The Nation Newspaper

Tag: restructuring

  • Before restructuring

    SIR: It has become a fad among Nigerian politicians of late to join the populist bandwagon by trumpeting the call for the restructuring of the country. Failed politicians, corrupt politicians, political buccaneers, political profiteers and all sorts of selfish personalities now feel that they can suddenly redeem their image in the eyes of the Nigerian people by calling for the restructuring of the nation. But we cannot be fooled anymore. While I am definitely not against restructuring, I believe that we should not be fooled into thinking that the moment President Muhammadu Buhari restructures the political system, all our problems will just vanish into thin air and we will suddenly find ourselves in the promised land. There are certain huddles that need to be cleared before we can now begin to advocate for the restructuring of the country in order to make it a truly federal both in word and in deed.

    To begin with, the restructuring which most stakeholders have called for should not blind us to the fact that we once practiced true and fiscal federalism in the First Republic. The various regions that made up the federation then were truly independent and had control over their own resources. But most people also forget that it promoted ethnicity, strife, nepotism which eventually led us into a 30-month fratricidal civil war. This means that it ended in a failure. Also, we have tried several political systems in this country and none has been able to take us to Eldorado. We have tried federalism, parliamentary, constitutional monarchy (1960-1963), confederation (which was the trigger for the civil war), military rule, democracy, diarchy (under Babangida), yet all of these political experiments did not bring us much fruit. What is the guarantee that if the President decides to heed the call of the politicians and restructure the country that Nigeria will suddenly become a great and prosperous nation? I dare say that there is none.

    I strongly believe that the call for restructuring of the country is not a genuine one. Why was the call not made during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan? Most of the people making the loudest noises today were political office holders in the Jonathan administration yet they made no efforts to restructure the country while in power. Their mouths were shut because they were busy eating the national cake and now that there is no cake to eat they are now whining so that the country can be restructured and they can continue the eating of the cake at the local and regional level where they and their cronies still hold power. Some of them were past military rulers who enacted decrees that made us the quasi-federal structure that we are today yet they shamelessly talk about restructuring and proceed to give instructions on how it should be carried out. For others, it is a political buzzword which they need to win elections in 2019.

    Restructuring of the country into a truly federal state will give great economic and political power to the states. There is a critical question which advocates of restructuring are overlooking. That question is “Are our governors sensitive enough to the awesome powers that will be theirs when Nigeria is eventually restructured? Take the issue of state police for example. Imagine what would happen between the Ekiti State governor and the President or between ex-Governor Rotimi Amaechi and former President Goodluck Jonathan. There would have been bloodbath on the streets of Ado Ekiti and Port Harcourt because of political squabbles between these politicians.

    I concur totally with the assertion by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that what we need is the restructuring of the mind and not the restructuring of the nation. It is the people who make a nation great and not vice versa. This is also buttressed by the fact that there are only 16 federal republics in the world of which Nigeria is one yet with the exception of the United States and Germany, most of them are developing countries while there are over 100 unitary states in the world and many of them are developed countries. The problem is not with the system but with the people. Let us embrace spiritual values of love, honesty, truth and integrity and shun vices like corruption, nepotism, hate speech and tribalism. We should be loyal to our country and patriotism should be our watchword most especially among the youths. Let us not engage in acts that will be beneficial to us and harmful to the nation. It is only after the restructuring of the mind and the embrace of true spiritual values like sacrifice and selflessness by a majority of Nigerians that political restructuring can succeed. Otherwise, it is but an effort in futility.

     

    • Peter Ovie Akus,

    Ifo, Ogun State.

  • Nigeria will implode without restructuring, says Dickson

    Nigeria will implode without restructuring, says Dickson

    The Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, has warned that without restructuring, agitations against injustices and imbalances were capable of driving the country to the point of implosion.
    Dickson, therefore, described persons and groups calling for the change in the current structure of the country as the true patriots of Nigeria.
    The governor insisted that without sitting down to re-examine the current structure, the country would continue to deal with eruptions of agitations from different ethnic nationalities.
    Dickson spoke shortly after a special prayer and thanksgiving to mark the 57 independence anniversary of Nigeria and 21st birthday of Bayelsa at the King of Glory Chapel, Government House, Yenagoa.
    He said restructuring was part of the issues that informed his brand of politics and drove him to join pressure groups and associations such as the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and the Alliance for Democracy (AD).
    He insisted that the aim of persons calling for restructuring was to promote a more stable and more prosperous country.
    Maintaining that the  existing structure was not sustainable, the governor, who was accompanied to the special prayer session by members of his cabinet including his Deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd), said restructuring was different from secession.
    He said: “There is an urgent national imperative for us to review, maybe people have problems with the word restructuring. But we have to re-examine our nation’s foundation and see how we can make necessary adjustments that will promote a more stable and a more prosperous Nigeria.
    “The structure of the country as it is, is not sustainable. Very often, a number of our leaders misconstrue the call for restructuring to mean seccession. No. Those calling for restructuring are the patriots of Nugeria because we want to lay the foundation for a Nigeria that will last for the next 50, 100, 200 years to come.
    “Most people forget that in the next 10 or 20 years this country will be one the most populous nations on the face of the earth. You can’t have that kind of high density of human population arguing everyday and every time about injustices and imbalances. There will be an implosion.
    “So, it is best for us now to have a consensus. If there is any argument at all, it is how do we go about it, not whether we should attempt a restructuring or not. That to me is taken for granted”.
    Dickson praised President Muhammadu Buhari’s stance on restructuring saying the President had said he was not opposed to changing the structure to maintain the unity of the country.
    He said Bayelsa as a state, the Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta were in support of restructuring adding that issues affecting different parts of the country should be tabled for discussion.
    He said:  “I am happy that the President said he is not opposed to restructuring. Our view in this state, our view that I have canvassed all my politics, our view as a state, as Ijaw nation and in the Niger Delta is that we support the call for restructuring so that we can all sit down and agree on how we can readjust our country.
    “We are Nigerians. Nobody is more Nigerian than us. Nobody is more Nigerian than a Bayelsan or a Niger Delta man. We are the people that have been sustaining this country for over 60 years.
    “Nobody has the right to question our Nigerianess. All we are saying is that we need to all sit down together, work out the issues we can agree on and address them amicably instead of having to deal with agitations every year.
    “It is giving this country a bad name and it is stopping Nigeria from realising our God-given potential as the greatest black nation on the face of the earth”.
  • ‘Nigeria will break without restructuring’

