S’Court has started the revolution, restructuring must be total, by Bode George
Thursday’s Supreme Court judgment stopping state governments from retaining and using funds meant for the third tier of government – councils – is not only a victory for democracy but also a significant boost for Nigeria’s political and economic development. The apex court was precise and unambiguous in its verdict: allocations to local governments must be paid directly from the Federation Account to councils governed by democratically-elected officials. Once again, the judiciary has proven to be the last hope of the common man.
This courageous verdict from the apex court will have far-reaching implications for the growth of democracy in the world’s most populous black country and Africa’s biggest democracy. It will also strengthen democratic principles at the local level and foster transparency.
President Bola Tinubu’s statement hailing the verdict and discussing restructuring is noteworthy. However, I want to advise the President that he must go further, as what Nigerians desire is a complete overhaul of the polity. That is the only way Nigeria can work. Nigerians want TOTAL RESTRUCTURING. This will lead to the decentralization of power, fortify our democracy, and ensure that the dividends of democracy reach all Nigerians, wherever they may be in the country.
For any country to develop, there must be a strategic plan for a bottom-up approach to governance, not the other way around. We cannot keep doing the same thing repeatedly and expect different results. For instance, in many developed countries, how many airports – international and local – are controlled by the central government? Jackson Airport in Atlanta, one of the busiest and most profitable airports globally, is controlled by the Atlanta City Council.
Similarly, what of seaports? A major challenge in Nigeria is that almost everything is over-centralized. Many states in the U.S. have supreme courts where legal cases end, not in Washington D.C. In Nigeria, all cases must go to Abuja. Here, for something as minute as mining gold in any part of the country, somebody must approve in Abuja. So, how do we want to develop Nigeria?
Consider Lagos State with 20 local governments and Ogun State also with 20 local governments. Every month, money is sent to 20 councils in Lagos and 20 councils in Ogun, despite Lagos’s significant contributions to national development. Why should Lagos and Ogun have the same number of councils? Lagos and Kano states were created in 1967. Jigawa was later carved out of Kano. Today, Lagos has 20 councils, Kano 44, and Jigawa 27. So, after 57 years, the old Lagos still has 20 councils, while the old Kano (now Kano and Jigawa) has 71. Where is the justice in this system?
I strongly believe that states should determine the number of local governments they want. More so , what is the business of the federal government with parks? What exactly is the federal government’s business with livestock, agriculture, water, or even education? What is the business of governors with markets?
We want a new Nigeria where development starts from the grassroots. Everything must change. Nigerians are losing patience. Everything here is centralized. The Supreme Court has started the revolution. This is the right time to fully rejig our Constitution.
Chief Olabode George
Atona Oodua of Yorubaland
