Restructuring: An open letter to President Buhari

MY dear president, as it is better late than never, let me start by congratulating you on your election as president in 2015 after three previous unsuccessful attempts. I also thank almighty Allah for your recovery from recent health challenges, the type of which you said you had never experienced before in your life. I believe that putting these together, it is reasonable to conclude that God put you in your present position for a purpose. As I will like you to fulfil that divine purpose and not to falter, I decided to write you this open letter. The clarion call of many Nigerians is for a restructure of Nigeria to make it stay united, peaceful and prosperous. This is because as things are now, it is obvious that the present arrangement is not working and is not meeting the aspirations and needs of the people. As a country of many nationalities, the form of government that is needed and practicable is a federal constitution. It is true we claim we are a federation but the obvious truth is that in practice, we are in a military-like unitary command system. That is why things are not moving; the country is not making progress; there are hunger, mistrust, disaffection, poverty, diseases, crimes, complaints, suspicions and divisions. Things are definitely falling apart and the centre is not holding. Boko Haram, and now IPOB are manifestations of these and if care is not taken and the needful done, more upheavals may occur.

These have been worsened by the economic down-turn which led us to a recession from which we have not fully recovered. The one product economy of oil which is diminishing and with the instability of price, in the world market is a major source of financial headache whereas we have agricultural and mineral deposit assets left untapped, all because of the faulty system of government and political arrangement. Things were not as bad in the first republic when we had three, four regions as federating units each one autonomous and managing its resources, mapping out its priorities and developing at its own pace. That is why the clamour for restructuring is mainly to return to that arrangement. It is naive or insincere for anyone to claim ignorance of what is meant by restructuring or to say that it means different things to different people or that what is needed is only a restructuring of the mind. In its simplest form it is a change from what is not working to what has worked before, to provide accommodation for the citizenry, food, roads, water, electricity, schools, hospitals, jobs, security, the basic needs of life, freedom for all and life more abundant, not just for a few privileged people. That is why we must reverse the trend of spending 75% of our income on recurrent expenditure of salaries and allowances for a few, leaving only 25% for capital projects to cater for all.

We must reduce the size and cost of governance using six to 12 geopolitical zones as federating units and let the vast majority enjoy the dividends of democracy. We will thus improve the standard of living and reduce its cost. This will help remove the craze to amass wealth by all means at all costs, lessen the bitterness for power at the centre to control the national pause and limit if not entirely to eliminate the corruption it breeds. Of course in giving more powers and money to the regions and local governments, measures must be put in place to check abuses and mismanagement by governors and local government chairmen. Immunity must be removed for criminal offences to ensure probity and accountability. There are papers on these matters by the geopolitical zones, the 2014 Confab report, and the PRONACO document to serve as working papers. We cannot continue with states not being able to pay workers and provide security and welfare for the people.

It is not true that restructuring means disintegration or a break-up of the country. Unity can only be ensured and maintained with justice, equity and fair play. Nigerians have the inalienable rights to come together to continuously discuss and agree the form of association of their different

nationalities and how they want to be governed. They cannot be validly denied these rights with the assertion that Nigeria’s unity is settled and is not negotiable. A president that paves the way for the peaceful dialogue will have his name written in gold and remain one of our greatest leaders ever, one who refuses to do this but goes on as if all was well with resultant dire consequences, will be the greatest villain ever, condemned by history and posterity. For those who make peaceful changes impossible will make violent revolutions inevitable.

With regard to 2019 and second term to be or not to be for you, you once said you wished you were in your present position when you were younger, a realisation that age is beginning to take its toll on you. Remember also your comment on your health. I will like you to be like Mandela, who in spite of the goodwill he enjoyed all over the world, left office after one term. You too came into office with tremendous reputation for probity and integrity. Your war against corruption has been unparalleled. Please leave after one term and take a deserved rest to look after your health. You can look for a younger, virile successor within your party.  One can easily say that the views of Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Atiku Abubakar, and John Nwodo are politically influenced but what about the considered opinions of Emeka Anyaoku, Wole Soyinka, Bolaji Akinyemi, Kunle Olajide, etc? Allah will give you the wisdom courage and political will to choose right and make fruitful, durable decisions.

•Dr Olasope, a veteran broadcaster, lives in Efon Alaaye, Ekiti State