    ‘Nigeria will break without restructuring’

    Chief Ayo Adebanjo, elder statesman and chieftain of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, in this interview with Raymond Mordi, Deputy Political Editor, says restructuring is the solution to Nigeria’s problems

    Some Nigerians say the problem facing the country at the moment is not restructuring, but corruption. Do you agree sir?

    Anybody who says that does not understand the problems of Nigeria; he must be a newborn baby. To get to the root of the matter, we must re-examine how we have been governing ourselves and see what has been causing crises among the various nationalities. Is it corruption? Where there is no political stability, can you have peace? Where there are crises, can you make progress? People are just confusing issues, particularly when it comes to restructuring. The issue is, in a heterogeneous society like ours, do we adopt a federal or a unitary system of government? People are saying all sorts of things, because they want to confuse issues. If we recognise that we cannot govern this country through a unitary system of government, because it is a heterogeneous society and that federalism is best suited for the country, then all the elements of federalism must be adopted, including resource control, devolution of power, state police, etc; they are all necessary to have good governance. That system was what was decided for Nigeria at the 1954 Constitutional Conference in London; people should not speak out of context. If the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is desirous of having peace and unity, why can’t it do the needful, by taking us back to where we started from? All the founding fathers of the country, including Sarduana of Sokoto, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, sat down and agreed to adopt the federal system of government, why can’t we go back to that system? Is the terms they agreed to, what we are practicing now? We must ask ourselves how we got here. The problem started when the military came in and forced their system on us. But when they were going, they did not take us back to where we were before they took over. How can that be a problem? All these northerners that are opposed to going back to federalism, are they more knowledgeable than the Sarduana? It is only in Nigeria that you talk about true federalism. There is nothing like true federalism; it is only because the system has been corrupted by the military.

    Do we need a constitutional amendment to restructure Nigeria?

    No constitutional amendment is required. The National Assembly has become part of the problem and this is because it came about through the illegitimate constitution that has been forced on us by the military. How can we produce a new constitution by going through a constitutional amendment process? That is like mixing two things that are not compatible.

    So, how do we go about restructuring?

    The process of producing a new constitution is there. We produced a paper at the 2014 Constitutional Conference, why are we afraid of referring to it? Besides, foremost constitutional lawyer, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, has written papers on how we can go about it. It is a matter of referring to those papers.

    The 2014 National Conference also called for the creation of additional states. Is creation of states compatible with restructuring?

    Don’t let us confuse ourselves; I was a member of that conference. The major focus was that we must reduce the powers of the government at the centre and give same to the federating units. If people are sincere, there is no confusion; people are just bringing in obstacles. At the end of the day, the federating units can create the number of states or local governments they want. After the issue of devolution of powers has been concluded, we must also decide whether to continue with the current presidential system of government or go back to the parliamentary system. Having a federal system of government does not necessarily mean that we must adopt the presidential system. Canada is a federation, but it practices the parliamentary system. Australia has a federal structure, but it also adopted the parliamentary system of government, the same is true of India.

    Can Nigerians trust the ruling class who are benefitting from the current system to restructure Nigeria?

    How can we trust them? I don’t want to antagonize anybody, but the truth is that the present government is a product of an illegal and unwanted constitution. People should forget about the messenger and concentrate on the message. Let us forget those who set up the conference or their motives and concentrate on the outcome. Is the outcome acceptable or not? Does it reflect the wishes of those clamouring for restructuring today in Nigeria? If the APC government of President Buhari is serious, let it set the process in motion to implement the recommendations of the 2014 Conference. This is because the recommendations of that conference carry the bulk of what we are clamouring for; the bulk of what federalism is all about. There are 600 resolutions from that conference. I have always challenged the Arewa and other people who have been complaining about the 2014 Conference to tell us what they find unacceptable in those recommendations.

    Do you see the ruling APC taking the initiative to set the process in motion before 2019 to restructure Nigeria?

    I don’t mind who takes the initiative; all I want is result. If the APC takes the initiative, I will support it; after all, it is contained in their manifesto. Whether it is the APC that implements it or the PDP, all I want is a federal constitution that makes the federating units equal to one another. Under the system we are practicing now, a section of the country is dominating everybody.

    Given the current state of the nation, what are your fears for Nigeria?

    I will continue to say at the risk of being arrested, if we don’t restructure this country, this country will break. Don’t let us be sentimental about it: See how strongly the Yoruba are agitating for restructuring; see how strongly the South-East and the South-South are agitating for it too. Forget the irritation of Nnamdi Kanu; his Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is an irritation. But part of the excesses of this APC government is the declaration of IPOB a terrorist group; the group is not armed; it is only agitating peacefully for an independent state. Fulani herdsmen who are carrying AK47 and terrorizing Nigerians have been left to continue killing people in different locations in the country. They are kidnapping and destroying villages all over the country without a single arrest. The man who is agitating for self-determination is the one they have decided to clampdown on.

