#Aribigbola's Lines

Restructuring/devolution of power: In whose interest?

By Prof Ajibola Aribigbola

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One of the core issues in the front burner of public discuss in Nigeria at the moment is restructuring and devolution of power. There is a need for thorough appraisal of the agenda vis a vis current tendencies and practices by our leaders in all realms and sectors of Nigeria’s national life, be it in politics, economy, education, health, and agriculture. I have mused over these developments since the agitation gathered renewed and more forceful momentum especially on whose interests the agitations are made? The question is: are they made for personal or for collective national interest?
Of course, restructuring and devolution of power in the country is necessary and is the right direction to go now having discovered the deficiencies and the skewedness of the present federal arrangement. It is crystal clear that we need to correct the anomalies associated with governance structure in Nigeria, otherwise the agitation and associated crisis will continue, and the country may become a failed state as envisaged in some quarters. In addition, decentralization of power and inclusiveness in governance is becoming the order of the day in many societies.
My major concern as an individual and citizen is: are the calls by individuals or groups for selfish or collective interest? This question arose because of the present tendencies and disposition of leaders at all levels of our national life in the country. A cursory look at how governance is undertaken at the moment reveals a nepotic and unacceptable approach. For instance, as a President, the tendency is to divert all major development resources to his town and state, not necessarily by him but by overzealous lieutenants who are all out to please him.
For a Governor, all appointments and resources are concentrated in his or her area. As the Chairman of a National Assembly Committee, most projects in the Ministry you supervised go to one’s constituency. The same is true for Ministers, Commissioners, and all other state functionaries in other spheres of Nigeria’s national space such as education, health, economy, agriculture among others. This was at variance with what was obtainable in the first Republic.
The question is this, if the country is restructured with more powers and responsibilities given to states, will such negative and retrogressive practices not continue? Is it not in Nigeria that some Governors refused to allow the third tier of government to operate? Please don’t misconstrue my position. I am not in any way against restructuring and devolution of power as being propagated. If anything, it is the direction to go and I have canvassed for good urban governance that supports decentralization in Nigeria in some of my publications in the past.
This article seeks to dissect the present practice to determine whether those calling for true federalism are really serious or meant what they are saying, or it flows from parochial interest. In this country, we have seen past leaders while in office incapacitated or encapsulated other arms of governments and lower tiers of government only to turn round to complain about same after leaving office. One may therefore be tempted to believe that the current agitations by some individuals are for selfish and parochial narrow interests. This is because while they are still occupying political office, they need more powers and resources but the moment they are out of office, they begin to see the rational reasons for restructuring.
To me what we need urgently in Nigeria is a restructuring of mindsets, attitude to governance and dispositions to state affairs as well as use of resources and power. As submitted by someone, we cannot restructure corruption, venality cupidity and hypocrisy, turpitude and brazen brigandage. These negative retrogressive and oppressive tendencies are widespread in Nigeria.
Therefore, before the necessary restructuring of the present skewed structure of Nigeria and its political arrangement, the actors or people need restructuring to change mindsets, dispositions, and tendencies to governance where leadership positions are seen as opportunity to amass wealth and avenue to further primordial sectional interest as against collective interest of entire nation. This presupposes that we change the way we view and conduct government business and less about the structure that seems to permit allocation of resources to individuals and groups within the society.
If we must restructure for collective interest of Nigerians and Nigeria, we need leaders that consider people first and not those seeking more powers and resources for personal gains and narrow sectional interest. Otherwise, the agitations will remain a selfish agenda designed to further empower some interests rather than a national one. An examination of present practice revealed that the executive arm controls the other arms of government to the extent that they determine who and who are elected to the legislatures and those who preside.
When power is eventually decentralized to states and local governments, abuse is inevitable going by the present practice and use of power. This is because the same set of people will continue in office. Thus, while acknowledging the ultimate need for structural reforms, there is more urgent need for restructuring of the mind, since warped minds cannot run a good system.

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