On the Out Come of the "Confab of Chaos"(II)

By

Paul Mamza

mamzapaul@yahoo.com

 

The unfortunate concatenation of the crisis in the modalities and mode of approach towards serious issue of national importance had made much disqualification in a logical content of the conference proceedings, for instance, of all the Elders’ committee report as presented by Professor Joe Irukwu (chairman), only the resolution on the immunity for the President, Vice President, Governors and Deputy Governors and probably with seriousness of intent for nationalism the tenure of the office of the President/Governor.  Even without peculiarities of circumstance and time, public officers/Political officeholders must be answerable to criminal cases that riddle the very basis of humanity and humanistic rights as enshrined in the World human rights charter.   The committee report was ambiguous in most issues of national importance like the now controversial Resource control, funding of local governments, method of voting, State creation, the issue of state police and the role of INEC and conduct of local Government elections.  Every part of Nigeria had its resources scorching for exploitation and exploration, the North for instance had Agriculture and solid mineral viability as a very promising venture, the South – East can reinvent the coal mining and South – west the cocoa production.  Each zone has a history that can be linked to sustenance and development of its natural resources if the government at the centre is willing to apply the principle of equal participation and encouragement in economic competition.  The Elders’ committee effort in this regard paid much attention on oil as if oil is the only issue of economic viability and environmental degradation which ignited much reactions from the already contemptuous South – South delegates waiting to hear about rapt rashness of economic control.  On the funding of local governments, the Irukwu’s report recommended that “bulk allocation should be made to the state in respect of their local governments, irrespective of the number of local government in any particular state”.  This resolution is contentious.  The Presidency under a far – reaching principle as enshrined in the 1995 draft constitution and adopted in 1999 constitution though not explicit should be responsible for creation of local government councils based on viability of its existence and sustenance of the council as stated that “ The creation of Local Government is under this constitution (1999) is guaranteed and accordingly the government of every state shall subject to section 8, of this constitution, ensure their existence under a law which provides for the establishment structure, composition, finance and functions of such councils and the person authorized by law to prescribe the area over which a local government council may exercise authority shall:-

  1. Define such area as clearly as practicable and

  2. Ensure to the extend to which it may be reasonably justifiable, that in defining such area regard is paid to

(i)   The common interest of the community in the area         

(ii)  Traditional association of the community and

(iii)  Administrative convenience

 

Local government with less that 150, 000 total population are in some cases inevitable especially where population densities are very low.  Although the total population should be 150, 000- 180, 000 for local government creation.  The area demanding local government must make sure they have a sources of generating funds internally”.  It seems the Irukwu’s committee was more particular in diffusing the tension of conflict between the Federal Government and Lagos state government over the creation of local government council creation and its funding in this regard, which the Supreme court ruled in favour of Lagos.   <

 

On the method of voting, the committee recommended an electronic voting which puts the South being more literate on an advantage considering the malfeasance witness during the 2003 elections even though,  manual voting was adopted, the electronic voting will open wide gates of rigging in some digital proportions because the computer does not operate itself rather if is “ garbage – in, garbage – out”.  As much as improvements in methods can offer credibility, the realities on ground must follow possibilities of result.  Similarly, on the issue of State Police and creation of states’ the committee more or less shared the feeling of the South – East on state creation and South –West otherwise known as the Yoruba Agenda on State Police.  On the issue of state creation, the committee recommended that “ Followi ng the decision that states should be the federating units, it was agreed that the South – East, being the only Zone with five States, be given an additional State. 

 

