Editorial: The Noise about Restructuring and Shocking Silence Over Autonomy of States' Legislature and Judiciary

The agitation and advocacy for Nigeria to be restructured, became a sing - song  across the country since 2015, particularly among so called experts and social commentators.

The media space became awash with all manners of discussion as to what restructuring means. Interestingly, most of the advocates viewed the subject matter from the point of view of reducing the influence of the federal government and giving more powers to the states, without considering the critical role local government councils ought to play in terms of grassroots development. 

Whilst it maybe hastily judgmental to conclude that most of the advocates of restructuring of Nigeria are members of the political class that have lost out in the power equation cum percuniary gains, it may not be presumptuous to state that the advocates actually have little or no interest as it affects genuine restructuring of the country. This assumption is predicated on the unusual silence that have greeted the states' legislature and judiciary autonomy bill signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, after it went through the rigorous process of constitutional amendment.

One would have thought that advocates of restructuring, would have been in the forefront of pushing for the President to gazette the law amid resistance by members of the Nigerian Governors' Forum, NGF, who have seemingly turned themselves to overlords and enemies of democracy as well as good governance in Nigeria.

Just like the way these governors openly fought against financial regulations of local government councils' funds and allocations from FAAC, with subtle tactics to illegally get refunds from the local government allocations, the governors through the self - seeking NGF, have in the interim pressured President Muhammadu not to gazette the autonomy for states' legislature and judiciary, under the pretext of begging for more time to find workable synergy between the executive, legislature and judiciary at the state level.

The questions that readily comes to mind, include: (1) Is autonomy for states' legislature and judiciary, not one of the surest ways to restructure the country and ensure accountable governance and separation of powers at the Sub National level? ( 2) Why are the agitators for restructuring of the country, not  pushing for gazette of autonomy for states' legislature and judiciary vis - a - vis its implementation, after turning blind eyes to financial regulations of local government councils through the NFIU? Answers to these posers, could tell us whether or not advocates for restructuring are actually fighting for the overall development of the country or generating noise for selfish interest!

Succinctly put, restructuring of Nigeria starts with implementation of autonomy for states' legislature and judiciary.

        Editor - In - Chief

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