COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY PARTICIPANTS AT A SEMINAR ON* *STRATEGIES AND TACTICS FOR THE RESTRUCTURING OF THE NIGERIAN FEDERATION* *ORGANISED BY THE YORUBA LEADERSHIP AND PEACE INITIATIVE (TYLPI) AND HELD AT THE OLUSEGUN AGANGA HALL,* *UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021*
*PREAMBLE*
Yoruba leaders, consisting of professionals, intellectuals and entrepreneurs along with their like-minded associates from other parts of Nigeria gathered at the Olusegun Aganga Hall, University of Ibadan International Conference Centre on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 to map out strategies and tactics for the restructuring of Nigeria, which they all agreed was the only way to save the tottering union from further decay.
The seminar, which drew speakers from across the country and which was well attended by persons of a wide range of ages, was convened in the belief that the country stands on a perilous cliff and can, at this point, only be saved from its woes by a quick return to the structure that was formulated after years of painstaking deliberations by its founding fathers.
*AGREEMENT AND COMMITMENT*
Having carefully reviewed the current state of the nation, particularly the crippling insecurity, social, economic and political anarchy exemplified by debt overhang and economic distress, hunger and abject poverty among the citizenry, unhealthy ethnic rivalry and religious disharmony, participants agreed that the various issues assailing the peace, progress and unity of Nigeria have their origin in the gradual erosion of the hallowed principles agreed to by the nationalists who negotiated the nation’s independence and the reluctance by those benefitting from the lopsided arrangement to allow for the rectification of the fraudulent distortions imposed on the nation by the military.
Arising from the foregoing, the participants expressed their commitment to a just, fair and equitable Nigeria but noted that such a country was only attainable through a deliberate restructuring of the polity along the lines of the 1963 republican Constitution which in itself was the outcome of protracted negotiations by the nation’s founding fathers.
They also expressed their appreciation to the Governors of the 17 states in southern Nigeria for their voiced support for the restructuring of the country.
*RESOLUTIONS*
Consequent upon the foregoing, the participants resolved as follows: That
1. only a properly run federal system can engender justice , sustainable peace, and progress in a multi-ethnic nation like Nigeria.
2. a brand new constitution is what the country needs and that urgent steps should be taken to bring it about.
3. having agreed on the new constitution for the country, participants called for practical steps with clear timelines to be followed to achieve the goal.
4. in furtherance of the above, Nigerians, (and not the National Assembly) who possess the sovereignty and the powers to determine the governance frameworks for enactment as a constitution should arise and exercise those God-given powers such that the new Federal constitution should come into effect by October 1, 2022.
5. the new constitution, of necessity, should provide for the devolution of powers from the central government to the federating units, i.e., the States , such that the government at the centre will have power only over foreign affairs, defence, currency, customs and the like, while policing, judiciary, sports, etc will be on the concurrent list of the centre and the federating units while all other items, including but not limited to agriculture, industry, commerce, and prisons will be on the residual list, exclusive to the federating units.
6. the federating units, in the new arrangement, will contribute 50 percent of the earnings from their resources to the centre which retains 30 percent of such contributions and distributes the remaining 20 percent equally to the States.
7. 35 percent of all federally generated revenues, including offshore receipts, will be retained by the centre while 65 percent goes to the federating units (including local governments).
8. Nigeria should have a 42-State structure; seven per geo-political zone, which would compel the necessary geographical realignment that will enable contiguous, culturally affiliated communities with shared historical ties, such as the Yoruba in Kogi and Kwara States as well as the Anioma in Delta State to be co-located in the same States and zones.
9. the central government will own and administer the Federal Capital Territory on behalf of the federating units as enshrined in the Act establishing it without any ethnic group being able to lay claim to it.
10. the new constitution should return the country to the Westminster parliamentary system of government, as against the profligate and unsustainable presidential system.
The participants expressed their appreciation to the Chairman of the seminar, the inimitable Chief
Ayo Adebanjo , Leader of Afenifere Group; and the other guest speakers: Professor GG Darah of Delta State University, Abraka and Leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) in Delta State; Dr Akin Fapohunda, Director of Research and Strategy, Afenifere Group; Dr Usman Bugaje and Dr Sadiq Gombe both of the Arewa Research and Development Project; Senator Adegbenga Kaka, former Deputy Governor of Ogun State; Ms Yemi Adamolekun, Executive Director, Enough is Enough and Mr. Alistair Soyode of Ben Television, London, who were the resource persons who presented the papers on which this communique is based.
Olusegun K. Ahmadu
President,
The Yoruba Leadership and Peace Initiative
Olufemi Adefemiwa
General Secretary
The Yoruba Leadership and Peace Initiative
