By Okolo Chimennma Esq.
The current Nigeria structure is skewed in such a way that the producers are shortchanged of the benefits of their products.
It's this hypocritical structure that is at the root of most of Nigeria's problems.
Take for instance the northern states who had introduced sharia law systems, they have banned the drinking of alcohol in their states on the ground that it is haram to indulge in alcohol. In fact I recall when they made a show of the destruction of bottles of alcoholic drinks.
Still these northern states are quick to go to Abuja cap in hand every month to partake of the VAT proceeds accrued from alcohol sales and consumption.
At the FAAC sharing nobody says it is haram to share VAT proceeds from alcohol.
How hypocritical can a system be?
Whilst we demand the entire revenue from oil be paid into a so called federation account to be shared jointly we do not demand that the revenue from such other activities as agriculture be brought into the federation account.
Whilst we chase down oil bunkerers we play blind to illegal mining of solid minerals in the north. Pray are those solid minerals not part of our national heritage?
Is it not hypocritical to demand the revenue generated within the southern borders and ports whilst those generated in the north are shrouded in mystery?
Is it not against the secular proclamation of the obviously flawed 1999 constitution to have sharia laws, sharia courts etc? Where In the world do we we have two set of laws governing people of the same country regarding crimes and social vices?
Those opposed to a restructured Nigeria are those who have become drunk on the easy money oil brings. They fail to understand that oil is a finite product and the easy money won't last forever.
The only way to develop Nigeria is to do away with the feeding bottle unitary pseudo federalism.
True federalism will bring about faster growth across the country as It will engender competition.
From all available data the only period Nigeria experienced exponential growth was in the 1960s when regionalism was practiced.
There was competition.
Now we have grown a generation of leaders who are unimaginative, uncreative and lazy in the name of monthly FAAC and you wonder why most states can't pay salaries!
As it is today especially with the self determination struggles everywhere Nigeria ultimately has only two choices:
a) we must sit down to discuss how to restructure the skewed federal Republic to a just and fair entity. A truly federal structure in all ramifications,
or
b) we go our separate ways via a referendum.
Make no mistake it will surely happen.
Mark my words.
The choices are ours to make.
Okolo Chimennma is a Lawyer, Youth Activist and Environmental Rights Campaigner.
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