WE all agree that unless there is good governance, there cannot be public or general security, sustainable employment, and proper orientation of the youths. This is universal veracity. The degree of intricacy or complexity of governance, at both the intra-national and international realms, has ever been increasing, and is reaching a catastrophic climax; such that the critical ‘climate-security-peace building nexus’ has been recently noted. Sustainable development goals have been highlighted and aptly defined and analyzed. The ecosystem is being disrupted and destroyed. The sanctity of human life has, in reality, become a ‘farce’, over significant portions of the global space and the global community, including especially Nigeria. Excessive and rapid population growth, extreme poverty, destitution, genocide, terrorism, insecurity, human kidnapping for ransom, state violence, criminalities, systemic corruption, cross-border pandemic, systemic governance incapacity, gross infrastructure deficits, mass illiteracy, and uncivilized cultural practices; all combine in a highly complex manner, to make the task of the U.N and the Nigerian government appear near-impossible, without radical and urgent reforms of the U.N system and the Nigerian system.
The root of the Nigerian socio-economic problems is that there is a large phase difference between that stage of economic growth at which Nigeria ought to be and the real stage at which Nigeria is at present. Nigeria is at the stage of poor or bad pre-conditions for industrial economic take-off. The stages of socio-economic growth of a nation are classically classified into five (1) stage of pre-conditions for take-off of industrialization; (2) stage of take-off of industrialization; (3) stage of transition to industrial maturity; (4) stage of industrial maturity, and (5) stage of the search for quality. Politically, this means that without devolution of powers, confederation or safer, confederation, the suffering of Yorubas shall continue to worsen. It was reported, on the Wednesday, 22nd September, 2016, ‘british govt. puts nigeria’s infrastructure funding deficit at $70 billion yearly “Notwithstanding the fall in global oil prices, the Federal Government needs to source and invest $70 billion in infrastructure every year to address deficit in the country”. This is the only way Nigeria can compete and bring in needed infrastructure developed for business to thrive.
Also, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) is of the same position. Team Leader and senior economic adviser at DFID, Richard Ough, who also spoke at an event, stressed the need for government to work hard to win the confidence of the private sector to come to its aid to raise an additional $70 billion to boost infrastructure.
In the peculiar Nigerian context, it is necessary to state first, those elements that constitute social justice in order to appropriately analyze and understand the contextual requirements for the achievement of good governance in Nigeria. Universal high-quality education, democracy (based on people’s constitution with de jure judicial system), an empirically formulated electoral process, and various legislations and policies on all sectors of the socio-economic system are a concatenation that constitutes social justice, without which there cannot be peace or security. The foregoing is easily understood by those scholars who are steeped in the knowledge of political economy, especially. And it shall be necessary to explain, much later in this speech, in plain and practical wordings, what this and other abstractions mean. However, more abstractions immediately follow. In a multi-ethnic or plural state, or nation-state, where the exploitation of natural resources and administration of corporate tax are centralized, especially where the literacy level and technological capacity are low, there is bound to be systemic malfunction, widespread, extreme poverty, criminalities, corruption and pandemic violence, and the constitution of such state is not federal, rather it is Unitarian or pseudo-federal (confounded or confused federation) and there would ultimately be systemic collapse, foreign indebtedness and intervention, state of emergency, militarization, anarchy or civil war.
The immediately foregoing is so, because, in a confused federation like Nigeria, the powers or duties of the federal government are unwieldy, so the federal administration is inevitably inept, corrupt and ineffectual; while the sub-national governments, the state governments, are consequentially impotent, with the urgent imperative of power devolution to the constituent units or ethnic and contiguous blocks; regions in this case. The problem, however, is that, in any social-economic-political system, critical, structural changes therein, though necessary, are, if made abruptly, seldom without serious or grave undesirable systemic consequences. Therein lies the national dilemma or test, regarding devolution of powers to the state governments in Nigeria. The implications of the foregoing abstractions are that insecurity in Nigeria would continue to be aggravated until there is massive high-quality education, accelerated industrialization of the national economy, massive and sustained employment. But, how are the prospects of the foregoing in Nigeria, probable or improbable?
The demographic and econometric indices in Nigeria do not, under the 1999 constitution, portend good tidings for Nigeria, regarding socioeconomic development. The population of Nigeria is large, about 250 million people, and the land mass of Nigeria is very extensive, with the problems of desert encroachment in the North and geological challenges in the Niger-Delta region. There is humongous infrastructure deficits in all the major sectors of the economy. There is extreme poverty for the overwhelming majority of the citizens of Nigeria who are mostly illiterate and unemployed or under-employed. Ditto “Nigeria is at the stage of poor or bad pre-conditions for industrial economic take-off. The stages of socioeconomic growth of a nation is classically classified into five (1) stage of pre-conditions for take-off of industrialization; (2) stage of take-off of industrialization; (3) stage of transition to industrial maturity; (4) stage of industrial maturity, and (5) stage of the search for quality. Politically, this means that without devolution of powers, true federation, or safer, confederation, the already gross suffering of Yorubas shall continue to worsen”.
Nigerians import various types of goods and services: while we export effectively only or mainly crude oil and gas. We import motor vehicles, motorcycles, aeroplanes, ships and water boats, industrial plant engines and machines, instruments, gadgets, implements, with spare parts, used in various industries and homes. We also import both industrial and domestic consumables and materials. Ditto, “Nigeria imports and subsidizes refined petroleum products. Apart from importation of heavy duty vehicles and plants for civil engineering construction works, we also import civil services and many other engineering services, we do not only import railway trains, the railways are constructed by foreign firms and usually with foreign loans; with the sovereignty of Nigeria mortgaged as a critical contractual term.” The exchange rate of the national currency is almost 600 Naira to 1 U.S. dollar, as of October 2021, while in May 2015, it was about 180 Naira to 1 U.S. dollar, and we were not as indebted as we are now, such that we use huge amounts of our foreign earnings in servicing our foreign debts, paying interests alone. With the critical challenge of the global existential risk of climate change, and the accompanying urgent need for policies for carbon dioxide emission reduction, necessitating transition to industrial non-use of fossil fuel and zero-net carbon emission, the future of Nigeria is such that without huge foreign grants, as opposed to loans, to be strategically utilized, there would be in the next five years, cataclysmic social disorder, insecurity gross economic instability or total economic collapse, and climax of political instability. The value of the U.S. dollar relative to the Naira, would probably escalate in the next two years.
Nigeria can not immediately have a truly federal constitution: as in so attempting, it would break up; nevertheless, with the present Unitarian constitution, it would break up even sooner than when the oil wells dry up unless there are guaranteed huge foreign grants, not loans. Nigeria cannot peaceably stand for any further long period of time, with the present Unitarian constitution. ‘Boko Haram’ is merely one of the epiphenomena, symptoms, of imminent systemic collapse, total governance collapse, foreign intervention or break-up.
The constitution suitable for Nigeria is unique. It is a confederal constitution, with an entrenched interim or transitional, innovative, Unitarian constitution that is however different from the present Unitarian, so-called federal constitution, the 1999 constitution as amended; but only to be operated for the next ten or twenty years, an interim period of interim constitutional order, before the commencement of the confederal arrangement.
The broad objectives of good governance are three and interdependent; and are constitutional order, security and public welfare. But the parochial minds think of insecurity or security as being independent of the other two broad objectives of governance. We would come back to this issue in the later part of this speech; however it is germane to quote, at this juncture, the respective words of the priceless OBADIAH MAILAFIA, one time Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, one time Chief Economist of the African Development Bank and former Presidential candidate of ADC, Alliance for Democracy Congress:
“Economic science conclusively establishes that nations thrive best when they make the right policy choices; when leaders share a consensus on progressive reforms that unleash the entrepreneurial energy of their people within the context of strong institutions, political stability, the rule of law, human rights and respect for property rights. We must plan for Nigeria’s future, otherwise we will perish.” Published in the Nigerian Tribune, Monday 2, December, 2019. VERSTATEM, OBADIAH MAILAFIA: ‘Why is it that Africans never plan for the future?’
Before we proceed, more of the admonitions and words of Mailafia from his same article cited above: “I believe in Humanity. But I also take pride in the dignity and indomitable courage of the African people. I believe in Kwane Nkrumah’s vision of “The African personality.” I am not one of those who blame outsiders for all our misfortunes. I believe in the role and potency of human agency in history. And I believe that we as a people must take responsibility for our own future and for our collective destiny.”
Out of frustration, the great Obadiah, in the same article, earlier on, contradicted himself, when he stated: “The biggest danger facing a people is to lose the confidence to become an independent, inner-directed force for change and structural transformation. It would seem to me that Africans lack the courage to authentically be themselves and to plan for their own future as a people.” Yet Mailafia, later on, stated: “I believe in Humanity. But I also take pride in the dignity and indomitable courage of the African people.”
The whole article is fully written out and annexed to this speech for ease of reference, for other useful statements and historical facts therein, and in appreciation of Obadiah Mailafia, late.
Describing Nigeria as a failed state, like many others, the erudite and versatile legal luminary, EBUN-OLU ADEGBORUWA, S.A.N., in his column in the Nigerian Tribune LEARNED EXPRESSIONS, edition of Tuesday, 23 February, 2021, gave a gory, vivid and description of the woeful lot of many people of Nigeria: “See the ANNEXURE TO THIS SPEECH.”
A United Kingdom based newspaper, The Financial Times, report, in December 2020, that Nigeria is at the risk of becoming a failed state, that the state of insecurity shows that the “Nigerian government is no longer in control” SEE THE FULL TEXT IN THE ANNEXURE TO THIS SPEECH.
One is tempted to make an exhaustive list of many erudite scholars and highly respected individuals and institutions who have expressed exactly the same picture of the situation of many people of Nigeria, expressed as above by EBUN-OLU ADEGBORUWA, S.A.N. But there is neither space nor time.
Professor Akin Oyebode, retired Head of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, has repeatedly over the years, including this year, 2021, warned that Nigeria would inevitably become economically ruined and consequently politically destabilized to the point of break-up or military or foreign intervention, unless, urgent steps were taken to replace the 1999 constitution which was imposed by the military, with a people’s truly federal constitution, or the 1963 constitution. The Professor further stated that no amount of panel beating, amendments, can make ‘rickety vehicle’, the 1999 constitution work; only a completely new constitution should be promulgated, anew.