    The declaration of the IPOB as a terror group is a pretext to clampdown on all opposition against this government. I have said it before; the people who are agitating to leave Nigeria are only doing so because of the illegal and unwanted constitution that has been forced on Nigerians. If they are sincere about keeping the country one, why can’t they ask the IPOB why they want to leave Nigeria? If it had been a successful marriage, no section of the country would want to opt out of the union. If they don’t want the divorce, they should go and satisfy those complaints that those filing for divorce have adduced.

    They should stop saying the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable; that is not the solution to the problem. We have been united by force since 1914 and we have enjoyed it. But what we are asking for is a review of our conditions of living together in an agreeable manner and that has been settled in London since 1954. Let us go straight to the point: should a country of diverse ethnic nationalities be governed under a unitary constitution? We should sit down and decide whether to continue with the present unitary structure or go for a federal structure.

  • Tinubu, restructuring and the King’s College speech

    Tinubu, restructuring and the King’s College speech

    The debate about the expediency – or otherwise – of restructuring has increasingly become a top-drawer issue, gaining momentum by the day and suggesting that it may be one of the dominant issues of the 2019 election. The main political parties in the country are now more or less, in my estimation, obliged to clearly state their stand on the issue to be taken seriously in the next poll. The ruling All Progressives Congress, which had been rather lukewarm about the matter despite having devolution of power as a precept in its constitution, has hit the road with its committee collating the views of its members across the country on restructuring. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party is also said to be weighing in on the issue. On September 7, many Yoruba leaders and leaders of socio-political groups in the South-west gathered in Ibadan, the region’s political capital, to state their position on restructuring. The highpoints of the deliberation contained in their 16-point communiqué include a return to the 1960 and 1963 constitutions, both of which espoused the regional structure and granted wide powers to the regions. Also canvassed was overhaul of the revenue allocation formula that will see 50% going to states, 35% to the proposed regional governments and 15% to the central government.

    While it must be emphasized that it was not every stakeholder in Yorubaland that attended the summit let alone agreed with the entire proposition, the question whether this makes the submission any less valid is a moot point. In the North, some of the region’s leaders including governors are also talking and demanding devolution of powers and other variants of restructuring. Also, the National Assembly, which had curiously dumped devolution of power as an item on its constitution review plan, is now having a rethink.

    The fact that political leaders and stakeholders are talking and complaining loudly about the present political structure suggests, in my view, that something is awfully wrong with our situation and that an urgent remedy is required. And I think we are gradually getting to that point where we must confront the problem. At every turn, the popular mantra is now restructuring. Until last weekend, the question which has been on nearly every lip is this: When would the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, speak about the issue? After bidding his time, putting together his views, consistent with what he has always stood and fought for over time, Asiwaju eventually unfolded his position last Saturday in a keynote address as Principal Guest of Honour at the 2017 Annual Dinner of the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA). That speech was further proof that Tinubu knows when to speak and how to do it with some aplomb. As one commentator on a national television succinctly put it last week: “Knowing when to speak and how to speak should now be added to the worth of Asiwaju Tinubu, widely regarded as a consummate politician, strategist and administrator”.

    Asiwaju spoke on both the economic and political imperatives of the moment. It was a landmark speech, highlights of which bear restating here. In the lecture entitled ‘A New Nigeria or A Better One: The Fitting Tools of A Great Repair,’ Asiwaju left no one in doubt that he desired a better Nigeria for the people. “What I seek is a better Nigeria. I care not whether something is old or new but whether it shall make us better”. He lamented that a nation as diverse as ours had not taken the time to give our legal marriage its proper functional underpinning. “We all lined up to call ourselves Nigerian without gathering to discuss what it meant. Thus, we inhabit a nation that has not sufficiently defined its governance. We may be defined by political borders and boundaries but we have not glued ourselves to collective purpose and vision. Too many of us are born in Nigeria but not of it”.

    Nigerians, he said, must listen to those clamouring for secession to determine what they actually mean, explaining that many secessionists cry separation because their personal ambitions would be better served by such. Expressing his belief in one Nigeria, he argued that breaking up the country would solve no problems. He concedes, however, that some problems remain in the nation which needs to be fixed. “That I am a foe of disunity does not mean I have blinded myself to the truth that our nation is in need of great repair,” he said. “We all see the nation for what it is. Some look further to see the nation for what it is not and they rush to condemn it. I choose to see the nation for what it can be and thus seek to nurture and cultivate it so that this Nigeria may bring forth the fullest blossoming of its riches, resources and ingenuity of its diverse people”.

    Asiwaju’s thematic prognosis outlines a foundation for a new Nigeria. And despite the evident brilliance, he would rather see it as his humble initial contribution to the long overdue discourse on how to mould and shape our political economy. He condemned Nigeria’s over-dependence on oil revenue and on the rent-seeking behaviour such revenues encourage. “Even at the best of times and with the highest of oil prices, the economy was characterized by imbalance and inefficiency. Widespread poverty, gross inequality and massive unemployment described the condition”.

    Among his many remarkable prescriptions were the creation of an industrial capacity that employs large numbers of people and manufactures a significant quantity of goods for domestic consumption; national industrial policy that fosters development of strategic industries that create jobs as well as spur further economic growth; focus on manufacturing things that Nigerians and the rest of the world value and want to buy; institution of a policy of tax credits; subsidies that insulate critical sectors from the negative impact of imports and lowering of interest to make credit available for business investments and consumer credit accessible to the average person.

    Others included a national infrastructure plan, addressing the power problem to obtain this vital ingredient to economic vitality, government-backed home mortgage system, re-invigoration of agriculture with the reintroduction of commodity exchange boards and agric mortgage loan corporation to help the common farmer to improve output and income and a re-calibration of the revenue sharing formula in order to give more funds to the states. Noting that the central government was doing things the states can do better, the APC leader said giving heed to the recommendations above will keep the federal government busy. It was at this point that he restated his often-stated call for true federalism. He argued that the imbalance between the roles of the federal and state governments lies at the root of the nation’s difficulties.

