Restructuring; in governance is a system that suits the people of a particular generation. Roman Civilization (753 BC-476 AD) which influenced the world for a very long time, started with Kingdom, when kings ruled them from 753-510 BC. They became disenchanted with Kingdoms and expelled the last king, Tarquin The Proud, 510 BC and established the Republic, rule by the nobles (Senators), and later became disillusioned and discarded them. By 60 BC, Julius Ceasar became supreme and established rule of one man as Head of State. His legitimate successor, Octavius Augustus Ceaear, consolidated it and Rome progressed under wise Emperors.
France also had her own generation of restructuring, when kings ruled them. In 1792AD, they became disenchanted with their "Grand Monarch" King Louis XVI and deposed him. By 1793, they slaughtered him and his Queen, and then put an end to monarchy. Ever since, republican democracy ruled them. Britain which was the known successor of Roman Civilization adopted Roman methods of dividing conquered territories into provinces and imposed their own civilization on them. They conquered Nigeria in 1851, through Lagos, as their port of entry. As their main object was to create markets for their industrial products, and also source of raw materials for industries, they divided Nigeria according to this convenience, through regional segments. The Northern Region was known for producing ground-nut, cotton, tin, and they grouped then along these agricultural and mining enterprise. The Western Region was known for producing cocoa, rubber, and also, commercial enterprises, as they made Lagos, the chief port of Nigeria for transactions with foreign countries. Thus, Lagos was known as the chief centre of import and export in Nigeria, and also metamorphosed into industrialization and commercialization, and invariably attracted large population concentration, and much revenue in "Company Tax" and "Income Tax," Import/Export Duty, Property Rates, Market and Motor park tariffs, etc., came to the coffers of Governments, both for the Central and Regional levels.
In Eastern Region, which is today, the Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo States (South East), and also, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers (South-South), they had rich sources of income. They were rich in palm Oil/ Kernel produce and that was why the British initially called them “Oil Rivers Protectolate”. The British discovered Coal in Enugu, and so built roads to exploit and evacuate the “black gold," from Enugu to Port Harcourt, and also from Enugu to Onitsha, by sea ports. The palm kernel on the land, also extended to the sea, when the British discovered Crude Oil" in Oloibiri in Bayelsa, and also in Azumini in Abia state and Imo River in Imo State. All these made the then Eastern Region to be potentially wealthy.
The British then grouped exploration of these sources of wealth, according to comparative advantages. With the system of "True Federalism," that they adopted for Nigeria, they adopted the proverbial principle that the "The Horse that threshes the corn must feed from the corn," and made the regions to have a good percentage of the profits from their resources. Enugu, which was the source of Coal, was made headquarters of Eastern Region, and many infrastructures were developed, such as electricity, pipe-borne water, secretariat for administration. Onitsha and Port Harcourt which were avenues for evacuating the coal to Europe, also enjoyed government’s presence with many infrastructures for urbanization, and invariably attracted much population with attendant European Civilization. Port Harcourt was used as headquarters for processing the Crude Oil in Oloibiri, Aba was used as headquarters for processing the Crude Oil at Azumini River, while Owerri was used as headquarters for processing the Crude Oil at Imo River. With all these sources of wealth, Eastern Region was classified by the World Bank as the fastest growing economy in Nigeria, in 1964. This was just four years after Independence in 1960. So, the people of Nigeria were dancing to the dancing tune of "True Federalism," which was very compatible to all and sundry. In fact, Eastern Nigeria, under the Premier, Dr. Michael Okpara opened Diplomatic Relations with Israel, so as to imbibe Israeli ingenuity for rapid transformation. Nobody complained of "marginalization," because people used their indigenous natural resources for development at their own pace. But this “True Federalism”, was jeopardized in 1966, when the first military coup occurred. The first coup in January 1966, saw the leadership from the North and West as victims and the counter coup of July 1966, saw leadership from the East as victims. By September 1966, the avengers of the first coup, extended to the civilians of Eastern origin living in the North, mostly and some part of the West, as victims of massive genocide. The East, especially the Igbos, found themselves boxed into their corner of the country. When amicable resolution failed, the crisis degenerated into civil war, from July 1967 to January, 1970. During this protracted crisis, the Army who were managing the crisis, danced the dance prevailing in their time, which is restructuring. With their conventional centralization of powers for Command and control, they abolished “True Federalism" and introduced “Unitary System of Government." Their anger was that the rich mineral resources in Eastern Region, intoxicated them to attempt separation from Nigeria, and so, the sources of wealth should be commandeered so as to reduce Eastern Nigeria.
