Confab: Let no sharing formula put asunder…

Inaugurated on the 17th of March by President Goodluck Jonathan, this historic national conversation has come a long way to arrive at some far-reaching conclusions on its 20 thematic issues. The thematic issues deliberated on ranged from the economy, religion, politics and governance, to devolution of power, restructuring and national security. The current impasse on […]

Inaugurated on the 17th of March by President Goodluck Jonathan, this historic national conversation has come a long way to arrive at some far-reaching conclusions on its 20 thematic issues. The thematic issues deliberated on ranged from the economy, religion, politics and governance, to devolution of power, restructuring and national security. The current impasse on revenue sharing formulae is avoidable if patriotism (as was with previous deliberations) replaces parochialism; and unhealthy competition gives way to national solidarity and cooperation for development. Again I bear witness as a delegate that all delegates are legitimately passionate about the progress and development of Nigeria. Witness the quantity and quality of ideas and proposals and recommendations at this conference. The legitimate outcry of the delegates is limitation of time to talk and talk, share innovative and original ideas to make the difference for their respective constituencies and Nigeria as a whole. History will record it that this conference like the previous ones is not short of ideas for nation building by eminent men and women.
Already 2014 Conference has made a lot of progress through compromises. Nineteen committee reports on diverse issues as industry, trade and investment, labour, religion, energy, political restructuring and foreign policy among others had passed without rancour. The only remaining committee outstanding is the one dealing with devolution of powers.  Even at that over 90 per cent of the amendments of the report had passed. Just as the committee puts issues dealing with capital on the exclusive legislative list, the report commendably retains labour issues such as minimum wage, trade unions, industrial disputes and safety on the exclusive legislative list of the constitution. What is good for capital is even more desirable for labour, the most important factor of production and development. Of course, there are some controversial recommendations, such as ill-informed delisting of local governments and uncritical privileging of the states with the control of local governments. Then the state creation as a “dash”, to quote Chief Olu Falae who unapologetically claimed that was how the military dispensed states in the past.  With the new states for the asking, certainly states are no more centres of development. There was even a recommendation to replace the current national anthem (the second stanza of which forms the daily prayer of the conference) with the old one. It is unbelievable for some of us that delegates would prefer an anthem that profiles all Nigerians, including the globally acknowledged richest man in Africa and a Nobel Prize Winner for Literature, in terms of “tribe” and “tongue”.
However, all said, the most naughty is the recommendation on revenue formula. Again, on that progress has been made. For instance, in place of the divisive ‘winner-takes-all’ demand for resource control, the Committee on Devolution of Powers reaffirms the win-win principle of derivation as enshrined in the constitution. It is just a matter of percentage left. Devil, as they say, is in the details. The consensus building committee commen-dably recommends that resource producing states get not less than 18 per cent, a 5 per cent increase from the current fiscal regime of 13 per cent. That is a lot of sacrifices on the part of the non-oil producing states. Given that most states are already broke, the new proposed formula may even worsen the plight of most states. But this is part of the process of compromise for nation building.  There is certainly not enough for everybody’s need, not to talk of somebody’s greed. Delegates are certainly “holy” but they dare not be “holier” than President Jonathan who initiated the conference.  At inauguration the president counselled that “We must not approach ….issues with suspicion and antagonism. Rather, we should be open-minded and work to achieve what is best for Nigeria. Even though you come to the conference as nominees and representatives of different interest groups, I urge you all to make a more united, stronger, indivisible and prosperous Nigeria your preoccupation and reference point at this national gathering. Whatever the pressures on you may be, I call upon you to put the best interest of Nigeria before all other sectional or group interests.”
Delegates must think outside the box to move away from the divisive sharing formula to all-inclusive revenue growing-production formula. The truth of the matter is that we must grow this economy before it can be shared. Oil and gas that constitute the base of the derivation principle is weak, due to oil theft and relatively low exploration. Nigeria hitherto was the 6th producer of oil. We are now 13th oil producing nation almost rivalled by Angola that we helped to liberate. Thus with the best of formula we are only sharing limited resources that can hardly go round to alleviate poverty. Notwithstanding rebased GDP that puts us as the largest economy in the continent, in real GDP per capital South Africa and Ghana are better than Nigeria. The challenge for delegates, including myself, lies in not just sharing what is not enough but in growing what will be enough to build prosperity for our people. We must compliment distributive approach with production component to fiscal federalism. The conference leadership, ably led by Justice Kutigi, must also realise that all delegates are not all unelected geopolitical chieftains. There are delegates who represent pan-Nigerian organizations such as labour, women, professionals, market women and elder statesmen. Pan-Nigerian delegates from diverse professions, labour and civil society, business community and diaspora as well as political parties are better positioned to give disinterested revenue- growing/ production formula. They should be encouraged to find ways out of the avoidable stalemate.