    Moving many of the 68 items in the Exclusive List to the Residual List as was the case in the 1963 Constitution will help ensure true federalism, he said. These items include police, prisons, stamp duties, regulation of tourist traffic, registration of business names, incorporation of companies, trade, commerce and census. He said those eager to dispense with federalism in favour of “more rash and impractical remedies should allow us to first truly practice federalism before we deem it a failure”.

    Sadly, it has to be said though that the reportage of this speech in one or two newspapers and commentaries by a few on social media seemed to have misconstrued some of Asiwaju Tinubu’s standpoints. A few clarifications would suffice here in that regard, as restructuring has now become a coat of many colours with many espousing diverse and often self-serving versions of what they term restructuring. First, Asiwaju’s advocacy has always been for a true federalism. What he seeks is a re-balancing of the roles between the federal and state governments to give more powers to the states to perform their responsibilities as obtained in the 1963 Constitution. The APC leader is convinced that the ongoing debate is healthy for the country and should help produce a better system for Nigeria.

    Second, when Tinubu noted that not all change could be deemed to be good, it was neither meant to disparage the APC which he helped found, nor a denunciation of the party’s change mantra as insinuated by some on social media. That was sheer mischief. He spoke in a context which clearly highlighted that what he sought for the country was a better Nigeria and that whether something was old or new was immaterial to him. For the avoidance of doubt, this is what he said:  “What I seek is a better Nigeria. I care not whether something is old or new but whether it shall make us better. Not all change is good. Not every new thing shall be kind to us. Yes, Nigeria must change, but some of the changes we need cannot be bought at the store of the new. Many things we need are shelved in the warehouse of the old. Just as we must learn new things on one hand, we must remember vital old wisdom on the other”.

    Taking the comment of anyone, particularly leaders, that points a way forward out of context would not help the ongoing democratic discourse. Their views should be properly captured. Asiwaju’s paper has been published in full by some of our national newspapers. The speech is on the internet and can also be glimpsed on his Twitter handle.

     

    *Rahman is Media Adviser to Asiwaju Tinubu

  • MAN chief: Our economy needs restructuring too

    MAN chief: Our economy needs restructuring too

    Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) president, Frank Jacob, in this interview with Bukola Aroloye says the economy needs restructuring especially in the area of diversification.  Excerpts

    What is your assessment of the economy in the last one year? There is no doubt that the year 2016 was very difficult for all economic participants  Government, firms and households. The reason for the harsh condition is also known to all and sundry. The fall in the crude oil prices in the international market and the resultant acute shortage of FX were core among economic challenges, others being poor power and credit supplies in that year.   Following that ill-development, government fell short of its fiscal obligations,  manufacturers cut down production due to inability to  import raw-materials used in the sector that are  not locally available and household aggregate consumption plummeted due to erosion in real value of income resulting from high inflation as depreciating Naira fed into prices. This ultimately threw the economy into recession in the second quarter of 2016 as Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by -0.36 in Q1, -2.06 in Q2, -2.24 in Q3 and -1.30 in Q4.

    Fortunately, MAN was able to engage the government frequently on how the challenges could be resolved. The result of those engagements are the CBN preferential 60% allocation to the sector for importation of raw-materials and machinery that are not available locally;  CBN forex policy intervention that began in February 2017; the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) which has as priority infrastructure development; the constitution of  the  Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC); the lift of the  ban on Export Expansion Grant; the $20,000.00 quarterly special Forex allocation to SMEs; and the review of the list of 41 items  which the CBN excluded from the official forex market.  These are already yielding positive results as they contributed significantly to extricating the economy from recession in the second quarter of 2017 – NBS GDP report shows an improvement in Real GDP as it grew by 0.55% in the second quarter of 2017 marking the end of economic recession in the country. This is corroborated by the contraction in the Consumer Price Index as inflation rate fell from 18.55 percent recorded in the fourth quarter of 2016 to 16.1 percent in second quarter of 2017.  Generally therefore, the economy appears to be on recovery and growth paths.  Hopefully, this will be sustained.

    In what areas do you think there can be improvement?

    No doubt, the economic improvement recorded in the second quarter of 2017 is quite commendable.   However, to sustain the current recovery tempo and further advance the performance of the economy and the manufacturing sector, we consider the following measures very important:

    *Continuously improving the state of infrastructure in the country, especially electricity, road and security infrastructure;

    *Sustaining the current intervention in the forex market;

    *Continuous encouragement of good governance in the country;

    *Strengthening the monetary and fiscal policy mix in designing economic policies;

    *Sustaining forex allocation to the industrial/manufacturing sector for importation of raw-materials and machinery that are locally unavailable;

    *Continuously supporting the resource-based industrialization and backward integration programmes

    *Encouraging patronage of Made-in-Nigeria Products

    *Significantly reduce interest rate to single digits.

    Would you say the real sector needs to be restructured?

    No doubt, there is need for restructuring the real sector of the economy so as to make it more productive. Restructuring in this context should consider the current mode of production in the sector. At the moment, production in the sector can be said to be crude and lacking contemporary technological production systems.  It is important to note that no country in the world has ever advanced without technological progress.  The manufacturing, agriculture, solid mineral and construction are equally poor with technology adaptation.  Unfortunately, this condition is responsible for the technology transfer mirage being witnessed in the country.   The restructuring of the industrial sector, especially manufacturing sector is therefore imperative and critical to production expansion in the sector.  Consequently, the real sector player should be encouraged to ensure their production processes are technologically driven, especially recent technologies.  In doing that, the mode of production in the sector will gradually transmute to a more technological frontier that would also facilitate swift technology transfer.

