Like the proverbial bad coin, the question of restructuring Nigeria has once again resurfaced with a potent force. It is now vehemently canvassed by powerful political groups, ethnic chauvinists, separatist movements and even die-hard insurgent groups. Suddenly, debates on whether to restructure Nigeria or not, began to feature fervently at all fora where national issues are discussed lucidly and logically. While heated debates raged on, many believe that the restructuring of Nigeria is long overdue and, therefore, urgent steps need to be taken now to ensure its actualization.
Other people simply reflect on why governments after governments in the country failed to give a hoot about the subject matter, avoiding its execution as if that will lead the nation to Armageddon, or cause its eventual disintegration and consequent destruction.
Funny enough, most of the supporters of that cause have in the past been in a position to give fillip to the agitation for restructuring the country but had, instead chosen to remain totally aloof and completely complacent.
The central argument in favor of restructuring is hinged on the fact it will be better if the federation is centralized by concentrating power to few hands because that could easily make it less cumbersome and less autocratic in managing the affairs in the country’s federating units. Incidentally, ethno-tribal groups such as the Yoruba Afenifere and the Pan-Igbo, Ohaneze have constantly been renewing this agitation with renewed vigor since the fall of president Goodluck Jonathan from power
But if the truth must be told, restructuring a muti-ethnic, culturally diverse country like Nigeria is an uphill task which demands a favorable executive-legislative interfacing. It is also a time-consuming undertaking which if not carefully handed may precipitate ugly situations that could lead to civil war. It is precisely because of that, the previous PDP administration spent prohibitive sum of money on an unsuccessful National Conference intended to achieve the aim of restructuring Nigeria, but having lacked a political will, it failed to achieve the objective for which it was commissioned.
Many Nigerians believe that the ready-made solution to the country’s numerous problems is the restructuring of the country without really considering the question of incredible leadership which has largely remained unaddressed and which also had always failed the nation.
True federation cannot certainly thrive under the conditions that promote corruption, indiscipline, tribalism, doing favor for friends. Any democratic structure founded on these vices is bound to fail woefully. Nigerians who indulge in luxury brought about by corrupt practice, who also hail and celebrate corrupt people and officials; condone freedom from unpleasant consequences, will never benefit from the advantages of true federalism and will always remain the victims of leadership-inflicted poverty. Can Nigerians really, now or in the not too-distant future address the issues of money politics professed by immensely powerful money bags and embrace people with unquestionable character and leadership acumen even if they are financially handicapped?
With the prevailing unfavorable politico-economic conditions in the country and the prevalent corruption and vile practices among the strata of the society the unending agitations and defeating calls for restructuring will, to a large extent, remain unreciprocated.
What is going to be more helpful is massive enlightenment about the imperatives of good leadership on why strident clamoring for restructuring just for few tribal warlords to score cheap political points or realize their contemptible ambitions may hardly ever materialize. Anything short of this would really put an old wine in a new bottle, to be dispensed to newly restructured units however well-intentioned the objectives of its exponents are.
With the nation now practically lying prostrate, and faced with the prospects of another distractive, impracticable preposition of restructuring the country, many agree that Nigeria is not ripe or even overdue for some overhaul of sorts.
The time is not now for bringing about a drastic or fundamental internal change that may alter the relationship between different components or constituents of a country. Nigerians have lived together for long, seeking to understand the differences between them and have learnt how to forget or ignore areas that cause occasional frictions in their relationship. In that way, they have forged ahead together, plodding on a tortuous road to the shaky and rickety unity which they always sought to fortify and render it more purposeful.
As it is now, it is quite easy for everyone to talk about restructuring whether or not he or she understand what it is all about.
The papers are replete with news and opinions about the topic on daily basis and the social media, like their mainstream counterparts, are awash with opinions and insinuations about the subject matter many do not know anything about, but make wild and unsubstantiated conjectures or inferences about it. Many believe that restructuring Nigeria will lead to its eventual disintegration, but if that is inevitable, let it disintegrate so that everyone could go his own way and devise the best means by which he could survive. After all Nigeria is said to be an accidental contraption by former colonial masters of many incompatible constituents. So, let us revert to the position we were before colonialism.
