My fears for Nigeria – Emeka Anyaoku

Nigeria’s former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Chief Emeka Anyaoku has said he is afraid of the future of the nation as agitations across the country are undermining her unity.

He also said all divisive agitations could be effectively provided if the nation could be properly restructured by the Federal Government.

Anyaoku proposed an eight-region federation, saying that the current 36 states had become ineffective, saying that the regions would certainly entrenched true federalism, while calling on the federal government to recognise the strength and widespread nature of clamour for restructuring and respond to that clamour positively.

The elder statesman decried divisive agitations that characterised the country’s national life under the Buhari administration, noting that he did not think the country “has ever been as divided as it is now in the face of these challenges since the 1967 Civil War.”

“We are just recovering from recession. These are the challenges that we must tackle as a country. I do not think that there cannot be any denial of the fact that the country is not performing well as it should perform given its endowment, resources and human capital.

“I am not so sure that the notion that Nigeria was always able to pull back from the brink will be valid under the present circumstances. I am not sure because these agitation, armed insurgencies and activities of Fulani herdsmen can lead to breakdown of law and order in different parts of the country at the same time. It may not be easy for our security forces to cope with all of them at the same time. Already, Boko Haram in the North-east is stretching our military.

“Now, the military is in the South-east for Operation Python Dance. The same military is saying they may come to South-west and South-south for Operation Crocodile Smile. It is doubtful that they can sustain the efforts to deal with agitations and insurgency if they are to intensify,” he stated.

“I am full of fear for the future of the country. Already, Nigeria is listed in the rank of potential failed state. I find it absolutely unacceptable and totally worrying. I was in the service of my country when we all loved to say we were Nigerians. Then, Nigeria Passports were recognised and respected abroad.

“But now, our passport is treated with absolute lack of respect in many parts of the world. How did we come to that? We arrived at that point because of current state of affairs in the country. If that state of affairs is not adequately addressed through restructuring, the situation in my view will continue to get worse until possibly we become a truly failed state,” Anyaoku said in an interview published in Thisday on Sunday.

He called Buhari to take initiative to set up a constitution drafting committee or constituent assembly, which should be charged with the core responsibility of looking into the 1963 Constitution and reports of all constitutional conferences to draft an entirely new constitution that would be subjected to a national referendum at last.

“These situations that are threatening the existence of the country can be more effectively handled if the federal government restructures governance structure we have at the moment. In fact, I will say the root causes of many of the challenges we have at the moment is the inadequacy of the governance architecture that we have.”

“On the economic front, for instance, the fact that we have 36 federating units means we spend up to 80 percent of our revenue just on administration. No country has developed on the basis of allocating up to 80 percent of its revenue to just administration. Also, among the 36 states, only Lagos and to some extent Kano can generate revenue to plan their development unlike what we had in the years after independence.”

Anyaoku maintained that the country’s governance architecture should be restructured citing the fact that Nigeria “is a federation only in name. With the 1963 Constitution, Nigeria was a true federation of four regions. Each region had its own constitution. Each region is viable enough to produce to sustain its own development.

“We were making greater strides in development. Then, we had in the Northern Region the famous groundnut pyramid, vast plantation of cotton that sustained that the textile industry and high quality hide and skins that were marketed abroad. We had tin and copper in Jos, Plateau. The Northern Nigeria was making the real reasonable progress in development.

“Likewise, in the Western Nigeria, the cocoa industry was boosted by the Chief Obafemi Awolowo Government to an extent that it enabled the Western Region introduce the universal primary education. The Western Region was the first to bring in television service in Africa. In the Eastern Region, Dr. Michael Opara was boosting the production of palm produce.

“Then, Nigeria was the largest producer of palm produce in the world. In the Mid-West Region, Chief Dennis Osadebay was boosting rubber production. We had massive rubber plantation in the Middle West, which encouraged Michelin to set up tyres factory in Nigeria. Michelin has since closed down because the 36 states are viable for economic development.”

He expressed optimism that the negative tendencies that that are threatening the future of Nigeria could be reverse if the current pressure and clamour for restructuring “is to be maintained. It is my hope that the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency will recognise the widespread nature of the clamour.”

He urged the President “to set up a constitution drafting committee through restructuring. I mean a constitution drafting committee that will be broadly representative of different sectors of this country. It will start with the cultural groups which include Afenifere, Ohaneze, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and Ijaw National Council (INC) among others.

“Representatives of traditional rulers, representatives of youths, representatives of women, representatives of trade unions and some constitutional lawyers must be included in the constitution drafting committee. The president can take the initiative to set up such a committee now. That committee or constituent assembly will then take the 1963 Constitution and also take account of changes that had occurred in the country since then.

“It will consider reports of national conference that was organised by President Olusegun Obasanjo. And indeed, it will consider reports of national conferences organised under the regimes of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and Gen. Sanni Abacha. The committee will take account of all reports of the constitutional conferences and produce a draft constitution for a restructured Nigeria.

“That draft constitution will be sent as an Executive Bill from the Presidency to the National Assembly. The National Assembly will be asked to consider it and also provide legislation for a referendum which does not exist in the country’s constitution. Once that is adopted, it would be put to national referendum. At the end of the process, we will have a constitution that can be truly described as we, the people of the Federal Republic Nigeria, have firmly agreed and solemnly resolved to. This is very practical.”