Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has declared that the cry for federalism in Nigeria’s constitutional change process is unwarranted, since the system is not fit for the country.
Speaking to newsmen on the fringes of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review retreat in Kano on Saturday, Ndume said, “Today, there are 195 countries in the world, and only 25 practice federalism. So, the cry for federalism is not necessary. If it were better, 100 out of 195 countries would have embraced it.”
He continued, “Democracy means government of the people, by the people, and decisions should be made for the people. The media would do our country a great favor if they downplay matters of constitutional review and instead focus on the key problems of openness, equity, justice, and accountability—values that the voters care about, regardless of who governs.”
“If fairness, justice, and equity are achieved, the President and the legislature would not be above the law. But right now, that’s not what is occurring in Nigeria. Today, if I speak, people say it’s just Ndume, but I can’t talk to you if I’m not a Senator.”
“Federalism has its own advantages and disadvantages. If you look at countries that have grown tremendously, they have their own systems, which are not necessarily federalism, and they have prospered without being particularly preoccupied with federalism.”
He also remarked, “Our major challenge in this country is corruption. To this day, there is no law that effectively addresses corruption. Only in Nigeria are people celebrated after stealing public cash, and no one wonders where the money came from.”
“In other developed countries, they ask questions about how and where you got anything. Remember, I sought to enact a bill in the National Assembly on corruption, but it has not seen the light of day. There is no law now in Nigeria that properly handles corruption.”
On local government autonomy, Senator Ndume remarked, “I support local government autonomy. When we say there are three arms of government, that’s why the President went to the Supreme Court and received a judgment. But up till now, technicalities have arisen, which we need to address and figure out.”
He said, “But remember, it’s only in Nigeria where an entire state wears uniforms and goes to their Governor to say they don’t want autonomy. In such a country, there’s a need for increased awareness to assist people grasp their rights and liberate them from the chains of misgovernance.”
“We grew up seeing local governments building roads, hospitals, and many other important things. But what is not needed is blanket autonomy, as some local governments will naturally fail because they cannot stand on their own. That’s what we are tackling in the constitutional revision to make them viable.”
“I support the idea of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducting local government elections because INEC has been underutilized. It could do more, whereas the state-level elections are so rigged that one cannot grasp what is going on. The underlying issue is fairness and justice.”
