice Chairman of the Oda Police Division of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) and the General Secretary of the Special Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps Unit 8 of Ondo State Command.
Chief Comrade Barrister Ola Amure is a devout Christian and an Evangelist of the Anglican Communion. On 14th March, 2020, he installed as Baba Ijo of Christ of Christ Anglican Church, Ifira Akoko by the Lord Bishop of Akoko Anglican Diocese. He likes travelling, playing table tennis and enjoy picnic. He is happily married to Funmilayo Ola-Amure and blessed with God fearing Children.