MAILAFIA WROTE ON THE NIGERIAN TRIBUNE, OF 22ND FEBRUARY, 2021, “MEN IN THE TIME OF DARKNESS”: See THE TEXT in the ANNEXURE TO THIS SPEECH.
The point one is trying to make here is, rhetorically, can we, as enlightened or wise men and women, credibly, that is, conscientiously, discountenance forebodings note these erudite personalities who should know the workings of a modern state?
SEE THE POSITION OF THE YORUBA SUMMIT HELD IN 2017, WITH CHIEF AARE AFE BABALOLA, S.A.N as Chairman, held at Adamasingba Stadium, in the ANNEXURE TO THIS SPEECH.
In my article that was published, as far back in 1997, about twenty-four years ago, in the Nigerian Tribune, titled: “THIS LOOMING REVOLUTION”, I concluded as follows: “The future of Nigeria is a prospect of convoluted drama of violence; violence against the state, state violence, recrudescence of internecine wars, crimes and criminalities, riots and civil war or anarchy.”
Also, in 1993 and 1995, I wrote, among others, two articles in the Nigerian Tribune, respectively titled, “COMMUNAL, CAPITALISM: SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEMS” and “DEVOLUTION AND NATIONAL STABILITY”. In the first of the two articles, I concluded to the effect that the concept of dialectical materialism as first expounded centuries ago by the philosopher, Hegel, is valid: that the dialectical process, being the continual synthesis of counteracting socio-economic forces, ideas, as theses and respective anti-theses, was fast reaching a climax, which should occasion regimes of protracted and pronounced socio-economic tension and corruption, ultimately resulting in many force-sustained governments in very many parts of the world, unless a somewhat new political-economic ideology, which was centrist, structurally definitive, was enacted all over the world; because in this age of a technology-driven globalization, the mean momentum of macro-economic dynamics had phenomenally increased and old theories had therefore become obsolete.
Now, in the case of Nigeria, the situation is complicated the more, as amplified by the scientifically unworkable Unitarian 1999 constitution, which was even imposed by the military, that is without prior ratification by each of the four federating units or regions, western region, mid-western region, eastern region and northern region.
All the aforesaid are with the result that, even, with or without
In Nigeria national catastrophe is imminent. The south and parts of the middle-belt may, probably, boycott the national assembly. This Nigeria’s pseudo-democracy is diarchy, based on a military decreed constitution, without prior constituent referenda. The 1999 constitution is unitary, and may soon completely destroy Nigeria within the next five years. Restructuring into true federation is necessary, but not feasible in Nigeria within the next ten years, ending in 2030. The south and parts of the middle-belt may boycott the 2023 general elections. The solution to the imminent catastrophe is an innovative transitional or interim constitution to be promulgated before January, 2023, by the national assembly and at least 24 states of the Nigeria. If I am adequately facilitated, I shall document, within reasonable time, the proposed constitution for the consideration of Nigerians and the governments.
However, without amendment of the 1999 constitution as it is in this year 2021, we can delay or avoid the catastrophe that is imminent within the next five years, ending in 2026, by a mere, but crucial new Act of the national assembly as regards replacement of the present electoral Act. This is one reason why I especially request for the attention of His Excellency, the governor of Oyo State, Engr. Oluwaseyi Makinde. An electoral Act requires only a simple majority of the national assembly, as opposed to the amendment of the constitution, which, requires two-thirds of the whole members of the national assembly, which can not be achieved by the four regions, which exclude the north-west region and the north-east region.
The bill which I intend to make available to our Governor would amount to political decentralization, merely by the instrumentality of the new electoral Act. This would make electioneering to be less expensive and rancorous for the contestants, the other politicians and the electorate. This would improve the quality of he character of the elected government actors or officials.
The present electoral Act makes it vey difficult for anybody to become the president, governor or senator in Nigeria. Anybody competent or not competent, who has realistic interest to become the president of Nigeria today, in as much as the political system remains as it is at present – must have interest and influence on who becomes the national chairman of one of the two major political parties in Nigeria – the A.P.C. and the P.D.P. and he must be a member of this one party. And if he intends to be the presidential candidate of the ruling party – the A.P.C., today, he must have the genuine support of the incumbent president. And an incumbent president, if in his first term would almost invariably emerge as the next presidential candidate of his or her party, whether he has performed well, or not, in his first term. Ingenious social engineering can make all these negative features of our political culture to be removed. But it is crucial for me to get the attention of the present Oyo State governor for us to pursue the realization of this lofty objective of a new electoral Act for sanity in our political activities, which would enable many responsible and able citizens to participate in politics, and curtail the space conducive illegal commercialization of political violence.
Purveyors of violence, on illegal contractual terms, are patronized because our political system and other factors make this to be necessary for many desperate political and economic actors. Unless we reform our social, economic and political systems, we cannot hope to significantly reduce the frequency of the incidences of violence, crimes and general acts of insecurity. And the character of our youth especially, would continue to be bastardized or corrupted.
