Restructuring Nigeria: a clarion call to national identity

By Frank Pukon 

On January 1, 1914, Lord Frederick Lugard, the governor of both the Northern Nigeria Protectorate and the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, signed the document unifying the two,thereby allowing the creation of the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria.

Late Chief Melford Okilo, image credit Facebook

Forty-six years later in 1960, Nigeria became an independent state.

This year apparently makes it 106 years to Nigeria’s amalgamation. The country; however, is still grappling with its national identity, which reawakened the surge of separatist groups then: such as the Oduduwa Republic, the Republic of Biafra, as well as the Niger Delta Republic, culminating into a deep reflection to the contemporary discourse of restructuring Nigeria. 

Although a lot of literature has posited that restructuring a battered country like Nigeria with religious and ethnic conflagrations: cum her economic decadence is a rollercoaster roadmap for the country to live up to its potential, unity of tolerance, and of course economic development. I agree with this literature completely.

That is why as stakeholders to project Nigeria we must optimize and take a full charge of the Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, where he (Deputy Senate President, Distinguished Senator Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege) circulated memoranda for suggestions by all well-meaning Nigerians for the review of the 1999 constitution few days ago. 

If the foundation of a building is wrong, the roof cannot be held still notwithstanding the beautiful architecture. Let me give conceptual brevity of what I meant by the foundation or how foundation Nigeria became static. It is a historical fact that as early as 1898, the British considered combining the then-three protectorates to reduce the administrative burden on the British and allow the rich south to effectively subsidize the much less economically prosperous north (The Lagos colony was later incorporated into Southern Nigeria Protectorate for budgetary reasons). This is what Lord Lugard referred to in his infamous description of a marriage between the “rich wife of substance which means” (the south) and the “poor husband” (the north) would lead to a happy life for both. Many presumed that Lugard was clearly referring to the political supremacy of the north over the south.

Findings unarguably suggest that Nigeria borrowed her system of governance from the US theoretically; while practically the country’s governance structure is unitary. This, therefore, means that the oil of the Apoi Ijaw man can be equally shared by the Kanuri woman from the North. Nevertheless, the gold found in Bin Yauri from the North, the Ogulagha man from the Niger Delta creek cannot have access to. Zamfara State, for example, is a classical case study. So, the country disguises itself to practically feed with the resources of the Niger Delta and theoretically restrain the Niger Delta people from the Northern gold. 

Amidst, this brazen unequal distribution of wealth from the Northern region, it is of fundamental importance to restructure Nigeria to promote national unity and identity. No doubt, Nigeria is a regional power, we are not just assumed the giant of Africa: we match this intellectually and with endowed mineral and natural resources. Just like the overused popular phrase that says: if America coughs, global economies will shake. Nigeria also plays the African police in Africa, similar to how America police the world. 

An African hegemony like Nigeria ought to focus on foreign issues like building diplomatic ties and bilateral relationships, so when there is a national crisis the president can act swiftly and decisively as a way of tackling the myriad of challenges. Ask yourself why power is on the exclusive list? When ordinarily if the country is restructured state governments can be in charge of power. 

Now ask yourself again why are the federal and state roads in bad shape? Finally, ask yourself again why our medical facilities are ineffective? Some will allude, it is corruption. Truth is, we run an expensive federal and state governments where there is no propal planning that is why the pace of Nigeria’s development is slow. 

The restructuring of Nigeria may mean different things to different people. But restructuring for me simply means a system of governance where Bayelsa State with her abundant natural resources can control the resources in Bayelsa and pay tax to the federal government. This will make the state to become viable and promote economic growth and development, where: 

A. The GDP will be measured as an increase in real national income / national output.

B. Improvement in the quality of life and living standards, e.g. measures of literacy, life expectancy, and health care. 

However, there are other parameters, but True Federalism will leverage the economic woes of many states where security issues, unemployment rate can be tackled to its barest minimum whereby states can become viable and compete in developmental pace. 

I can furthermore posit again that, restructuring for me means creating other states for the Ijaw ethnic group. Where these state could be added to the only homogenous Ijaw State (Bayelsa State)- because we cannot be the 4th biggest ethnicity in Nigeria and manage one state. 

During my election at Oporoza, I deplored section 55 of the 1999 Constitution as amended as stereotypical to other ethnic groups: where the big 3s (Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba) are promoted in a multi-ethnic country like Nigeria. 

Section 55 is inimical to our national integration, hence, the recognized languages; Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba should be expunged from our constitution.

So, if project Nigeria must work for all, the review of the 1999 constitution headed by  Senator Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege should start with restructuring Nigeria for a clarion call to national identity. 1. Focus on True Federalism. 2. State Creation. 3. Expunged the big 3s (Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba) from our constitution. 

 ..Frank Pukon is the Secretary-General of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC Worldwide.