    An effective restructuring, particularly for the manufacturing sector will through embracing of contemporary technologies catalyze heavy manufacturing in the country as against the prevailing light manufacturing.   Generally, the implications of such restructuring of the real sector   would amount to more output, employment and contribution to government revenue.

    In specific terms, which type of restructuring does the economy need?

    Indeed, the economy needs to be restructured, especially as it has been built around crude oil resource which has proven time and time to be undependable.  The current unfavourable swing in crude oil prices in the international market has exposed the weaknesses and gaps in the economy as a sole dependence on crude oil earnings. The restructuring of the economy is also important so as to position the private sector to drive the economy – modern and prosperous economies are driven by the private sector.

    The ideal restructuring needed at the moment is economic diversification that will be supported with resource-based industrialization and backward integration programmes. Agriculture and solid minerals are cardinal sectors in the diversification programme due to their high inter-industry linkages. Consequently, diversification should begin within agriculture and solid minerals’ sectors so as to catalyze input materials for other sectors of the economy.   This will expand Nigeria’s export revenue streams and create a sustainable landscape for the industrialization of the country.

    While emphasizing diversification, there is need for government to incentivize investment into the petrochemical industry which also has significant inter-industry linkages and has the capacity to increase the country’s export revenue.

    How can the economy be boosted for greater efficiency?

    It is important to note that economic efficiency borders on Ease-Of-Doing-Business (EODB) and cost of operating a business. With less efficiency, EODB and operating cost will be harsh and may trigger off business downturn. The constitution of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) is therefore apt and commendable, especially for the improvements already recorded on some of the EODB factors, particularly business registration.  However, to consolidate on these achievements, there is the need for the government to further consider the following measures for implementation:

    *Further focusing on improving the quantum of electricity generated, transmission and distribution infrastructure as well as evolving an optimum tariff for the commodity;

    *Improving Private Sector access to credit which has been crowded-out by government’s presence in the financial markets;

    *Harmonizing the tax structure and publishing approved tax rates collectable by the federal, states and local governments to eliminate multiplicity of taxes and double taxation.

    What sort of monetary and fiscal policies would you advocate over the next one year?

    Monetary and fiscal policies are veritable tools for the management of the economy considering the fact that Nigeria just exited recession. There has to be a synthesis of fiscal and monetary policies to achieve macroeconomic stability and economic growth. The CBN’s exchange rate policy in the period, especially recently has been efficacious as it stabilized  forex market by  narrowing the premium between  the  parallel and official markets rates and making forex more available in the economy.  The same view can be held for loan to manufacturers, especially those emanating from the development funding windows particularly the Bank of Industry (BOI). The Bank has within its limited capacity been granting credit for acquisition of machinery to manufacturers and other industrialists. These credible monetary policies have to be sustained.  Nonetheless, the CBN interest rate stance remains a worrisome challenge as it retains Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 14% which MAN considers high and responsible for the increase in the other rates such as the lending rate which stands at about 30%.  The high lending rate from the commercial banks has been a huge disincentive for investment in the manufacturing sector. MAN is therefore advocating for a reduction in MPR.

    What sector of the economy needs greater focus?

    There is no doubt that if the non-oil sector is healthy, then the entire economy will be healthy.  It is important to note that all component sectors of the non-oil sector work and progress in unison due to inter-industry linkages. It is also important that while focusing on agriculture, solid minerals should also be given attention including the manufacturing sector.  These three sectors are bound together by industry input-output linkages.  None of them can adequately survive on its own unless the others are surviving. In conclusion therefore, there is need for the government to simultaneously focus on agriculture, solid minerals and the manufacturing sector.

  • ‘Those calling for restructuring should give us blueprint’

    Elder statesman, Alhaji Salihu Abubakar Tanko Yakasai, speaks with KOLADE ADEYEMI on the clamour for restructuring, Nigeria, he insists should be restructured, adding that there is the need to go back to the 1963 constitution which prescribed four regions. 

    What is your take on restructuring? My take is that there are so many people who are talking about restructuring, but none of them has come out with a blueprint as to what restructuring will be for Nigerians. Of course, you see when different people are talking on an issue with different perspectives, then, you don’t know who to address; but in my opinion, I have been waiting for somebody to articulate what restructuring is all about. The first time I heard of what restructuring should be was when the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, talked of going back to the 1963 Constitution.

    After him, when the Afenifere leaders met in Ibadan, they also talked about it. They adopted their resolution; I got their resolution, I read it and the only thing I find difficult to understand is that they said we should we go back to the 1963 Constitution.  The 1963 Constitution has four regionsNorth, East, West and Mid-West. But in Ibadan, they talked of six regions! If you are talking of six regions, you are not talking of going back to the 1963 Constitution.  That is where I disagree with the Afenifere leaders.

    I want those who are agitating for restructuring  Nigeria to come out with a blueprint in black and white so that we can keep it in the archives; so that one day when they come to change their views, then we will tell them that this is what you advocated. If we got it in black and white, you, I and everybody will know that   this is what they want. Why do I want it in black and white? I want it in black and white because the same people who are now agitating for restructuring were part of the people who agitated for the creation of more states in Nigeria way back to 1954!

    Gradually, Nigerians acceded to their demands and now, we ended up starting with one stateMid-West, and then they were supporting northerners for Middle Belt state or region; and they went to support for Calabar/Ogoja/Rivers State. Now, eventually, Rivers State was created, Calabar/Ogoja was created as South-East, and later they were separated to Akwa Ibom and Cross River States. So, now, gradually people started to demand for more states until we reach the present stage of 36 states.

    In my opinion, many of the states created were unjustifiable, because why should there be an Osun State from Oyo State? They are the same Yoruba speaking people, the same religious backgroundMuslim or Christians, they speak the same language, they have the same culture. Why should there be two states there? Why should there be a Jigawa State in Kano, whereas the people speak the same language and of the same culture? Why should there be a Zamfara, Kebbi, and Sokoto states separately, when the entire people are the same people?

