The late Professor Abubakar Momoh was a celebrated polemicist.
Looking at the confused state of the nation, he would have wanted
to join issues with members of the ruling class on the growing
demand for the restructuring of the country.
In paying tribute to our fallen comrade, permit me to expose the
official lie on the indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria.
As we are being told that the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable,
the federal government is busy negotiating the unity with armed
groups that have decided to wage war against the State. Very
recently, the authorities in Abuja negotiated with the Niger Delta
Avengers and other militant groups to ensure uninterrupted supply
of crude oil. In the same vein, the negotiation between the federal
government and the Boko Haram terrorist sect has led to the release
of not less than 100 abducted Chibok girls.
Let the federal government proceed to negotiate with other armed
gangs, including armed robbers, armed kidnapers and armed herdsmen
who are terrorising the populace. Instead of negotiating with
leaders of ethnic groups, the federal government should enter into
meaningful dialogue with separatists and landlords who have
threatened to forcefully eject from a section of the country. Since
the young people who are asking for the balkanisation of the
country and those who insist that Nigeria be kept together at all
cost are disenchanted with the status quo, the APC should be
prevailed upon to implement its welfare programme, including the
creation of one million jobs per annum, the building of three
million houses per annum, and ensuring free and compulsory primary
and secondary school education for every Nigerian child. Let the
federal government be told that the unity of Nigeria cannot be
based on the wish of the ruling class but on social justice and
equal opportunities for all citizens.
In his highly misleading rejection of the call for
restructuring, Chief John Oyegun, the National Chairman of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) was reported to have said that at no
time did the ruling party promise to restructure the country.
According to him, “when the APC manifesto was being put together it
was discussed extensively. We chose our words carefully in putting
our words together and we are committed to what we have said in
that manifesto.” Another leading member of the party and one of its
ideologues, Mr. Nasir El Rufai, the governor of Kaduna State has,
in his characteristic arrogant manner, descended on the proponents
of restructuring. As far as he is concerned, “those who are calling
for restructuring are opportunists and irresponsible.” Before his
latest outburst, the Progressive Governors Forum, of which Governor
El Rufai is a member, had supported the call for restructuring.
It is regrettable that Chief Oyegun and Governor El Rufai are
not familiar with the Manifesto of their ruling party. In the
Preamble to the APC Manifesto, it is clearly stated that, “To
achieve this laudable programme APC government shall restructure
the country, devolve power to the units, with the best practices of
federalism and eliminate unintended paralysis of the centre.”
Furthermore, it is expressly stated in Section 25 – Politics &
Governance – of the Manifesto that, “the APC believes that our
politics is broken. Our nation urgently needs fundamental political
reform and improvement in governance to make it more transparent
and accountable. APC will: initiate action to amend our
Constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties and
responsibilities to states and local governments in order to
entrench Federalism and the Federal Spirit…”
With respect to the realisation of its change agenda, the APC
made it categorically clear to the Nigerian people in the Manifesto
that, “Our mission is to construct and institute a progressive
state anchored on social democracy, where the welfare and security
of the citizenry is paramount.” Since the APC has not amended its
Manifesto, Chief Oyegun is totally estopped from repudiating the
commitment of his party to restructure the country in order “to
entrench Federalism and the Federal Spirit.” With respect, Governor
El Rufai’s inconsistent position on restructuring should not be
taken seriously. Although the governor may now wish to call Alhaji
Atiku Abubakar names for supporting the call for political
restructuring, it is on record that both of them had no fundamental
disagreement over the restructuring of the national economy in the
recent past. Under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, both
Alhaji Abubakar and Mr. El Rufai were the chairman and
director-general, respectively, of the Bureau of Public
Enterprises. In both capacities, the two neo-liberal apostles
ensured that the nation’s asset were sold in the most fraudulent
manner ever witnessed in any part of the world.
The Senate, under the leadership of Senator David Mark, was
compelled to pass a resolution for the cancellation of the dubious
privatisation exercise carried out by the duo. Regrettably, the
Jonathan administration could not muster the political will to
implement the resolution. Since he was not prosecuted for such
fraudulent restructuring of the economy, Governor El Rufai had the
temerity to request the federal government to conclude the
privatisation of our remaining national asset. The request for the
complete restructuring of the economy was contained in his letter
addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, which was leaked to the
press last year.
On the basis of his consistent campaign for the restructuring of
the economy through privatisation, it is Mr. El Rufai who has
displayed unbridled opportunism and irresponsibility in the ongoing
debate for political restructuring. Since the Nigerian people voted
for the APC on the basis of its Manifesto, its leaders,
particularly Chief Oyegun and Governor El Rufai, should apologise
to the electorate for saying that the party never promised to
restructure the country. However, in view of the undeniable fact
that the APC has subscribed to the Fundamental Objectives and
Directive Principles of State Policy enshrined in Chapter Two of
the Constitution, the party is duty bound to restructure the
country and ensure public control of the national economy in strict
compliance with section 16 (2) (c) of the Constitution, which
stipulates that “The State shall direct its policy towards ensuring
that the economic system is not operated in such a manner as to
permit the concentration or the means of production and exchange in
the hands of few individuals or a group.”
In concluding my remarks, I believe that the greatest tribute
that Professor Abubakar Momoh deserves from us is a renewed
commitment on the part of ASUU and other progressive forces to
mobilise the Nigerian people to campaign for the actualisation of
the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy
in the Constitution, which is only feasible under a socialist
Nigeria. This is not my original idea but that of the Political
Bureau set up in 1985 by the Ibrahim Babangida military junta
Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), writes
from Lagos.
This remarks were delivered at a symposium in honour of
the late director general of the INEC Institute, Professor Abubakar
Momoh in Abuja.
