In “Things Fall Apart’, the force of disintegration was hinged on the fact that, ‘the centre could not hold, and mere anarchy is loosed upon the world’.
NOT too long ago, many prominent Nigerians including the former Kaduna State Governor, Balarable Musa openly and brazenly advocated for the break up of the country.
IN a more vitriolitic and bellicose diatribe against the Nigerian state, another Northern irredentist, Mahadi Shehu stoked the fire of dismemberment of the country when he warned in a widely circulated statement that unless the needful was done the country might descend into the abyss of anarchy and collapse.
Unfortunately, the scenario plays in Nigeria’s Federal Republic in recent times, and therefore calls for caution and proactive action. The nation needs not pretend that all is well within her borders.
THE nationalists and colonialists gave a pride of place to the factor of diversity in the Nigerian political system; that was why they easily agreed to adopt a federal institution to pave the way for unity in diversity. The factors of culture, history, religion and socio-political differences dictated that the various nations making up Nigeria should develop along their different attributes and together contributing to making Nigeria a very strong economy.
THIS was also to make for high level competition in bringing about very admirable social structures. This arrangement was in tandem with Kenneth Wheare’s perception that federalism is a method of dividing powers such that the general and regional governments are each, within a sphere, coordinate and independent’
The robust colonial inheritance, which promoted competitive regional growth and enhanced national development, was aborted by military incursions and the decision to impose a quasi-federalism, nay a unitary constitutional system, on an heterogeneous, and convenience motivated amalgamated entity, called Nigeria.
THE Hope observes that this over centralisation of governance has seriously introduced confusion and complication to Nigeria such that revenue is generated from a few states in the South to run the whole country through the employment of inequitable formula for revenue, power, appointment and general resource sharing.
The effect of this rape on federalism had manifested in the disintegrative policies and experiences over the years. Thus, the various entities in the union have been incapacitated to not being able to address challenges completely. Therefore, we have militancy, insurgency, banditry and all manners of institutional and social contradictions. We of The Hope believe that while Nigeria must take patriotic steps to address national problems frontally, the political class must take proactive steps to deny disintegrative forces the benefits that accrue from the various divisive tendencies.
While several concerned citizens have openly criticized the fiscal policy upon which Nigeria is run, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Afeniferes have once again harped on the need for restructuring, a national conference that would facilitate the practice in truth and deed, true federalism.
IN particular, the former President had submitted that the Federal Security architecture as organized and operated by the present government cannot give any individual or group, hope, let alone assurance of security within the nation. In the same voice and urgency, General Yakubu Gowon had also called for the restructuring of the nation in order to avoid a civil war. These veterans, from the south and North respectively, could not be speaking under the influence ethnic bigotry, but the force of nationalism.
The call from this is that Nigeria must start to put in place structures and actions that will make the country function as a federation. The National Assembly must not shy from making laws that will practically make Nigeria function as a federal state. Most importantly, the various sounds of violence and disunity must be calmed and the citizens made to feel safe within a federal arrangement.
However, it is pertinent to note that most of these issues have been addressed in the various constitutional conferences that had held in the past in this country. Despite the rigorous e lackluster manifestation of weak political will on the part of the National Assembly to consider the reports of the various conferences, debate and adopt the recommendations in order to correct the absurd anomalies of the1999 constitution and give every Nigerian the consciousnmess of being a Nigerian, properly called.
On a final note, THE HOPE reiterates that the force of arms is not strong enough to unite a people whose hearts are divided. Therefore, there is the urgent need to correct and pull down the walls that prevents the ‘falcon’ from hearing ‘the falconer’. Before the curtain falls, and people begin to say, ‘there was a country’, there is the need to call for a solemn assembly that would have the force of law to implement its recommendations, for the integration, viability, peace and sustenance of this country. The time is now.