Tinubu’s restructuring plan: A piecemeal approach for wholesale commitment?

By Seye Olumide

26 August 2024   |   4:35 americium

The existent medication has commenced bit-by-bit execution of the restructuring docket that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu vehemently supported earlier his presidency. Now successful the saddle, the attack belies the urgency of the restructuring program with mounting doubts connected Mr President and his ruling party’s archetypal committedness to the cause, SEYE OLUMIDE reports.

Even though galore Nigerians, including a faction of the enactment of Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere led by Pa Ayo Adebanjo, person been uncomfortable astir the governmental volition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to restructure Nigeria, those who perceived the erstwhile politician of Lagos State, arsenic a committed politician and an astute progressive, were of the sentiment that the incumbent was the champion among the 3 large statesmanlike candidates successful the 2023 wide elections, to retool the governance strategy to existent federalism.

  
Both schools of thought hinged their convictions connected the antecedents of Mr Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly the promises by the ruling enactment earlier coming to powerfulness successful 2015.
 
The Ayo Adebanjo and co posited that the APC, of which President Tinubu, is simply a large founding member, deceived Nigerians successful 2015 that it would restructure the country, if elected arsenic promised successful its manifesto, but that passim the 8 years of erstwhile President Muhammadu Buhari, thing of specified happened.
  
The radical besides said that for President Tinubu to person publically opposed the 2014 National Conference and remained soundless for 8 years erstwhile his contiguous predecessor described the 2014 league study arsenic champion for the archives, to spot Tinubu to bash different successful powerfulness is simply a mirage.
 
The Adebanjo radical besides said that the ruling APC flagrantly denied and rejected itself erstwhile it jettisoned the study of the Nasir el-Rufai’s Committee on True Federalism, which it acceptable up successful 2017 to look into the demands for restructuring.
  
El-Rufai’s Committee successful its January 2018 report, which was submitted to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC, called for much devolution of powers to the states. It besides recommended that the constabulary and prisons beryllium moved from the exclusive to the concurrent list, conscionable arsenic it besides recommended that the authorities authorities should beryllium allowed to found authorities constabulary to grip definite crimes arsenic good arsenic authorities prisons.
 
The committee arsenic recommended autarkic candidacy but with a clause that individuals who mean to basal for elections indispensable not person been a subordinate of immoderate governmental enactment astatine slightest six months anterior to the elections successful which they mean to contest.
  
It besides urged for section authorities autonomy. But the past enactment of the ruling enactment looked elsewhere and ne'er discussed the study passim the tenure of erstwhile President Buhari.
   
Putting each these factors unneurotic those successful uncertainty of President Tinubu’s governmental volition and determination to grip the issue, said APC, arsenic a ruling enactment whitethorn not beryllium favourably disposed to rearrange the existent governing operation Nigeria to existent federalism arsenic its proponents person been calling for.
 
However the different schoolhouse of thought said Tinubu, had shown an illustration of idiosyncratic with a governmental volition to restructure the state arsenic acold backmost arsenic 2003, erstwhile helium created further 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) successful Lagos State. This, according to them, Tinubu besides defended to the Supreme Court contempt the information that the past President Olusegun Obasanjo of the erstwhile ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was opposed to the further LCDAs, and truthful seized councils’ allocation meant for Lagos State.
  
They argued that the incumbent president had shown the illustration of idiosyncratic consenting to restructure the state considering his past antecedents and information successful the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Afenifere, and different progressives’ struggles whose cardinal nonsubjective is to spot the state restructured to existent federalism.
 
Both divergent positions person nevertheless heightened the expectations of Nigerians, close from erstwhile President Tinubu indicated involvement to contention the presidency successful 2022.
  
While the faction of Afenifere pitted its structure with Peter Obi of the Labour Party’s statesmanlike candidate, the different supported Mr President. Fifteen months aft Tinubu assumed office, the mixed feelings about his governmental volition to restructure the state has been connected contempt the bid of law amendment bills presently earlier the National Assembly. While the extremist Afenifere, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, Middle Belt Forum (MBLF), Yoruba Oodua Union (YOU), Yoruba One Voice (YOV), NADECO, Southeast apex socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and others are bent connected holistic restructuring of Nigeria, the National Assembly seems to beryllium going the mode of piecemeal attack to restructure done law amendment.
   
Former politician of Ogun State, who besides chaired the Constitution Drafting Committee of APC successful 2014, Segun Osoba, re-emphasised his presumption that nary restructuring of the governing strategy successful Nigeria could beryllium done without the input of the existent National Assembly.
  
Contrary to the arguments that the existent National Assembly is portion of the flaws of the 1999 Constitution and truthful cannot legislate connected restructuring, Osoba said, “If contiguous the state volition taxable immoderate Constitution amendment process oregon a recently drafted Constitution to a referendum, it has to spell done the National Assembly since it is not imaginable for the president to legislate laws.”
  
Osoba besides dismissed notions that the ruling enactment had been wholly against restructuring despite promising to bash truthful successful her manifesto. He said, “The progressive upwind of APC has always been advocating for restructuring of the state to existent federalism, which led to the assignment of Nasir El-Rufai’s Committee connected restructuring successful 2018.”
  
