27 Jul 2009 |
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President Yar Adua is under attack- from President Yar Adua. The last 96 hours is witnessing the withering of the president on the two most important political hot button issues his administration would face – solving the Niger Delta crisis and promoting federalism which is also construed to mean rule of law in Yar Adua jargon. His electoral promises centered on solving the energy issue, the Niger Delta crisis and promoting federalism in the polity. As for the energy issue we are thousands of megawatts behind the promise so examining the energy issue would be relegated to the dark (no pun intended). The last 96 hours re-enforces the notion that our first university educated head of state is the same old wine in a new wine skin and we are witnessing the busting of this wineskin taking us to that past we are eager to do away with. The last few days saw the president introduce the not so well thought out amnesty program and its worrisome financial inducement portion, the bizarre Petroleum Industries Bill and poignantly the intended University of Petroleum for Kaduna. Also the president flexed political muscle telling Lagos State in a subtle threat reminiscent of the arm twisting of the Obasanjo administration to stop the operation of its 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) despite ambiguity as to the interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling on the issue. The president’s actions in the last few days tells us clearly where the president is getting his advice from - the antiquated old guard that once held sway in the Nigeria of yesterday. The president’s actions would seat comfortably in our past but to press such ideas on this fast changing landscape would be herculean as the president would see in the days ahead as people force the issue with him. It is a pity the president cannot see the changing landscape as his view is crowded by this antediluvian crowd that cannot perceive the flood of change coming their way. Rather than take Nigeria on a new path the president is eager to trudge the “tried and true path” of the same failed advisers that filled the Obasanjo, Abacha, Babaginda, Buhari courts, but in this present landscape the president would have to once again taste the bitter pill of reversals – one his administration is getting used to. The future of Nigeria lies in true federalism and an important component of federalism particularly important to Nigeria is the need for states and local governments to have greater control of the structure of governance. The age of an all powerful central government is dead. The antiquated ideology favored by the president and his advisers of a quasi federal system with enervated states and local governments bowing to a strong central government has numbered days in Nigeria. The strength of the federal government lies in creating stronger states and stronger local authorities as they are the most efficient vehicles of development while the central government caters to larger interests such as creating an enabling framework for everyone’s aspirations. This does not limit the strength of the federal government or its roles; rather it would allow for focus at the federal level, reduce waste and allow for divestiture of power directly to the people. This is apparently an anathema to the old guard as their perceived reduction in power would hurt their interests politically and economically. As regards to the Niger-Delta issue, it should be clear to all that the future of our political contraption lies also in applying true federalism to the control of resources. Local communities and states should have an increased share in their natural resources. It is that fundamental. The ideal of a central government allocating resources to allow for near uniform development of all constituent parts is a mirage, it did not work in communist USSR with its behemoth central authority so what makes us think it would work in Nigeria? The future of Nigeria lies in her true “federalization” where components parts of the republic would have to harness their resources for their development. The ideology that there can be a successful redistribution of the wealth to cater to everyone needs is pure folly, it has failed in the last forty eight years so what makes us think it would work now? States and local communities would have to look inwards as it is being done by some states presently in all geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The development of any state should be indicative of the exploitation of her resources, a quasi federal structure as we have had since independence has allowed for wastage and underdevelopment of individual states potential doing more harm than good. Even in free market economies disparities in levels of development or quality of life exist, this explains why there is a clear disparity in development between the State of New York and South Carolina in United States though both are states in the same country. The future of Nigeria is the “federalization of development”, the situation where each state and local community mobilizes its human and non-human resources through their political and economic arrangement to develop their society. The tide of true federalism where interstate relationship is dictated by interests, economic, political and social, is the future of Nigeria and not the archaic quasi federal arrangement that tilts less on individual responsibility for one’s development but heavily on hand-outs from a central power. The president and his advisers remain the last believers in this antiquated central power myth and its fading glory. This is why rather than answer the question of who has the control of the resources they believe money throwing and amnesty to gun-toting individuals would bury the Niger-Delta crisis. Rather than answer how we accelerate development they see more LCDAs as a threat to the political structure that benefits them presently and thus resort to all means of circumvention including threats. As long as there is no reset of the fundamental framework of our existence these issues would not accede to easy solutions as those proffered by the president and his advisers. Till then we shall watch the president claim it is a new era but attempts to rule with old and tired ideas. So we all are sitting back watching Yar Adua fight himself – in the dark. Thanks to PHCN!
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