By Benedict Ahanonu
Due to the level of corruption and official derangement associated with Nigeria which was recently described as fantastic by British Prime Minister, David Cameron, the recurring question across the world has been, is oil a blessing or a curse to the country?
In answering this question, many might be tempted to say that it is a curse because it was part of what inspired the fratricidal civil war and the near decimation of the south-easterners especially the Igbos by a coalition of forces if not for the hand of God.
Since the discovery of oil in enormous quantities in Oloibiri, the economic status of Nigeria instead of improving and diversifying plunged into recurrent distress as successive rulers – some by force and with force, did little or nothing to use the God-given wealth to develop the country and improve the living conditions of the people.
The then political-military did not help matters with their coup d’états, corruption-laden rule, phantom and despicable economic policies that were designed to fail right from the start.
It was same political-military of yore that entrenched corruption and made it a national pastime. They also gave us a faulty Constitution that has been amended severally and still needs amendment plus an unproductive presidential system of government with unnecessary and wasteful bicameral legislature and other attendant paraphernalia of government which over the years, constituted a drainpipe to the resources of the nation.
Let me state categorically that Nigeria as it stands presently, cannot make real economic and political progress with this kind of lopsided presidential system of government that is a corrupt adaptation of the American system.
Fact is that what is obtainable in Nigeria, can best be described as Unitary-Federalism, where the government at the centre owns everything including the air we breathe, calls the shots, disburses revenue and receives a huge chunk of every penny made by Nigeria.
In the United States from where the system was copied, it is operated in the true sense of it.
It is lack of true federalism that gives rise to intermittent regional insurrections and militancy because some people feel cheated in a system where every section should have equal stake, equal vote and equal opportunities but alas, the reverse is the case.
If there is true federalism in Nigeria, the level of complacency buoyed by laziness and outright lack of sense of direction in terms of revenue generation on the part of the federating units would have attenuated as fiscal federalism would allow the regions exploit their resources maximally, develop at their own pace and pay tax or royalty to the centre as it is done in the United States.
Every part of Nigeria has got one form of natural endowment or the other; for instance, Nasarawa State alone has about 14 solid mineral deposits which if meaningfully exploited, have the potential of turning around the economic fortunes of that state but because of the over-dependence on oil revenue and handouts like the ongoing disbursement of bailout funds from the central government, the solid minerals of Nasarawa are left in the hands of illegal miners to bastardize.
However, the multi-billion naira partnership between Lagos and Jigawa States as per rice production is commendable and points the way forward. It is a good example of how it should be in a great Nigeria. A classic case of comparative cost advantage and buttresses the point that every part of Nigeria has some natural endowments.
NIGER DELTA
Without doubt, the crisis in the Niger Delta is deep-rooted and fanned by a combination of years of neglect by government and failure of leadership by some Niger Deltans who had hitherto sought to gratify themselves at the expense of the poor people in the region; hence, while other parts of the country were developing relatively, the region was left to rot away. The oil blocks were commandeered by others and the real people in the delta were left with polluted streams and rivulets.
Certainly, if there is true federalism, there would be no need for the Amnesty Programme, 13% Derivation, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Niger Delta Ministry and the likes. There will be no need for northern legislators in the National Assembly to shoot down the novel and innovative Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), designed to give the poor Niger Delta dwellers meaningful livelihood simply because they don’t want major oil companies to pay 10% of their profit which is not Nigerian money to the Niger Delta Region and people.
If there is true federalism, nobody would want to vandalize oil pipelines and power facilities. If there is true federalism, the Niger Delta Region will not be in the present precarious state. If there is true federalism, the Biafran agitation, will die a natural death.
If the Aburi Accord which was rejected by Gen. Gowon and his cohorts had been implemented, Nigeria by now would have gone past the present state of hopelessness and there wouldn’t have been any civil war.
I am happy that Gen. Gowon is still alive and witnessing the dramatic turns and twists in a country for which he prosecuted a war that claimed the lives of millions of innocent people.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
It wouldn’t be asking for too much, if President Buhari should in partnership with other strategic stakeholders review the structure of the federation which is skewed to favour some parts more than others and I strongly believe that there will be no need for quota system and federal character principle if there is true federalism in Nigeria.
There is a profound need to allow fiscal federalism which will enable states and regions exploit their resources, make all the money, develop at their own pace and pay tax to the central government. This is very important. Although it might not sound nice to some people but it remains a hard fact.
