True Federalism and Sustainable Development in Nigeria (a Discourse on National Question and or...

7/18/2019 True Federalism and Sustainable Development in Nigeria (a Discourse on National Question and or National Maladi

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True Federalism and Sustainable Development in Nigeria (ADiscourse on National Question and/or National Maladies)

Chuunon!e Au"uruRivers State College of Arts and Science, Rumuola, Port Harcourt,Nigeria

Ne#man Chintu#a $n!iooMedonice Consulting and Research Institute, Port

Harcourt

AbstractFederalism is often regarded as the appropriate governmental principlefor countries ith huge ethno!cultural diversities" Nigeria, ith overto hundred and #ft$ ethnic groups inherited a federal s$stem from%ritain in &'() and successive governments have attempted, ithvar$ing degrees of sincerit$ and commitment to operate federalinstitutions that can accommodate the countr$*s ethnic, cultural,

religious and linguistic diversities and nurture a sense of national unit$"Hoever, the leaders of these governments, at all levels, have failed toful#ll their obligations to o+er good governance anchored on euitable

political arrangements, transparent administrative practices andaccountable public conduct" Indeed, failure to encourage genuine

poer sharing has triggered dangerous rivalries beteen the centralgovernment and the thirt$ si- states governments over revenue fromthe countr$*s oil and other natural resources" .he defective federal

structure has also promoted bitter struggles beteen interests groupsto capture the state and its attendant ealth/ and facilitated theemergence of violent ethnic militias, hile politicians e-ploit and

e-acerbate inter!communal tensions for sel#sh reasons" .hus,

communities throughout the countr$ increasingl$ feel marginali0ed andalienated from the Nigerian state" .hese riters contend that the

deepl$ 1aed federal s$stem in Nigeria constitutes a grave threat tonational integration, stabilit$ and development/ and that unless the

government properl$ engages the underl$ing issues of resourcecontrol, poer sharing, eual rights and accountabilit$, the countr$ ill

face an internal crisis of increasing and dangerous proportions" .hispaper see2s to e-amine 3.rue Federalism and Sustainable

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4evelopment in Nigeria 5A 4iscourse on National 6uestion and 7 orNational Maladies89"

%e!#ords&Nigerian Federalism, National 6uestion, State Creation,

Sustainable4evelopment

Introduction

There is a general consensus that over half a century after independence, Nigeria is

yet to resolve the problem of nation-building. Indeed, it seems that over the years

the centrifugal forces are on the ascendancy. The difficulty in forging a unitednation after independence has often provoked doubts and debates as to the viability

of the Nigerian project. Federalism is widely regarded as the appropriate

governmental principle for countries with huge ethno-cultural diversities. Nigeria,

with over two hundred and fifty ethnic groups inherited a federal system from

ritain in !"#$ and ever since, successive governments have attempted, with

varying degrees of commitment and success, to operate federal institutions that can

accommodate the country%s ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic diversities and

nurture a sense of national unity, &'labi, ($$#). *owever, these governments at all

levels have failed to fulfill their obligations of good governance anchored on

e+uitable political arrangements, transparent administrative practices and

accountable public conduct. In fact, failure to encourage genuine power sharing has

triggered dangerous rivalries between the central government and the thirty-si

states governments over revenue from the country%s oil and other natural

resources. The defective federal structure has also promoted bitter struggles

between interests groups to capture the state and its attendant wealth and

facilitated the emergence of violent ethnic militias, while politicians eploit and

eacerbate inter-communal tensions for selfish reasons.

Thus, communities throughout the country increasingly feel marginalied andalienated from the Nigerian state. This writer contends that the deeply flawed

federal system in Nigeria constitutes a grave threat to national integration, stability

and development, and that unless the government properly engages the underlying

issues of resource control, power sharing, e+ual rights and accountability, the

country will continue to face an internal crisis of increasing and dangerous

proportions. This paper, therefore, seeks to eamine the contentious issues in

Nigeria%s federal arrangement, and the challenges they pose for nation-building,

national stability and development. For ease and clarity of analysis, this essay is in

:


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four sections, namely, &i) introduction &ii) /verview of Nigerian Federalism &iii)

0ontending Issues in Nigerian Federalism and &iv) conclusion.

