Time to restructure Nigeria has come, says IBB

The time to restructure Nigeria has come, former
military president, General Ibrahim Babangida
said on Monday as he launched an appeal to
Nigerians to draw back from further campaign of
hate the like of which he said led to the 20
month civil war.
Former Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida
during prayers to mark his 75th birthday
celebration at the Hilltop, Minna, Niger State
Noting his own historic linkages across the
various divides in the country, the former
military president said that there was little
discord among Nigerians of different social
classes as he urged Nigerians to synergise their
different potentials towards building a great
nation.
Towards restructuring the country, Babangida
called for the devolution of more powers from
the federal level to the states even as he urged
Nigerians to embrace the creation of state
police. He said the fear of state governors using
state police to run amok was not as strong as
the greater benefit that creating state police
would do for the nation.
While passionately appealing to leaders of the
different divides in the country to show more
maturity by reining in the younger elements, the
former military president observed that war is
not a joke anyone should toy with.
General Babangida said:
Nigeria, my dear country, is not a stranger to
crisis, nor is she immune to it. In a profound
sense, she can be said to have been created out
of crisis, a nation state that will continue to
strive to subdue and transcend crises. In over a
century of its formalized colonial architecture,
Nigeria has grown and made remarkable
progress in the midst of crises.
The most tragic and horrendous episode in
Nigeria’s history has been the 30 month Civil
War of July 1967 to January 1970, in which
many of our compatriots lost their lives. Indeed,
many others also suffered terrible injuries of
human and material dimensions.
So, who really wants to go through the depth
and dimensions of another Civil War in Nigeria
again? Who does not know that that Civil War
was preceded and started by intolerance and a
series of hate pronouncements, hate speeches,
hate conducts and actions that were inflicted
upon one another by the citizens? Today, with a
deep sense of nostalgia, I still carry within my
body the pains of injury from the Civil War: there
is nothing romantic about war; in any form, war
is bad, condemnable and must be avoided.
I need hardly say I am very worried by the
current on-going altercations and vituperations
of hate across the country by individuals, well-
known leaders, religious leaders, group of
persons and organizations. We need to remind
ourselves that conflicts are not evidently the
stuff of politics and governance, particularly so
of democracy, hence we must apply caution in
our utterances, body language and news
reportage.
The management of conflicts is the acid test of
maturity, of mutual livelihood and of democratic
governance. We cannot and we must not allow
the current hate atmosphere to continue to
freely pollute our political landscape unchecked.
Personally, I reject the proceedings of hate and
their dissemination and urge my fellow citizens
to strongly condemn the scourge and orgy of
the current crisis which, in my view, is an
outcome of vengeful appetites within the
multiple contexts of our democratic governance
and the profound inequalities that have distorted
our social relations.
Nonetheless, it is not the place of leaderships to
fuel and hype conflicts nor should we allow
losers and gainers of our governance regimes to
make pronouncements and threats that exploit
our ethnic, religious and geopolitical construct.
Democracy, anywhere in the world, is a work in
progress; and one that is subject to constant
evolution and debate. The drums of war are easy
to beat, but their rhythms are difficult to dance.
Starting wars or political upheavals comes with
the slightest provocation, but ending them
becomes inelastic, almost unending with painful
footages of the wrecks of war. I have been
involved and its ripples are tellingly unpalatable,
with gory details of destruction and carnage. I
am a Nigerian, a citizen, patriot and concerned
stakeholder.
It is my strong belief that Nigeria can attain
greater greatness if we all nurture our minds in
the direction of building a nation, and accepting
responsibility for its successes and failures.
We cannot deny or repudiate our progress at
nation-building in spite of the limitations and
challenges that we have continued to
experience. As a people, we need a proper study
and understanding of our history in order to
correct the warped perceptions of our past so
as to minimize the dangers of badly skewed
stories of our democratic experience in
governance; and to regenerate mutual
confidence and uphold the tenets of living
together as one country.
No one government or administration can
provide all the answers to the myriad of
problems and challenges confronting us as a
country; no matter how determined, resolute,
committed and motivated such a government is.
The citizens have their roles to play, and their
obligations to fulfill in order to motivate
government in achieving its stated goals and
objectives. Governance is a function of the
leadership and the followership. It is a two-way
traffic that demands certain responsibilities from
those involved.
Of late, Nigeria has become so sharply divided
with emotions running high on the least
provocations. Once tempers are that high, the
fault-lines become easily visible and with the
slightest prompting, the unexpected can happen.
But I want to believe that Nigerians are still their
reasonable selves’, highly endowed in various
skills and intellectually empowered to compete
anywhere in the global arena.
As a Nigerian, I have had the rare privilege to
benefit from robust relationships from different
people across the socio-political divide; East,
West, North and South. I have also immensely
interacted with persons from all the numerous
tribes, cultures and ethnic configurations dotted
across the entire gamut of Nigeria’s expansive
lands.
I have made friends, built alliances, nurtured
relationships and sustained linkages amongst
Nigerians of all shades and opinions. In fairness,
Nigerians are great people. In those hours,
moments and duration of friendship and
camaraderie, no one talks about origin,
geopolitical zones or even states.