There are innovative concepts, regarding the whole and every sectors of our corporate socio-economic system, which if enacted by the national assembly and or the state houses of assembly in Nigeria, would revolutionalize the progress of positive development of Nigeria. These have to be comprehensively documented and subsequently reviewed by a sizeable number of erudite and versatile Nigerians that I know, before being presented to the governments and the general public. In all, it is estimated that about ten thousand pages (A4 size) of books (*) would have to be produced, accordingly; including exhaustive expositions of the grounds and premises for these; the operational prospects and problems; the possible future revisions and adjournments; and other relevant matters.
We need to innovate and reform in multitude of sectors and ways, so as to gain efficiency speed and cost-effectiveness, which amount to removal of systemic waste and increased investments and productivity, which ultimately is improvement in the volume of investments and employment, public revenue and welfare.
Comparatively, the world over, our gross domestic product and the related per capital income, are very poor, despite the huge component that oil revenue constitutes in national income of Nigeria. And our reliance on foreign interventions in terms of foreign investments, loans and aids can not be enough because of the size of our infrastructure deficits, our growth stage of pre-take-off industrialization mass illiteracy, and mass extreme poverty, especially in the global circumstance of development all over the world, which according to the United Nations suffered in 2020, as private sector participation in infrastructure projects dropped by 56 percent, due to investor reluctance and market uncertainty. Investment trends suggest that, by 2040, the world will face a U.S. $15 trillion gap between estimated infrastructure needs and available funding.
About four Inspectors-General of Police had in office, in the past, stated that the whole budget of the nation is not enough to properly Police the country, in the present day world. And President Buhari had been reported in the Nigerian Tribute to have said that
We, in Nigeria, in general, and Oyo State in particular; we must listen to and work with youth. Youth is the missing peace and development. Young people today will have to live in Nigeria with the consequences of our action and inaction. For too long, the voice of youth has been sidelined in Nigeria, in discussions about their future. This has to change now through meaningful engagement with youths by the governments in Nigeria, as well as private sector actors and leaders in the performance of their private, social responsibilities. This is in line with the UN75 Declaration commitments on the global common agenda.
For Nigeria to address her present challenges, cooperation is required across the whole of the Nigerian society and with the rest of the world. We have to make governance of Nigeria and private sector activities in Nigeria inclusive; such that the government, at the national level and in Oyo State and other states, must innovate institutionalize increase and deepen by auxiliary or complementary mechanisms engagements with all relevant stakeholders, including national, sub-national and local organizations – non-governmental organizations, civil society, the private sector, academia – to ensure effective and efficient responses to our socio-economic challenges of gross insecurity, youth unemployment and political and economic instabilities. “The gravitational pull of short-term thinking is strong and growing, but we are in an age of acceleration and volatility, where boom-burst markets-economic shocks-shifting political dynamics and technologically driven innovations demand rapid responses and quick results.” In essence, old theories and practices – conventions – have become obsolete, outdated, requiring reforms or augmentations; because the mean momentum of macro-economic dynamics have phenomenally increased, and old theories have therefore to be rethought with originality by eclectically sourced intellectuals. This is the way to go in addressing our challenges in Oyo State and in Nigeria.
While at the national level consensus and cooperation in Nigeria are proving difficult because of the constitutional crisis instanced by agitations for constitutional restructuring back to true federalism, confederacy or out-right self-determination of ethnic nationalities, with the probability of break-up into many nations, such as Yoruba nation and Republic of Biafra; at the state level, a lot can still be done fruitfully, as palliatives, pending the resolution of the constitutional crisis.
This researcher has come up with an innovative blueprint on youth engagement in Oyo State, which is cost effective and all inclusive, including the establishment by legislative Act, of an innovative youth institution, with the objectives and goals of proper orientation of the youth; mobilization and channelization of the resources of the youth; through youth organization and cooperation for productive activities. But personal and official engagement with this researcher and Integrity Youth of Ibadanland Association (Incorporated), by the present Governor of Oyo State is crucial, for appropriate documentation, exposition and presentation.
“A unified mechanism for cooperation in Oyo State” of able stakeholders, intellectually, morally and financially resourceful private stakeholders, such as from the academia; among the non-governmental organizations, commercial and industrial firms and organizations; and other concerned individual elders; that is, an “Oyo State collaborative platform” is urgently required to ensure more complex policy and operational coherence. There is humongous private intellectual and financial resources voluntarily available to Oyo State government, but yet to be mobilized and systematically channelized by Oyo State government for the benefit of the people of Oyo State in particular. A blueprint on this is available, the documentation of which is being consummated by this researcher. However, the attention and support of the person and office of the present Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Oluwaseyi is necessary for this private research efforts to be fruitfully consummated; for the use of the government of Oyo State, starting within a few months from today.
