Hate speech, criticism and restructuring

WHEN President Muhammadu Buhari returned from London and resumed work after 104 days on a medical attention, many believed that he would apologise to the over 180 million Nigerians for staying long abroad. But that was not the case. An employee who goes on an extended medical leave and resumes after 104 days should be sober and remorseful. The president, though referred to as the father of the nation, does not own the citizens. The citizens own him. He owes the citizens who gave him their mandate and surrendered their right to rule each other to him respect. Besides, were there no other things troubling the nation worthy of mention other than hate hate speech and “irresponsible and criminal elements” that must be ruthlessly dealt with? Reminds me of the “disgruntled elements” in hate hate speeches that must be dealt with those better forgotten days. Indeed, we really have some burning issues to addressed.

Even though he tried to add a few other things, it was obvious that the focus of the Mr. President’s hate speech was a warning to those agitating for secession, resources control, followed by those agitating for the restructuring of the nation. Also note that even though Fulani herdsmen have killed more Nigerians last year than Boko Haram or any other group, Mr. President called it “farmers versus herdsmen clashes.” This indicates that in his eyes, the killings and burning of villages by herdsmen are a minor matter of misunderstanding between two groups. And by mentioning the farmers first before the herdsmen, the implication is that the farmers are the aggressors while the herdsmen are the poor victims merely trying to defend themselves.

Contemplating the re-arrest of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, is like putting the cart before the horse. Leaders of the Arewa Youths issued an ultimatum to Igbo people living in the North to leave their territory. That huge threat and hate hate speech  could lead to civil war, but till date, nobody has been arrested for the hate speech. The Kaduna State governor and the Vice President ordered the arrest of the group behind the hate speech, but till date, the police have done nothing. So, Nigerians generally need to be very careful in their hate speeches as the unity of this country is supposed to be a priority.

Indeed, this country is severely stressed because the structures to make it function are faulty. There is too much government. Government is a national bakery where those who work govern must share the bread they refused to help bake. In government, there are massive programmes of deliberate theft of public funds. The people themselves are severely stressed. The more welfare they expect, the less they get. The more they are told about peace and security, the more they are harassed by the private armies of the powerful few and hoodlums who are the products of inequities, deprivation and urban denials. Our law-enforcement agencies are few, ill-equipped and inadequately motivated. The society itself has not been trained to ask questions from those who make it by the simple procedure of joining the political class, understandably because government is a stranger to the people, and is a place where taking what is not yours is an achievement to be celebrated, and for which national honours can be conferred.

The provisions on corruption were prohibitive enough to discourage infringing them before the present anti-corruption and related crimes law was passed. But everyone laughs at the latest political scenes and provisions, as they did the ones preceding them. We are a federation, and we must operate as a federation. The 36 states are too weak to constitute federating units. We need another buffer between the states and the Federal Government, and these are the present zones that have naturally emerged. They are six, and should constitute the federating units. The powers at the centre are too many. The power of the National Assembly as the de facto lawmaker for everything, both on the legislative and concurrent lists, is not healthy for the federation.

Government is too involved in business and this promotes corruption. Section 16 of the 1999 Constitution even entrenches the place of government in running the economy of the nation. There is no doubt that when government is decongested, the economy will automatically be deregulated. Political deregulation must precede economic deregulation. The people must be brought together as a nation, and this can be better done through integrative programmes. We should use what we have to get what we want. The sky is in political deregulation through restructuring, and the acceptance of informal and cost effective governance through active use of the traditional institutions. There is one central government that is headed by an elected president who has a constitutional responsibility of appointing at least a minister from each state of the federation. At present, there are about 50 ministers. There is also a large army of presidential advisers and assistants who themselves have personal assistants. There are hundreds of parastatals which have hundreds of party men who are board members and constitute a heavy charge on the mean resources of the parastatals. There is an elected National Assembly made up of the Senate and House of Representatives. Members of the National Assembly have a large army of personal staff paid for by the government. They also are entitled to funds for opening and running constituency offices. If  the country is restructured, we would have a central government that would be more efficient and less corrupt, and regional governments that would be a buffer between the state and centre, and that would be more handy to settle problems of the region and plan the development and growth of the region.

• Orunbon writes in from Epe, Lagos State.

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