Each time the mention of restructuring of Nigeria is made, what comes to the minds of many Nigerians is ‘ Nigeria’s federalism’; how it has failed to engender development, national integration and solve burning issues of minority question, marginalization, ethno-religious crises, etc. For these reasons, they get hell-bent on restructuring the country.
Yes, the political space has been bastardised that it seems everything must be wrong with our government system. An advocate of restructuring will say that Nigeria fared better when we operated as Western, Eastern and Northern regions than now.
Surprisingly, amidst various calls for restructuring, reasons why this same federal system which benefits countries like Ethiopia, USA and India, is counter-productive in Nigeria, appear yet to be given thought to.
Speaking on this during a public debate recently, a professor of political science at the University of Ibadan, Bayo Okunade, noted that unless some fundamental issues are addressed, the problems would persist with or without restructuring.
Nevertheless, Vincent Aluu, (2018), in his work, ‘True Federalism and Restructuring in Nigeria’, wrote that Nigeria is operating a federal system in an awkward manner that does not reflect true federalism as enunciated by Professor K.C Wheare.
Wrong application of the tenets of federalism, high level political instability, ethno/religious crisis, etc, Aluu alluded, have culminated into frictions and clashes posing serious threat to Nigeria’s political and economic development and national integration.
If Aluu’s allusion be anything to go by, it means the baton obviously falls back at the players themselves, making it imperative to restructure ourselves first before the systemg. In line with this understanding, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, while urging Nigerians to learn from the Brexit experience and prevent similar occurrence, said, “If anything needs restructuring, it must start with us as a people.”
This is because, for a system to work, there has to be consistency with the construed norms and supportive ethos that will make it work. if we have those things that do not want the current system to work, especially the nature of the political class corruption, all these tendencies like nepotism and others, they will consistently remain cog in the wheel of the country’s progress.
In a keynote address Fashola gave at Island Club’s 76th Anniversary lecture on Lagos Island, late last year, he emphasized the need to put up a positive attitude as a people, instead of erroneousely clamouring for institutional change or restructuring, stating that a new territory doesn’t necessarily translate to a better life.
In his words, “A good document not backed by the right attitude does not take a people far. If anything really needs restructuring, it must start with us as a people, with our attitude and with our mindset. He advocated that Nigerian youth, who are considered leaders of tomorrow, should be given political education to make them understand the issue of restructuring to avoid replicating the Brexit experience.
Fashola’s words reminded me of the effort made by late Prof. Dora Akunyili, a former minister for information and communications, in this regard, while she lived. The late minister whose understanding of restructuring falls in alignment with Fashola’s, floated the idea of “Re-branding Nigeria Project”.
The whole essence of late Akunyili’s endeavour, was to encourage Nigerians to consciously “work on themselves”, so as to change the pervading negative perception of the country in the comity of nations. Her courage, no doubt, may have been spurred by the words of late Chief Anthony Enahoro, an elder statesman and one of the founding fathers of modern Nigeria.
The late national hero was quoted thus: “I am about the only one left of my generation that fought for Independence. I would be very sad if I die leaving Nigeria behind the way she is now. My goal is to help… see Nigeria better governed; then, one might leave”.
Enahoro’s goal of seeing Nigeria better governed appears to have been scuttled by greed and selfishness of leaders which has metamorphosed into all shades of corruption. His feeling should apply to all patriotic Nigerians of uprightness to rise to the challenge of quitting the beaten track of institutionalised corruption as a way of life, and re-orientating the citizenry towards playing a meaningful role as responsible members of the global community.
We might be toeing the line of failure if we continue to fault existing institutions without seeing the need to purge or sanitize the operators of the system or institutions. Little wonder, our elders say that it is a bad workman that quarrels with his tools. Nigeria needs men of proven integrity to propel its developmental wheel and land it safely.
Nation-building may well be hard to achieve, but it need not be as difficult as we make it in Nigeria. Nation-building is also intentional. It doesn’t happen by accident. The real test is in the leadership and the actions that create a real spirit of nationhood, and the willingness of every stakeholder to build a united, stable and cohesive nation. It is unfortunate that 59 years after Independence, we are still confronted with the imperative of defining a future for Nigeria.

By: Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi