‘No form of govt will work in Nigeria without change in attitude’

Former general secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mr Anthony Sani, speaks on the current bid by some House of Representatives’ members to facilitate a legislative action for Nigerians to jettison the existing presidential arrangement for parliamentary system practised in the First Republic.

What are your views on the initiative by some lawmakers to seek a return to parliamentary system of government by the country?

You would recall I have said it over and over again that the problems of Nigeria have nothing to do with forms of government nor with its structure. This is because we have tried confederate arrangement with weak centre under the watch of parliamentary form of government during the first republic which was supplanted by unitary system under military dictatorship.We have tried federalism under presidential system of government where the national government is “appropriately balanced” by state level power. That is to say, we have experimented with all forms of government, be it parliamentary system, presidential form or military dictatorship.

And when one considers the presidential system works fine in America, parliamentary system does well in Britain and a combination of the two is serving French people well, then it is hard to avoid the conclusion that our national malaise has nothing to do with the form of government but due to collapse of national ideals, moral  values and fall of our sense of good and of evil. Our sacred sense of sanctity of life or inviolability of individual have all left our heart and head.

 

What are some of the fundamental gains achieved under the system in the First Republic and to what extent were those benefits sustained?

Democracy may differ in forms, but when it comes to its triple foundation of justice, liberty and common decency, democracy is the same and universal. Once the three elements of justice, liberty and common decency are sustained, any form of democracy can work.But when the three elements are absent in any form of democracy, it becomes something else but democracy.

 

To what extent do you find the grounds cited by the lawmakers for seeking a return to the system tenable and why?

The grounds cited would not just work without the three elements of justice, liberty and common decency. All forms of government have not delivered on the promise of democracy in Nigeria precisely because we seek to redefine democracy by excluding its three elements. This is as good as trying to reinvent the wheel and redefine the truth.

 

What kind of paradigm shift do you think jettisoning the present presidential system for parliamentary could be achieved by the country?

For any form of government to deliver on the promise of democracy, there must be cultural renaissance that can bring about rewiring of the politics, reengineering of our sense of justice, make mercy smarter and hope strategic.

 

What do you consider as the major factors responsible for the apparent failure of the presidential system in Nigeria and why?

The major factors responsible for the apparent failure of all forms of governance is corruption and inability to copy correctly. For example, 13 American colonies came together and formed a confederate of U S A  with weak center. But when the confederation was found to be too weak to hold the country together under one roof, they jettisoned it in favor of federalism with the national government appropriately balanced by state level power. Since then, they have been improving the process of national building that is work in progress. Nigeria started in the same way with confederation with its weak center, jettisoned it for federalism under military dictatorship and now presidential system. But the draw back is our inability to copy the system. For example, America’s Vice President serves as senate president in order to reduce cost and improve working relationship between the two arms of government. Nigeria has senate president with attendant implication on cost of governance. Those in charge of elections in America are elected and not appointed as hedge against pandering to those who appoint them. America has 25 or 26 cabinet ministers, Britain has 17 while France has 15 cabinet ministers. Nigeria has a crowd called government. There are nine Supreme Court justices in America while Nigeria has 21 justices with all the attendant cost. Yet, there are more delays in Nigeria than in America.

 

If you have to compare the two systems, which do you think is the better option for Nigeria, given  recent developments across the country, agitation for a functional and purposeful entity?

I do not believe a particular form of government can be a magic wand without the change in our attitudes and the way we do things. All we need to do is to ensure that any form of government we practice should be driven by justice, liberty and common decency.

As regards agitations, those who posit that our problems are rooted in amalgamation should note that Ethiopia has never been colonized and operates ethnic-based federalism, yet the country is at war with itself.

Somalia is of one faith and few diverse groups, yet it is a failed state. Lebanon is governed by a trio of Christian president, prime minister from Sunni and speaker from Shia, yet the country is not at peace with itself.

Tanzania has about 120 ethnic groups India has more than 1,000 ethnic groups and Germany has many groups yet they have been able to make the most of their God-given diversity by working hard to overcome what divides their people.

Given purposeful leadership devoid of corruption, Nigeria can work hard and make the most of its diversity by working hard to overcome what divides the people.