For true federalism, Nigeria needs to revert to 1960 constitution –Nwabueze

As demands for the restructuring of Nigeria continue to gather momentum on daily basis, Professor Ben Nwabueze has canvassed for a return of the country to the “true federalism of the 1960/1963 constitutions.”

He however said the demands would be successful if led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The elder statesman and chairman of the Project Nigeria Movement as well as The Patriots stated this in a statement he released on Thursday entitled, “Press statement on restructuring to mark our 57th Independence Anniversary.”

The statement read in part, “Restructuring, as it is presently being demanded, seeks to revert our federal system to the true federalism of the 1960/63 constitutions, to further reduce the powers of the Federal Government as may be thought necessary.

“The intention, furthermore, is to assuage, to an optimal extent, the demand for self-determination or self-government consistent with the territorial sovereignty of the country.

“Self-determination connotes essentially, not independent government, but the right of each group, within the territorial sovereignty of the country as one state, to govern itself in matters that concern it alone, without undue control by the Federal Government; the control is oppressive because it is being exercised without due regard to the requirements of justice, fairness and equity. Restructuring is being demanded as a means of release from the federal yoke.”

On the fears of some people that the clamour is a plot by some sections of the country to secede, Nwabueze said, “The object of restructuring for which there is a widespread clamour among Nigerians is not to break up the country or to enable agitators to secede from its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“Far from that, the object is, by reforming the governmental structures and attuning them to the needs and wishes of the people, to ensure that the immense diversity of ethnic nationalities comprised in the state will continue to co-exist together in peace, prosperity and progress as citizens of one country united by common interests, common aspirations and a common destiny.

“The clamour for restructuring must therefore be seen as a clamour for the setting up of appropriate platforms or fora to renegotiate suitable governmental structures for the pursuit and realisation of our common needs for development, good governance and national transformation.”

According to Nwabueze, “This aspect of restructuring, which is as necessary as its primary focus, will need to be led by a President, as the elected leader of the people, imbued with the task for national transformation. The governmental structure that needs particularly to be reformed by restructuring is our federal system.”

“Federalism is commonly agreed to be a compelling necessity for the maintenance of peace, stability and development of Nigeria as one country. The 1960/1963 constitutions of Nigeria established a federal system with three (later four) regions each invested with sufficient autonomy to govern itself in matters that concerned it alone – internal self-government – without undue control by, or interference from the centre, thus giving each region the impetus and incentive to develop optimally in healthy competition with the others.”

Proponents of restructuring of Nigeria, like Nwabueze and many others majorly from the southern part of Nigeria, believe that a restructured Nigeria will address, among other things, the question of resource control and undue concentration of powers and financial resources at the centre.

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