;


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Overview of the Evolution of Nigerian Federalism

That the origin of Nigerian federalism is traceable to ritish 0olonial rule is no

longer new. *owever, opinion varies on the basic reason for its introduction. 1ome

scholars opine that federalism was introduced in Nigeria by the ritish for

administrative convenience. 1ome are of the view that ritain imposed federalism

on Nigeria in order to maintain some control on the country after independence.

/thers believe that the ritish colonialists adopted federalism in Nigeria to solve

the problem of how to keep the large and ethnically diverse groups of people

together. 2egardless of the status of each of these arguments, all the viewpoints are

useful in tracing the origin of federalism in Nigeria.

The origin of the federal system in Nigeria can be traced to the amalgamation of

the 1outhern and Northern 3rotectorates in !"!4. The federal structure began to

form in !"5" under 1ir ernard ourdillon who divided the 1outhern 3rotectorates

into two. The 2ichards and 6acpherson constitutions of !"4# and !"7!respectively only created a decentralied unitary system. The practice of federalism

in Nigeria was officially adopted through the 8yttleton 0onstitution of !"74 as it

was the first genuine federal constitution of the country. The constitution was

introduced due to the crises generated by the 6acpherson constitution, especially

the motion of self-government, and the 9ano riots of !"75. These events convinced

the colonial administration that considerable regional autonomy must be granted to

the regional governments and that only federalism could hold the Nigerian peoples

together, &'labi, ($$#).

Nigerian federalism became consolidated at independence, and since then, it has

been operating in both political and fiscal contets, although not in full

consonance with the basic principles of federal practice. *istorically, Nigeria%s

federal system has oscillated between the ecessive regionalism that marked the

First 2epublic &!"#$ : !"##) and the ecessive centraliation of the military, and

relatively, the post-military era. Nigerian federalism overtime has also undergone

structural changes by which the federation moved from its initial three-region

structure at independence to a four-region structure by !"#4, and to its current

thirty-si states structure including seven hundred and seventy - four local

governments. These changes have been necessitated by the need for a balancedfederation that would give all nationalities self-actualiation and fulfillment.

*owever, these changes have increased imbalances in the Nigerian federation as

eemplified in continued centraliation and concentration of power at the centrewith its attendant conse+uences. 2eally, state and local government creation

eercises have helped to spread development across the country to some etent it is

e+ually true that in spite of the structural changes, the Northern region remains

dominant over others so much that it is the decider on matters of joint deliberation,

&6uhammed, ($$;).


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The dominant and domineering posture of the Northern region over other sections

of the country is traceable to the advent of the federal system in Nigeria. ofwen, ($$4). ?ue to this uneven structure, even when

new states are created, the North continues to occupy over 7$@ of states in the

country. Thus, the Northern geopolitical one enjoys certain advantages in termsof resource allocation and federal appointments, particularly in cases where state

representation is adopted as criteria. This arrangement is a clear violation of one of

the core principles of federalism, that of relative e+uality of component units in a

federation. The arrangement is also a fulfillment of 6ill%s 8aw of Federal

Instability which states that no federation can be stable when one part of it

constitutes a permanent majority in joint deliberations, &/yedele, !"""). Nigerian

federalism has thus not been able to ade+uately promote national integration and

development as the country continues to face various protestations and agitations by

groups against the current federal structure.

0oncerning fiscal federalism, access to political power at the centre is

perhaps the most crucial factor in resource distribution and revenue allocation. In

such situation, the Agroup% that controls political power at the centre ultimately

controls revenue allocation and thus has the opportunity to epropriate a larger

share to its own advantage to the detriment of the wealth producers. This scenario

is eemplified by the consistent and systematic relegation of derivation as the

principle of revenue allocation since !"7!, &/yedele, !""").


