“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean, famous American actor and broadcaster.
Do Nigerians still need the services of marabouts, soothsayers, clairvoyants and, if you like, star gazers to read the handwriting on the wall that our hitherto magnificent national edifice, has lost its grandeur and begging for renovation, re-invigoration and restructuring?
Critically and conceptually, Nigeria is overdue for political re-design and architectural rehabilitation. The myriad of hydra-headed challenges in the country today attest to the implosive situations emanating from absence of true federalism and equitable share of the commonwealth.
As in politics, every problem is also supposed to be local; even though we live in a global village. The Irish have a way of putting it aptly, that: “no matter how big the eyes of a visitor are, they can never see better than the small ones of the locals (natives)”.
Little wonder why the British System works well, politically. In the United Kingdom, governance and police establishments are localized and regionalised. It is a semi autonomous unitary political pyramid built on the foundation of people, power and possibility; or people, process and platform. For instance, local constabulary police also known as “Bobbies on the Beat” usually comb the nooks and crannies of the Boroughs (Local Governments), keeping crimes and criminals at bay.
The BoBs are feeders to regional police and, if need be, the Metropolitan Police or the secret agencies: MI5 and MI6. They often walk the parks, schools, markets and malls in pairs armed with mere batons, handcuffs, whistles and walkie talkies. Siamese twins they are always referred to. “Alright mates” they would politely greet everyone they meet in their line of duty. The Bobbies are a beauty to behold, as they bring law and order to every doorstep in their areas of coverage. Similarly, governance structure in Britain is fashioned along bottom-up style. That is people-based. From local Councillor to Member of Parliament to Prime Minister, who doubles as a local legislator.
The United States and Australia also have their own version of County Sheriffs. Like park rangers, they patrol in cars and carry light ammunition. They too are indigenous to their Counties and constitute feeder-line to the State and Federal Police. With urbanization and modernization, crime has assumed nuclear and meteoric proportions. Late world class essayist and playwright, China Achebe, it was who wrote that: “since hunters have learnt to shoot without missing their targets, birds too have resulted to flying without perching on branches of trees.” These are signs of the times. And a major game changer between the good cops and the bad boys in society!
This rudimentary security setting is also supported by neighborhood watchers; a crop of senior citizens who voluntarily assist the police with information about their areas. Most times, they are on toll-free telephone in their service to society. In summation, both governance and policing are not rocket science that cannot be devolved and delegated.
Why must Nigeria be any different? With 36 federating States, plus capital territory Abuja, one would have expected nothing short of a substantial autonomy to the states based on comparative advantage and healthy rivalry for equitable development, along the line of true federalism. But alas, the direct opposite is what obtains. Nigeria, beleaguered by decades of military dictatorship, is still suffering from the hangover of a regimented unitary system of command and control. One that keeps all power in the hands of one man, the head of junta or later time civilian president.
Meanwhile, grassroots participation and freedom of expression are the candles that lit the dark alleys of governance. Thus it is anti-democratic for a Federal Republic to be run like a hegemonic pyramid founded on a master-servant relationship. Ideally, local government authorities are to be what they are: government at local level with a high degree authority to manage their resources, in collaboration with the state government. The States too are to harness local government resources and facilitate development throughout the state and pay dues to the central purse of the Federal Government, which should look after foreign affairs, currency, defense and international relations for the country. But alas, Nigeria is off this track of globally acceptable principle of ideal federalism.
Why for instance should our federal government be burdened with issues of public health, police, roads, education, agriculture and resource control? How long are we to continue with what Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, tagged: “feeding bottle democracy”? After all, national progress is made when all the components (States) develop at their own pace, collaborate where necessary, and pay taxes to the Centre. The leading role of Lagos, Kebbi and Kano States in the sphere of economic cooperation cannot be overemphasized.
Seriously, what has been lacking is the political will to do that which everyone has agreed is right. The more reason why one needs to hail former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a vocal and focused exponent of true federalism and restructuring in the Nigeria. The quintessential politician and world-acclaimed business investor keeps enlightening all and sundry about the mutually beneficial gains of a national architecture structured on the bricks and pillars of devolution of powers, resource control, comparative advantage, regional cooperation, absence of secessIon, unity in diversity and belief in the indivisibility of the country. What more can anyone ask for? The Waziri Adamawa has also allayed the fears of doubters of restructuring whom he assured the policy won’t hurt their pockets, “no state will receive less than it currently collects from the federation account” he told an elite audience at Silverbird Man of the Year Award held recently in Lagos.
Even the ruling political party, All Progressives Congress (APC) has been forced by popular public clamour to do a-360 degrees change of policy, by setting up a Committee on Restructuring, albeit chairmanned by the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El Rufai who last year denigrated the supporters of Restructuring as mere political losers and opportunists. How soon time changes opinions!
Sentiments aside, the many socio-economic and ethno-religious headaches bedeviling our country today are never too far away from the over concentration of authority in Abuja, which has rendered most states and local governments redundant and practically irrelevant.
Therefore, political reform and socio-economic restructuring should be embraced as inevitable standard gauges for Nigeria’s future growth and peaceful coexistence.
After all Jimmy Dean, a famous American Communication strategist and contemporary social philosopher, added to the body of world knowledge, thus: “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” These are words of wisdom that fellow country men and women should be receptive to. For how long can our dear country hang on the cliff of indecision, prevarication, procrastination or outright self-delusion?
The world evolving and devolving, Nigeria is just but a spoke in the global wheel. High time we keyed and aligned with the dynamic democratic forces in the comity of nations. After all, politics is nothing but local. Restructuring is it. All hail Atiku, for speaking out on the side of the people and democracy.
Mr. Yusuf, a strategic communicator and publicist, wrote from Abuja.