They divided Nigeria into twelve States in 1967, and further, during their protracted military rule, splitted it into 36 States. They removed Oil Producing States in Eastern Region, and shared them into the present Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Gross River, Rivers States. As Azumini in Abia and Imo River in Imo State, are core Igbo territories, they reluctantly left them in Igbo territory. But they took some Igbo territories, to another State example, the present Ikwere, in Rivers State, and also Ndoni Town, are all Igbo Towns. In fact, the first Governor of Rivers in the present dispensation is an Igbo man, Dr. Peter Odili (1999-2007), from Ndoni, a neighbouring town to Ogwu-Ikpele in Anambra State. The second governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi (2007-2015), is from Ikwere. In dancing the dance of "Unitary System," prevailing in their time for "Command and Control," (1966-1999), the Army confiscated all sources of all mineral wealth to the Federal Government. They concentrated the power of granting licences for prospecting of Crude Oil (Petroleum) and also solid minerals, in the soil, to the President and Commander-In-Chief of Armed Forces.
That was why Babangida, Abacha Family, Obasanjo, Danjuma, and their cohorts, are among the wealthiest oil moguls in Nigeria. The Military President, then behaved like his historical counterpart in France, King Louis XIV, who built the extravagant palace in Vaisalles in 1660AD, where he and his Army/Navy, lived in opulence and splendour. But by 1792 AD, the successor to the "Grand Monarch," King Louis XVI, became prey of Royal insensitivity, as the people revolted, danced the dance of restructuring, deposed him, and by 1793, killed him and his queen, together with their noble accomplices. The Military President of Nigeria perpetrated this insensitivity and used the money from Oil Producing States, and built the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, as one of the best cities in the world, where the Army, poli¬ticians and their contractors, who amass astronomical-wealth through infla¬ted contract prices, lived in opulence and spleandour, to the detriment of natives of Oil Producing areas who wallow in object poverty and contended with polluted air and water and environmental degredation.
Eminent Nigerians, who imbibe the virtues of humanitarianism, dynamism, pragmatism and patriotism, have advocated for restructuring. In the publi¬cation of "New Telegraph” newspaper of Saturday, November 24, 2018, page 41, advocates of restructuring ventilated their progressive ideas.
The Nigeria's erudite professor par excellence, Prof. Wole Soyinka, is an articulate advocate of restructuring. Others at the summit were Ambassador Ibrahim Gambari, Maj Gen Ike Nwachukwu (Retired), Chief Ayo Adebanjo, (Afenefere Yoruba), Chief John Nnia Nwodo (Ohaneze Ndigbo) Dr. (Mrs.) Tokumbo Awolowo-Dosummu (daughter of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo),Mr. Kingsley Muoghalu, Mr. Victor Okhai, Mr. Sina Adegbenro, They all argued that Restructuring, which shall devolve powers from the Centre to the States, which shall crystallize "True Federalism," is the best for Nigeria so that Nigeria can realize her full potentials. They contended that present system make the States economically unviable, with many of them depending on the Federal Government for bailout funds to pay salary to workers. They maintained that restructuring shall motivate the indigenes into healthy competition, in tapping their natural resources, through Resource Control, to make themselves economically viable, while contributing handsomely to the Federal coffers. This shall create opportunities for the natives to embark on "Human Capital Development," of their indigenes, and thus build respective progressive States or Regions which shall metamorphose to holistic and harmonious development of the entire country, Nigeria.
So, the youths and people of today, shall heed the recommendations of these true patriots of Nigeria, and give their votes to the enlightened, patriotic, progressive and altruistic office seekers, who can create opportunities for people to tap their natural resources, without encumbrances, for socio- economic self actualization, and thus dance the present prevailing dance of restructuring, because “children dance the dance prevailing in their time (Egwu biara n’anya azi ka azi na-agba).
