REGIONALIZATION, RESTRUCTURING AND RE- FEDERALIZATION~ By Ogbeide Ifaluyi-Isibor!!! A MUST READ!!!!!!

REGIONALIZATION, RESTRUCTURING AND RE- FEDERALIZATION~ By Ogbeide Ifaluyi-Isibor!!! A MUST READ!!!!!!

As the Biafra agitation has progressed,the call for restructuring as always has taken centre stage in virtually all discussions today.

Nigeria's present  structure of an overburdened centre struggling to carry 36 viable and to some extent unviable states does not have the capacity to maximize the significant gains of a genuine fiscal federation. Political restructuring is therefore the panacea for economic growth of Nigeria going forward.

The inability of Local government councils to function as well as some state governments will remain a stumbling block to addressing the Governance needs of the people thus the need for a devolution of more powers to States and Local governments. Some have also argued and rightly so, that regionalizing the six geopolitical zones will spur healthy competition and economic prosperity leveraging on the comparative advantages of each region. Each region allowed to explore the  minerals resources available and use for its growth and development . In 2015 alone,over N4trillion was lost to illegal mining in Nigeria while billions of dollars have been lost to illegal oil bunkering and theft in the Niger delta region.

There is therefore the need for the critical autonomies of the Federal Government to be to a great extent devolved to federating units.

I also think that the spirit behind the federal character principle is good but it's application has been grossly abused as merit is relegated to the background at the expense and disadvantage of the country.

Many are in perfect simulacrum to the prayers that multi level policing remains the only viable option for checking our growing insecurity across the country.it is glaring that most of our security challenges have regional locus,like the Boko Haram in the North,the kidnappings in the South East, the resplendent robbery in the South West and of course criminal militancy in the South South. While many also agree that the disadvantages of multi level policing àplenty, we can't run away from the facts that having a central police command hasn't achieved much in curbing insecurity in Nigeria.

The right to self determination is a universal right recognized even under the United Nations Charter and by this extent, I find nothing wrong with the demand and agitation for a referendum to birth the creation of the Republic of Biafra by some Nigerians, I however think that rescuing Nigeria by revisiting the current economic and political structure of the nation leading to a  Re-federalization is by no means a better option.