LETTER TO MR PRESIDENT.

LETTER TO MR PRESIDENT.

I READ AND MEDIATED ON WHAT THE PREACHER SAYS IN THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 4, I SAW THE TEARS OF THE OPPRESSED AND THEY HAVE NO COMFORTER, POWER  WAS ON THE SIDE OF THEIR OPPRESSORS.

Mr. President, the game so beloved by Nigerian elite is going toward  what is known in football as injury time, as all soccer fanatics know, it is indeed the most critical moment, distinguished by anxiety and acute uncertainty. Within the twinkling of an eye, anything can go wrong and invariably, things do go wrong. Carefully laid down plans go up in smoke. The players themselves with tired limbs, decline vision and deteriorating coordination look towards the referees for early deliverance since event have conspired to make it impossible  to settle for a draw, since a clear winner must emerge, it is this fleeting moment that determines whether the match will end in penalty shootout or the phenomenon know as "sudden death".

This is the moment that has stolen upon us. As the Country lurches and staggers from one crisis to another, as one measure is hurriedly abandoned for even more inept solutions, as the rule of law is recklessly abandoned at all levels of government for rule of man, it is clear that we are faced with what is known as an "organic crisis". Nations are also like human beings and when an affliction becomes terminal, when suffering is unbearably acute, when human misery is so stark and remorseless, it is time to consider the virtues of EUTHANASIA. Looking through the glass, the Niger Delta crisis, the BOKO HARAM insurgence, the high level of corruption and looting across governments MDAs, it is glaring that we have in our hands a classic recipe for organic crisis. That is why we must talk. Regardless of the centrifugal forces that may be pulling  Mr President in different directions, restructuring  of the country is not negotiable. Our history is not our enemy but the way we deal or not with our history could be our enemy. A Country that has not really faced its past cannot decide on her future. Our forefathers spent many years like their counterparts in America deliberating on a People's Constitution that would accommodate  Nigeria diversity. They came up with 1960 and 63  Constitutions. The Constitutions  addressed the derivative principle, the areas which produce the bulk of Nation's resources have the right to a significant proportion for the revenues collected from the region. Under the 1963 Constitution, Federal Government was entitled to pay each region a sum equal to fifty percent of proceeds of mining rents and royalty in respect of minerals derived from each region. The Federal Government was obliged to credit to the Distributable  Pool Account (DPA) thirty percent of the proceeds of the royalty and mining rent received by the Federal Government after remitted fifty percent to the

producing region. The Federal Government was only entitled to keep for itself only twenty percent. The thirty percent in the Distributable Pool Account were shared among the regions based on population, size etc. Each region was assured that she entitled as of right to about half of the entire proceeds of its region and also a further part constituting its own share from the Distributable Pool Account, that was the position till 1966.

With the advent of the military, the federal structure was dismantled and discarded. The fiscal system was also destroyed. These are the major outcome of military sabotage of the Nigerian federal system. 

Mr.President, l do not belong to  the school of thought which believe that the only thing you need to run Nigerian very well is only good leadership, l believe that far more important than leadership are good political and economic structures. In other words, the structure of a house is far more important than the interior decoration. A good house must be able to withstand inclement weather and the rigour of reasonable existence, it must not be constantly under threat of collapse. In a normally functioning federal system where fiscal relations among the federating states are properly established, it should not be for instance, the  responsibility of FG to make pronouncement  on policy issues like salary increase that are bound to disproportionately affect the states. For instance the workers of western region were paid a minimum daily wage of five shilling well above what was paid at the federal and other regions. Governor of New York State of America earns more salary than the Almighty American President. Today, it is however ironical that the oil producing states and highly commercial and industrial state like Lagos feel incapable of paying the level or above of wages being paid to federal employees.

This is a manifestation of the distortion in fiscal federalism that needs to be corrected. Mr. President, if only successive military regimes have curbed their penchant for suspending and undermining parts or whole of the constitution that are very necessary for good governance and socio economic well being of the citizenry, may be Nigeria would have been saved from these crises. That is why ,we need a living CONSTITUTION  in other to settle all these anomalies. Thomas Paine in his Rights of Man, 1789, which is generally acknowledged as valid stated that "A Constitution has to be original act of the people. The people do ordain and establish ... does not a mere echo of revolutionary sentiment", it reflects a confirmation, that America constitution obtains its entire existent force and efficacy from the people to be governed by it. That is why our constitution does not command the sacred obsession and being violated with impunity by the government and

people, because it is an imposition of military arrangement. Mr. President, the World is full of multinational -States.Those who practice true federalism with full autonomy to federating units such as France, America or Switzerland, succeeded. Those that have  failed, have failed because they did not practice true and genuine federalism. They have run multicultural states along unitary lines and they have paid dearly for it. Soviet Union was formed in 1919, it disintegrate in 1989 after a span of 70 year. Yugoslavia was formed in 1919, it disintegrated in 1991 after 72 year. A great lesson  for us to learn, if after more than 100 years  of Nigeria creation and  57  years as an independent state, it appears to be an artificial creation or just geographical expression as stated by the legend king-philosopher, Papa Awolowo in 1947, that confirms that our leaders are not committed to the concept of a just and equitable Nigeria.

In a relaxed federation, the different state develops at their own pace as it was done during first republic. l wish Josip Tito had done this there would still have been a Yugoslavia today. Many states in India use their languages up to University level, what is wrong in the North, East and West using Hausa, lgbo, and Yoruba respectively up to University  level. Those aspiring for jobs in the federal and international levels will then strive to acquire proficiency in English. As it is, we are entangled in a mission impossible of building nation-state from some incongruous  multicultural units. It is a task that cannot be accomplished.

Mr. President, Nigeria is a country of nationalities nobody should shy away from the naked fact. There is no Nigerian who is a Nigerian first before  his /her nationality or tribe. Mr. President, let your heart continue to be ruled by unconquerable goodwill and irresistible earnestness for Nigeria's continued oneness. l wish you earnest recovery.

 

Olufemi Aduwo

Executive Director/CEO

Centre for Convention on Democratic Integrity Ltd/Gte