The issue of religion does not dictate the flow of
discourse. We deal with ourselves based on our
character and content, and not the sentiments of
what part of the country we hail from.
The inalienable fact that Nigerians can live in
any part of the country to pursue their legitimate
aspirations is a strong indication that we have
accepted to invest in the Nigerian project, and
are no longer driven by mutual suspicion but
mutual respect.
That we have not fully realized our potentials as
a great nation is not enough reason for us to
want to demolish the foundation of our
nationhood or rubbish the labours of our heroes
past; both of which are borne out of our
collective efforts to build a truly great nation,
and great people. If we have repeatedly done
certain things and not getting the desired
results, we need to change tactics and approach,
and renew our commitment.
It is our collective responsibilities to engender a
reform that would be realistic and in sync with
modern best practices.
For example, restructuring has become a
national appeal as we speak, whose time has
come. I will strongly advocate for devolution of
powers to the extent that more responsibilities
be given to the states while the Federal
Government is vested with the responsibility to
oversee our foreign policy, defense, and
economy. Even the idea of having Federal Roads
in towns and cities has become outdated and
urgently needs revisiting.
That means we need to tinker with our
constitution to accommodate new thoughts that
will strengthen our nationality. Restructuring
and devolution of powers will certainly not
provide all the answers to our developmental
challenges; it will help to reposition our mindset
as we generate new ideas and initiatives that
would make our union worthwhile.
The talk to have the country restructured means
that Nigerians are agreed on our unity in
diversity; but that we should strengthen our
structures to make the union more functional
based on our comparative advantages.
Added to this desire is the need to commence
the process of having State Police across the
states of the Federation. This idea was
contained in my manifesto in 2010 when I
attempted to contest the presidential elections.
The initial fears that State Governors will misuse
the officers and men of the State Police have
become increasingly eliminated with renewed
vigour in citizens’ participation in, and
confidence to interrogate power. We cannot be
detained by those fears and allow civilization to
leave us behind.
We must as a people with one destiny and
common agenda take decisions for the sake of
posterity in our shared commitment to launch
our country on the path of development and
growth. Policing has become so sophisticated
that we cannot continue to operate our old
methods and expect different results.
I also want to appeal to the Nigeria media to be
more circumspect in their news reportage. They
should always weigh the security implications of
the contents of their news and the screaming
headlines that stare us in the face every day,
especially at this fragile period of our political
emanations. The media play an important and
remarkable role in shaping the flow of discourse.
Their level of influence is also not in doubt, but
as the fourth estate of the realm, it has a greater
responsibility to moderate public discourse in a
manner that will cement inter- and intra-cultural
relationships. If Nigeria works, it benefits all her
citizens; if it fails, it hurts all her citizens too.
The media should be patriotic in its present
engagements to berth a new Nigeria of our
dreams.
On a final note, I really wish we see strength,
determination, commitment and confidence in
our diversities rather than adversities. As a
heterogeneous country with flourishing skills
and numerous endowments, we should dictate
the pace in Africa and lead by example of what
is possible amongst a people that are focused
and determined to pursue common national
goal.
As a former Military President who had the rare
privilege to travel around Africa to sustain the
African cooperation through peace-keeping
operations, I have come to the conclusion that
nations are driven by a common ideal and not
by the homogeneity of their race. I saw Somalia,
such a homogeneous conclave yet one of the
most troubled countries in Africa today.
I saw South Sudan, which broke away from the
old Sudan, but peace and stability have eluded
them. Rwanda genocidal experience is not
romantic either. But a President from the
minority ethnic group has repositioned the
country to assume its pride of place in the
comity of nations.
That a people share common identity, language,
history, doctrine, culture, mores and values is
not synonymous with development, growth,
stability and peace. When we went into peace-
keeping operations in Sierra Leone, Somalia,
Liberia and Congo, we had in mind to sustain
oneness in Africa even though we are a
continent of different countries all bearing
different logos and identities. Our motivation
was simply that we are Africans.
I am therefore appealing to the sensibilities of all
of us, young and old, leaders and followers,
groups and organizations, that in the interest of
peace and stability of our country, we need to
sheathe the sword. At 76, I have seen it all. I
have seen war. I have fought war. And I have
survived war, even though I still suffer the pains
and injuries of war, it is part of the selfless
sacrifice to keep the union afloat.
We must build a country that is forward looking
for our children and future generations of
Nigerians. We cannot afford to toil with the
destinies of the 170million Nigerians by the
shape of our discourse and the content of our
interaction.
We must carry out conscious attitudinal
orientation that will change the mindset of our
youths and the held beliefs of the elderly. We
must explore the therapies of dialogue and
constructive engagements in our desire to make
life more meaningful for our people. My friends
cut across all regions, zones and states. I am
proud to be a Nigerian because I see hope in the
youthful population of Nigerians.
I see remarkable skills and raw talents that can
stimulate enterprise and innovations.
This is the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan, a
month in which Muslim faithful have dedicated
their lives to seek closeness to God, and
forgiveness of their inequities. It is a month of
penance; a month of prayer for physical, moral
and spiritual rejuvenation, regeneration and
rebirth. I urge my countrymen and women to
use the occasion to look ahead with hope and
renewed dedication to the service of our
country.