Former Vice
President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, yesterday, said Nigeria is facing a grim
situation. He lamented that widening tribal and political crevices as well as
economic
hardship were taking huge toll on the country.
Abubakar who
spoke during the public presentation of a newspaper, the Daily Stream in Abuja
warned that unless the structure of Nigeria which he said is currently posing
an impediment to growth was retouched,
the country’s situation may
worsen.
The former
vice president who was a guest speaker at the lecture which theme was: “The
challenge of unity, diversity and national development: Nigeria at a
crossroads” said the structure of
Nigeria’s federation and governance constituted an impediment to its economic
development, political stability and social harmony.
“Changing them
would help to place our country on a path to phenomenal and unhindered
development. To persist in what we are doing now is to do injustice to
ourselves and jeopardise our future. We should endeavour to effect the needed
changes by talking among ourselves and across our various divides – engaging in
meaningful dialogue.”
He added:
“Unity, diversity and national development are among Nigeria’s greatest
challenges. Unity has been a scarce commodity among our country’s diverse
peoples and communities, as a consequence of the way and manner the country was
put together by British colonial authorities and our collective failure as a
people to create a true and viable nation out of the union.
“This has
become a major source of disquiet, anxiety and frustration and a veritable
obstacle to national development.”
According to the sun news, he expressed
regrets that disagreements and
controversies over the best political structure to be adopted, size and
responsibility of government, the nature of relationship between and among
component units, the type and system of government, as well as how resources
available in and accruing to the country should be allocated have continued
unabated.
“Those
controversies have sometimes threatened the very existence of the country. A
huge pall of pessimism hangs over a section of the citizenry, and the ranks of
those who harbour real doubt about the future of the country swell by the day.”
He emphasised
that the country is facing one of its worst moments. “The country is truly at a
crossroads, and things are made worse by the cocktail of economic, social,
political and problems which we have had to contend with, and which add to the
abysmally low estimation of our country even by its own citizens.”
However, he
enjoined the citizenry not to lose hope.
“I am not here
just to lament over the sad and unenviable state of affairs in Nigeria. I
firmly believe in the viability of the Nigerian project, I remain unshaken and
completely persuaded that we can eventually change the story of Nigeria for
good by collectively making Nigeria a productive, prosperous, peaceful and
united nation whose people are happy and contented and one that is able to
really lead Africa and assume a pride of place in the comity of nations.
“To achieve
that, he said: “we must elevate and steer conversation away from empty rhetoric
and platitudes. We must instigate and see to the full and faithful implementation
of profound changes in the political structure, organisation, functions and
performance of state, and a radical re-organization of government, its organs
and personnel.”
On the
country’s skewed structure which, according to him is working against the
growth of Nigeria, the former Vice President said: “There are several reasons
why we have failed to be welded into one nation after over a hundred years
since we became one country.
I would like to talk about the nature of the
country’s structure as one factor. We purport to operate a federal structure,
but over the years our federalism has experienced fundamental distortion to the
extent that there is now a huge, acrimonious debate as to the true nature and
character of our brand of federalism. I call it unitary federalism because
while we still have a formal federal system, the centre has become too powerful
relative to the increasingly unviable federating units.
“As regions, the
different levels of government were fairly viable, notwithstanding their modest
financial standing, and were largely administered according to established
rules and procedures. Accountability, probity and relatively prudent management
of resources were evident. The citizens were happy and substantially felt part
of the governance process – at least they recognised the existence of
government, paid their taxes and could point at tangible deliverables from
government.
“Now as
indigenes of states, the citizens are largely disgruntled and unhappy. And
although most of them don’t pay taxes directly to the government coffers, they
often feel short-changed and complain of abject neglect. They hardly feel that
they are part of the governance process, and they often hold their leaders in
contempt – or at least they are more likely to blame than praise their leaders.
Some have emotionally and for all intents and purposes, completely de-linked
themselves from the Nigerian state and now inhabit a surreal world where they
believe in all sorts of strange ideas.”
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