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In all, serious contradictions in Nigeria%s federal system such as the colonial factor,

military rule, structural imbalance, over-centraliation of power in the central

government have overtime perpetuated various thorny issues and challengeswithin the Nigerian federation. Be shall now turn to the contending issues in the

Nigerian federation.

Issues in the National Question in Nigerian Federalism

1ince the attainment of independence in !"#$, a number of national issues have

generated heated debates and crises, sometimes threatening the entire fabric of the

Nigerian 1tate. These includeC

&i) 1tate 0reation and the 6inority Duestion,

&ii) 6ilitary Intervention in >overnance,&iii) /il and 6inority 'gitations,

&iv)


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to correct the structural and administrative imbalance of the country and minimie

future political friction. Bithin the framework of smaller units, it seemed

impossible for any state to consider itself ade+uately self-sufficient and almost

entirely independent. 's >owon put itC

The main obstacle to the future stability of this country is thepresent structural imbalance in the Nigerian Federalism.


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*owever, pressure from minorities did not cease with the defeat of iafra. The

case for a further sub-division of the country was actively canvassed by ethnic

groups fearing or eperiencing discrimination or domination and hoping for greater

rewards from a measure of self-government. 's an illustration, the orubas of /yo

and Ibadan who had formed the bulwark of the political opposition in the Bestern

region up to !"## feared discrimination after the return to civil rule scheduled for

the late !"=$s. 1imilarly, the people of 6inna and 'buja in the North Bestern state

complained of unfavourable discrimination in appointments to government posts

and the provision of public services in favour of the 1okoto


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the possibility of a mass revolt by the people against oppressive and scandalous

leadership, and each time the masses became restless and ready to effect a change in

leadership due to the inability of the ruling class to respond ade+uately and

effectively to popular demands, the military would intervene, & In$anga, :))B8.The

military leadership, having toppled the previous government, uses state power to

restore normalcy, maintain an uneasy calm, law and order and return the country to

the status +uo ante. The usual abortion of the imminent mass revolts via military

coups make the military organiation an obstacle to revolutionary progress,

though coupists often promise an overhaul of the system in their maiden broadcast

to the nation after seiing power.


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producing communities often resorted to litigation, which usually ended in

unfavourable verdicts. 8etters were also written to the various post-independence

administrations on the Niger ?elta problem. ?ue to the failure of these efforts, the

agitators moved further by making representation to government at all levels to

make their letters effective. *owever, in most cases, apart from the usual warm

reception and empty promises no tangible achievement was recorded. ?uring the

period also, demonstrations were staged in the Niger ?elta and other places during

which pamphlets and banners were displayed to further draw attention to theincreasing crisis in the region. 8etters were delivered in the affected state capitals,

'buja and 8agos in order to gain government attention, & Nosu, :)&)8.


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the 6ovement for


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across the country, as most parents can no longer ade+uately control their children,

kith and kin. This situation provides ample opportunity for ethno-religious

conflicts because the jobless youths and hungry children become ready tools of

selfish leaders in fomenting trouble and causing conflicts across the country. The

promise of a meager amount of money with little enjoyment makes the youths ever

willing to undertake such a venture. They are overwhelmed by the available

goodies and booties without serious consideration for the conse+uences of their

actions. Furthermore, prolonged military rule manifested in the forceful suppressionof the ethnic aspirations of many minority groups, while the monopoliation of

power by the majority groups stimulated violent conflicts afterwards. In addition,

the shift of 3residential 3ower to the 1outh led to some agitations, which were given

religious coloration, and these agitations also elicited reactions from some elements

in the 1outh who continuously clamoured for a favourable system of revenue

distribution and resource control.