    The origin of the agitation for the creation of states was for the minorities to be free from the domination of the majority. Now, if you create state in Oyo for instance, you created Osun, who is oppressing who? They are all Yoruba! But be that as it may, now, I personally, not on behalf of anybody, on my own behalf, Tanko Yakasai, I support the return to 1963 Constitution. And I appeal to all Nigerians to lend their support to the 1963 Constitution. You see, I want to appeal to Nigerians to understand that until we give Afenifere what they are looking for, if care is not taken, they will put this country into trouble. They did it beforeit was the Western crisis where human beings were set ablaze alive that gave the military excuse to stage a coup de tat in 1966.

    Now, unless care is taken, this issue which is to me a non-issue can easily spark off crisis in this country. And nobody knowsthere are anti-democratic forces in Nigeria, whether you like it or not, and they can easily penetrate the military, use money and gave the military the lee way to scuttle the nascent democracy that we have started. So, please, I am appealing to all Nigerians to let Afenifere get what they wantrestructuringwhich is going back to the 1963 Constitution, so that we can have peace. Unless Nigerians meet the demand of the Afenifere, Nigeria will not have peace, I can tell you this because I know them very well.

    Two northern leaders, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Military President, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida are also in favour of restructuring. What do you make out from their stand on the issue?

    Alhaji Aiku Abubakar is talking of restructuring, but from my understanding what Atiku is looking for, actually, is devolution of power. What he is advocating for, whether he defines it as restructuring or anything else is nothing but devolution of powerthat is, transferring item from exclusive list to concurrent list.  I want Nigerians to understand that if you transfer any item from exclusive list to the concurrent list, you are not denying the federal government any of these powers.  All you are saying is that you are extending that power to the state to take part in it. Now, according to our Constitution, anywhere a state makes a law which is in conflict with a law made by the National Assembly, the law made by the state will be   null and void to the extent of the inconsistency.

    So, how I wish that Atiku and Babangida waited for those agitating for restructuring to articulate their positions properly before announcing their support. What they are supporting is different from what people are agitating for. But, I will appeal to the two of them, Babangida and Atiku, in the name of God, to please lend their support to the return of Nigeria to the 1963 Constitution.

    Between restructuring and Constitution amendment, which do you think Nigeria need at the moment?

    Well, the problem of Nigeria is that of leadership. Other countries that were on the same pedestal with Nigeria are now ahead of us because they got it right.  They got the type of leadership that would move their countries forward. They succeededMalaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, India, and the rest of them.  So, if people say restructure, then grant them. But my concern is that the amount of energy and time that we are spending talking about restructuring is getting into my head. It is not necessary. If all the time we dedicated to the debate on restructuring have been devoted to the development of ideas as to how Nigeria can move forward, how can we get a better leadership in Nigeria, how are we going to develop agriculture, how are we going to have sufficient power so that we can create condition for industrialization, we would have made some progress. We wasted time agitating for something which in my opinion is neither there nor here. So, let us agree and accept going back to the 1963 Constitution so that we can have peace and move forward.

    Fifty seven years after independence, what exactly do you think the leadership should fix so that the country can move forward?

    You see, let me say it again, all the countries that developed planned their programmes and decided to implement their programmes step by step to reach where they are. I was in China 57 years ago; China was highly underdeveloped like Nigeria. I was surprised when I went to China in 1960, to see university students, girls, carrying shovels, head pans and digger to carry concrete for building roads. If you go to the high hills, the driver will put off the engine of his car, and will move until he reaches the balance, then he will ignite the car, simply to conserve fuel, because they experienced fuel shortage in their country.  Now, look at the Chinese, they are the ones building roads everywhere. They have gone far; they are number one now in the whole world. They are building railways, they are building trains. They built a train that can run   350 miles per hour; and in fact, initially, they built the one that ran faster, but there was an accident, and because of that they reduced the speed. They have now built their own aircraft. Brazil, which was at the same level with us when we had Peugeot assembly plant, we started together with Brazil, but now they build their own war ship, they build ship and vessel for commercial activities. They build their own aircraft, they build their own cars, they build everything. Now, we are lagging behind, why? It is because of lack of leadership.

    So, now, let us concentrate on getting the right leadership. There are five essential ingredients for good leadershipthat is a leadership that wants to change the society to a better place ought to have these five ingredients. One of the five ingredients is capacity, number two is competence, number three is vision, number four is planning, number five is integrity. If you have integrity and you have no capacity, it is useless, you cannot do anything; if you have integrity and you have no competence, you cannot do anything; if you have integrity and you have no vision, you cannot achieve anything; you have integrity, you have no planning, you cannot achieve anything. So, this country needed a leadership that has a combination of these five very important ingredients. Now, where we are not able to have that, at least, let us have a leadership that has two most important ingredientscapacity and integrity. You see, with capacity, you know what you can do, with integrity; you know that you will tell people what you cannot do, and look for people who will help and do what you cannot do. This is what we are looking for in Nigeria, to move this country forward.

  • Restructuring is a cliché and a slogan- Junaid Mohammed

    Restructuring is a cliché and a slogan- Junaid Mohammed

    As the nation turns 57 today, a Second Republic member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, otherwise called the “Stormy Petrel” of the North shares his views with Managing Editor, Northern Operation, Yusuf Alli, on the journey so far and the raging restructuring debate. Excerpts

    Nigeria is 57 old, what is your assessment of our journey so far?

