…Seek return to regionalism
From Iheanacho Nwosu, Abuja
Agitation for the restructuring of the country received further boost at the weekend when Igbo resident in the United States of America (USA) said that is the only way Nigeria can reinvent herself.
Speaking under the aegis of World Igbo Congress (WIC), which held its conference at the weekend, they called for a quick return to regionalism.
The Congress said it believes the Presidential system has failed.
A communique signed by WIC Chairman and Executive Director, Joe Nze Eto and Prof. Anthony Ejiofor, the group maintained that regional federalism would tackle critical issues stunting Nigeria’s development.
The body contended that the current unitary system which it said was brought about by military rule was anti-development and will continue to make states rely on handouts that come from the centre instead of creatively finding solution to their economic challenges.
“World Igbo Congress calls on all Peoples of Nigeria to fight for a return to regional federalism as this is truly the way to restore Nigeria’s glory, develop our country, diversify our economy, gradually move away from dependence on fossil fuel, and ultimately keep Nigeria as one nation.
“The more we delay this action, the longer the nation stays in quandary.
“Restructuring does not dismantle Nigeria, continuing with this unitary government is postponing the disintegration of Nigeria. You can bet on it.”
WIC added that “unitary system is the main reason why Nigeria has ended up nearly 100 years behind where it was in 1966.
“It has fostered corruption, systemic greed, unbridled arrogance of leaders, wrongful enrichment of select few at the expense of the people, bankrupt educational system, unskilled labor force, suppressive policies by autocrats dressed in democratic garbs, a nation judged rogue by international bodies, a non-functional ‘One Nigeria’ ripped by religious extremists.”
It maintained that the current system has made Nigeria to become a country “whose nationhood is undermined by ethnic and religious preferences, a country whose nationalists exist only in one of her over 300 ethnicities, a country where octogenarians have deprived five generations of fellow Nigerians the opportunity to become leaders at the central government, a governmental system that refused to allow an economic model that would use her God given petroleum resources to diversify the national economy, a country where injustice displays everywhere and leaders disobey and disregard even supreme court orders.”
The body recalled that before the advent of the current system “Nigeria was doing well under regional system of governance. It was easier to monitor corruption. It was easier to monitor government projects of all magnitude and type.
“Each region set her educational goals and standards, infrastructural development, regional economic plans, and social programs, deploying measurable benchmarks for progress along the way until the project was fully implemented and commissioned.
“Regionalism worked in the Eastern region, producing distinguished pace setters for Nigeria, most of whom Nigeria denied the self-set goals of making Nigeria a giant of Africa and a model new world country that would successfully compare with the developed nations.”
Listing some gains of regionalism WIC argued “A regional government structure in Nigeria would have protected Nigerians from the allocation of the Oil Blocks that laundered raw wealth to individuals for the role they played in “keeping Nigeria one”. The open declaration by Major General Theophilus Danjuma that he realized $500,000,000.00 profit from one of his oil blocks, and did not know what to do with money, simplifies the story of strong arm plundering of the Niger Delta of Nigeria.”
It continued “Restructuring Nigeria will abort further bleeding of Nigeria’s economy by cutting down on the size of the president’s advisory team, ministerial appointments, states governor expenses, local government budgets and election related, avoidable financial encumbrances. Regional system will return regional development culture that encourages productive best practices in agriculture, education and industry, and freedom to explore citizens’ talent driven initiatives to excel in entrepreneurship. Each region will develop at own pace, and not wait for hand out from the central government of Nigeria, and will not be hindered by a central national policy that delays or retards progress in some regions to offer opportunities for the others to catch up.”