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unity, and also to command national loyalty thereby ensuring that

there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or

from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government

or in any of its agencies, &Nna, @ Ibiba,:)&&8" 3ut simply, Federal 0haracter is a euphemism for ethnic balancing. It is an

instrumentality for ensuring unity in diversity by balancing official appointments

between groups and within the officer corps of the armed forces. There is need to

emphasie that the controversial idea of Federal 0haracter, which has become an

integral part of Nigeria%s federal system, is not peculiar to Nigeria. For eample, the

Gnited 1tates of 'merica too applies it in the form of L'ffirmative 'ctionM and

India too as LDuota 1ystemM in several areas, & 2aba, :))8 . *owever, what hashappened in practice in Nigeria since !"=" is that the conflicting interpretation and

faulty implementation of the Federal 0haracter principle elicited results that were

almost completely opposed to the aims of promoting national unity and loyalty.

0learly, these problems contributed immensely to the contradictions anddisharmonies that have since marred inter : governmental and inter : group

relations in the country.

Corru$tion

0orruption is a global phenomenon but it is more prevalent and destructive in the

Third Borld countries. That corruption in Nigeria has become an endemic problem

threatening the country%s socio : economic and political development is common

knowledge. Bhile acknowledging the threat of corruption to the Nigerian 1tate,

*on. >hali Gmar Na% 'bba, former 1peaker of Nigeria%s *ouse of 2epresentatives

declared in ($$5 thatM

Bhile we cannot rule out the incidence of corruption and bribery in

almost every facet of our society, it is particularly resident in theinfrastructure areas in ministries or monopolistic parastals

saddled with the task of making infrastructure available to the

public : water, telecommunication, electricity &N


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In that same year, a 0entral ank of Nigeria ?irector stated that Lthe

avalanche of frauds and unprofessional K unethical practices in the industry in recent

years is eroding public confidence in the systemM, & 2on, :))=8" In($$4, Transparency International &TI), the world : acclaimed anti : corruption

watchdog, ranked Nigeria as the third most corrupt country in the world, after *aitiand angladesh. It also stated that billions of dollars are lost to bribery in public

purchasing, particularly in the oil sector of the economy. Furthermore, the Gnited

Nations ?evelopment 3rogramme &GN?3) declared that Nigeria has maintained a

seventy percent rise in poverty in spite of an income of over two hundred billion

dollars in oil revenues since !"=$, and her per capital income has hardly improved

ever since, &nuoha, :))8 .0orruption in Nigeria is, primarily, a political problem. The incidence of corruption

in a nation is as a result of the lack of political will on the part of the political

leadership and the inability of the state to maintain law and order. Thus, business

corruption is a fall : out of the failure to tackle political corruption, which castsdoubts upon the moral uprightness of the state as a whole and on the political will of

the leadership to manage the affairs of the nation. It follows simple logic that where

there is absence of political corruption is where the state operates under a high

ethical order and upholds, protects and enforce the rule of law on itself and on its

citiens. Gnder the rule of law and justice, the state machinery works for the good

of all and there will be no stealing of public funds, inflation of contracts, forgeries,

and mismanagement of money in banks, industries and government bureaucracy.

In a nutshell, as it has played out in Nigeria, political corruption and business

corruption are two sides of the same coin. In this regard, it is important to note that

the seedy financial scandals eposed in the Fourth 2epublic involved several

financial institutions. For eample, former Inspector >eneral of 3olice &I>3) Tafa

alogun%s financial frauds involved the laundering of billions of Naira under

different names in different banks. 1imilar method was also employed by

government officials involved in LIkoyigateM, a reference to the shameful fraud

involving the sale of government properties in Ikoyi, 8agos, and other financial

scandals that rocked the Fourth 2epublic across the 8ocal, 1tate and Federal

>overnment units, including the 3residency itself, & r?i, :))B8.

eneral


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and fraud in many states. 'ccording to the Gnited 1tates-based International

2epublican Institute &I2I), the !"th 'pril presidential and gubernatorial elections

suffered in some parts of Nigeria as a result of numerous uncorrected administrative

and procedural errors combined with many observed instances of obvious

premeditated electoral manipulationsM.(; The 0ommonwealth /bserver >roup alsoobserved thatC

In parts of ?ituu, @

>nemugem, 5:))8.