    It is a very difficult question but to some extent, I can give my personal experience. I will try to answer. First, I believe it is worth congratulating ourselves because we have survived as a nation which was born in 1914 and subsequently had her independence on 1st October, 1960. The contradictions which afflicted the Nigerian state were enormous and any other country would not have survived. But suddenly we survived. It is a cause for congratulations. Having said that, I think it will be unfair, unreasonable and unrealistic to underestimate the problems which Nigerian state have been confronted with and are still confronting as a state today. It is the problem of lack of elite cohesion. Nigerian elites have been fairly irresponsible. They have been unhistorical in most of what they did and more often than not, they have converted public service in the form of politics to a form of personal aggrandizement due to primordial instinct and agitations for their tribe, religion, zones and regions. That has been inimical to the development of Nigeria as a country and that has been very unfortunate. It is unfortunate more so because Nigeria was born in 1914 with enormous potentials. The fact that we failed miserably to convert the potentials to existential and developmental reality has been a very unfortunate development. As you said, the hope we have, after the latest spate of agitations, is for Nigerian leaders to still comeback to the drawing board and begin to describe how realistically we can move the nation forward in terms of development. The context of development will be how to deal with the problems of poverty, under-employment, under-development, delivery of essential services in education, health care, security and the rest. These are very important aspects and I believe they ought to engage the energy and intelligence of Nigerian elites instead of wasting our time raising up agitations,  since a couple of half a decade or so,  in which at the end of the day nothing has been resolved.

    Is it possible to have permanent solutions to Nigerian Problems?

    No, not all. No nation has permanent solutions because if you don’t have permanent problems, manifesting in definite permanent way, there is no way you can have what you called permanent solutions. But you can resolve problems as they arise by being on the alert and being realistic and reasonable. You don’t reduce people you disagree with by calling them names, castigating them, and saying that they are beggars and so forth. By doing so, you are not creating the necessary avenue and understanding of a reasonable exchange of views, intercourse and dialogue. It is not every time someone disagrees with you genuinely, otherwise you strictly start abusing him. That is the tendency I have noticed over the years. I had been in public service and I have been around for over 40 years. So, I believe problems will always arise but goodwill, consensus in trying to concede and do give-and-take will always solve so many problems no matter how daunting.

    Let’s return to the drawing board. Does it amount to restructuring?

    No. I should have asked you to define for me what restructuring is because so far, in the course of this latest agitation, I have not had a single explanation or rendition of what is called restructuring. If we are saying that we have had the problems we are now having today in Nigeria because we did not restructure, you should be able to tell us what restructuring is. This is a very old concept in having dialogue and contestation. It is as old as the Roman Empire and before then, the Greek City states. If you want to commence a discussion, you will want to do so by defining your thoughts. At least those thoughts are defined, and at least there is agreement among the people who are participating in the discussion. What are the basic terms, those are what you will deal with but any attempt to engage in throwing big planks does not solve any problem. It is unlikely to solve any problem so, I will want to know for those who are agitating for this position to tell us what restructuring is and at least tell us, why is this time around, it is so unique to our existence. There has been nothing like that since 1915 to 1960 or from 1960 to date. Unless I hear another, you won’t want to waste my time trading water.

    So you don’t subscribe to restructuring?

    I want to know what it is. I still want. Yusuf tell me what restructuring is and maybe I will make up my mind on what I agree with.

    Like true federalism, state police, etc?

    Apart from state police, which can be understood and we have to explain this, I don’t know what you are talking about on true federalism. Federalism first is the way of governing the society. It is not unique to Nigeria or any country. It is a way of governing a society which has something to call for in terms of devolution of powers at the local level. At higher level, you concede certain powers to some sections at the state level. It is not something you come and contest. You look at specific issues. For instance, do we allow each state to have its own land? No. It will be suicidal. Do we allow each state to print its own currency? Madness! It doesn’t make any sense. What of the regulation of banking and currency in any society? You have to have certain level of federalizing currency, banking management, how you control debts, and regulating interest rate in an economy. These are all very important issues but you have to treat them one by one and decide what you want to do with it and how it affects our national life.

    Since you said you want true federalism, tell me which one is false federalism? For instance, for the sake of this discussion, I will name certain countries including the US, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, Britain, Russia, China which are federations. You can see they are vastly different. Why? Because at each instance, the citizens of  these countries (in just their basic laws in their constitutions ) decided what areas to cede to the national government and what areas to reserve in various second and third tiers of government at the state level. You know what you call them here -the local government. So, we have to be very careful. We should know what we are talking about and I don’t like wasting my time on issues which have not been properly digested. Let me tell you, restructuring is a cliché and a slogan. It is very easy for Nigerians to adopt it. We want true federalism, we want resource control. You have to be able to define restructuring. That’s one thing I find very difficult to understand. So we have to be very careful.

  • ‘Restructuring not the same as true federalism’

    ‘Restructuring not the same as true federalism’

    Restructuring in my view means re  adjustment, re- alignment, re- positioning or re- designing. Like all man  made structures or entities,  countries are prone to mal- adjustment and mis- alignment over a period of time, especially multi- ethnic, multi- national, lingual and multi- religious entities.

    Nigeria being an agglomeration of many nations, has over time developed some structural misalignment which requires re- alignment to enhance the smooth  running of the entity to  maintain equilibrium and stability.

    Nigeria has been disequilibrated over a period of time by the inequity and imbalance embedded in the distribution of power and resources exemplified in the lopsidedness in the powers exercised by the central government to the detriment of the component units (the states and local governments).

    The true meaning of federalism suggests two levels of government exercising powers that are coordinate and co-equal.

    In the Nigerian example, the central government is super  ordinate to the regional (state) governments and is also not equal in the sense that it exercises a preponderance of power over the states, a situation of the tail wagging the dog.

    This anomalous situation has been legitimized by the 1999 constitution which was imposed on the country by the military. Instead of a federal state, the 1999 constitution brought about a unitary state created in the image of a military organization with its hierarchical command structure and a super- ordinate- subordinate relationship.

