Bakare advocates pragmatic restructuring of Nigeria

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. Says 1999 constitution a glorified death certificate

.Predicts 2023 election won’t make any difference

.Prescribes way forward for Nigeria

Uba Group

BY ROTIMI DUROJAIYE

Serving Overseer, The Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, on Sunday, painted a dark picture of Nigeria at 61, saying what is needed is a geo-political structure that will provide an enabling environment for every zone in the country to maximize its geo-economic opportunities and potentials under a strong and united Nigeria.

He said this can be achieved by a pragmatic approach to restructuring Nigeria, rather than by mere zoning of the presidency.

Bakare, in a state of the nation address titled, “The Black Box of Nigeria’s Politics,” warned that those clamouring and waiting for genuine change to happen through the 2023 presidential election, “without first insisting that our imposed sham of a constitution must be torn and discarded, are merely putting the cart before the horse.”

He said “this is nothing but a prescription for retrogression. No tangible progress can ever be made by such an exercise in futility. It would be tantamount to building a superstructure on a faulty or shaky foundation.”

The Convener of Save Nigeria Group lamented that the legacies of selfless service of Nigeria’s founding fathers have not been matched by subsequent generations of Nigerian leaders.

“What would their testimonies be regarding Nigeria of today? What would Sir Ahmadu Bello, who was a passionate educationist and an advocate of girl-child education say of a Northern Nigeria where over 1,000 students, boys and girls inclusive, have been kidnapped from their schools in six northern states since December 2020?

“What would the Sardauna say to the report that young people in Northern Nigeria are turning to armed banditry as a vocation, with around 30,000 armed bandits spread over 100 camps across the North and raining down terror on fellow citizens? What would the late premier say to the fact that nearly 350,000 people in the North-East, including 300,000 children have been killed in 12 years by the Boko Haram terrorist group, while “there are currently 1.9 million people displaced from their homes…[of which] sixty percent…are children”?

“What would his response be to the evidence that, despite the efforts of our gallant soldiers and the news of insurgents surrendering to the Nigerian troops, the terrorists are winning hearts and minds and are recruiting massively among despondent villagers who have lost confidence in the Nigerian state?

“Would the witness be in contempt of court if he lost his dignified composure seeing that his dream for Northern Nigeria has become a nightmare? Or would he wonder if there is no government in power to checkmate the evils presently plaguing the country?

“As you reflect on this solemn image, picture also the Owelle of Onitsha, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, in the witness box of this historic court poring over recent records on Nigeria.

“What would he say to the report that, every Monday, the South-East, including his beloved Onitsha shuts down as people comply with the sit-at-home order of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)? What would this founding father say to the report that, on Independence Day 2021, in compliance with threats from IPOB, the people of the South-East could not freely salute the Nigerian flag? What would he say to reports of brutal attacks on hard and soft targets by the Eastern Security Network (ESN) even as the Nigerian state continues to clamp down ruthlessly on the group? What would the response of the great nationalist be to indications that, almost six decades after the Nigerian Civil War, memories of the war continue to echo, not just in people’s life experiences, but also in distressing utterances by political leaders, while genuine national reconciliation remains a mirage? Would this national icon be in error if he felt for a moment that his lifetime labour to build a Nigerian nation may have been in vain?

“As you keep that in mind, think of Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the witness box as an expert witness, assessing the happenings in the states of the South-West, the legacy zone of the former Western Region. What would he say to reports that the people of the South West, just like those in the Middle Belt, the South-South and the South-East, have become vulnerable to criminals and marauding gunmen who kidnap, kill, maim, rape and pillage communities? What would the late sage say to the report that, not only has the Nigerian state been unable to protect the vulnerable, but also that the sub-national governance structures have largely been helpless as non-state actors attempt to destabilize the region? What would he say to the report that some Nigerians of Yoruba descent, who are frustrated at the state of the nation, have teamed up with other aggrieved Nigerians to mobilize for a referendum on secession from the Nigerian state, even taking their grievances in protests before the community of nations at the United Nations General Assembly? Would the sagacity of the sage diminish in significance if he broke down in lamentation over the region and nation that he laboured tirelessly over in his lifetime?” Bakare queried.

He further questioned lessons learnt by Nigerians when, over 60 years after the founding fathers almost sacrificed the prospects of nationhood on the altar of sectional politics, we are still caught up in squabbles over which part of Nigeria the next president will come from.

According to the fiery cleric, we forget that in our national history, there has been no correlation between the number of years a region has produced a president or head of state and the level of development of that region or geopolitical zone.

“If there were any correlation between the part of the country that produces the president and the level of development of that region, the North would be the most developed region in Nigeria today, having produced heads of state and presidents for over 40 out of 61 years since independence,” he stressed.

Continuing, Bakare added, “Instead, despite the historical dominance of the North in the governance of this nation, data from the World Bank indicates that, as of 2016, the North accounted for 87% of the poverty in Nigeria.

“Furthermore, based on a report by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), the facts indicate that the North has dominated key appointments in the six years of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Despite this preponderance of appointments from the North, data from the Nigeria Living Standards Survey shows that the North has continued to dominate the poverty headcount in Nigeria even during the Buhari administration.

“If there were any correlation between where a president comes from and the level of development of his region, the administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan would have resolved the restructuring, resource management and environmental degradation-related crises of the Niger Delta, as well as the developmental aspirations of the South-East. If there were any correlation between where a president comes from and the development of his region, the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo would not have resulted in the marginalization of the South-West or the freezing of the allocations of Lagos State.”

He noted further that while inclusiveness is integral to achieving national integration, we have merely majored in minors in our approach to political inclusion.

Bakare pointed out that the problem with Nigeria is not that some ethnic groups have not produced a president; “the problem with Nigeria is that we have failed to heed the admonitions of our founding fathers, the likes of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who challenged us in his Lancaster House address to move beyond the independence of the country to freedom for the peoples and citizens of Nigeria.”

He further stressed that the continued insistence on altering the set rules in the midst of our spirited game of national development, and the subsequent imposition of a draconian and lopsided concoction of a constitution in 1999, is the most inhibiting, corrosive spanner thrown into the wheel of our national unity and faith, peace and progress, from that time until now.

“I am fully persuaded, as are many fellow compatriots within and outside the shores of Nigeria, that the 1999 Constitution, whether as amended, or to be further amended by the National Assembly, is nothing more than a glorified death certificate.

“At this juncture, let us borrow a leaf from recent world history. Once upon a time, the Berlin walls separated Eastern Germany from Western Germany until President Ronald Reagan in his indomitable manner spoke lucidly on live television to the president of the then Soviet Union. He said, “Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

“Mr Gorbachev eventually did, and Germany is better off for it today. In the same spirit, I say to President Muhammadu Buhari: Mr President, stop passing the buck to the National Assembly. Tear down this inhibiting concoction of a constitution; tear it down so we can build a truly great nation! This is one enduring legacy your administration can still secure before your time in power draws to a close. If you do, present and unborn generations of Nigerians will remember you for it and write your name in gold when the history of this period is written.

“If you don’t, history will record that you failed to rise to the occasion and squandered a great opportunity,” he warned.

To build a great nation that works for every Nigerian, Bakare said that the current trend must be reversed.

“The change we advocate must begin from the family, or, in socioeconomic terms, the Household.

“I, therefore, call on Nigerian households to ensure full participation of members who have attained the voting age in the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise. While this responsibility falls on husbands and wives alike, women, in particular, have an important role to play. After all, “the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”