These statements are indeed bullet holes in the corruption : riddled political history

of Nigeria. The scenario is even more pathetic when one considers the debilitating

impact of fraudulent elections and the resultant governments on national

development and nation building. 0orruption begets corruption. ' corrupt and

unethical politician who emerges from a corrupt election cannot govern well.

%eadershi$ Crisis

The various challenges of nation : building, some of which have been detailed upon

earlier on in this paper, have been compounded by the leadership crisis. Though, theleadership challenge, like the 1word of ?amocles, hangs above all nations, the issue

has however assumed a crisis dimension of monumental conse+uences particularly

in 8ess ?eveloped 0ountries &8?0s). Nigeria is a nation born in hope and optimism

but has lived in aniety for most of its fifty year : history due to the country%s

failure to produce a nationally acceptable leadership that transcends ethnic, regional

and religious boundaries, and that can unite its diverse peoples for mobiliation

towards national development. In the light of this, it is valid to support the

argument that the basic problem with the Nigerian federation is the failure of

leadership. 'll other factors of disunity, instability and under :development have

been nurtured and given momentum by leadership failure. 0riticisms againstNigerian leaders across 8ocal, 1tate and Federal government levels are many and

justified. These include corruption, unpatriotism, selfishness, despotism, tribalism,

and religious bigotry.

Nigeria%s political history since independence has shown clearly through her various

conflicts, coups and counter : coups, as well as a civil war, that the Nigerian ruling

elite &both civilian and military) are divided along many lines, particularly along

tribal, ethnic, religious and regional lines. This has led to inter : elite rivalries,

mutual suspicion and status conflicts among the ruling elite. Thus, government and

&=


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politics in Nigeria has been characteried by deadly competitions and conflicts of

hostile subcultures arising various danger signals that occasionally threatened the

continued eistence of the country. Gnder successive Nigerian leaderships,

almost every issue has been politicied and interpreted to serve as a weapon of

political domination or intimidation. 's a conse+uence, various issues like elections,census, state creation, religion, political appointments, revenue sharing and lately,

resource control have ignited serious socio : political crises. This tragic situation

has compelled some observers to conclude that for Nigeria to resolve her leadership

debacle she needs heroes in the form of men with etra : ordinary talents, &?ukor,

&($$#). ut this raises further problemsC who are these heroes Bhere, how and

when shall they be found This, in my opinion, is the cru of the Nigerian dilemma.

"he conce$t of sustaina&le develo$ment and the Niger #elta economy

The political economy of sustainable development provides the fulcrum for an

enduring material progress of the people concerned. This brand of developmenttheory adopts a holistic approach that is mindful of the future implications of

economic solutions formulated in the present. 'rokoyu &($$4C!=) traces the origin

of the concept of sustainability to development debates of the !";$s, which arose

out of the environmental revolution of the !";$s. There was increased awareness

when the Gnited NationsA>eneral 'ssembly resolution created a Borld

0ommission on


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of global warming, is one of the most sensitive environmental problems associated

with oil mining. Nigeria alone flares about (4 billion cubic meters of associated

natural gas every year and the November ($$= report of the ?epartment of /il

3etroleum 2esources claim that more than =$@ of oil fields in Nigeria are culprits.

'lthough the Nigerian >overnment acknowledges the environmental haards posedby constant gas flaring, her non-committal approach becomes a source of concern.

It is disheartening to note that various elusive dates have been set to end gas flaring

in Nigeria. Inyanga &($$=C!=#) observes the Federal 6inistry of overnment done In highlightingthe cardinal objectives of N


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close to the people and the people close to their government will differ according to

the history, the demographic distribution, the traditional culture &or cultures), and

the prevailing international and economic environment in which it has to operate.

