Civil war hero and second republic politician, Chief Guy Ikokwu, in this piece to mark Nigeria’s 56th independence anniversary, asks President Muhammadu Buhari to resist the temptation to reject the calls, especially from eminent people, to initiate immediate moves to restructure the nation, saying that is the only way to prosperity.

In the last few months, the issue of restructuring the polity has remained in the public domain following heightened insecurity and economic hardship Nigeria is facing. President Muhammadu Buhari, on his return from a meeting of African leaders in East Africa, said in Osun State that he was still very much committed to the change mantra which propelled him into office with votes from majority of the states in the country.   He stated that the economic change “cannot be achieved on a bed of roses”, and his administration was determined to implement the change agenda through the fight against corruption. He advised our compatriots to be patient with his administration.

He stated that his government is determined “to implement the change agenda by curbing excessive waste in government”, adding, “We shall restore integrity to governance through fight against corruption. We are determined to deliver and rescue the country from bad governance”.

These statements came at a time the National Bureau of Statistics issued a report showing a more negative economic growth than was previously perceived. The report showed that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation had further decreased and that, for the first time, Nigeria is in a RECESSION.

There is no doubt that the country is agonising very much and that the rescue policies must not be viewed along party lines but that all hands must be on deck. The vast majority of Nigerians agree with the President on the battle against insecurity of any sort and also the nation supports him and his government on the issue of the fight against corruption. But this fight must be across board and holistic. It should not be partisan and must cut across the federal government, the states, the local governments and the private sector because it is a fight for the elevation of our morality and ethics of good governance in the public and private sectors in order to achieve good governance.

Adverse system of government

However, the current cries are very loud and the perception of most analysts is that the main problem against the rapid development of Nigeria over the last 56 years has to do with our system of governance. It is the military with their professional mindset that imposed a system on Nigeria which cuts across our cultural upbringing which has traditionally been against despotism and unitary system of governance.

With more than 200 ethnic nationalities, our fore-fathers who struggled against British imperialism were very united in their acclamation of true federalism and the parliamentary system of government was a system that would propel our rapid economic development and maintain our unity in one country called Nigeria in spite of our ethnic and cultural diversities. It is such diversities that would maximise our peculiar and divergent propensities and offer very diverse touristic attractions to foreign observers as many countries today rely on tourism capital as can be seen in Europe, Asia and America.

“ROSE” is a beautiful and delightful flower which graces most occasions and has many colours, and also adds to the export capital index of any country. Yet roses bloom with the natural protection of thorns! So Nigeria is very much prepared to lie on a bed of roses and to bear the incidence of thorns which surround the roses provided it leads our nation to a glorious economic and developmental spectre which will be appreciated by our citizens at home and abroad and our next generations!

We, therefore, charge President M. Buhari to dedicate himself to the amalgam of good governance, security and rapid economic and diversified development through a return to the system endowed by our fore-fathers by moving forward the index of restructuring our polity.

The National Assembly, which has the primary legislative constitutional function of embarking in the restructuring of our constitution and polity, should be given tacit encouragement and positive body language to get on with this issue of restructuring this year, while the Executive continues relentlessly with the insecurity and anti-graft and corruption agenda, and developing strong and vibrant institutions that are not politicised.

The South agenda

The head of government in a parliamentary system in the federating units is primus inter pares (first among equals) which produces more ethical leadership and vibrant ideological political parties. The three zones of southern Nigeria are definitely overwhelmingly in support of the immediacy of the restructuring exercise. Their well-known leaders, governors, public servants, ethnic nationalities and civic and religious organisations have spoken in very loud and clear voices. They are ready to bear the thorns, while, at the end of the immediate future, pluck roses in return. Some of the thorns will be painful and will hurt but Buhari will be rest assured that Nigerians will bear the pains in order to achieve the immediate glory of incremental development by all the six zones as the federating units of a truly Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The North undue antagonism

Recent postulations from the three zones of northern Nigeria clearly demonstrate that a majority of the known leaders and governance of the three zones who have recently made their views      known have refused to bury their heads in the sand like ostriches as the northern polity aches and quietly decries the ravages of underdevelopment, of poverty, of poor literacy, of unemployment, of hunger and inordinate criminal tendencies of the present clime.

Our President knows that the opposition PDP and other stakeholders across the political divide also favour restructuring and a return to true federalism and parliamentary practice as a veritable instrument to shut down the culture of impunity and corruption.

Road map

In the case of the APC, the ideology of restructuring was definitely included in their election manifesto in 2015. At a recent meeting of the APC governors in Kaduna State, virtually all of the party’s governors who attended were definitely in favour of the manifesto and the essence of an immediate return to good governance by a change of our system towards true federalism and devolution of powers from the center to the states or the federating units, and the only question left is the road map to be followed for the achievement of these ideas. The most endowed APC state in Nigeria today is Lagos.

The state government, in a detailed expose at a retreat, written by its Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Hon. Olawale Oluwo, gave a credible analysis of our country. He summarised his thoughts that “perhaps, in the process of conducting a reality check, we might just be able to retrace our steps by embarking on a far-reaching and comprehensive restructuring beyond the cosmetic approach that the nation has been accustomed to over the decades.

————— “The time has come to refocus the restructuring debate on a workable model that advocates appropriate political and economic reform that is complementary and reinforcing”, he said.