The late Professor Abubakar Momoh was a celebrated polemicist.
Looking at the confused state of the nation, he would have wanted
to join issues with members of the ruling class on the growing
demand for the restructuring of the country.
In paying tribute to our fallen comrade, permit me to expose the
official lie on the indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria.
As we are being told that the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable,
the federal government is busy negotiating the unity with armed
groups that have decided to wage war against the State. Very
recently, the authorities in Abuja negotiated with the Niger Delta
Avengers and other militant groups to ensure uninterrupted supply
of crude oil. In the same vein, the negotiation between the federal
government and the Boko Haram terrorist sect has led to the release
of not less than 100 abducted Chibok girls.
Let the federal government proceed to negotiate with other armed
gangs, including armed robbers, armed kidnapers and armed herdsmen
who are terrorising the populace. Instead of negotiating with
leaders of ethnic groups, the federal government should enter into
meaningful dialogue with separatists and landlords who have
threatened to forcefully eject from a section of the country. Since
the young people who are asking for the balkanisation of the
country and those who insist that Nigeria be kept together at all
cost are disenchanted with the status quo, the APC should be
prevailed upon to implement its welfare programme, including the
creation of one million jobs per annum, the building of three
million houses per annum, and ensuring free and compulsory primary
and secondary school education for every Nigerian child. Let the
federal government be told that the unity of Nigeria cannot be
based on the wish of the ruling class but on social justice and
equal opportunities for all citizens.
In his highly misleading rejection of the call for
restructuring, Chief John Oyegun, the National Chairman of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) was reported to have said that at no
time did the ruling party promise to restructure the country.
According to him, “when the APC manifesto was being put together it
was discussed extensively. We chose our words carefully in putting
our words together and we are committed to what we have said in
that manifesto.” Another leading member of the party and one of its
ideologues, Mr. Nasir El Rufai, the governor of Kaduna State has,
in his characteristic arrogant manner, descended on the proponents
of restructuring. As far as he is concerned, “those who are calling
for restructuring are opportunists and irresponsible.” Before his
latest outburst, the Progressive Governors Forum, of which Governor
El Rufai is a member, had supported the call for restructuring.
It is regrettable that Chief Oyegun and Governor El Rufai are
not familiar with the Manifesto of their ruling party. In the
Preamble to the APC Manifesto, it is clearly stated that, “To
achieve this laudable programme APC government shall restructure
the country, devolve power to the units, with the best practices of
federalism and eliminate unintended paralysis of the centre.”
Furthermore, it is expressly stated in Section 25 – Politics &
Governance – of the Manifesto that, “the APC believes that our
politics is broken. Our nation urgently needs fundamental political
reform and improvement in governance to make it more transparent
and accountable. APC will: initiate action to amend our
Constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties and
responsibilities to states and local governments in order to
entrench Federalism and the Federal Spirit…”
With respect to the realisation of its change agenda, the APC
made it categorically clear to the Nigerian people in the Manifesto
that, “Our mission is to construct and institute a progressive
state anchored on social democracy, where the welfare and security
of the citizenry is paramount.” Since the APC has not amended its
Manifesto, Chief Oyegun is totally estopped from repudiating the
commitment of his party to restructure the country in order “to
entrench Federalism and the Federal Spirit.” With respect, Governor
El Rufai’s inconsistent position on restructuring should not be
taken seriously. Although the governor may now wish to call Alhaji
Atiku Abubakar names for supporting the call for political
restructuring, it is on record that both of them had no fundamental
disagreement over the restructuring of the national economy in the
recent past. Under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, both
Alhaji Abubakar and Mr. El Rufai were the chairman and
director-general, respectively, of the Bureau of Public
Enterprises. In both capacities, the two neo-liberal apostles
ensured that the nation’s asset were sold in the most fraudulent
manner ever witnessed in any part of the world.
The Senate, under the leadership of Senator David Mark, was
compelled to pass a resolution for the cancellation of the dubious
privatisation exercise carried out by the duo. Regrettably, the
Jonathan administration could not muster the political will to
implement the resolution. Since he was not prosecuted for such
fraudulent restructuring of the economy, Governor El Rufai had the
temerity to request the federal government to conclude the
privatisation of our remaining national asset. The request for the
complete restructuring of the economy was contained in his letter
addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, which was leaked to the
press last year.
On the basis of his consistent campaign for the restructuring of
the economy through privatisation, it is Mr. El Rufai who has
displayed unbridled opportunism and irresponsibility in the ongoing
debate for political restructuring. Since the Nigerian people voted
for the APC on the basis of its Manifesto, its leaders,
particularly Chief Oyegun and Governor El Rufai, should apologise
to the electorate for saying that the party never promised to
restructure the country. However, in view of the undeniable fact
that the APC has subscribed to the Fundamental Objectives and
Directive Principles of State Policy enshrined in Chapter Two of
the Constitution, the party is duty bound to restructure the
country and ensure public control of the national economy in strict
compliance with section 16 (2) (c) of the Constitution, which
stipulates that “The State shall direct its policy towards ensuring
that the economic system is not operated in such a manner as to
permit the concentration or the means of production and exchange in
the hands of few individuals or a group.”
In concluding my remarks, I believe that the greatest tribute
that Professor Abubakar Momoh deserves from us is a renewed
commitment on the part of ASUU and other progressive forces to
mobilise the Nigerian people to campaign for the actualisation of
the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy
in the Constitution, which is only feasible under a socialist
Nigeria. This is not my original idea but that of the Political
Bureau set up in 1985 by the Ibrahim Babangida military junta
Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), writes
from Lagos.
This remarks were delivered at a symposium in honour of
the late director general of the INEC Institute, Professor Abubakar
Momoh in Abuja.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/apc-promised-nigeria-restructuring-falana-san/