There is no doubt that the sordid state of socio-economic development in the Niger

?elta had attracted >overnment attention. /n the eve of independence, the Niger

?elta ?evelopment oard, thanks to the Billinks 0ommission, was created by the

colonial government to chart the course of development. The creation of the /il6ineral 3roducing 'rea 0ommission and the Niger ?elta ?evelopment

0ommission was to address the peculiar development challenges faced by the Niger

?elta. In the face of internal and international pressure, the then arA'dua led

government has recently created a Technical 0ommittee headed by arrister 8edum

6itee, an /goni born *uman 2ights 'ctivists and had e+ually created a 6inistry of

the Niger ?elta. In creating the 6inistry on Thursday 1eptember !!, 3resident

6usa arA'dua announced that the new ministry will serve as the primary vehicle

for the delivery of his administrationAs agenda for the rapid socio- economicdevelopment of the oil rich but long neglected region with special focus on

infrastructural development and youth empowerment &The Nation, 1eptember

($$;). Bith the demise of late 3resident arA'dua,his successor in the person of ?r.>oodluck onathan has demonstrated an enviable spirit of continuity in policy

formulation and implementation as encapsulated in 1even- 3oint 'genda with the

development of the Niger ?elta region as one of its arrowheads >overnment

reaction was provoked by the state of insecurity that had reached an

embarrassing height in recent times. There were rampant cases of kidnapping and

armed assault against prominent citiens and 6ulti-national 0orporation officials.

The aftermath of these brigandries was the eodus of some 6N0s key players.

0ompanies like ulius-erger 0onstruction 0ompany had to relocate to 'buja and

Gyo respectively for security reasons.

's a result of the incessant attacks by militants, the nation lost not less than #5!,$$$barrels per day with 1hell &13?0) all accounting for 4$7,$$$ bpd, 'gip =7,$$$ and

others !(,$$$. 'll these figures run into billions of Naira leading to a palpable

decline in oil revenues. Bhile the giant stride of the >overnment in setting up a

Technical 0ommittee and a 6inistry of the Niger ?elta acknowledged, it is hoped

that these institutions will not be afflicted by the scourge of the Nigerian factorA thathas been

the bane of our development initiatives. oth /63'?


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settlement even though in most cases, it is never acknowledged. The militants,

erroneously, claim that they want a better share of the national cake. This still boilsdown to what olade and 'delemo &!";#C4!) describe as the negative offshoots of

internal colonialism in the national development process. /ne of the militant

groups goes by the name 6ovement for the


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the instrumentality of official corruption.

Issues and Questions in '()* +residential ElectionsNigeria%s 6arch (;, ($!7 presidential election was, perhaps, one of the most bitterly

fought in the annals of the country%s electoral history. The election occurred after a

controversial si-week postponement following insistence by security agencies that it

should be pushed forward for them to accelerate the battle against the insurgency in the

North


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?emocratic 3arty &3?3) after siteen years of virtual one-party rule at the federal level.

The 3?3 got so arrogant as to announce that its rule would last at least sity years. The

lesson here for the '30 is that its longevity would depend on its capacity to promote

good and democratic governance for Nigeria.

It is the firm belief that the main heroes of these elections are the Nigerian people whoshowed commitment and discipline by coming out to vote and staying on in their polling

units sometimes into the second day as the process dragged. 3resident >oodluck onathan

also ehibited grace and statesmanship by calling his opponent and conceding, a gesture

signaling restraint to his followers and indicating the majority wish of Nigerians as

greater than individual desire or ambition. y so doing, 3resident onathan leaves 'so

2ock on a high note and would enter Nigerian history as the first president to accept

defeat.

It is also important to note that the Independent National


22/28 ::


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Conclusion and !ecommendations

The preceding discussion shows that the operation of Nigerian Federalism since

!"#$ has not yielded meaningful socio : economic and political development.