Ikokwu

In the print, electronic and social media, economic and political analysts and consultants have increased the drum beats to make it very loud and clear that time is of essence right now. The Guardian, This Day, Vanguard, Sun, Punch, Telegraph, The Trust, Leadership, Daily Times, Independent, Business Day, et al have made their prognosis to be very loud, clear and unmistakable.

The editorial of The Guardian of September 1 said: “Incredibly, restructuring and federalism have become the most words even by those who should understand and work for their actualization in the interest of peace and progress of Nigeria. The real trouble with Nigeria is not just poverty nurtured by corruption and illiteracy but also lack of understanding of the impact of the overthrow of the principles of federalism, a system that once triggered rapid growth of Nigeria. Since a proper federalism, that triggered exponential growth of the Northern, Western, Eastern and Mid-Western regions, was destroyed by military-politicians, Nigeria has not recorded any tangible growth in any economical or political sense.

“Therefore, instead of shooting down and foreclosing discussions of opportunities that abound in fiscal federalism, all Nigerians should encourage their representatives to take another look at the recurrent and exclusive legislative lists —————and the ruling All Progressives Congress should begin the process of devolution of powers to the federating units for the rapid development of the country. ——————— Now history beacons on Buhari to see this popular mandate as one to be exploited to listen to what Nigerians are saying and implement true federalism. Nigerians, especially members of the elite must show an understanding beyond the dubious position of those who associate true federalism with the balkanisation of the country”.

It, therefore, behoves us without any party affiliations but with clear Nigerian conscience to beacon on President M. Buhari to rise above the simple-minded elites and those of dubious character, by beginning, immediately, a process toward the restructuring of Nigeria which will remain a true legacy for him during his tenure.

Leaders in favour of restructuring

We are sure that the vast majority of Nigerians including religious leaders, traditional heads, professionals, activists, political leaders, businessmen, women and youths from all the six geo-political zones are in favour of restructuring as can be seen from the names listed hereunder:

Senate Deputy President Ike Ekweremadu, ex-Governor Chukwuemeka Ezeife; former Vice to President Ibrahim Babangida, Cmdr. Ebitu Ukiwe; former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme; E. Igariweh; former Sec. General of the Common Wealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku; Ben Nwabueze; Nwachukwu, Obiozor; Arthur Nwankwo; Peter Obi; Bishop Mike Okonkwo of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission; Arc. Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma of Enugu Ecclesiastical; J.Nwaorgu; J. Irukwu; former Federal Minister of Information and Ijaw leader, Hon. Edwin Clark; Godswill Akpabio; G.I.T Nyiam; Adams Oshiomole; S. Ogbemudia; T. Anenih; Ide Ahabe-Odo; Cardinal Okogie; Amb. D.P. Cole; Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State; Alfred Diete-Spiff; ex- President Goodluck Jonathan; Dr Felix N.C. Oragwu; Obong Victor Attah; former Minister of Information, Prince Tony Momoh; Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka; Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Gen. Alani Akinrinade; Sen. Femi Okurounmu; Prof. Banji Akintoye; Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi; Gen. Olufemi Olutoye; Mr Eric Teniola; Chief Cornelius Adebayo; Yinka Odumakin; Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State; Ferguson Adams; Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State; Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State; General Adeyinka Adebayo; Pastor Tunde Bakare; Bismak Rewane; Frank Kokori; Chief Areoye Oyebola; Sen. David Mark; Senate President Bukola Saraki; Prof. Jerry Gana; ex-Senate President Joseph Wayas; Gov. Abdullahi Ahmed of Kwara State; Solomon Asemota (SAN); General Yakubu Gowon; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Balarabe Musa; Chief Olusegun Osoba; Cardinal Onaiyekan and Dr. Iyiorchia Ayu, among others.

Majority of present and former governors as well as various ethnic nationalities movement such as Afenifere, OPC (Odua People’s Congress), Ohaneze, Ijaw National Congress (IJC), Middle Belt Forum, Arewa Youth Congress, Christian denominations, trade union organisations, various women organisations and the generality of members of our nascent democracy welcome a restructured Nigeria which our country shall bequeath to our future generations. We should not fail and this is a legacy Buhari should boldly embrace.

Potentials

Separately, the Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, at its 9th National Development Summit in Abuja, held in July, advocated restructuring and told the President to revisit the 2014 Confab Report.

The unique potentials of the six geopolitical federating units, vis-à-vis other ECOWAS countries, are quite obvious. Each of our federating units is larger and more economically viable than any of the other ECOWAS countries such as Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Mali, Chad and Niger, and also more than 15 North, Central, East and Southern countries except South Africa and Egypt. We cannot abandon our heritage as a leading black nation.      Vanguard’s editorial of July 13, titled, ‘Nigeria’s unity is sacrosanct but negotiable,’ told the bold truth that the peace of Nigeria cannot be maintained by force of arms. “We cannot afford to re-enact the civil war fact to remain one, we cannot afford ‘gunpoint national unity’. There should be a re-orientation of attitudes by the hawks and extremists among us, both in the leadership and among activists. We must live together as brothers and sisters and learn to trim our differences through peaceful dialogue”.

Buhari will vanquish the cabal fighting his present anti-graft policies and end economic sabotage with the support of most of us Nigerians when he begins, with the aid of the legislature, the urgent restructuring of our present system of governance endorsed by a REFERENDUM. He would be doing what in 56 years our former leaders could not do! He would be a HERO and carve his footprints and LEGACY in GOLD! IT CAN BE DONE.