For us to understand how dire the Nigerian socio-economic circumstance is and which condition necessitates the tenor herein, as foregoing, we shall find it a helpful corroboration, the critical view of Mailafia, as stated in his article earlier mentioned, published in the Nigerian Tribune: “The issue is why would a white middle-class professional with a generous pension, living out the good life in the suburbs of seethe be worried about the future of Nigeria? Why are others seemingly more worried about our future than we ourselves?”When I began to reflect deeply upon the future, I became afraid. I had to be honest with my brother. There is nobody out there seriously thinking and planning for Nigeria’s future – neither the intelligential nor the political leaders or bureaucratic elite. I explained to him that our leaders are a myopic and highly parasitic group guided by the sole purpose of “It is our time to chop”. For them, tomorrow is a highly abstract idea that is neither here nor there. What matters is what they can get today – and now. Thus, it comes about that we have more to do on the future of our children and grandchildren. I have a very simple message. And it is not a particularly palatable one. I humbly summit that, at current path-dependence, Nigeria can not survive as a corporate entity by 2050. Our current dysfunctional system will not endure unless urgent action is taken to re-engineer our federation in a manner that ensures fairness and equity for all the constituent nationalities that make up our great country. From a purely system-analytic point of view, our system can not absorb the relentless pressures of geometric population growth, slow growth, massive unemployment, uncontrolled urbanization, mounting slums, deepening poverty and inequality, widespread insecurity, violence, criminality and egregious social injustice. In the context of purposeless leadership and widespread abuses of the liberties. In addition, the impact of climate change and the forces of accelerated urbanization in the context of dissuading public revenues, a weak naira exchange rate, rising debt, terrorism, lawlessness, and divisive politics are leading down to a dangerous road.
I disagree, however, with Mailafia when he humbly submitted that, at present path-dependence, Nigeria cannot survive as a corporate entity by 2050. That would be about thirty years 2019 or 2021, today, and I believe, contrariwise, that there would be a make or mar national experience within the next ten years, ending in year 2030. It is transcendental, rather than nationals to contemplate protraction of unity till year 2050, under this gruesome socio-economic conditions, aptly depicted in words by Mailafia. It was after 2nd, February, 2019, (almost three years before today when I am now writing that Mailafia write his article), that END-SARS protest happened in the year 2020, October; that rallies happened in New York, U.S.A., of agitation for self-determination of independent nationalities of Nigeria, including Yoruba and Biafra nationalities in this year 2021, at the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly. As noted by Mailafia, “its seems self-evident that no human system can survive over-bearing pressures that its institutions are unable to manage or process into positive – sum outcomes for the good of the common people.”
The British government, in 2016, and the U.K. Departments for International Development (DFID) is of the same view that “not withstanding, ”
Also, on Tuesday, may 31st, 2016, the former Vice President, AlhajiAtikuAbubakar, said, in Abuja at the launch of book titled, “We are all Biafrans”, he said: “Nigeria is not working well as it should and part of the reason is the way we have structured ”
Juan Somavia, on April 29, 2021, at the fifth roundtable of the “Fulfilling the UN75 Declaration’s promise Expert series” on ‘We will build trust’, submitted: “The UN75 Declaration stated that ‘We will build trust’. The world summit for social Development more than 25 years ago gave us a clear political answer: ‘ We can continue to hold the trust of the people of the world only if we make their needs our priority.’ We must act immediately to reverse the enormous social development backslide of the pandemic in every country. Otherwise, the whole 2030 Agenda will be imperil.”
In the said roundtable series, it was another major point voiced by the participants; thus: “Youth are standing in solidarity with one another, but they are frustrated with the systems in place. Governments and multilateral systems have not adapted to the need of youth. In some countries and regions (such as Africa), youth are the majority of the population, but they are overlooked by governments who have the tools to help them succeed. If young people fail today, countries will struggle to succeed in the long run and meet their commitments to norms and practices for an open and just society for all.”
Among the other major points is: “Youth mobilization and action are driven forward by many stakeholders, but we still need to find ways to include youth as equitable partners in decision-making.”
Finally, the most important major point is, however, this contributed by TeteNera – Lauron: “We can say that the inequality virus is mutating. Hour on earth is it possible that the super-rich elite continue to amass wealth, while billions suffer and struggle to make ends meet? The wealth surge of the world’s richest people shows the BROKENESS OF THE WORLD’S ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL SYSTEMS. If there is political will to achieve sustainable financing, the key here is to democratize global economic governance.”
We need fundamental, revolutionary ideas to positively address the inter-connected issues of INSECURITY, YOUTH AND UNEMPLOYMENT, as according to justice Bhagwatti of the India Supreme Court in his dissenting judgment in Minerva Mills Ltd. V. Union of India (A.I.R. 1980 S.C. 1789).:
“The large majority of people who are living in almost subhuman existence in condition of abject poverty and for whom life is one long unbroken story of want and destitution, notions of individual freedom and liberty, though representing some of the most cherished values of a free society, would sound as empty words bandied about in the drawing rooms of the rich and well to do, and the only solution for making these rights meaningful to them was to remake the material conditions and usher in a new social order where socio-economic justice will inform all institutions of public life, so that the preconditions of fundamental liberties for all may be secured.”
