RESTRUCTURING: A SOUTH-SOUTH PERSPECTIVE (PART-ONE)
RESTRUCTURING: A SOUTH-SOUTH PERSPECTIVE (PART-ONE)
By:
Nurudeen Dauda
February 16th ,2016
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To begin with, permit me to ask some pertinent questions thus: Is the problem of Nigeria that of “Structure” or “Leadership” or “Both”? However, I intend to put up my understanding on the calls for restructuring by some “politicians” by serializing my write ups from South-South, South -East, South-West and to Northern perspectives or dominant understanding on the issue. The concept of “Re-structuring” In my understanding means differently to different people. To the South- Southerners it means “Resource Control” which means that the Niger Delta states should have ownership of their “Resources” as against the Federal Government. To South-Easterners it means Con-federalism which is a system of Government that allows “Secession” at will as canvassed by the late Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu. To the South-Westerners it means going back to the Regional Government with total autonomy as well as state Police which means Federalism with a relatively weak centre as in the first Republic. To some professionals it means making Government “Lean” or small by scraping some Government Ministries, Departments, Agencies and institutions in order to free more resources for development as against recurrent expenditures. The call for restructuring seems not to have a serious reckoning among Northerners as such they are mostly indifferent, except of course, some few politicians.
The South- South perspective on restructuring is about “Resource Control” they often support their arguments with the references to the first Republic where the Regional Governments then generated their own revenues and retained 50% of same and thereafter remitted 50% to the Federal Government. To the supporters of that view they argue that during that time there was “competition” among the regions in terms of productivity. The North was generating its revenue from “Groundnut”,” Cotton’, “Hides” and “Skin” etc; the West was generating its revenue from “Cocoa”and Cassava and the East was generating its Resources from Palm Karnel, Rubber etc. More so, they also argue that In the United States of America their system allows the federating units (states) to generate their revenue and pay “tax” to the federal Government. That is what they refer to as true federalism as if there is something called fake federalism.
The people of the South-South Geo-political zone have been advocating for “Resource Control” whereby every state will control its resources and pay tax to the federal government. The supporters of this view except this is done the country will never development. Furthermore, under “Resource Control” what it simply means is that all “Mineral or Natural Resources” will be left to the states to harness their own resources and pay tax to the federal Government. However, in the present arrangement as we know all “Natural or Mineral Resources are under the “Exclusive Legislative List” and the Revenue Allocation Formula for the country is 54% for Federal Government, 26% for state Governments, 20% for Local Governments. In addition, 13% of the total Revenue before sharing goes to the eight(8) Oil producing states of: (1)Akwa-Ibom,(2)Rivers ,(3)Beyelsa,(4)Delta, (5)Edo,(6)Ondo,(7)and Abia states with the exception of Cross Rivers. Cross River state was an oil producing state but with the ceding of Bakassi Peninsular and the supreme court judgment that confirmed the “eight” oil wells that they once had falls under the territory of Akwa-Ibom they are no longer an oil producing state.
In my humble opinion, the right questions to be asked by the Niger Deltans or South-Southerners before the quest for restructuring are:(1) Where is the trillions of Naira be pumped to Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for years going to? (2) Where is the trillions pumped to the Ministry for Niger Delta Affairs from its creation in 2007 to date going to? (3) Where is the 13% trillions of Naira being given to the region as derivation going to?(4) What is the impact of the billions of Naira spent for Niger Delta Militants as Amnesty program? What about the Corporate Social Responsibility by the Oil companies operating in the Niger Delta?
Permit me to repeat this pertinent question: Is the problem of Nigeria that of “Structure” or “Leadership” or “Both”?A State or a country is an organization. As a student of Administration I recollect the “Classical Theory” of Administration which emphasizes on the need for efficient and functional “Structure” for the organizational growth and development while the “Humanists Theory” ,on the other hand, emphasizes on the need for better motivation of the Human elements that work in the organization as the surest way of achieving the organizational aims and objectives.
Who has the power to restructure Nigeria? If any politician promises you restructuring can do that or does he have the power? Can a Civilian President operating the 1999 constitution restructure Nigeria? Can the National Assembly to that? A National conference does that? Please come with me in part two for South-East perspective.
May God bless Nigeria!