It was decided that in principle, the issue of state creation should be left open and when a good case is made, procedures for state creation as enshrined in the constitution should be followed in a way that all deserving cases should be heard”.  On State Police the committee said  it “ accepts a Nigeria Police force which would operate on the basis of community policing under which people with local knowledge could become part and parcel as much as possible”.  The Yoruba Agenda which was a Memorandum to the National Political Reforms Conference, 2005 signed by Chief  ‘ Tunji Olutola (Secretary) and endorsed by prominent Yoruba Elders like Chief Afe Babalola, Professor Wole Soyinka, Senator Sikiru Shittu – Bey, Prince Bola Ajibola, Professor Peter Okebukola, Chief Sunday Adewusi, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, HRM Oba Sijuwade Olubuse II, The Oni of Ife amongst others, in which the agenda emphasized that “ The issue of the reform of the police must necessarily  address the desirability or, otherwise of allowing states/ Regions to establish their police force”.  The Irukwu’s report was just a diluted adopted form of the Yoruba Agenda.  The most tragic resolution by the Elders’ committee is one on INEC and conduct of local Government Elections. According to the committee’s report.  “ Having decided that local governance be rested in the states, and that power should as much as possible, be devolved to the states, the committee recommends that states should take care of their local governments and their elections’’.  The implication of this resolution is that the state governments will have full control over manipulative tendencies.  With the present experience it will be doubtful if ethics of liberal democracy will emerge considering the smittening constructive contretemps of the current political officers as governors of states.  As a whole the Elders’ committee recommendations just represented the internal contradictions in the political system of the country that they suppose to tame with decent dexterity.  The conference as its intention intent became a shallow representation of a rare approach towards political emancipation of charitable nationalistic ideals and idealistic nationalism in politics.   As Professor J.K Galbraith in The Anatomy of Power put it succinctly “ Bureaucratic power is bad, but public servants with power to render effective public service are very good”.   The conference was very silent on the essences and issues relating to checks and balances that may enhance participatory governance and attendant efficiency.  As  highlighted earlier in this piece,  the target was against the North, which the region was not privy due to its ill- preparation.  A study of the implication for statutory Allocation if derivation based from 13% to the states revealed that while Bayelsa and Rivers States will receive N 31, 770, 763, 595. 55 and N29,802,369,825.07 respectively, state like Borno and Benue will only receive N6, 183,016,706.33 and N5,824, 602, 210. 88 respectively.  With the 50% desired by the South – South Bayelsa and Rivers States will collect N108,485,300, 049. 09 and N95, 626.182, 446. 28 respectively while Borno and Benue collects only N3,569,136,283.10 and N3,362,242,101.69 respectively.  What aggravated false beliefs of independence amongst the differing contending force at the conference is that the North due to lack of adequate time for preparation went to the floor of the conference as revealed by the Umaru Dikko – led agenda with emphasize on capital political matters, de- emphasizing capable economic viability.  Like, the Solid Mineral development Ministry introduced by General Sani Abacha was to produced viability options for oil, the North wo uld have argued a secure for its’ control in addition to additional government’s effort to agriculture as a policy.  Erroneously, the North went home with a false victory just because the South – South did not have its’ way over enhanced resource control (17% - 25%).  The President in his cunning ways appointed a Minister of state from the South – South immediately after the conference to diffuse ill – feelings in the region with him still the de – facto Minister, a first step in six years of his administration but instead appointed a lady Minister from South – East for Solid Minerals where a Northerner is suppose to take affairs.  On the whole the conference was nurtured with intentions to serve a purpose, only that the purpose was not actualized with an anticipated zealous intents.  The South – South ended – up showing its tempest of tempers with exuberance without gauging the borders and limits of lure and lust, the North erred in the exposure of its eyesore when the issue of resource control at the time of controversy had outlived regional contentions, they would have kept mute without pejorative, for the 17% decision which is major decision taken at an official banquet that ended with signs of closure of pelagic consumption, the South – West in its normal and Symbolic outlandish outrageousness went to the background of schism to select an orchestra of schizophrenia thereby  playing the obstreperous octopus, inciting war between North and South – South while the South –East in its obsolescent concupiscence for South – South’s jugular imported the past dreams with abrasive sense of re- invention of lost powers of absolutism.  The President on the hand was busy with exegesis of all the actions a t the screen board of his inner chambers searching the appearance and disappearance of Professor Jerry Gana etal with some aiding devices, that was not forthcoming. However, the President as usual was the undeclared winner of the conference, after all the tremulous triangulation’s of sado-masochism at the conference is only advisory and so it is.  So why fighting and fussing over an antics of order where the basis of law is missing and absent? 

-Mamza, A Political Columnist with Leadership Newspapers,  writes from Ahmadu Bello  University, Zaria.