Why Nigeria’s restructuring deserves further debate

While everyone seems to agree that the restructuring of Nigeria is long overdue, nobody seems to investigate why successive governments have chosen to avoid its execution like plague. Most of the proponents of restructuring have been at one time or the other in a position to give fillip to the agitation but chose a rather […]

While everyone seems to agree that the restructuring of Nigeria is long overdue, nobody seems to investigate why successive governments have chosen to avoid its execution like plague.
Most of the proponents of restructuring have been at one time or the other in a position to give fillip to the agitation but chose a rather tactical maneuver or an adumbrated vacillation.
The argument in favour of restructuring is based on the fact that it would make the federation less centralized, less suffocating and less dictatorial in the affairs of our country’s constituent units and localities. Many Nigerians as well as groups such as the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group “Afenifere” and the pan-Igbo extraction have   renewed this agitation with more aggression since president Jonathan lost the general election.
The truth is that restructuring a multi-ethnic geographical expression like Nigeria is not a tea party, it does not only demand both executive and legislative concurrence, and it’s a time consuming exercise which if not well articulated can lead to civil war.
This explains why Jonathan administration spent so much on National Conference that advanced the concept of restructuring but could not concatenate a political will to begin its execution.
It is actually simplistic to assume that Nigeria’s protracted problems would disappear by restructuring the federation while leaving the issue of leadership unaddressed.
True federalism that thrives on corruption, indiscipline, tribalism, cronyism, and primordial culture is a recipe for a repeated failure no matter its structural embellishment.
Successful federations all over the world achieve success not by insulating the political structure from national core values and orientations that animate the fundamentals of sustainable unity, developmental governance and patriotic civic responsibilities.
A nation where only about one hundred people stole enough money that has put the destiny of the whole federation in jeopardy requires more than restructuring.
Are we not going to restructure the same federation of citizens that celebrate corrupt people and venerate impunity as long as some fraction of sleaze trickles down to alleviate the leadership inflicted poverty?
When are we going to address a political system that is so monetised as to exclude citizens with impeccable character and leadership acumen but with little or no financial backing?
As it were the deafening decibels of restructuring lack the cerebral gravitas to enunciate an inclusive prognosis.
A national reorientation that cut across the nation’s spectrum would be a much more helpful prognosis than restructuring.
Anything to the contrary would replicate the same untoward tendencies in any new structure however altruistic the underlining intentions of its proponents.
Bukola Ajisola, Victoria Island, Lagos.
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