Further, revolutionary educational policies are urgently required to be enacted and implemented in order that the Nigerian citizens may rapidly become as the citizens of the western world, where it is applicable, as harmless enough, what Mr. Justice Goldberg of the United States Supreme Court said in New York Times Company V. Sullivan (376 U.S. 254 1964):
“In my view, the first and fourteenth Amendments to the constitution afford the citizen and to the press an absolute, unconditional privilege to criticize official conduct despite the harm, which may flow from excesses and abuses. The prized American right ‘to speak one’s mind’. The right should not depend upon a probing by the jury of the motivation of the citizens or press. The theory of our constitution is that every citizen may not be barred from speaking or publishing because those in control of government think that what is said or written is unwise, unfair, false or malicious. In a democratic society, one who assumes to act for the citizens in an executive legislative or judicial capacity must expect that his official act will be commented upon and criticized. Such criticism cannot in my opinion, be muzzled or deterred by the courts at the instance of public officials under the label of libel.”
This judgment of the U.S., justice Goldberg if and when its essence becomes in conformity with our laws in Nigeria, will enhance governments anti-corruption drive and efforts made in pursuit of good governance. And it shall not be possible nor lawful, then, as possible under sections 50 to 52 of the criminal code of the protectorate of Nigeria which were enacted in 1942, considered too stringent in the era of democracy and independence of Nigeria with the necessary ‘freedom of expression’ in Nigeria, when Dr. Chike Obi was prosecuted, up to appeal in the Supreme Court (Director of Public Prosecution V. Chike Obi [1961] I AII no L.R. 186) for publishing seditions publication, in 1960, wherein the learned Doctor of philosophy in Mathematics published and distributed a pamphlet called “The people: Facts that You Must Know.” The pamphlet contained the following:
“Down with the enemies of the people, the exploiters of the weak and oppressors of the poor! The days of those who have enriched themselves at the expense of the poor are numbered. The common man in Nigeria can today no longer be fooled by sweet talk at election time, only to be exploited and treated like dirt after the booty of office has been shared among the politicians.”
Almost everybody is complaining about corruption in the past administrations of the P.D.P., People’s Democratic Party, and the present administration of the A.P.C., All Progressive Congress, as being worse than that of the era of the Ten Percenters of the 1960s complained about by Dr. Chike Obi, but what can the people do now? However, as I have earlier said, unemployment and poverty are certainly among factors affecting the incidences of crime. This is as it was reported by the defunct Sunday Sketch, (13 June, 1971).
“Colonel OluwoleRotimi, Military Governor of he Western State declared at Shagamu yesterday that the growing wave of crimes in the country might prove difficult to contain unless the various existing measures by the government to arrest the worsening violent propensity are matched by equally bold measures for more employment opportunities.”
Bold measures for more employment opportunities, however, require that the intellectuals , the academia, especially must formally and legally organize themselves and form synergy with government actors in order to generate revolutionary, but realistic ideas in line with many profound jurisprudence experts and writers, like Roscoe Pound, who stated that along the corridor of history two main needs determined the philosophical thinking about law, and that these were:
- A paramount social interest in the general security, and
- The pressure of less immediate social interests and the need for reconciling them with the exigencies of the general security and of making continued new compromises because of continual changes in society, which have called for readjustment at least of the details of the social order.
These two are the scientific grounds for the call for new exercise in social engineering of Nigeria in terms of constitutional restructuring, with power devolution ultimately to six, seven or eight regional governments of Nigeria. These grounds are evidenced by, among others, the following as in the ANNEXURE to this speech:
- In a 1997 pullout
The federal government
- The blueprint for the National Poverty
- In connection, in a presentation, the permanent secretary of the NAPEP (Aliyu 2001:3) states as follows: “The poverty level in nigeria”
- According to Ehwarieme (1999:69); “Another dimension of military rule which has hindered development ”
- Ekwueme (1997:133) responding to statements
- The CBN (1995) implied
- Toyo (1903-4) in making
- Kayode observes
- Toyo (1993:II) concludes that given the means of conquest Nigeria moving fast into hell: Democracy is the expression and effectuation of
Dr. Herman Mannheim an outstanding criminologist, says in his book; ‘Social Aspects of Crime in England between the wars’:
“On the one hand, it is generally taken for granted that unemployment, particularly when it lasts long, cannot fail to affect the moral powers of resistance against evil influences. There is rough progression from optimism topessimism, from pessimism to fatalism, accompanied by that dreadful feeling of insecurity, of complete economic helplessness and failure (Mannheim, 1947). ”
The national circumstance of Nigeria is frightening and somewhat volcanic, where a sizeable number of people known to be upstarts, politicians and others, are now driving the most expensive cars, with many grandiose houses standing in their names, whilst others with far better educational qualifications, family background, etc. are roaming about without any employment or even little hope of one in the forceable future. And, as Lord Snell said in his autobiography, ‘Man, Movements and Myself’ (1936):
“Unemployment, which involved physical degeneration and the sense that a man is superfluous, is dismissed, unused and unwanted; is not enobling it is entirely debasing. It is more likely to turn a man into a loafer, a criminal or a revolutionist, than into a balanced and creature citizen. The effect upon my life of continued unemployment might well have been disastrous , I had not asked to be born, and if the world was free to let me starve, was I not equally free to adopt any effective means to prevent it from succeeding?”
