Who is afraid of regional government?

“To fight against untruth and falsehood.

To fight for our memory; of what things were like. That is the task of the artist.

A people who no longer remembers

has lost its history and its soul.”

-Alekzander Solzhentsyn

The recent wave of opposition against the proposed re-introduction of regional government, stirred by some senators, mostly from the northern geo-political zones of the country is both paradoxical and unjustifiable. That is more so, because the embattled zone boasts of the highest, frightening figures and scary statistical data on the country’s poverty index, number of out of school children, number of under-5 children suffering from malnutrition, number of deaths from attacks by Boko Haram, banditry and kidnapping for ransom. And of course, the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP). These recurring ugly decimals of abysmally poor governance that have for long ridiculed our political features could be drastically reduced by regional government, like it, or not.

But during a recent retreat organized by the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, done in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) in Kano state, Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District; Muntari Dandutse, ( Katsina South Senatorial District), Sani Musa( Niger East)and Ali Ndume (Borno South ) were vehemently opposed to the proposal.

In specific term, Ningi who claimed to have visited India, Argentina, Singapore and the United States stated that: “For a start, no matter how you see it, the current document (1999 constitution) is still the ground norm. It has also stated how it is going to be amended.” He went further to explain that what is important is to have good governance; one that guarantees credibility and ensures people’s accessibility to the vast natural resources that God has blessed Nigeria with. He also reinforced the fact that his people would not support regional government, as the past regional government did not favour his people! But the empirical evidences on ground then as the performance of Sir Ahmadu Bello prove otherwise.

It was a similar view expressed by Musa who suggested that a related bill should be presented to the National Assembly to test its popularity. He advised Nigerians not to confuse the establishment of the Zonal Development Commission with regional government. On his part, Ndume stated that it was no longer fashionable to have regional government in Africa. Really? Sentiment over facts and figures, is one’s appraisal of such a sweeping statement.

But holding the other side of opinion is the Senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari who emphasised that: “The regions were able to harness their resources in the First Republic.” With regional government in place, governance would be decentralized and corruption would also be drastically curbed, he insisted. One cannot but agree any less.

Perhaps, with the back and forth swinging of the pendulum of opinion on this all-important matter it has become imperative for the lawmakers, nay a good number of Nigerians to understand what they stand to gain from the institution of regional government. But first, what is it all about? The answers are not far-fetched.

According to the ‘Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy’ with focus on the ‘Perspectives on Regional Government’ as written by John B. Parr (University College, London,28th January,2022) it encapsulates the decentralization of political power, whereby public institutions exert an influence on the pace of regional development. It is intermediate between national (central) and local government.

Similarly, it includes an assembly together with an execution capacity, a legislative function and a judicial responsibility. Its advantages include the improvement on both efficiency and effectiveness. Furthermore, it encourages local governments to pool resources, talent and efforts. Collaboration in this way creates more effective planning that all governments, both big and small can participate in. And it creates a larger budget to deliver stronger results.

From the historical perspective and within the Nigerian context it was Bernard Bourdillon, the then Governor-General who initiated and laid the firm foundation of federalism in the country in 1939. He created the three Provinces of the Northern, Western and Eastern Regions and later handed the constitution over to his successor, Arthur Richards. That was reflected in the Richards Constitution. But it was the Lytten Constitution of 1954 that created a fully functional federal system, and subsequently the Mid-Western Region was carved out of the former Western Region in 1963.

The political narrative however, changed with the unification decree of May 1966 as promoted by the military junta led by Major General Johnson Aguiyi – Ironsi which abolished the regional system of government. Not helping matters was the military enforced 1999 constitution. A lot of water has since passed under the bridge of time between then and now.

What should be obvious to those opposing a return to regional government is the persisting poor governance exacerbated by the high payment structure as well as the bloated federal structure that has turned Nigeria into a contraption. Whereas, Nigerians enjoyed the benefits of fiscal federalism under the regional governments during the First Republic as piloted by Sir Ahmadu Bello Premier of the Northern Region, Dr. Mike Okpara that of the Eastern Region and the Chief Obafemi Awolowo-led Western Region government, the same cannot be said of the subsequent unitary federal system foisted on us by the military governments.

While the succeeding democratic governments at the federal centre have depended on crude oil revenue since 1999; doling out peanuts to the state governors from the Federation Account a lot more was achieved by the premiers during the First Republic. But as at this day the federal government keeps controlling issues such as infrastructural development, education, healthcare delivery, agriculture and electric power generation, which it should not.

Yet, under Mike Okpara who had a mindset of industrial production his Eastern Region-led government set up the Trans Amadi Industrial Area, Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt and Enugu. In addition, was the Michelin Tyre Factory also in Port Harcourt, Obudu Cattle Ranch in Calabar, Owerri Shoe Factory and the Port Harcourt Sea Port expansion, all with revenues from oil palm, rubber and agricultural products.

On his part, Chief Obafemi Awolowo as Premier of the then Western Region came up with strong infrastructural development, good access roads, Free Education policy, agric centres, the Liberty Stadium, the first ever television station in Sub-Sahara Africa at Ibadan, all from cocoa revenue.

With regards to Sir Ahmadu Bello, as the Premier of the Northern Region the visionary leader, acclaimed as prudent saw to the coming on stream of the Bank of the North, the Northern Nigerian Development Company (NNDC), and the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna way back in 1962. Good enough that all these remarkable achievements came from agricultural revenues from the groundnut pyramids, cotton, hides and skin.

All said, regional government is the best way to go so that the regions can tap into their vast natural resources of solid minerals, agriculture, and tourism instead of the fixation on the sleazy and fraudulently run oil and gas industry.

But as Senator Opeyemi rightly noted, a holistic approach to the debate on regional government should involve political stakeholders, the civil society, the traditional and religious institutions to fashion the best way forward. Methinks that we have had enough of self-deceit.