    The revenue allocation formula was structured to favor the federal government which takes away 52.6%, while the states and local governments take 26.7% and 20.6% respectively  a situation that makes them perpetual mendicants always going cap-in–hand to beg the federal  government for hand-outs and bail-outs. Ironically, in a truly federal state,, the two levels of government (federal and state) ought to be equal, separate, independent and coordinate.

    Although, there is hardly any ideal federal state, it is a fact universally acknowledged that any nation comprising heterogeneous populations and nationalities with multiple cultures, wishing to co-habit in peace, must adopt a form of federalism adapted to suit its own situation and circumstance.

    There has been a consensus amongst Nigeria’s founding fathers that the best political- administrative system suitable for its heterogeneous population is federalism.

    Unfortunately, federalism has taken a bashing over the years and has been progressively tortured and pruned to become an administrative semi-fit, if not an aberration.

    Instead of being hinged on structural balance, it is hinged on structural \ geographical imbalance. Instead of fiscal federalism, It practices fiscal centralism. This is contrary to the original consensus which informed the Macpherson, independence and republican constitutions.

    Restructuring will therefore demand a re-ordering of relationships, a re-distribution of power and resources and a re-adjustment of boundaries of the component units of the Nigerian federation.

    Restructuring is also not the same thing as true federalism because even what some people refer to as “true” is still subject to constant re-negotiation and re-adjustment.

    This re-ordering will necessitate the making of an entirely new constitution to replace the existing one, which to all intents and purposes, is irredeemably pro-unitarism. The new constitution will transfer most items currently put in the exclusive legislative list (68 in all) to the concurrent list.

    It must also put a stop to the practice of expropriating all powers belonging to the states by the voracious central government.

    So also must the revenue allocation formula be altered in favour of states and local governments. As we confront the cry of restructuring which now reverberates across the length and breadth of the country, we must challenge the arrogance of those who keep insisting that “our unity is not negotiable. This insistence is a despicable ploy to drive our multinationality underground and homogenize our people who belong to disparate ethnicities, cultures and communities. To insist, as these individuals do, that we cannot negotiate the terms of our association, co-habitation and co-existence is to voice a plea for reaction and deny us the fundamental human right to express our humanity, and identity.

    Professor Babawale is of the Dept of Political Science, University of Lagos

  • Opadokun: Buhari should restructure Nigeria now

    Opadokun: Buhari should restructure Nigeria now

    A leading member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Chief Ayo Opadokun, has called on President Mohammadu Buhari to embark on the restructuring of Nigeria without delay.

     

    Opadokun made the call while featuring on a radio programme of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) in Ibadan, Saturday.

     

    At the programme tagged ‘Saturday Special’ which focused on the 57th independence anniversary of the country, Opadokun relayed the various efforts made by his generation of socio-political leaders to develop the country. He said formation of various socio-political groups, NADECO, drawing of blueprints on how to make Nigeria work better and participation in the various national conferences were part of such efforts. He then called on younger Nigerians to stand up and lead such efforts because the future belongs to them.

     

    Opadokun said calls for restructuring, which is currently reigning across the nation, are the primary solution the country can offer now.

    He argued that President Buhari should ignore political consideration and allow restructuring, stressing that any delay will further jeopardize the unity and development of the country.

    Corroborating his position, Dr Yemi Farohunbi said it takes only a selfless, detribalized, courageous and visionary leader to change the fortunes of a people.

    He cited the example of the defunct United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) and India when former great leaders changed the direction of the countries to that of unity and prosperity through measures that ensured equality and fairness, thereby promoting patriotism.

    The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Michael Adeyemo, also stressed the need for restructuring but emphasized that all such steps must be lawful.

  • God will be angry if we restructure Nigeria – Apostolic Cleric

    God will be angry if we restructure Nigeria – Apostolic Cleric

    Apparently irked by the spate of divided opinions over calls by some Nigerians to restructure Nigeria, Vice President of The Apostolic Church Nigeria (TACN), Pastor Emmanuel Awojide has warned that God will be angry with the people and may send calamity upon them if they go ahead to restructure the country.

    Pastor Awojide said God who put the people and country in present circumstance knows why He did so, and as such, “No one should divide what God has joined together for peace and love”.

    The Apostolic Cleric also took a swipe at killings going on in the country as a result of agitations, bombings, kidnappings, among others, and described Nigeria as a country full of religious, but ungodly people.

    Speaking with Journalists at the 82nd annual convention, Kaduna area of the church, shortly after a sermon on the theme, “Come Thou and All Thy House Into The Ark”, Pastor Awojide noted that the spate of corruption in the country was already surpassing that of the days of biblical Noah where corrupt people were washed away by the great flood.

    He cautioned that if God should visit anger on Nigeria, many will not escape the wrath because of corruption and killings taking place in the country.

    The Apostolic Cleric however expressed the hope that the country could be better if the people and the nation could be Godly rather than being religious by putting a stop to evils in the society.

    He said, “On restructuring, I want to disagree with those calling for the restructuring of the country because it is not the wish of God for the country to go in different directions.

    “We must stay together because God will be angry with Nigerian leaders if they allow the country to be divided.

    “It is against the wish of God for the country to be divided.

    He also assured Nigerians that there will be no bloodshed in 2019 as against some insinuations that the general election will be bloody.

    “But as men of God we will continue to pray against evil, and we believe that God mercy will come upon the country and the people. Therefore we must respond to God’s hand of mercy to avoid evils.

    “Nigeria and Nigerians are religious, but are yet to be Godly because there is so much killings and destructions in the land.

    “Corrupt Nigerians must repent or else the wrath of God and the law of the land will catch up with them.

    “But ungodly people will perish eventually in hell fire, and Godly people will make heaven”.