It beats one hollow. Why would the North choose to misunderstand restructuring? At its mere mention, the North flares up.
Is it a deliberate intention? Is a script being discreetly acted? We dare to know. For we’re in dire need to know.
So it was some few days past. We were baffled. When we were yet to authenticate the authenticity of the document. Up till now, we’ve not.
Nobody is talking to us about it. They keep us guessing. Even the authorities allegedly involved keep mute. Mum is the word.
Still, the North opts to remain jittery. It’s not pretending about it. They dominate all the available spaces. Yelling all the way. What has gone wrong with our sense of reasoning?
Have we lost it completely? Is our thought process faulty? Even in the realm of rumours, they’re visibly nervous. They are fretting, throwing up, threatening brickbats.
True, that document shocked the airwaves. It rattled both friends and foes. A no-holds-barred proposal. The report sought to radically return us to the regions, aka parliamentary government. It professed restructuring. The wordings pointedly said that much.
It conspicuously carried the banner, Draft for Discussion. Its rider explained its intention: “A Bill for an Act to Substitute the Annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with a New Governance Model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Its source(s), author(s) remain unknown, a mystery. But its letters are profound, unambiguous and devoid of pretence. It identified its goal and how to achieve it without rancour. Explicit enough:
“Nigeria shall be a federation comprising of regional territories and a Federal Capital Territory and shall be a republic to be known by the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The territorial jurisdiction of Nigeria shall comprise the territory of the regional members of the federation and its boundaries shall be as determined by international agreements.
“Every ethnic nationality and people in Nigeria has an unconditional right to self-determination within here delineated territories.
“The sovereignty, powers and authority to formulate the articles of association towards any reform of the Central Federal Government of Nigeria at any other time shall lie jointly and severally with all the ethnic nationalities occupying their respective territories.
“Every ethnic nationality and people in Nigeria has the right to a full measure of self-government, which includes the right to establish institutions of government in the territory that it inhabits and to equitable representation in the Federal and Regional Governments.
“A ‘ethnic nationality or people’ for the purpose of this Constitution, is a group of people who have or share large measure of a common culture or similar customs, mutual intelligibility of language, belief in a common or related identities, a common psychological make-up, and who inhabit.”
The provisions address our needs, desires and aspirations. They speak keenly to our precarious situation. Not so for its adversaries. It gives them unending nightmare. The bill is alleged to be before the National Assembly. To be passed into law before October 1, 2024. So it’s expected.
They claimed, theirs are voices of their North. And they stoutly rose up. They felt pained. That’s strange. We find it difficult to swallow. Why? These are shallow ranting of some individuals. They don’t add up as a collective voice. They are grossly flawed. They are perforated with myriads of deficiencies.
They can be taken for some disconnected and discontented voices. They pretend to be in distress. But we see nothing of the sort. Not anguish, not agony. Then, what can warrant the hue and cry, over what?
Abiyo Roni from Jigawa State offered to lead the pack: “As a northerner I will never support regional government.” His defective argument: “For the past 64 years of independence, what does North gain in terms of political, economic and educational development?”
It is better answered by a northerner. No southerner is eminently qualified to respond to that. Roni was compelled to confess. He refused to hold back: “Our North region is the most retrogressive region in the country.”
Perfect, apt and on spot! But you veered off too soon. You goofed and erred at the same speed: “So let’s build North before any regional government.”
Not anymore. That sordid era has ended to our greatest benefit. No going back. We have our focus on the future. That’s where we fix our gaze. We don’t want to risk it again. It never did us any good. It only did us in. Regrets!
We have been doing that since 1966. The military juntas started it off. Other parts of the country were practically held down. Just for the self-inflicted “disadvantaged North” to catch up.
But, did they? They couldn’t have! The whole arrangement was a deceit. It was deformed and distorted from the beginning. So? It is till now. It must not be allowed to continue. It’s weighing us down. A burden, a conduit pipe of no small mean it is.
With all forms of eerie and weird policies. The North still failed to rise up to the occasion. The dreaded Federal Character Commission (FCC) is the potent weapon. It is one such obnoxious policy driving this madness. It did more harm than good. Grossly unfair to other parts of the country. They are the victims of FCC.
Yet, the North sunk deeper into abject poverty. Its leaders display opulence and affluence with relish. They take the maximum advantage of the led and the ruled.
Great surprise. The commoners see nothing special in this absurdity. With uncommon glee. They showcase their penury and pauperism in the open. They don’t care a hoot.
They cherish dwelling and rolling in destitution. Deprivation is their way of life, a familiar terrain. They resort to destiny, taking it as God-given.
One Sarki won’t be left out: “I’m not against a regional system of government. But this is not the right time for it.” Why? A quick response: “Because the North is at a disadvantage. Get rid of insecurity and return our region to us as you found it. Then we can consider reverting to that system of government.”
You should be talking directly to your rulers. They are squarely responsible for the endless calamities that befall the North. Interrogate them. Nobody will do it but you.
You gain bountifully from the wealth of the South. How much does the North realise from VAT? But, the bulk of the VAT revenues are sunk in the North. That’s just one out of the numerous. Dig deep and you will unearth more to your chagrin, if you care.
There’s no better time for restructuring than now. The North has enough resources to sustain itself. Its solid minerals are enormous. They only need appropriate means of exploiting them. Tap them diligently. And you will be glad you did.
North’s undoing is illegal mining. And they are very much aware of this. The greatest beneficiaries are the greedy, wealthy individuals among them. They perpetrate this act with criminal aliens.
It is in the open sphere. The reason the region is the epicentre of terrorism. Regional government that they detest and scorn is the ultimate. It will curb insurgency beyond your expectation.
The benefits of regional government can’t be imagined. They are the impetus needed to “neutralise and liquidate” terrorism and its killer cousins.
Hamma Hayatu claims to be public analyst and political strategist: “Tinubu did not promise restructuring Nigeria during the campaigns.
“But the NADECO spirit in him will definitely toe toward that. An unverified kite of bill about regional government is being flown now.” That is not totally accurate.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) did promise in 2015. It featured restructuring prominently in its electioneering. But Muhammadu Buhari’s regime elected not to touch it. Even with the longest pole, in its eight years.
Arewa Twitter: “This (Yoruba) government wants to dismantle the North logically. These people know exactly what they are doing. Our northern leaders, elders and youth are hungry people. Those that supported APC, they can’t say anything.”
Ordinary mention of restructuring. A common, supposedly harmless word! The North fumes profusely. Don’t we have the right to discuss ourselves? How we want to live and relate with one another?
They’re getting on our frail nerves again. But we refuse to be broken. Taking our fragility for granted could be a monumental disaster.
We’re learning the ropes fast, to be steadfast in all we do. We will amaze whoever provokes us. We’re standing up to be counted. Against all odds; including principalities and powers.
No reasonable being would oppose accountability. That’s what restructuring preaches and rests upon. Our President and governors are too powerful.
These characters are tin gods unto us all. Restructuring will break them down. Parliamentary government will practically take the raw powers away from them. And drop the real power pleasantly in the hands of the people.
Don’t let anybody deceive us. This presidential arrangement has failed and in all ramifications. It’s getting worse as new rulers emerge after every election. Let’s come together. Reason together. And put a huge stop to it.
Rumours of restructuring shouldn’t be the beginning of fear, apprehension and panic. Regional government! Parliamentary system, here we come!
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