FEDERALISM & AFRICANIZED DEMOCRACY: Our Country in dire need of surgical operation, By G.D Oladimeji

G.D Oladimeji is a public affairs analyst, political scientists and diehard Marxist. In his poetic analysis made available to OSUN REPORTERS, titled “Our Country In Dire Need Of Surgical Operation” he talks about Nigeria Federalism, comparing his experience to other country…

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Digging deep into our “Federalism & Afrikanized Democracy” in other to unravel the mysteries making prosperity a dream hypotheses.

I walked down to the river bank, hoping the aesthetic serenity of nature would enhance a better contemplation, I sat down placidly but was reminiscently hagridden,… how nice would it have been if I am sitting somewhere in Isale Osun, gazing through the probable appearance of Sengese, the Osun goddess, but no, I am on Creek road, inches away from the Sheraton Towers & Hotel, Dubai.

In a wondrous state, I looked far and wide at the spread of nature in bemusement, and suddenly my vision caught a scene: maybe they were Indonesians, Phillipines or Europeans, that, I couldn’t fathom. All I could see is a mesmerized group of people on a yacht dancing happily to the aura that sounds weird to me.

Quickly, I adjusted & took charged of my senses, I heard Maleek’s voice loud enough like I am on my way to Abu Dhabi, he said “the UAE of today is a project that started in the 70s”, I counted my fingers, that’s about five decades! Less than fifty years, No! Maleek can’t be right, after all he is a tour guard who may not know the exact history of the UAE.
Then come our cab driver who ferried myself and Alh. Oyesiku Adelu from Creek road to AL Abarsa Garden where we had the Ankara Chick party of her Excellency birthday celebration. “Most of these buildings, towers and infrastructures sprang up in the 90s”, the cabman retold….
30 years down the line. Hmmmm! No! ko je je bee… It can be! …Bawo Laja se se ori, ti Inaki o se?

However, Google don’t lie, it’s all existentially happening within post Nigeria independence. Yes! After most of the African states slipped into neocolonialism.

What is wrong with us as a people, as a nation! I oppugned.
Then whence come this rapid transformation of the UAE? This is not about the dialectics of Trotsky, it contrasted with the brute capitalist practice of the West, maybe the Keynesian School has a role to play, the miles to cover will unveil the wand.
But, certainly the UAE did something differently, whatever they did, they got it right.

Setting the template for a security & economic driven democracy enmeshed in a Federal State. The need to think differently and do it differently seriously beacons.

Wheare K. C not Liberian Weah opined “federalism as a constitutional arrangement which divides law making powers and functions of the state between two levels of government which are coordinate in status.” “Coordinate in status” I repeat. Going by Wheare’s view, one only wonder how and why we continue to refer to Nigeria as a federal state. Ironsi may delight the Igbos just like Awo led Western Region to the Yorubas.

Ironsi’s unitary approach even with the periodical elections of these days can best be used to arguably describe our practice.

However, for an holy alliance like ours, I stick to true federalism. Oh! why didn’t you join the call for “Restructure Nigeria”? I couldn’t join because the people calling for it selected the phrase not out of patriotism but for want of power.

The PDP shinanigan reminded me of Aregbesola’s advocacy for true federalism sometimes in 2012 when then he was laying the foundation of a bastardised fiscal administration at the local government level.

That states continue to lobby and rely on federal presence is enough to scrap the word from our constitution.
It is either we come to term with the true practice of federalism or we abandon it completely.
If Dubai with their heaven on earth advancement is rolling out EXPO 2020 (a new face of Dubai, where new areas will be open and old one retouched) I think it is time everyone in Nigeria be ready to make Zamfara secured enough for Zamfarans and also make Osun economy buoyant enough to feed her citizens. Ditto for every other state.
The concurrent list should be jettisoned for a flexible ordinance summed in a federal constitution. Simply put, each state should have its own codified rules & regulations of engagement.

The laws/constitution is one of the many things which needed to be revamped. However, good laws needs capable hands to prosper, therefore ……..

To be continued…

GD Oladimeji
gd_oladimeji@yahoo.