Seek Ye First the Kingdom of Restructuring -By Tony Osakpamwan Agbons

As the debate rages on about the projectile and trajectory that Nigeria is heading, the fragile intrinsic cord binding our ‘Nigeriahood’ is almost at breaking point. Never in the history of this multi-ethnic and religious country has the elastic cord binding the country together been this stretched. It appears that the elastic limit of our shared nationhood is now set to almost defy “Hooke’s Law”. Evidence of this trend towards a spiralling depth is palpable from the level of apprehension and uncertainty amongst the citizenry, which is at an all-time high arterial bursting level.

So much blame is put by Nigerians at the desk of the government of President Mohammadu Buhari and understandably so. This was a government, that swept to power on a wave of populism six years ago. The arrowhead, a spartan retired General, Buhari was seen as a rare breed and first among equals. He was seen as one of the last vestige of his generation that has traversed and held the leadership quantum of the nation for nearly four decades.

Reeling from the perceived maladies of President Muhammadu Buhari’s predecessor, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in 2015, and the self-styled largest party in Africa, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, majority of Nigerians decided to change the Ship (party) and Captain. It was a clear case of anything else but Goodluck Jonathan. In their campaign, the then newly formed mega party, the All Progressive Congress, APC presented and dangled a `juicy wine` in the garb of ‘change’ to the Nigerian people. The hype and optimism across the land was at the roof top.

The APC repeatedly chanted well-articulated speeches in their campaigns promising to stop the rot in the country. A few examples will suffice: fixing our moribund refineries in Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna, repositioning our dilapidated healthcare system,  stopping the penchant for foreign medial tourism by government officials and other elites, ending the leaking basket of petroleum subsidy, fixing the epileptic electricity supply, to aggressively fight the monster of corruption, addressing the problems and decay in our educational system and perhaps the most important one, which was ending once and for all, the insecurity challenges besieging Nigeria. Furthermore, the current ruling party also flew the kite of restructuring. Today in 2021, nothing in the foregoing list of promises has seen the light of day and rather, the Government of the day is singing reggae instead of blues and expecting us, Nigerians to dance. If you know, you know.

Under the present regime, and like those before it, the pomp and pageantry end a few days or weeks after inauguration. We have been through this road many times. President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999, Umaru Musa Yar ‘Adua in 2007, Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, and the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. The latter even came up with a sweet octane sound of ‘I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody`. That hallowed quote now seems like an archaeological study of Homo erectus. It is a pity.

What then could be responsible for the continuous failure of governance in Nigeria? Yours sincerely has done quite a bit of empirical research with some begging questions. Is it our ethnic configuration? Is it religion? Is it our people – the followership? Is it the leaders? Is it our constitution? Or is it our behemoth political system? Certainly, once we get to pin-point what the real problem is then we are more likely to put forward a solution. The repeated complaints and mourning by the Nigerian people are not enough. Not until we identify what our real problem is, respite will remain a mirage. It is going to remain a case of ‘the more you look, the less you see’. By every intent and purpose, Nigeria has to be restructured along federal lines. No ifs, no buts. Antagonists of restructuring may actually be pushing the nation to the abyss and the reason is not farfetched, it is as simple as ABCD.

Firstly, the current tribal and ethnic agitation is a fallout of the systemic failure of governance. It is a failure not just of the current administration but preceding ones also. The current government seems to be bereft of ideas and has only exacerbated the situation. The nation has not been able to achieve its target goals in virtually all global developmental indicators. On a scale of one to ten, the scorecard for Nigeria cannot be more than two out of ten. This is even an over generous assessment. Many country men and women will score it nought. In our current pseudo federal system (which is unitary in practice), there is a huge opportunity for laziness, circumventing of due process and diligence, large room for corruption, convoluted bureaucracy, duplication of responsibility, lack of accountability and unimaginable levels of wastage due to the high cost of maintenance of a bogus, profligate political class.

Secondly, a system that makes it possible for Chief Executives at the state level (Governors) to wait for ‘monthly handouts’ in the name of federal allocations is anathema to creativity, innovation and economic growth. Apart from maybe Lagos and Ogun State, the other states of the federation cannot boast of reasonable internally generated revenue, IGR. Why create or innovate when ‘monthly handout’ is coming from Abuja. This laziness has to stop. Only in a restructured Nigeria will this nonsense stop!

In the current disposition, politicians with clout and a loud voice who should be championing and driving the restructuring agenda have kept mute. Many of them who got the `flight to power` via the wings of ‘we will restructure’ have turned their backs and reneged on their promises. What a disgrace! Their decision to stay silent over joining and singing the ‘restructure song’ because of their 2023 political ambition is demonic. These folks need to realise that ‘there would be no throne if the community is burnt down’. Any Nigerian politician still living in dreamland and a fantasy world about the present dilemma in the country may need to have their sanity checked. The nation is on the cusp and verge of collapse. It is all too obvious even for the most casual observer.

Finally, it is a great disservice by the current ruling class if they fail to see the looming danger ahead and not avert it. Our country needs selfless and visionary leadership at this moment in history. We need men and women of zest, panache, and flair to galvanise the National discuss and narrative. We need men and women able to see beyond their nose and pecuniary benefits of the perks and juices of public office. We need men and women who believe and practice what they preach. We need men and women whose word is their bond. We need men and women who understand that governance is not partisan. We need men and women who understand the age long axiom of governance is `al continuum’. We need men and women of like minds to emerge and bring a breath of fresh air to our stagnated political system. We need men and women who truly believe and able to pontificate the eternal truth of ‘seek ye first the kingdom of restructuring’ and all other things shall be added for the building of a virile nation. And so be it!

Will today’s current ruling class, willingly call on these men and women we need and hand them the leadership of Nigeria on a platter of gold? The answer is obvious – they are not ready to do what is right but wish to perpetuate themselves, ‘their kits and kins’ in power. So, the kind of men and women who form the critical mass for a new Nigeria, must come together as a team and take the reins of our affairs into their hands. They must come together, to emancipate our nation, while we yet have some time left, by seeking the kingdom of restructuring and reconstitute our country into a true Federating Unit.

Dr. Agbons writes from the United Kingdom