Instead, half : hearted practice of federalism has resulted in over : centraliation of

fiscal and political power, creation of un: viable and federally dependent 1tate and8ocal >overnments, military intervention in governance increased corruption,

ethnicity, and intense minority agitations over oil revenue. This paper acknowledges

that the aforementioned problems of nation : building all have their roots in the

!"!4 amalgamation of Nigeria and colonial rule as a whole. *owever, while it is

fruitless to resist the argument that the imperialistic motive behind the

amalgamation made it more of a liability than an asset, it is also farfetched to hold

colonial rule solely responsible for the near : failure of the Nigerian project. To lay

all the difficulties of nation : building in contemporary Nigeria on ritish

imperialism is to suggest that inter : group relations among pre- colonial and post-

colonial Nigerian peoples have been completely cordial and harmonious. The pointwe are making is that the ritish coloniers left Nigeria fifty years ago, enough time

for the Nigerian state to institute a concrete national agenda and strategy to remedy

the defective federation she inherited from the ritish towards achieving genuine

national integration and development. Therefore, the study contends that thefailure by the various post : independence Nigerian leaderships to evolve an

e+uitable mechanism for the distribution of political power and economic

resources is at the root of the Nigerian problem. Be maintain that there is an

immutable neus between the desire of Nigerian peoples for e+uitable access to

power and resources on one hand, and the plethora of obstacles to nation : building,

on the other. Thus, the prospects of genuine nationhood and development in Nigeria

lies in a swift adoption of true federalism, not the type that super : imposes unitary

tendencies and contradictions on the practice of federalism. The problems of nation

: building in Nigeria would start to receive proper attention only under a truly

federal system of government and the great potentials of the country would be best

realied within the framework of true federalism. 1ome segments of the Nigerian

federation are genuinely afraid of a return to true federalism as they view it as a

prelude to the break : up of the country. ut on the contrary, we believe that a true

federal structure will consolidate Nigerian unity. It will give each nationality a

breathing space and sense of belonging, allow for healthy competition and anopportunity to develop according to the ability and resources of each federating

unit. ' lopsided and unjust federal arrangement does no one no good, ultimately,

as the bitter eperience of


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poses a great danger. 2ight from colonial times, the people of the area have felt

marginalied and alienated arising from years of neglect and abandonment. To

further compound the problem, various development efforts by >overnment

merely paid lip-service to the situation leaving much to be desired. The recent wave

of hostage economy has taken sordid tolls on lives and property with graveimplication for sustainable development. It is hoped that the recent creation of a

Federal 6inistry of Niger ?elta will tackle the hydra-headed monster of

underdevelopment from a holistic perspective by creating jobs for teeming number

of unemployed youth and providing public utilities for the hapless masses.

1ince the National 'ssembly and the 3residency have continually displayed lack of

political will to effect fundamental structural and institutional reforms in the

federation, calling a 1overeign National 0onference will be a good starting point. In

this regard, the study proposes a si-region federal structure anchored upon the

subsisting geo-political ones of the country. This should be complemented byclear-cut constitutional arrangements that would guarantee ade+uate fiscal and

political powers for the regional and local governments to allow them operate as

viable units of administration, rather than mere appendages of the central

government.

:


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'labi, ?. &($$#). LFederalism and the Duest for National ?evelopmentM &8agos,

0oncept 3ublications,) p.7(

'li, B. &($$5). LThe ?evelopment of Federalism in Nigeria ' *istorical

3erspectiveM in >ana and


26/28

?appa-iriye, '..2. &!""7). 6inority 3olitics in 3re-and-3ost-Independence

Nigeria, 3ort *arcourtC Gniversity of 3ort *arcourt 3ress.

?ukor, 6. &($$#). L0orruption in NigeriaC The 6oral Duestion of 1tatehood in'fricaM in *assan 1aliu et al &eds.) ?emocracy and ?evelopment in NigeriaC

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