This explains the escalating wave of crimes, kidnapping, robbery, money rituals, internet fraud, banditry, etc. And the questions are: how can we obviate, remove, the current economic depression, and, how can we greatly reduce the gross imbalance of economic positions of the different strata of the society. The answers proffered here to these two questions, you will recall, are devolution of constitutional powers of the federal government to regional governments, and communal capitalism, instead of simple capitalism or ultra-capitalism, that obtains in Nigeria.
It is my reasoned belief that with over-centralized powers of Nigerian nation – state, is the root cause of the social, economic and political problem of Nigeria.
For us to gain a concrete appreciation of the foregoing; of the political instability being caused by the Unitarian 1999 constitution decreed by the defunct military administration; a political instability that is strongly connected with economic destabilization and degradation, caused by the military intervention and over-centralization of powers in the so-called federal governments; I would quote and refer us to the news section of Sunday Tribune publication, of 7, February. 2021, wherein second republic minister of Steel Development and Convener of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Paul Unongo, was reported to have called on President Muhamadu Buhari to compulsorily take it as his major priority now, that is, take the advantage of the power he has now (to) unite the people of the Northern region and focus more attention on the North, since if the North does not get better, the rest of the country will not be any better, according to Paul Unongo.
See the news in the Nigerian Tribune of 7th February, 2021, as follows:
DEPLOY SOLDIERS TO PROTECT NORTHERNERS IN SOUTH-WEST, UNONGO TELLS BUHARI
YOUR STATEMENT IRRESPONSIBLE, OLAJIDE, YCE SECRETARY GENERAL
Second Republic Minister of Steel Development and convener of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Paul Unongo, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the deployment of soldiers to protect northerners living in the South-West and other parts of the country so as to shield them from further attacks. The elder statesman, who spoke in an interview with Sunday Tribune, also urged Buhari to utilize his presidency to focus more attention on the North, saying “If the North does not get better, the rest of the country will not be better.”
“He is the president. He is from the North. He knows the yearnings and aspirations of the region. If the North does not get better, the rest of the country will not. But if the North gets better, no individual or group will rise against the country or any part of the country.
“The North owns 70 percent of the entire land mass of the country. We have the administration acumen and we have the power. We brought him to power. He should not be afraid to develop his own region.
“We are not saying he should not develop the other parts of the country, but the North which is behind in almost every sphere must get his attention. His major priority now should be the North. He should take advantage of the power he has now unite the people of the region,” he said.
But reacting to Unongo’s remarks, the Secretary General of the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), Dr. Kunle Olajide, in an interview with Sunday Tribune described NEF convener’s comments as irresponsible.
“Well, my own opinion, absolutely a personal opinion, is that a tiny political elite in the North is the one insisting on unitarism in the country because a lot of them have depended fully on politics for sustenance for years.
“A lot of them have been indolent, not doing any work except feeding off the state,” he said.
The view of a leading northerner, the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar is a critical contradiction of the statement of Paul Unongo.
This news, on the position of the Northern leaders on the appropriate policy of the almighty federal government, as exemplified by the statements reportedly made by Unongo is sufficient proof of the doomed future of Nigeria, if Nigeria is not restructured. Former Director General of the World Bank revealed the critical instruction of President Buhari. The text of the news regarding Paul Unongo, as reported on page 4 of that edition of the Sunday Tribune publication follows:
When a situation arises that the convener of the Northern Elders’ Forum calls on the President of Nigeria, because he is a Northerner, to direct the deployment of soldiers to protect northerners living in the South-West and other parts of the country so as to shield them from further attacks, then where is the unity of the country, the trust and solidarity necessary for formation of the consensus and patriotism, which are necessary to develop the whole country and achieve social justice, which is the established pre-condition for peace or security?
“At the quarterly Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council meeting held in Kaduna in 2019, the former Inspector-general of police stated that in the first quarter of 2019 thus: SEE TEXT IN THE ANNEXURE to this speech”
WHY NIGERIA IS NOT WORKING, BY ATIKU
The former Vice President on Tuesday, May 31st, 2016 said, in Abuja at the launch of book entitled. “We are Biafrans”, “Nigeria is not working as it should because the center has more powers than the federating states.” He also said the unity which most Nigerians so desire should never be taken for granted or taken as evidence that Nigerians are content with the current structure of the federation. He went on, saying there was need to restructure the nation to make it stronger and more united.
He said: “Nigeria is not working as well as it should and part of the reason is the way we have structured our country and governance, especially since the late 1960s. The federal government is too big, and too powerful relative to the federating states. That situation needs to change and calling for that change is patriotic.
“We must refrain from the habit of assuming that anyone calling for the restructuring of our federation is working for the breakup of the country. An excessively powerful centre does not equate with national unity. If anything, it has made our unity more fragile, our government more unstable and our country more unsafe.
“We must renegotiate our union in order to make it stronger. Greater autonomy, power and resources for states and local authorities will give the federating units greater freedom and flexibility to address local issues, priorities and peculiarities.
“In short it has not served Nigeria well, and at the risk of reproach it has not served my part of the country, the North, well. The call for restructuring is even more relevant today in light of the governance and economic challenges facing us. And the rising tide of agitations, some militant and violent, require reset in our relationship as a united nation.
