Opinions

Addressing the challenges of Nigeria

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2 years ago

THE three interdependent broad objectives of governance are constitutional order, security, and public welfare. But the national indices in these respects in Nigeria are grossly negative, such that there is, as before, manifest, gross, worsening, systemic governance-incapacity or imminent total governance- collapse. The gross infrastructure deficits cannot be properly addressed without devolution of powers to the constituent units, as necessary in order to appropriately or scientifically address local or regional empirical peculiarities, by way of appropriate mix of policies in major sectors of the economy of each of the constituent units or regions. Extreme poverty, which is the lot of more than 50 percent of the population of Nigeria, will continue to breed and accentuate criminalities and crimes, which the over centralization of powers of government has, in the main, caused, and, to address which, it has, proven grossly inappropriate. With the ever present agitations for power devolution in a people’s constitution to be approved by every ethnic group or every constituent state of Nigeria, there may be effective boycott of the scheduled 2023 general elections, which may lead to Military Intervention or foreign intervention.

Since the Aburi-Ghana accord, the demand for a people’s constitution in Nigeria remains topical. The imposition of over-centralised powers of government was foreseen as unworkable and anti-development, and was therefore unacceptable to some significant sections of Nigeria. The argument has remained mainly that a unitary constitution, which was even imposed, simply cannot work for Nigeria, the country being multi-ethnic; even if the unitary constitution has, as improbable, been inadvertently ratified by every section of Nigeria, and that the 1979 constitution and the 1999 constitution are essentially the same, unitary. Which constitutional model is, therefore, workable for Nigeria? Many are clamouring for resource control by the constituent units – regions or states – and state police, among others. But is the devolution of these powers feasible before year 2030? Would there be general elections in 2027 based on the 1999 unitary constitution?

Devolution of powers, in conformity to the classical principles of federalism, is not feasible within the next ten years. But Nigeria cannot peaceably stand over the next few years, with this 1999 unitary constitution. There is urgent need for an apt transitional constitution, an innovative, interim constitution of Nigeria. This is urgently required if the national situation of gross insecurity shall be brought under control, before the constitutional and political crises become precipitous; that is, before the probable boycott of the national assembly by the southern and middle belt legislators. Even, with or without an appropriate or workable constitution of Nigeria, in contemporary global circumstances, capitalism can no longer work. This has been ably observed recently by global leaders, typical of whom is the France President Emmanuel Macron, who stated at the Davos Agenda 2021 summit of Global Leaders: as so reported, thus: “French President Emmanuel Macron has warned modern capitalism “can no longer work’, urging global leaders to focus on tackling inequality and climate change. We will get out of this pandemic only with an economy that thinks more about fighting inequalities,” he said on Tuesday. Macron made the comments in a Question and Answer session at the virtual Davos Agenda 2021 summit of global leaders. Macron is often seen as a pro-business liberal abroad, but struck a more leftist tone in criticizing capitalism and market economies over the past few decades.

“He acknowledged they had lifted millions of people out of poverty, and given consumers goods and services previously unavailable to them. He said previously there had been opportunities for “progression” for the middle class, but the system had “broken. Meanwhile a disconnect was allowed to grow between “value creation and profit, “according to Macron. He said the financialization of capitalism had positives, but had led to “profits that are not linked to innovation or work.” This in turn had fuelled inequality, he added. Macron said there were “two kings in the system-shareholders and consumers,” with workers and the planet paying a price. The French President highlighted the need to “move beyond” deregulation and hostility to state intervention, as well as reforms to ensure companies take into account the social, environmental and democratic impact of their. He stopped short of any more detailed prescriptions, however. The capitalist model together with this open economy can no longer work in this environment,” he said. He highlighted efforts to build “what we immodestly called the Paris consensus” at the Paris peace forum for global leaders last year. “The idea was basically what we needed to move beyond the Washington consensus,” he added.

“The ‘Washington consensus’ refers to a set of free market ideas and policies promoted around the world by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), world Bank and US government in the late 20th century. Macron has previously dubbed such ideas, from privatisation and small government to liberalising fossil fuels and incentivizing green investment. The comments may raise eyebrows given he was addressing a virtual Davos Agenda summit, a warm up event for the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual, in-person Davos event scheduled in May. Many critics see the gathering as a talking shop big on lofty rhetoric, and a symbol of capitalism and the global elite. But organisers say it offers a unique opportunity for discussion and collaboration of one of the biggest meetings of political, business and civil society leaders in the world. The summit usually takes place in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, though it

has been moved to Singapore this year.”

With over-centralised powers of government of Nigeria breeding prebendal politics, systemic corruption, gross inequalities and mass unemployment, Nigeria is practicing ultra-capitalism. And the government is deceiving itself if it hopes that with the 1999 unitary constitution, there can be good governance of Nigeria, without crucial, innovative constitutional amendments. I have over more than 28 years past, stated the corollaries of the forgoing ass follow. In the year 1993, I wrote an article, published, entitled, communal capitalism: Solution to our problems, wherein I concluded, “the alternative to which is continued social relations witnessed by pronounced tension and corruption, which would herald many force-sustained governments all over the world. Also in 1997, I wrote another article, entitled, ‘This Looming Revolution’, wherein I wrote, ‘The future of Nigeria’ is a prospect of convoluted drama of violence; violence against the state, state violence, recrudescence of internecine wars, crimes and criminalities, riots and civil war.

”Education, Democracy (based on peoples constitution and de-jure judicial system). Empirically formulated electoral process and legislations (and policies) on all sectors of the socio economic system, are a concatenation, which constitute social justice, without which there cannot be peace.

In a multi-ethnic or plural state or nation-state, where the exploitation of natural resources and administration of cooperate tax are centralized, especially where the literacy level and the technology-capacity are low, there is bound to be a systemic malfunction, widespread poverty and confounding corruption, and the constitution of such state is not federal, rather it is unitarian or pseudo-federal (confounded federalism) and there would ultimately be systemic collapse or civil- war.

In a confounded federation like Nigeria, the powers or duties of the federal government are unwieldy and the federal administration is inevitably inept, corrupt and in-effectual, with the urgent imperative of power devolution to the constituent units or ethnic and contiguous blocks.

In conclusion, two broad important innovations or breakthroughs have, by the grace of God Almighty, been discovered by me, regarding the Socio-Economic problems of Nigeria and the Whole World.

One: Communal capitalism, which constitutes new and workable ideological, centrist, definitive concept and praxis, and is the solution to our fundamental and manifest socio-economic problems all over the world.

Two: Nigeria cannot have a truly federal constitution now, unless it would break-up now, and otherwise, that is, with the present unitarian 1999 constitution, it would break-up, even sooner than when the oil wells dry up. Nigeria cannot peaceably stand for any further long period of time, with the present Unitarian constitution. ‘Boko Haram’ is merely one of the epiphenomena, symptoms, of imminent systemic collapse:

The constitution suitable for Nigeria is unique, innovative, and has been formulated by me. But I need Presidential attention for its comprehensive exposition, which is necessary. I hoped in the year 2000, that High Chief Afe Babalola, an erudite Senior Advocate of Nigeria, might arrange this on my behalf, as the government, it was reasonably expected, would have listened to him.

Let the civil society leaders in Nigeria and the government actors listen to me on time to avoid the looming cataclysm.