By Zik Gbemre

The latest campaign stunt by Alhaji Abubakar Atiku on RESTRUCTURING the country if elected President come 2019, can best be described as a “pack of lies” simply aimed to get support from top political stakeholders and Nigerians. But we all know this is a promised lie that will never be implemented.

In the Nigerian kind of democracy and Presidential system of government practiced over the years, the President, as we know it, does not have the exclusive power to restructure the country. It is the responsibility of the National Assembly to institute the law, with the support of the President, for such law on restructuring Nigeria to be passed and given assent. The National Legislature are the ones to play the major role on restructuring of Nigeria if they were sincere about it in the first place. Atiku knows deep down in his heart that he is simply trying to deceive the Nigerian public with this latest campaign song on restructuring, because if he gets elected, the lawmakers will practically kill it, knowing that the President does not have that power to veto the move.

The President can only summon a National Conference and members drawn from every State of the Federation to debate on restructuring, which is also dependent on a referendum. But the outcome of which, we all know, will be dusted in the files as usual, like was done to past reports. And the excuse that will be given, after Atiku must have left office, will be that he had recommended a national conference on the subject of restructuring but it did not pull through.

We all know that the major reason why the much talked about restructuring of Nigeria will not work, is that the entire country still heavily depends on only crude oil and natural gas export as major source of revenue. I wholeheartedly support the idea of restructuring Nigeria for sustainable economic growth and holistic development. But let us be honest with ourselves, the restructuring exercise will be killed before its birth by Nigerian politicians from the North, South-West and may be South-East. A proper restructuring will be beneficial to the South-South States of Nigeria; hence they will support it very well. The South-South States have the natural Sea Ports, the crude oil and natural gas reserves, which have been feeding the entire country in the last five decades. Though, we also know that much of that wealth, will be stolen by few politicians in power in the South-South States. Lagos State might survive on its own for a while, but it will still decline because it still depends on the oil and gas companies that pay bulk of their staff and taxes to the Lagos State Government. In that circumstance, oil and gas companies will have to relocate their Head Offices to the Niger Delta States, because it is these taxes that are making Lagos State to be booming and be so independent of federal allocations.

Out of the 36 States plus Abuja, about 35 of them and the FCT depend on the monthly allocations from the federation accounts, which of course is earned from the export of crude oil and natural gas. The States across the country know very well that they won’t be able to pay workers’ salaries and embark on other projects without this ‘monthly salary called Federal allocations.’ So, if the said restructuring is done with an open heart, the States that heavily depend on the crude oil and natural gas wealth will crumble economically. Atiku and other politicians know this fact: that Nigeria is being survived by the Petroleum exports and nothing more.

And as expected, every Presidential candidate will use this restructuring subject matter as a campaign tool that will not be realized. The lawmakers elected into the National Assembly are aware of this fact, that they will not be able to carry themselves about in their “Agbadas” (Hausa/Fulani & Yoruba attires) speaking to impress their supporters, if the oil and gas wealth is cut off as a result of restructuring. All the wealth they claim to own are money stolen from the oil and gas revenue. That is the same money used in paying for all government activities, funding of their foreign trips, and what have you. All the Federal Government Departments, Agencies, Universities, State Government activities, National Assembly activities, etc., are carried out with the money from sales of crude oil and natural gas exports. They are just used to this free monthly salary called Federation allocation to the States.

So, the Restructuring campaign song is nothing but deception. Those shouting restructuring are not being sincere with the issue.

Zik Gbemre, JP.

National Coordinator

Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)