Rebirth Group calls for urgent action on restructuring, accountability

By KEMI KASUMU

As Nigeria marks 110 years since amalgamation and 64 years of independence, we believe it is time for a sober reflection, says The Rebirth. Group (TRG).

In a statement jointly signed in Ibadan by the group’s Chairman, Board of Trustees, Ambassador Yemi Farounbi; Convener, Owolabi Oladejo; and General Secretary, DIY Nweze, the TRG said, “We must come together to chart a new path for peace and progress.”

In its words, “Nigerians should no longer fear open debates, negotiations, and decisions about the kind of relationship they want with other ethnic groups and how their country should be governed. It is high time we put a stop to living together in mutual suspicion and hatred. We must embrace a new political order to navigate the existential threats facing our nation. This calls for deep introspection and institution of regional system became more pertinent in view of what occurred in this country in the early days of this month; August.

“On August 1, 2024, concerned citizens, particularly the youths, commenced a nationwide protest tagged #EndBadGovernance/Hunger. This protest marked a critical moment in Nigeria’s history, as citizens chose to express their frustration and demand accountability from those in power. The peaceful calls for better governance and economic stability reflected deep-seated concerns about pervasive profligacy, corruption, mismanagement, hunger, widespread poverty and the failure to address the welfare of the citizens.

“Unfortunately, what began as a peaceful demonstration took a violent turn in some areas, leading to the tragic loss of lives. Additionally, some participants have been seen waving foreign flags and calling for a coup d’état. This development is deeply worrisome. These actions could have serious and far- reaching consequences for both the movement and the nation as a whole.

“The core message of the protest, the legitimate demand for an end to bad governance and urgent action to address hunger, has been overshadowed by calls for unconstitutional means of changing the country’s leadership. The push for a coup d’état undermines what could have been a powerful advocacy for systemic reforms and improved governance. This shift in focus has alienated a broad section of the Nigerian public and may weaken the resolve of policymakers to engage in meaningful dialogue or pursue necessary reforms.

“Openly calling for external intervention or a military takeover is a serious threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty. Waving foreign flags deepens divisions within the country, sends a message that undermines our collective struggle for a better Nigeria, and could lead to increased polarization, heightened political instability, and harm Nigeria’s diplomatic relations, making it more difficult to garner international support for positive reforms.

“We are reminded of the historical consequences of such actions. The military coup d’état of January 15, 1966 gave birth to the Unification Decree 34 of 1966 which marked the beginning of a process that centralized power, abolished regional self-government, and destroyed federalism that was instituted by our founding fathers.

“The counter-coup of July 1966, which culminated in a devastating civil war and the subsequent military regimes gradually sealed the fate of federalism through various constitutional reviews and decrees. Military interregnum led to prolonged periods of repression, human rights abuses, and economic decline, the effects of which are still felt today.

“For many indigenous ethnic groups, the hopes and dreams of development and progress at independence have faded and are now replaced with lingering fears of political and economic marginalization and existential threats. The level of inter-ethnic distrust in the country is unprecedented. This is not the time to toy with our nascent and fragile democracy or the future of our dear country.”

TRG, therefore, proposed a restructuring that brings the country back to the original concepts of its autonomous regions, saying Nigerians stand to benefit from restructuring of that nature.

“The present quasi-unitary system is unsustainable. Nigeria requires a political governance structure with an equitable and inclusive power structure, a hybrid home grown democratic governance structures with elements of parliamentarism.
Reformed political structures that births inclusivity, mutual trust, equity will produce stability, unity and peace needed for effective economic reforms, transparency and good governance. Without political reforms, efforts at economic reforms will falter in a corrupt or unstable political environment.

“While we acknowledge that the process of restructuring Nigeria may exacerbate inter-regional and inter-ethnic tensions and conflicts at the initial stage as power dynamics and resource control shift, there is no doubt that it will bring peace and progress ultimately. We are inspired by other heterogeneous countries that have developed suitable structures and systems that have led to peaceful, stable, and prosperous societies.

“It is time we returned to the original regional autonomous structure, establish a country where equity and trust reign. We firmly believe that the present administration has the historic duty to restructure this country.

“We should establish the modalities for reestablishing an autonomous regional structure, similar to what obtained in the 1959 Independence Constitution, but increasing the number of regions as dictated by current realities.

“The Federal Government should first convene intrastate conferences by organizing ethnic nationality discussions within each state. The results of these intra-ethnic discussions should be subjected to a referendum to determine the preferred system of government favored by the people, which state each ethnic nationality preferred to belong to and which region each state want to join.

“Each region should have its own constitution, outlining how it wishes to govern itself and how it intends to relate to other regions. This should be followed by inter-regional conversations to agree on a new Federal Constitution and to determine inter-regional relationships. The regions should subscribe to an inviolable Article of the Federation that will establish and preserve autonomy and guarantee liberty, equality, equity, and justice for each region,” it proposed.