On the population position on 1999 constitution as a fraud, we must refer to the admonition of one time U.S.A supreme court, Justice Louis D. Brandies, 1856, 1856-1942 in the OLM-STEAD Case, 1928:-
“Decency, security and; liberty alike
demand that government officials
shall be subjected to the same
rules of conduct that apply to the
citizens. In a government of laws,
existence of the government will be
imperiled if it fails to observe
the law scrupulous; our government
is the potent, omnipotent too good
or for ill, it teaches the whole
people by its exam. If government
becomes a lawbreaker, it invites
every man to become a law into
himself. It invites anarchy.”
“U.S supreme court Justice
Louis D. Brandies, 1856-1941.
Even, with or without an appropriate or workable constitution of Nigeria, in contemporary global circumstances can no longer work. This has been ably observed recently by global leaders; typical among them is the France President Emmanuel Macron, who stated at the Davos Agenda 2021 summit of Global Leaders: as so reported, thus:
“French President Emmanuel Macron has warned modern capitalism “can no longer work’, using global leaders to focus on tackling inequity and climate change.
“We will get out of this pandemic only with an economy that thinks more about fighting inequalities, “he said on Tuesday.
“Macron made the comments in a Q&A session at the virtual Davos Agenda 2021 summit of global leaders.
“Macron is often seen as a pro-business liberal abroad but struck a more leftist tone in criticizing capitalism and market economies over the past few decades.
“He acknowledged they had lifted millions of people out of poverty and given consumers goods and services previously unavailable to them.
“He said previously there had been opportunities for “progression” for the middle class, but the system had “broken”.
“Meanwhile a disconnect was allowed to grow between “value creation and profit, “according to Macron. He said the financialization of capitalism had positives, but had led to “profits that are not linked to innovation or work.” This in turn had fuelled inequality, he added.
CONCLUSION
Nigeria is practicing ultra-capitalism based on the evil 1999 constitution, imposed by the military. This is worse than capitalism, and I say, together with President Emmanuel Macron, to the Ibadans, the Yorubas, and all Nigerians, our lives shall be utterly destroyed, if we do not act urgently and achieve reforms; critically the reform and restructuring of the 1999 constitution.
The root cause is bad leadership and executive lawlessness, the forced repeal of the 1963 constitution, a true federal constitution; and the popular acknowledgment of the 1999 constitution as a fraud.
In Yoruba language; ‘Omo-ale eniyan ni ki gboro si baba re lenu.’ ‘Omo ti ko gboransi baba re lenu, laaro, ti o ba di osan, yio gboran si baba re lenu; leyin ti o ba ti da oran tan.’ A ti okere ni oloju-jinjin ti mu ekun sun.’ This speech is the cry of the Prophet before the hail of stones on the city. I am not a bastard and Governor Oluwaseyi Makinde is proving not to be a bastard. All Ibadan citizens who would prove not to be bastards must rally round the governor of the southern part of Nigeria on their stand on restructuring to true federation of 1963. In fact Chief Awolowo and Sir Ahmadu Bello insisted on confederacy in 1959, in the constitutional conference in Chasten House in London.
It was the insistence on military system by Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe that made the colonial power the British to impose federalism in compromise on the Yoruba’s, since the insistence by Chief Obafemi Awolowo on the reservation of right to self-determination by the people of the western region had been unlawfully, in contravention of the United Nations charter’s
However, the use of force against the authority of the crown, as threatened by the then secretary of state for the colonies. Confederacy is looser than federalism, and it features different military establishment, for each of the autonomous confederating states, with right to have different currency, different foreign mission etc.
A group of people who forgets their history loses vision and perishes. Unless the Yoruba’s insist on devolution of powers, scheduled in the 1999 constitution for future commencement of its operation on affixed date, latest devolution before the 2023 general elections, then the Yoruba’s would have proven to be fools and bastards, unlike the present Alaafin of Oyo State, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, and our fore-fathers in Yoruba Land, Balogun Lakunle, Iba Oluyole, Balogun Bankole Aleshinloye, Balogun Oderinlo, Balogun Ibikunle, Bashorun Ogunmola, (Bashorun of Yoruba Land as regarded and titled by the British Authority), Balogun Ajayi Ogbori Efon, Aare Latosisa, up till Olubadan Akanmu Okunola Abasi Aleshiloye, and further up till the present Olubadan Oba DR. SALIU AKANMU ADETUNJI. My own late father was the Osi-Olubadan when he died in the year 2002, late High Chief Busari Adepojumi Omowanwa Akande and my late mother was the first child of Prince Chief Bello Adedeji Abasi, a.k.a Megida Olubadan, the son of Olubadan Abasi Aleshinloye; he was the first Babasale of Musulumi of Ibadan land, so invested in 1954.
The Ibadan leaders must endorse justice to get peace, so as to stop this war being waged against the Nigerian society by the youth; for it is a sort of war being waged by the youth, the totality of the incidences of acts of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, robbery financial fraud, so called yahoo, yahoo, and money ritual killings, against the Nigerian society; for the grave wrong of bad leadership and bad governance of the past.
The starting point is for the integrity youth of Ibadan youth of Ibadanland Association for Development and my humble
