By Tohwo Oseruvwoja

Comrades, I have been placed in bewilderment, when the news of the current position Constitutional Review process filtered to my hearing from some of the news media.

Though it did not come to me as a shock to hear that the State Houses of Assembly have bowed to the pressure from the State Governors to reject the must-promoted discussed topic of the Constitutional Review process, which is the Local Government autonomy.

Because, as it has been widely speculated and alleged that the State Houses of Assembly are usually rubberstamped to the State Governor, makes it is less difficult to reject such speculation and allegation without seeking proof.

The media, further reported that out of the 44 constitutional alteration bills forwarded to State Houses of Assembly for concurrence, only 35 were voted for by 24 out of the 36 State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria.

However, it is a rude shock and surprise to read from several news media that the National Assembly decided to borrow the leaves from their junior honorable colleagues and bow to the Governors’ bidding to neglect Local Government autonomy thereby making the entire process of the Constitutional Review a political jamboree.

It is important to state here that the foundation or the fundamental principles of Nigeria’s restructuring should begin by giving autonomy to the Local Government Council which is the closest tier of Public Administration to the citizen of Nigeria.

While we must not overlook the Provision of Section 7 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999(As amended) CFRN which has been consistently undermined and abused by the State Governors and its partner in the State Houses of Assembly’s through the mischievous understanding and interpretation of Section 4 (7) and 162 (6) of the CFRN to suit individual selfish belief and aim, thereby outrightly undermining the express and unambiguous provision of Sections 7, 162 (3) (5) (7) (8) of the CRFN speak volume of an attempt to keep the presence of Government far from the Citizens.

Sincerely, this development is a defeat to the promotion of Restructuring and is another step backward in actualizing the long-clamored Restructuring of Nigeria which currently forms the bases of the majority of Political Parties’ campaigns for the 2023 General Election but has just been sacrificed by the same people entrusted with the process and still campaigning to make it a reality if given another opportunity.

Gentlemen and comrades, it is now obvious that our problem is not only to be addressed at the center because the Body(States) have continuously, held the neck of the Head (Federal) hostage and trapped the Tail (Local Government) thereby causing the entire system to sophisticate.

Though theoretically, the Head (Federal government) seems more powerful than the Body (State Government). But, practically speaking and from the show of events, when there is a conflict of interest between both, the body seems to be more powerful, and such powers are exercised through the machinery of the State Government or Federal agencies left at the mercy of the State for funding, or through Political appointees recommended to the Head by the Body.

Sincerely, how best can the term “unseriousness or” lack of Political will” be defined without boldly aligning the phrase “Nigerian Politician”??.

Indeed, may the custodian of our fate be kind to us.

Tohwo Oseruvwoja
@tohwo_opinion