The U.S. has domesticated her own federalism in such a manner that it has become less-burdensome and less expensive but reasons why we can’t do same in Nigeria is hard to explain.
China, it might surprise you, practices autochthonous democracy and a kind of federalism customized to suit her peculiar needs. It may not be as empirical and perfect as the American or British system but it serves the purpose of China and that is the most important thing.
The principles of the Nigerian federalism are faulty, lugubrious and quite discouraging.
The presidency is unwieldy with many appointees and attachments as departments and agencies gulping scarce resources that would have been better used to develop the country and improve the lot of the people. Most of the government agencies and departments like the National Orientation Agency and Federal Road Safety Corps are mere duplication and oil boom creations that generate more activities than output contributing nothing to the national treasury and why the Oronsaye Report on Civil Service is left to gather dust remains to be told.
Whatever the National Orientation Agency is doing can be done by the Ministry of Information, and by the way, who needs orientation? Whatever the Federal Road Safety Corps is doing can be handled effectively by the Traffic Department of the Nigeria Police if strengthened and equipped accordingly.
Why is the presidency maintaining a fleet of 11 presidential aircraft and at what cost are they being serviced? Obama still flies U.S. Air Force 1, while David Cameron still flies economy class of the British Airways. Why is President Buhari retaining 11 airplanes? Is it not wasteful? This is unlike him.
All over the world, it is only in Nigeria that government is the largest employer of labour, and year after year, recurrent expenditure outweighs capital expenditure. No country survives this way as government is not a charity organization.
Let me state that it should not stop at just increasing the pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS), commonly called petrol and maintaining a regime of unabated importation of refined petrol, while no serious efforts are being made to fix the local refineries and build new ones.
Meanwhile research has shown that Nigeria’s refineries are not old as there is a refinery in India that is over 100 years and still functioning so the argument that the refineries are old is untenable.
Digboi is known as the Oil City of Assam where the first oil well in Asia was drilled. The first refinery was started here as early as 1901. Digboi refinery, now a division of Indian Oil Corporation, had a capacity of about 0.65 MMTPA as of 2003. The Digboi refinery is the world’s oldest oil refinery still in operation.
I insist that the problem is not the Niger Delta militants, not the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), not even Boko Haram; or the rampaging Fulani herdsmen. The problem is successive inept leadership.
Recall that since the end of the American Civil War, no part of the United States has ever talked about secession again, because the system guaranteed equity and justice.
I went to Ghana and saw vehicles especially commercial vehicles operating with gas and petrol. When petrol finishes, the drivers connect the gas cylinder and keep moving. That is how a serious country functions. That is why you can’t hear of fuel scarcity in that country or perennial increase of petrol pump price as it is the custom in Nigeria.
Why this can’t be replicated here is a million-dollar question I’ve been asking.
The times are really not too good for Nigeria and it is only a visionary leader with the capacity to do a drastic overhaul of the system called Nigeria that is needed now.
The war on corruption no doubt is a step in the right direction but the Constitution unfortunately could not define what is corruption so there is need to factor in what is corruption.
Representation in the House of Representatives is not balanced as some states and regions have more representatives than others.
Such abnormalities cannot foster equity and satisfaction among the constituents.
Truly, it is a systemic dysfunction that cannot be solved with bombs and bullets, politics of exclusion, intimidation or prolonged incarceration.
Frankly but strangely, Nigeria is progressing on the path of error. The anti-corruption fight is defective in the sense that many “bigwigs” are yet untouched.
Some former governors who are now senators keep receiving double remuneration from government and this is the problem of a faulty system which could not state who gets what and why somebody should not receive double remuneration. It is fraudulent.
I hereby call for an emergency summit of the whole Nigeria comprising the President, Vice President, members of the National Assembly, elected governors and civil society groups, where the thorny issue of Nigeria would be tackled.
The famed Oputa-Panel would have been useful but for the fact that it was designed to achieve nothing.
Let me clarify that I am not calling for a dismemberment of Nigeria, rather it is a non-partisan effort to save a country on the edge of a precipice and only brave Nigerians can do this.
Benedict Ahanonu is an Abuja-based author, editor, media consultant and public affairs analyst. He can be reached via 08033944198; Email: benahanonu@gmail.com
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