The politics of restructuring

Restructuring means rearrangement, reorganisation or reformation. It’s not entirely a new term in Nigeria but it is increasingly gaining currency among the unelectable and losers in the on-going democratic experiment. Restructuring is the buzzword of a section of the elite that feels it has been shut out of government, particularly at the federal level, hence […]

Restructuring means rearrangement, reorganisation or reformation. It’s not entirely a new term in Nigeria but it is increasingly gaining currency among the unelectable and losers in the on-going democratic experiment.
Restructuring is the buzzword of a section of the elite that feels it has been shut out of government, particularly at the federal level, hence they say if we cannot be accommodated up there; regionalize power so we can help ourselves in our laager! For some of these Nigerians, restructuring means regional autonomy or simply resource control or ownership. While some of the well-known advocates of restructuring have dropped the demand for it, some new persons have become its new converts. They say the centre or federal government which is vested with the control of all resources is too powerful, that the way out is to return the ownership of these resources to states or geo-political zones which may then pay taxes to run the government at the centre. In recent times, the loudest advocates of restructuring are the same people routed in the last elections.  
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has latched on to the so called restructuring debate, gradually positioning himself as the lead discussant. Apparently, the on-going debate on restructuring needs a strong advocate in the North and Atiku fits the bill. Atiku needs the restructuring debate and a prime place in it so he can keep himself busy on the way to another shot at the Nigerian Presidency. Atiku cannot stop vying for power; restructuring being the latest stunt he imagines can lead to its acquisition! On 31st May, 2016 while chairing the launching of the book “We are all Biafrans” written by Chidi Onumah, Atiku took a swipe at Buhari’s administration when he lamented: “Again, here we come back to the same economic challenges that are facing the country but we also have a leadership that is not prepared to learn from the past and the leadership that is not prepared to lead.”
Look closely, almost all of those clamouring for restructuring are unelectable – Atiku Abubakar (presidency), Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Edwin Clark, Olu Falae, Ayo Adebanjo, Gen Alani Akinrinade, Yinka Odumakin, etc. Too much politics has crept into the restructuring debate such that it has now become a tool in the hands of those who have lost in the current order and want to distract President Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari will not restructure the polity, if restructuring means scrapping the states and replacing them with the so called geo-political zones. Buhari will not restructure if it means that some Ijaws or Itsekiri or Ikwerres are going to take ownership of “their” oil wells – or resource control. Buhari will not restructure if it means that some ethnic group is going to carve a state for themselves out of Nigeria because the government has not given them appointments. 
Buhari may restructure, read: devolve power, if it means allowing states or individuals to partake in some enterprise hitherto reserved exclusively for the federal government, like allowing Kaduna state or Aliko Dangote to build and own railways!
Buhari will restructure the economy; he is in such a hurry and no one is more motivated than him to restructure – diversify – the Nigerian economy. Buhari will attempt to eliminate the oil blackmail by, essentially, the Ijaws, the “oil resource owners” who have branded his people as parasites! You’d think that oil is only found in Ijaw inhabited areas of Nigeria or that its presence took half of the efforts a person uses to defecate! The activities of the criminal Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) have made this imperative. Restructuring here means Buhari will spearhead the modernisation and expansion of agriculture in Nigeria, open solid mineral mines and more importantly, make a determined and result oriented effort to explore crude oil in places above the Niger, to broaden the base of the economy. 
Brandishing his suspect credentials for restructuring, Atiku ludicrously claimed: “As some of you may know, I have for a long time advocated the need to restructure our federation. Our current structure and practices have been a major impediment to the economic and political development of the country.”
Restructuring or not, President Buhari needs to fulfil his promise “to kill corruption before it kills us.” Over time, it has been demonstrated that we have not always lacked the financial and material resources to improve our lot; it is the mindless corruption and squander mania of a section of our elite that has impoverished us.
More importantly, what will set us free is social justice; we must satisfy the basic demands of our poor majority and curb the greed of the elite. It is in that regard that President Buhari’s intervention programmes become crucial; home feeding scheme for our poor school children, N5, 000 monthly grants for each of the most vulnerable among us to enhance their dignity and assuage some of their anger.
Atiku is a “restructured” politician; he is a billionaire, far removed from the scandalous poverty that has degraded our people. Politicians want restructuring to enable them acquire a slice of political power and keep it to themselves, how about the kind of restructuring that will get Atiku and his ilk to probably surrender 75% of their wealth for redistribution among their kinsmen and neighbours?
Buhari will curb insecurity, it is part of the promises he made to the people of the country during the last electioneering campaign. This President is in the best position to help restore security to Nigeria because he had fought some of the phenomena when he served in the army.
President Buhari should concentrate on eliminating corruption and insecurity and dependence on oil as the mainstay of our economy and not allow himself be distracted by restructured politicians angling for power.