He added that the enactment had besides made immoderate cardinal amendments to the 1999 Constitution, which indicated its favourable disposition towards a existent federalist Nigeria, adding that it was portion of efforts of the enactment that brought astir the designation of June 12, arsenic Democracy Day alternatively of the initially recognised May 29.   “I truthful accidental that it is not existent that APC is successful totality against restructuring arsenic immoderate radical person been claiming”, helium stated
   
But considering immoderate of the bills presently earlier the National Assembly specified arsenic State Police, Ranching Bill, measure connected regionalism, rotational presidency, resources power and others, observers are opening to deliberation that the Tinubu-led medication whitethorn person begun the piecemeal restructuring of Nigeria done a law amendment approach. But the interest is if helium volition person the courageousness the spot the bills done to becoming laws.
   
Taking a cursory look astatine portion of the 2014 Conference report, the league recommended  rotational presidency betwixt the North and South and governorship among the 3 senatorial districts of each state,  phasing retired of cattle routes and grazing reserves to laic accent connected ranching, instauration of different 18 caller states (three per geo-political zone), devolution of much powers to the states, Fiscal Sharing Formula, authorities police, rotational presidency, instrumentality to the aged National Anthem, section authorities autonomy among others, it whitethorn not beryllium retired of spot to reason that the piecemeal attack to restructure Nigeria has commenced done law amendment process, arsenic postulated by Osoba and those with akin views.
  
Giving credence to the ongoing development, a radical called “The Patriots” led by erstwhile Secretary General of Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, precocious met with President Tinubu and appealed to the President to nonstop an enforcement measure to the National Assembly,  to convene a National Constituent Assembly with the mandate to nutrient a draught people’s antiauthoritarian constitution, portion the constituent assembly should beryllium of straight elected individuals, connected a non-political basis, from the 36 states of the federation, perchance 3 individuals per authorities and 1 from the FCT.
 
The Patriots besides requested authorities for a nationalist referendum to which the draught constitution emerging from the constituent assembly should beryllium subjected.
Although Mr. President expressed his respect for The Patriots and their contributions to nationalist discourse, helium said his large interest for present is to hole the economy.
 
Some members of The Patriots contiguous astatine the gathering were erstwhile Ogun State Governor, Olusegun Osoba; erstwhile Minister Information, Mr Labaran Maku; erstwhile legislator representing Kaduna cardinal district, Shehu Sani, erstwhile Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen and Human Rights Lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, among others.
    
But immoderate critics viewed The Patriots abrupt presumption arsenic portion of the Tinubu’s led medication propaganda to bargain clip and dissuade Nigerians attention. The doubts surrounding The Patriots sojourn to Aso Rock, wherever the request was made is due to the fact that immoderate halfway members of the radical were evidently absent portion others person expressed displeasure implicit the demand.
  
Explaining the beingness of immoderate personalities, who were person hardly been identified with The Patriots but were contiguous astatine the gathering with President Tinubu, the Secretary to the group, Wale Okunniyi said those ones are nominal members of the relation but their philosophies align with the demands of the group, which is for Nigeria to person a caller and People’s Constitution.
  
Okunniyi besides told The Guardian that contrary to the views of skeptics, President Tinubu’s medication is astir apt to execute thing factual successful areas of restructuring done the contiguous National Assembly.
    
It was besides gathered that the incumbent enactment of the Southern Governor’s Forum (SGF), led by Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State is making frantic efforts to promote each the national lawmakers crossed the 17 confederate states to talk with 1 dependable regarding the bills aiming to readdress immoderate facet of Nigeria’s strategy of governance.
   
Speaking to The Guardian connected the development, President Middle Belt Forum, Birtus Pogu, said the full Middle Belt would enactment astir of the bills targeted towards authorities police, assembly autonomy and the rest. He said that Nigeria could nary longer beryllium ruled similar a kingdom subjected to a peculiar taste group.  Porgu specifically commended the Ranching Bill, saying, erstwhile passed and signed into law, it would code the agelong clip crises among the farmers and equipped herders.
   
The Chairman, Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), Wale Oshun, connected his portion said President Tinubu indispensable amusement much committedness to issues bothering connected restructuring and that helium indispensable not for immoderate crushed usage the taxable arsenic 2nd word run strategy.
    
While the ARG person faulted the attack of erstwhile Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, to restructuring, helium said the duo failed to instrumentality the contented earnestly until it got excessively late.
  
“My proposal is that the incumbent President tin sponsor enforcement bills to the National Assembly conscionable similar helium did with the National Anthem, which resulted successful the instrumentality to the aged National anthem,” helium said.
  
He added that helium was peculiarly disquieted erstwhile the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun spoke against authorities police, stressing that helium wondered “whose caput the IGP was echoing contrary to the fashionable request for authorities police”.
    
Oshun besides encouraged President Tinubu to commence the process of devolution of much powers to the state. “Mr. President tin execute each these present to reconstruct bid to the country.  The progressives among america person ever believed that restricting the state is the mode to go”, helium said